And then, in a whirl of wiggling hips, he melts back into the crowd.
On the way home, Imogene and Kennedy have our car stop at a In-N-Out Burger drive-through, where Imogene drunkenly orders everything on the menu and Kennedy orders an avocado salad.
We sit on the porch outside the house and gobble up our food before I walk Imogene back to the B&B down the road.
When we reach the front door, Imogene turns to me, her eyes trying to focus on my eyes and not quite managing it. She takes a deep breath. ‘Dan and I have been having problems,’ she says with a hiccup.
‘What?’ My eyebrows shoot up, not least because Imogene admitting that there is anything at all wrong with Dan has never happened, although there has been plenty of reason for it to. ‘What’s gone on?’
Imogene hugs her arms across her chest and leans to the side. I put my arm out so she doesn’t topple over. ‘He’s been… shirking for a while. I have to take care of everything: the childcare, the bills, the household. It’s exhausting. We’ve been arguing way more than we ever have before.’
‘What are you going to do?’ I ask.
Imogene shrugs. ‘I don’t know. I love him. I love our family, but… I don’t know.’
‘I’m sorry. That sounds shit. And here I’ve been piling all of my issues on to you. What a tit.’
The corner of Imogene’s mouth lifts in a sad smile. ‘Don’t be daft. Seeing the difference in you today. Seeing you so alive like you used to be. It’s just cemented to me that I’ve been depressed too and I think that maybe I’ve been ignoring it even more than you have. I thought that if I carried on as normal, keeping busy, avoiding Dan’s recent shitness, throwing myself into Ariana, and work and, I don’t know, micromanaging you, that I could somehow outrun it…’
‘Oh Imogene.’ I say, taking hold of her hands and squeezing them. I’m shocked. She always seems so together.
‘What are we like?’ she sighs, half laughing.
I do a stupid smile. ‘You know, maybe we should go for counselling together. It could be a whole thing. A weekly date! The therapy sisters, kicking ass and making serious positive changes to their mental health!’
Imogene snorts with laughter.
‘Hey, maybe you should date Roger Pepper,’ I joke again.
Imogene doesn’t laugh this time though. Instead she turns red and covers her face with her hands.
‘You’ve already thought about it!’ I gasp.
‘He does have excellent banter,’ Imogene grins.
‘And his bidet, don’t forget the bidet.’
‘A bidet! Imagine that!’
We crumple into laughter and as I drop my drunken big sister off at her room, she pulls me to her in a hug that lasts for a full five minutes.
‘I love Dan so much, though. And Ariana. And you.’
She goes quiet and I feel a swell of emotion in my chest as we continue to hold each other. Then I realise that Imogene has gone quiet because she has, in fact, fallen asleep on my shoulder.
Rolling my eyes, I manoeuvre her into the room, sit her down on the bed, pull off her heels, tuck her beneath the covers and kiss her forehead.
‘Night, Nora,’ she says sleepily. ‘Love you all the world.’
‘Night, Im,’ I reply. ‘Love you all the world too.’
Back at Kennedy’s, Winklepuff barks with excitement as soon as I enter the door. Kennedy and Brandon must be in bed. He’s going to wake them up! Eek.
‘Shhhhh,’ I say. ‘Be quiet, man!’ But he ignores me and tries to scramble up my leg, yelping and barking with unadulterated excitement.
I hurry into the kitchen and, right at the back of the fridge, behind the microgreens and the organic tahini and the huge blocks of tofu, I pull out a little packet that says ‘fizzy sour neon strawberry laces’. I take off the little peg I put on the top and pull out a piece of the ham I hid in there, safe in the knowledge that the last thing Kennedy would ever open was a food stuff that describes itself as neon. I dangle the piece of ham from my finger and thumb and head into the living room.
‘I got the good stuff!’ I hiss but stop in my tracks when I realise that Kennedy is not asleep but approaching the bottom of the stairs and staring at me, her jaw dangling down.
She sways from side to side, even more drunk than Imogene. ‘I knew it!’ she says, pointing an accusing finger at me. ‘You’ve been radicalising Winklepuff!’
