by Carol Wyer
‘Fairfax and I gave up everything to establish this company. We gave up paid employment, put our hearts and souls into it. We’ve even put up our house here as collateral with the bank so if the business goes belly-up, we’ll be homeless. Fairfax has worked like a demon to organise events with companies and come up with all the ideas and put the website together. I worked on the marketing and fronted the company.
‘Last year we tried two patches: one in Derbyshire and one near Birmingham but we couldn’t get the idea to take off. Numbers were so few that those who attended the initial events dropped out quickly. We figured we were doing something wrong or we were targeting the wrong areas. We relaunched the website and began again, this time in Staffordshire. In spite of all the publicity we generated, it hasn’t been as easy to drum up interest. There was a promising spike at first. It appeared we’d have enough members to set up several centres but although we had lots of enquiries, they didn’t convert into memberships. The few who actually signed up in August and September at a special reduced rate began dropping out once we increased the fees. We were almost out of money and hope but we tried one last desperate attempt before Christmas and carried out several street promotions with leaflets and banners and promises of exciting events in the new year. You’ve met everyone we cajoled into joining. We’re fresh out of ideas of how to encourage people to join. We need it to grow organically and it isn’t happening. The only card we had left to play was to try and sell franchises.
‘We’d really pinned our hopes on the couple in Scotland to buy into it but they’re unsure because we don’t have a strong enough business model to show them. Advertising and marketing costs have drained our bank balance, and the monthly fees people pay just about cover the costs of putting on the actual events.’ She wiped at another tear.
‘The stupid thing is, I still believe we can make a go of it. The Haka video attracted more hits than anything else we put on the site. I’m trying to involve newspapers and magazines and I’m certain that if we can see it through the next six months, we’ll make it. I’m sure we will, but it’s hard. Much harder than I ever imagined and I keep putting on a face and talking it up, especially in front of Fairfax, when inside I’m terrified we’ll lose everything: the business and our home. I don’t want to give up. I’m not a quitter. Michelle who came along to try it out has decided she doesn’t want to sign up. If you stop coming to events, it’s almost certain Alex will too, and then there’ll only be eight people, who’ll tire of each other quickly, and our business will bomb.’
Eleanor looked up at Chloe. A tear that had broken free of her lashes trickled down her cheek. ‘Not the high-flyer you thought I was, am I?’
‘I had no idea. You are so energetic and positive and convincing. I thought the club was doing really well.’
‘I wish that were the case. I let Danielle off paying this month’s fees because she couldn’t afford them, just to keep her coming along. I didn’t tell Fairfax what I’d done. He’d have advised me against it and I can’t keep letting her come for free. William signing up to the club was a relief. I needed his cheque for the month. I don’t want to give up on this. It was my dream and Fairfax backed me on it. I’ll be letting him down too. I can’t let it fail.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t be. When you and Alex signed up, it helped not just financially, but it gave the group a new dynamic. I was beginning to think they’d all quit too but as soon as you both came along, they paid up on time for another month, and I’m really grateful for that. There’s no point in folk coming to events if there’s only one or two people at them. I need to grow it and I can’t give up.’
Chloe thought for a second. ‘You need William to keep attending, don’t you?’
Eleanor gave a helpless shrug.
‘Okay. I’ll speak to him and if he wants to come to the next event I won’t stop him or make a fuss.’
‘That’s really kind of you. You’re a good friend and neighbour.’ Eleanor stood up and moving around to Chloe’s side of the table gave her a hug.
Chloe felt for the woman. For all her supreme confidence and cheerful disposition, Eleanor was struggling to make a go of something that mattered hugely to her. She’d done a fantastic job of hiding that fact and Chloe admired her tenacity.
‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ Chloe crossed her fingers behind her back and hoped Eleanor didn’t ask for her to drum up business. She’d be useless.
‘Don’t tell anyone, not even Alex.’
‘Okay.’
‘And I’ll keep your relationship with William secret.’
‘Alex and Sean know but they’re not likely to say anything.’
‘I shan’t discuss it with anyone.’
‘Thanks.’
‘You’ll still come to the event tomorrow?’
‘Of course, I shall.’ It appeared Chloe wasn’t the only person hiding the truth from people. The least she could do was support Eleanor for the time being and hope her instincts were right and the business took off.
Eleanor got ready to leave. ‘Thanks for the coffee and chat and for listening. You’re a good listener.’
‘Any time.’
* * *
She’d hated making the call to William but it had to be done.
William, it’s Chloe.
Chloe, is everything okay?
