Thank you all for the comments, follows etc. I really do appreciate it! Here is chapter two - hope you enjoy it!
Before long, they had arrived at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Luc began looking for somewhere to park. He turned off the GPS so he could concentrate better and felt his heart rate begin to increase as he began to notice how many other cars were parked up. Clearly, it was going to be busy, which only made Luc's anxiety about the day begin to resurface. Fortunately, he quickly managed to find a space and pulled in, bringing the campervan to a stop.
"You have reached your destination." Luc almost jumped out of his skin at hearing the GPS, he could have sworn he turned it off.
"Your face!" Eddi was giggling, as Luc realised his mistake – Eddi had done a pitch perfect impression of the GPS and, in doing, so had made Luc feel like a bit of an idiot.
"Haha, very funny" Luc said drily as he looked at a still laughing Eddi.
"Oh, come on, that was pretty good" Eddi teased, the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried to suppress another grin. Luc merely grunted and got out of the campervan, trying to avoid eye contact. He didn't find it easy to laugh at his own mistakes, even inconsequential ones, particularly when he was already feeling tense. Eddi had joined him at his side and looked at him again, a jovial tone still in her voice, "It was just a joke! Cheer up, Hemingway, at least we're actually here. If it had just been down to you, we would probably be somewhere in the Outer Hebrides by now." She took his hand in hers to reassure him and began to stroll towards the sea front, staying quiet so as to give Luc space to think. She knew why he struggled to laugh at even his silly mistakes; she had come to appreciate that when he took the time to explain his past to her when he'd tracked her down in India. It just didn't seem to make it any less frustrating in light-hearted situations like this one. She had, however, learnt to give him time, time to work through his thoughts rather than react in the way he had become accustomed to. Eddi gave him a quick glance and saw that his brow was furrowed, but then his expression softened and he quipped,
"I suppose if the nursing doesn't work out, there's always a career for you in voice-over work. Face for radio and all that."
Eddi's jaw dropped in mock indignation as she let go of his hand and gave him a punch in the arm, which caused Luc to let out a cry of pain. "You deserved that!" she said and Luc looked ready to disagree, but saw that her hand was still in a fist and hastily said,
"Yeah, you're probably right actually." She took his hand again, and Luc dared to say a quietly offhand, "Probably..." before quickly saying, "OK, OK! Definitely right" as she gave him a warning look. "So, er, where we headed first then?" Luc questioned, changing the subject to avoid any chances of being punched again.
"Hmm," Eddi said, a devious smirk "donkey ride perhaps? I think you'd quite suit a donkey, something in common with each other, you know, both frequently called an ass. Actually no, that's a bit unfair...to the donkey" Luc opened his mouth to retaliate but Eddi was too quick, "We could trade it in for your campervan, might be more reliable" Eddi was trying all she could not to laugh at the look on Luc's face – it was as if she had directly insulted a family member. Luc looked at her incredulously, calling him an ass was one thing, but insulting his beloved campervan was quite another. There was clearly only one course of action.
"Right. That's it. Away from the donkeys we go. No one speaks like that about my campervan" and with that statement, Luc picked Eddi up into a fireman's lift and began jogging along the seafront.
"Put me down Luc!" Eddi shouted whilst trying to hit at him. People were beginning to look around at them but Luc merely smiled benignly and gave a casual wave, as if he was out for a morning run. It wasn't until they were a good hundred metres down the road that Luc finally put her down. "Luc Hemingway! You...you..." she stood, fists clenched, trying to search for the appropriate word, Luc's calm face only making her more exasperated, "you...utter...you...absolute and complete..."
"Donkey?" Luc offered, smiling warmly at her, causing Eddi to let out a cry of frustration. She looked at him again, the situation bringing to mind the memory of Liam's arrival at Holby and Luc's would-be-joke about lending him money.
"You aren't as funny as you think you are, you know."
"You are as bad tempered"
She dropped her head and sighed, recollections flooding back unexpectedly. She remembered Luc's words to her,
"Anything I can do?"
She remembered how these gently spoken words had taken her aback. He'd only just met Liam, with Liam not exactly making a positive first impression. She'd told Luc that her family "turns everybody's lives upside down" and yet he'd still offered his assistance, despite it all. He had always been willing to help her, however much she ignored or opposed it. Even when she'd been at her most broken and proclaimed to hate him, he still remained by her side.
She gave a small smile, so often their sarcastic exchanges would remind her of past events, times where she realised she had barely known him at all. She would look over these times again and see him once more in a new light. Each day with Luc was like turning over a new page of a book, although she had to admit that sometimes he was very difficult to read. Eddi, though, liked a challenge, and Luc was one of the most challenging people she'd ever met.
The change in Eddi's expression signalled to Luc that they'd managed, much to his relief, to avoid a full-blown argument. He drew Eddi near to him and kissed her on the forehead, and then gently brushed her hair away from her face. She took his hand and they once more walked along the seafront, Eddi spotting another donkey and archly asking Luc, "You sure you don't fancy a try?" with Luc declining on the premise of avoiding making the campervan jealous. Eddi laughed, there were still some aspects of Luc's personality that remained a little weird.
"C'mon then you," she said stepping ahead, turning back to look at him and taking both his hands in hers and pulling him teasingly, "time we tried out some of these rides!"
Luc had to wonder exactly what he'd let himself in for...