‘Um… I didn’t… um…’
Winklepuff leaps up and takes the ham from me, gobbling it up with a satisfied smack of the lips, completely oblivious to the fact that he’s just proven my guilt.
‘You big liar!’ Kennedy smirks.
I narrow my eyes. Oh… she doesn’t seem as mad as I thought she would be. ‘You’re… not super angry at me?’
Kennedy wobbles over to the sofa and sort of belly flops into it. ‘Brandon’s been doing it for years. He’s got a secret stash of pastrami in his mini fridge.’
‘You knew? And you’re not super angry at him?’
She shrugs one shoulder and says, ‘It took him a long time to bond with Winklepuff. I expect the meat helped their relationship along!’
‘Why didn’t you say anything to Brandon?’
Kennedy chuckles and pulls a sly face. ‘I like having something to hold over him, should I need it…’
‘I’m sorry for lying,’ I say, my cheeks turning red. ‘It’s just… he really really likes ham.’
‘If an expert dog handler thinks that a little meat is good for Winklepuff every now and again, who am I to argue?’
I peer at her. Her lips are pursed, holding back a laugh.
‘You know I have no experience with dogs?’ I ask, burying my head in my hands.
‘I knew it the minute you arrived! When you kept saying “Heel, boy,” you looked like you were going to pass out with panic.’
She leans back against the sofa sleepily and giggles at my horrified reaction.
‘I’m so embarrassed,’ I say, fully cringing. ‘I don’t know why I even said it. It just came out.’
‘Oh sweetie, you’re not the only one who’s been lying,’ she says, her eyes crossing as she looks at me in what I suspect is an attempted earnest way. ‘I’ve been lying too.’
‘Why? What have you been lying about?’
Kennedy looks at me for a few seconds and bites her bottom lip nervously before giving her head a little shake. ‘I… I told you that I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the sexiest man in America. Well, I actually think he’s the sexiest person in the whole world.’
I press my hand to my chest and gasp. ‘How could you? How could you keep this big life-changing secret from me? You call yourself a friend?’
Standing up, I hold my hand out to Kennedy and then help her upstairs, tucking her into bed like I did with Imogene.
Downstairs, I quietly pack the rest of my clothes into my suitcase, trying my best to ignore the aching feeling in my chest. I’m really really going to miss it here.
As I climb into bed I allow myself to picture Gary’s face as we locked eyes this morning. I smile. There was that moment, at least. There will always be that.
Chapter Forty-Six
Gary
It’s three o clock in the morning and I can’t stop thinking about her. I have to see her again.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Nora
I can’t quite believe it’s my last day in Los Angeles. I wake up with the sun and, leaving Kennedy to sleep off the inevitable hangover, I put in my contacts, pull my costume on and head to the beach for one last swim.
The sun is already blazing and it makes the boundless water sparkle like diamonds. I wade into the ocean and swim about for a little while before flipping onto my back and gazing dreamily at the blissful peach and pink skies. I try to burn the image into my memory. I get the feeling I’m going to need to access it a fair amount back in drizzly Brigglesford.
I’m about to swim back to the shore when I spot a distant figure at the edg
e of the water. Somehow I don’t feel surprised to realise that it’s him. He’s wearing the same navy blue swimming shorts as yesterday and carrying a large gym bag. When he holds his still bandaged arm up in a tentative wave, I mirror the action.
My breath catches in my throat as he puts down his bag, strides into the ocean and begins to swim towards me. I rub my eyes, unsure if I’m still asleep and this is some sort of extra pleasant dream.
I scan the rest of the beach, worried that he’s brought John Alan with him, or the police. Maybe he saw the serial killer board yesterday and decided to make his escape but then return this morning with backup. But no. The beach is quiet. It’s just Gary Montgomery. And me.
I squint at him as he stops about a metre away and starts to tread water. My heart begins to thump so loudly that I’m pretty sure it’s making my boobs jump with the force of it. I swallow hard, my mouth fully dry now.
‘Hey,’ he says brightly, as if him being here in the fucking sea with me right now is normal.
‘Hi,’ I say back, dumbly.
