Lauren & Joey - Mystères Du Matin

Chapter Five

Actually I hate roses, my father always buys my mother roses every time he does something terrible (which is most of the time).

I had given the flowers to Lucy, she really liked them and we had ended up arranging going out for a drink later on in the week. I don't know how I was going to get out of that one.

Dad had ended up coming into the café about two hours before it was time for me to pick Oscar up, which scuppered my plans of staying at my table and lead to my sudden loss of cravings for coffee and doughnuts.

After taking the long way round to the park I spent the rest of the afternoon there, sitting on a bench thinking about who my mystery admirer could be, who on the square could be that romantic? Who on the square knew what romance was? I hoped it wasn't Peter Beale.

After seeing people walking their dogs it had taken my mind off my gift giver and onto the thought of Oscar's birthday, which I'm dreading its only a few weeks away and he has been asking for a dog and nothing I mean nothing could change his mind not even when I said he could have all the Thomas The Tank Engine things he wanted he just said nope, then again everything I suggest gets a very firm 'nope' followed by 'I just want a doggy lolly' teamed with pout and puppy dog eyes something he had mastered from me...oops.

Before I even considered getting a dog for Oscar, a bull dog a very cute bull dog may I add came plodding over in search for what was in my bag.

"Sorry dude, no can do. I don't think you'll like those after you've eaten them" I said chuckling stroking her coat "Good choice though" I said moving my bag onto the bench.

I looked around trying to find a lost dog looking person, she was too well groomed to be a stray.

A man was walking towards me with a smirk on his face, shaking his head. He was gorgeous. Drop dead gorgeous, I couldn't even form words.

"Lady, what are you doing wondering off in your state?" He said putting her lead on "Sorry about that" He said rolling his eyes. "I took my eyes off her for five seconds and its not like she's much of a mover now with her being pregnant" He said with a smirk, that smirk had me speechless again.

"Erm it's fine, she's lovely. I've not seen you guys around here before. I'd definitely recognise a face like that wouldn't I lady" I said trying to make conversation, I could get used to a face like that I thought to myself looking at the dog owner who's name I didn't know.

"I'm Mick" He said putting his hand out for me to shake "I've just moved onto the square" He continued with a smile "and you are?" He asked when I didn't tell him my name

"Oh I'm Lauren" I choked out "It's nice to meet you Mick, but I've got to go otherwise my little brother is going to be the last one at nursery again and I doubt I'll be forgiven as quickly as I was before" I said giving Lady one last rub on the top of her head "Nice to meet you gorgeous girl and you Mick" I said looking up at him, his face took my breath away.

"Yeah hopefully I'll see you around Lauren and sorry you didn't like the roses" He said going to turn in the other direction.

"What?" I said in disbelief was he just going to confess it was him just like that.

"Oh I saw you in the café earlier. They kind of brought some attention to you, I've not seen any women around here with big bouquets of roses like that, then again maybe they all gave there's away as well" He said laughing.

I don't know why I felt so disappointed that it wasn't Mick who'd sent the flowers I don't know why I thought it was him to begin with it's not like he even know anything about me and today was the first time I'd seen him. I had no time to think about admirers anyway I was going to be late picking up Oscar.

Oscar and I were walking hand in hand through the market he had a doughnut in his other hand as did I.

"Look Lolly!" Oscar screeched letting go of my hand and racing over to the dog I chased after him hoping Mick wouldn't notice us.

"Are you following me?" Mick said as he looked in our direction he was sat outside the café with a dark haired nearly equally as handsome younger man and lady the dog.

"I've asked for a doggy for my birthday but Lolly said she doesn't think I can have one" Oscar told Mick, I could see his bottom lip begin to wobble a tell tale sign he was going to cry.

"I've also told you not to talk to strangers and not to let go of my hand when we're on the market haven't I?" I said earning a wide eyed look from Oscar.

"No harm done eh? Lady worked her charms on you earlier, can't blame this little'un for doing the same" He said as we all looked down at Lady who had the puppy dog eyes mastered.

"I guess you're right no harm done, on the plus side I've just ran off some of that doughnut, can't be getting fat this close to summer" I said

"Lolly would still be very pretty wouldn't she eh?" He said to Oscar loud enough for me to hear, earning a mouth full of doughnut yeap from him.

The man with Mick hadn't even looked in my direction if my feeling was right he was going out of his way not to look at me, it was kind of awkward and after a quick conversation with Mick we said our goodbyes.

Oscar had taken a real shine to Lady and Mick had said that Oscar could go for walks with Lady whenever he wanted as long as it was okay with me and that way it would be like having his own dog and that I might change my mind about him having one if he showed he was interested enough. Oscar had smiled the whole way home and hadn't stopped talking about Mick and Lady right up until he went to sleep. He had left a lasting effect on my little dude.

Before I went up to bed, I quickly checked all the doors were locked leaving the front door until last. On the doormat was a piece of paper. I read it out to myself, with a smile...

'Laugh at men who call you pretty...you're so much more than that'

Quickly looking outside I saw somebody sitting on the bench, they weren't facing the direction of the house and it was to dark to make out who it was...there was something that gave them away...a little dog that I recognised as lady sat at their feet.

Mick is my mystery man and I can't say I'm disappointed.

A/N: So I'm back, some of you would have given up on me...but seeing as I've got a bit of time on my hands for Christmas I'm going to try and finish this story off. Hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas.

So is Mick really Lauren's admirer?...