1998

Someone was moving into the Bakers' old house.

It was the summer between my fifth and sixth year at school and that particular day had dawned warm and sunny. We weren't - still aren't - used to this in Scotland and had immediately went into panic mode: searching for shorts and suncream, blowing dust and cobwebs off the garden furniture which spent more time in the shed than on the patio. And my dad announced we'd have to have a barbecue, of course.

I mean, it's basically the law, isn't it? If there's a nice sunny day, you have to eat al fresco.

As I was lazing on a towel in the back garden with one of my Sweet Dreams romance novels, I could hear him inviting our next door neighbours to come over later, presumably so he could show off his barbecuing prowess. My mum was promptly dispatched to buy supplies.

It was early afternoon when she returned. "Looks like we have new neighbours across the street," she reported as I helped her unload the food in the kitchen. "A moving van was just turning into the driveway when I got here."

I wasn't too excited. I always hoped, on the rare occasion we got a new neighbour, that I might get a new friend or it might be an attractive guy I could crush on, but it never was. I wasn't expecting anything different this time. I'd been burned before. I returned to my book and the sunshine. Ironically, my book was about a girl who fell in love with her new neighbour. You can't make this shit up.

My mum interrupted me a while later. "I'm going to go over and invite the new folk to our barbecue," she told me. "Will you come with me?"

I smiled. My mum was really shy, but she always wanted to make people feel welcome and included. It was a weird combination and she often needed me as back-up as a result. "Of course." I jumped to my feet and followed her through the house and across the road.

At the van, a beautiful blonde woman in her early forties was instructing the removal men where to put things. She looked up as we approached, a smile lighting up her face. She had bright blue eyes and there was something ridiculously familiar about her, although I was sure we'd never crossed paths before.

"We thought we should come and say hi," my mum said, extending a hand. "I'm Marie Stewart and this is my daughter Iona; we just live over the road."

"Lena Thorne," the woman replied warmly. "It's lovely to meet you both."

"We're having a barbecue tonight if you want to join us?" My mum said in a rush.  She looked very charmed by Lena, which I could understand. She was one of those rare people who seemed to instantly make you feel at ease, practically without needing to say anything. She just radiated nice vibes.

"That would be great, actually," Lena grinned. "I'm not actually sure we have any food in, unless it's packed away in a box somewhere. I've pretty much lost track of all my possessions though . . . And my sanity!"

A small boy, probably about a similar age to my brother, ran out of the house at that point. "This is James," she added, hugging him into her. "I have another son who's around your age, Iona. Here he is now, actually."

I looked over at the figure framed in the front door, my eyes scanning up over the long denim clad legs and white t-shirt until I reached his eyes, and I'm pretty sure my mouth dropped open as it became clear why Lena had seemed so familiar. It was apparent who her older son had inherited his looks from. "Ryan?" I asked in surprise. Was I imagining things?

"You know each other?" Lena asked in delight.

"We're old friends," Ryan replied, walking over to join us, that sweet smile creeping across his handsome face. He was wearing his glasses, presumably to give his eyes a break from his contacts, and it genuinely felt like Ryan 1.0 had been returned to me. I inwardly sent a thank you up towards the heavens.

Of all the people who could have moved in across the road, fate had chosen Ryan Thorne. My brain couldn't quite cope with this revelation.

My mum took Lena and James over to our house to introduce them to my dad and brother, and Ryan and I were left alone. He was still smiling as he regarded me, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's so cool that we're neighbours now," he said. He seemed genuinely happy about this and it warmed my soul. "I feel like we've hardly got to talk since we had computing class together."

It was true. I'd barely saw him after we finished fourth year and no longer shared any classes. I hadn't known him before we sat together in computing, and after we left that class, it was almost like he'd vanished into thin air again. If it wasn't for the fact I'd still hear his name being bandied about by other girls, I'd probably have doubted he'd ever actually existed.

And this, I suddenly realised in a moment of dazzling clarity, was the only reason I'd been able to flip the "off" switch on my crush the way I had. It hadn't been some amazing act of willpower on my part. 

Because I was right back where I started in the space of just a few minutes of being back in his stratosphere again. Nervous and breathless. And, truth be told, a bit sweaty.

"Did I hear something about a barbecue?" he asked. I nodded, still trying to find my voice.

"Yeah, my mum invited your family over tonight. I'm sure you've probably got other plans though." I eventually managed to say. I was pretty much holding my breath as I waited for his answer. Guys who looked like Ryan Thorne always had better things to do.

He shook his head. "I don't. And I love barbecues."

My breath released in a massive whoosh which I managed to pass off as a cough. "Cool! My dad made my mum buy the fancy barbecue range from the supermarket so we're poshing it up today."

What the fuck was I even saying? I wondered to myself in despair.  It was as if all my brain cells had disintegrated and fallen out of my head. I'd definitely not been mentally prepared to deal with my former crush today.  But he just laughed. "Sounds good to me."

Suddenly I found myself wondering where his dad was. He hadn't been mentioned at all, but I definitely remembered Ryan talking about his father back when we sat together in class. I'd always got the impression they were best friends more than parent and child. So it was odd there had been no sign of him so far. But I didn't want to ask in case I put my foot in some sort of minefield.

"I'd better head back," I said awkwardly, nodding in the direction of my house. "But I'll see you later?"

He nodded, eyes sparkling behind his glasses. "Count on it," he smiled again, turning to go inside.

And as I walked across the road, I was already frantically trying to think of what I could wear that evening. I knew Ryan's family coming to a barbecue at my house wasn't the same as a date with Ryan . . . But to my frazzled mind, it might as well have been.

And my nerves were already fizzing out of control.

The barbecue will be up next . . . Wonder what will happen!

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