‘I live just down there.’ He points in the direction of some of the bigger houses further down the beach. ‘About a fifteen-minute walk away.’
He’s been that close the whole time? Fifteen minutes away?
I hold my hand up to my forehead so that I can see his face without the sun in my eyes.
‘You forgot your surfboard…’ I say.
‘I actually came to see you. I was about to knock on your door when I looked out here and saw you.’
I bite my lip. ‘Why… why did you come to find me?’
Gary looks slightly confused. ‘I… don’t fully know.’ He gives an awkward laugh and runs his hand across his stubble. ‘I, um, wanted to say thank you for helping me yesterday, I guess.’
‘Oh, you’re welcome,’ I say politely as if this a normal situation. ‘Did you go to the hospital?’
‘Yeah. You were right, I didn’t need stitches. They did a much better job with the bandage, though.’ He holds his arm up to show me, mirth flickering in those penetrating eyes.
‘Hey! I learned that technique on a first-aid course.’
‘When?’
‘Um, when I was sixteen.’
‘Might be time for a refresher.’
‘Oi!’ I go to splash a little water in his direction and I only mean to do it a tiny bit, but I misjudge the strength of my hand and end up aggressively splattering a load of water right splat into his face. ‘Oh fuck! Sorry! I actually didn’t mean to do that!’
Gary wipes the water away from his eyes, his mouth dropping open in shock. And then he dips both of his hands in the water and splashes me back, even harder than I splashed him.
‘Please no!’ I yell, my voice wobbling.
When I clear the water from my eyes, I see that Gary is watching me and properly laughing.
‘Please no?’ He laughs even harder. ‘That was dramatic.’
‘I know! I didn’t mean it to come out all wobbly like that,’ I laugh back. It’s not even that funny, but the pair of us are laughing out loud like this suddenly seems like the most hilarious moment that has ever happened.
And then I stop laughing just as quickly as I started because the biggest sense of déjà vu blankets my brain. I remember. This is it. This is the weirdly vivid vision I had before I came here. Me and Gary laughing in the ocean. I touch my hands to my lips tasting the saltiness, I squint up at the pink sky. It is exactly as I saw it. What is happening? My heart rate ramps right back up.
‘Hey… are you okay?’ Gary asks, swimming a little closer to me, eyebrows furrowed.
‘I…’ I trail off. I can hardly tell the truth, can I? Oh I’m fine, just realising that I had a premonition of this most magical of moments, no big deal. ‘Yeah.’ I nod quickly. ‘Just a bit of water up my nose.’
Oh, very sexy, Nora.
‘Right.’ The corner of Gary’s mouth lifts in amusement.
‘I’m going back to the UK tonight,’ I blurt.
‘I have an engagement garden party at twilight,’ he replies, frowning.
‘Yes. You mentioned yesterday.’
He nods, his onyx eyes scanning over my face, towards my lips and then up to my hair. He rubs his hand over his chin. ‘Listen, um. I have a day off shooting today. Would you… maybe like to go for a walk?’
‘Yes,’ I say immediately, not even thinking about what this turn of events means or caring what tomorrow will bring.
Gary smiles widely now, a slightly dazed look in his eyes.
‘Good,’ he says. ‘That’s good.’
I ask Gary to wait outside while I head back to Kennedy’s. If he comes inside, Winklepuff will start barking and then the whole household will be up and I’m not ready to share this just yet, especially since I’m barely processing it myself.
Quickly drying myself off, I rummage through my packed suitcase for something to wear. In lieu of anything else, I grab one of the too tight sundresses, shove on my flip-flops and meet Gary back outside. He is stuffing a green towel back into his gym bag, having put on sunglasses, a grey T-shirt and some sneakers in addition to his swim shorts. He looks perfect.
‘Okay!’ I say brightly, like this is not the weirdest, most exciting, most unlikely thing that has ever ever ever happened to me. ‘Let’s go.’
Chapter Forty-Eight
Nora
Text to Imogene and Kennedy: Hi both, I have a couple of errands to run. Will be back soon, turning phone off, don’t worry. :D Nora x
When Gary suggests we grab something to eat, I, in a bid to seem cool and laid-back and like I’m not completely freaked out by what is happening right now, tell him I know a great place to get some ice cream.
Gary does me the favour of not reacting to my weird suggestion of having ice cream for breakfast and tells me instead to lead the way, apologising for wearing his cap and sunglasses on account of advice from his security. I flush red because the only reason he has to do that is because of me. Shit, would he be terrified if he knew who I actually was?
I think probably.
I keep my mouth shut and we barely say a word to each other as we walk to the dog-friendly beach where Bud’s Ice Cream truck is located. I can see the Bill and Ted-voiced Adonis lifting up the shutters. Thanks god it’s open.
I point to the truck. ‘The best ice cream I’ve ever had,’ I say.
Gary, surprisingly, bursts into laughter. ‘You… want to get stoned with me?’ he asks. ‘At this time in the morning? I gotta say, I did not expect that…’
‘Huh? Stoned? No. I’ve never smoked weed in my life,’ I say. ‘I took Rescue Remedy once and that was pretty nice, but no. Not weed! Why would you think—’
Gary points up at the ice cream truck. ‘Bud’s Ice cream…’ he says as we reach the counter.
‘Yes?’ I goggle at him.
‘It’s pot ice cream,’ he laughs.
I blink. What? Pot ice cream? No. No, I would have known if I’d been getting stoned every time I’d been here. Of course it’s not pot ice cream!
Adonis guy recognises me and his eyes sparkle knowingly. ‘It’s you again.’ He looks to Gary. ‘This chick loves the product, dude. The special rocky road in particular. You want some more?’
‘The product?’ I gasp, realisation slowly dawning. ‘This is weed ice cream?’
Adonis laughs. ‘Bro, you didn’t know that? You’ve been here, like, five times?’
‘You didn’t, you know, feel it?’ Gary asks in disbelief.
I blink and think back to all the times I’ve had this ice cream while I’ve been here. ‘It made me feel happy and giddy and a little dazed, but, well I thought that was just, like, the joy of ice cream!’
Gary crumples over into laughter. ‘The joy of ice cream!’ he repeats. ‘Oh, man.’
Adonis starts laughing too. ‘I told you it was special, bro!’
I send him daggers. ‘I thought you just meant it tasted really special. I thought you were just really proud of
it!’
‘Nah, man. Special. That’s, like, the code here. Everyone knows it.’
‘Not me!’ I protest. ‘I can’t believe it. I’ve been licking weed ice cream this whole time! I’m a pothead.’
‘Accidental ganja fiend,’ Gary adds, clutching his stomach with laughter, tears creeping to his eyes. ‘Nora, it’s called Bud’s Ice cream. BUD!’ Seeing him laugh so hard brings a swell of joy to my chest that is so big that I can’t help but laugh too. The pair of us just stand there laughing until tears squirt out of my eyes. My belly hurts with it. And, all at once, my nerves about Gary – who he is, what he does, and what the fuck is happening right now – evaporate. He’s not Gary Montgomery the movie star. He is just a guy. A guy I’m laughing with. A guy who is laughing with me.
Adonis looks from me to Gary and then back again. ‘I guess you two don’t need any of my shit this morning…’
‘I think maybe grilled cheese might be a more appropriate breakfast,’ Gary says, wiping the tears from his eyes.
‘I think you’re right,’ I agree, fanning my face which I’m pretty sure is now bright salmon pink.
And so we go to find somewhere to get a couple of cheese toasties.
Over breakfast at the Sidewalk Cafe on the beachfront, Gary and I relax into a conversation and there’s a sort of unspoken agreement that we don’t mention how odd this all is, or that he has a fiancée, or that I am going home tonight. We just hang out. He tells me about a script he’s read – something his friend Olive wrote about a broken family travelling across the world for a will reading. The way he talks about it is so, so passionate. He describes the character and his eyes shine with enthusiasm.
‘He’s an asshole. It’s so funny. And the story is real quirky. Kinda like Wes Anderson meets The Full Monty. My manager isn’t keen though. She read the script and she thinks it would be a step backwards.’
He Will Be Mine: The brand new laugh out loud page turner! Page 25