Of course. I wanted to say I’m sorry about being bitchy at the Arts Centre. I was shocked to see you, that’s all.
Naturally. You did behave a little out of character. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
If you want to go to the events you should go.
Are you still going along?
Yes.
And you’re happy if I come too?
Yes.
Glad you saw reason. It isn’t like you to be belligerent.
No. I said sorry.
Yes. You did. I was hurt by your temper tantrum. Still, that’s water under the bridge. Thanks for ringing. See you tomorrow.
Chloe stared at herself in the mirror after making the call. With only a few words he’d made her feel she was completely in the wrong. She reminded herself she’d done this for Eleanor and Eleanor now knew about William. She’d told herself she’d be fine tomorrow. She had friends at the club. She’d be fine. Her trembling hands told a different story.
Chapter Twenty
Saturday, 27th January
‘Hold on tight!’ Chloe couldn’t have held on more tightly if she tried. Ed was driving the six-wheeled amphibious all-terrain vehicles flat out like a man possessed, his neat teeth clenched on display like the clay character, Wallace. His grey ponytail was flapping wildly and Chloe had to periodically lean to one side to avoid being whipped by it, as well as try to remain in her seat.
‘Yay!’ yelled Ed as the Argocat reached its top speed of 30mph and belted around the purpose-built course, earth flying as it drifted out of the woodland and around a muddy bend. It wasn’t the speed that concerned Chloe as much as the fact the machine had no steering wheel and was being controlled by two levers which locked either set of four wheels at any time and Ed had been taking huge delight in doing just that and sending them spinning around their own axis until she felt dizzy.
He released a cry that sounded like a cowboy taming a bucking bronco and straightened out the vehicle before hurtling down a steep slope towards the lake at full tilt.
‘Ed!’ Chloe shouted but her words were carried away by the wind and they thundered into the water at speed, a tidal wave washing over the bonnet of the craft and soaking them both. The machine slowed to a tenth of the speed and puttered across the body of water.
‘Awesome sauce!’ he shouted.
Chloe couldn’t work out at what point Ed had transformed from a mild-mannered man who could barely manage a full sentence without looking at the back of his hands, into a maniacal hipster driver who was determined to outmanoeuvre all the other amphibious crafts taking part in the race on the specially-designed course
, but to say he’d become enthusiastic was an understatement. She attempted to unclench her balled fists. The Argocat could only manage three miles an hour in water. She had time to brace herself for the ascent the other side.
‘Wicked, isn’t it?’ His face was shining with enthusiasm.
‘Certainly exhilarating,’ she said, not wishing to crush his excitement. She’d never seen him so animated. ‘You ever driven one of these before?’ she asked him.
Ed, who usually rode a bicycle to events and spent half an hour chaining it to the nearest lamppost, hadn’t struck her as a car fanatic, let alone capable of driving one of these surprisingly agile vehicles. So far they’d navigated ditches, hills and mud slides and now the water. It was just as well they were dressed appropriately, in event-issued overalls. She was plastered in mud. Ed gave a wry smile.
‘A long time ago I was a member of the Royal Armoured Corps. Used to drive FV430s. They’re small armoured vehicles that could be converted to go into water. This reminds me of those happy days when I was part of a team – a group of like-minded fellow soldiers who had my back, even if they did call me Cilla.’
‘Cilla?’
‘On account of my surname – Edward Black. Military nicknames are funny like that. I didn’t mind. We all had crazy names.’
‘How long did you serve in the army?’
‘Sadly only four years. I wanted to sign up for longer but my wife had other ideas. I came out at her insistence. Being a soldier can take its toll on a relationship. It was a choice of career or marriage and whilst I missed the military way of life and my comrades in arms, I wouldn’t have chosen otherwise. I was lucky with Mary. Not everyone finds their soulmate but I did.’ Now he’d started talking there was no stopping him. He lifted his eyes towards Chloe.
‘We made it to our silver wedding anniversary before Mary became ill. She passed away a few weeks after our twenty-sixth. It’s been horribly lonely without her. You get used to one person always being there for you and sharing your world. It’s a darker place without them. Still, I don’t want to sound maudlin: it’s been six years since her tragic passing and I’ve met all you wonderful folk, so here I am today having fun. I thought I’d never be able to enjoy anything again. I couldn’t have imagined I’d be in the driving seat of one of these vehicles. It’s marvellous. It’s a real tonic. I’m very glad to be here. I have Katy to thank for this. I’ll send her an email later to tell her all about it.’
‘Who’s Katy?’
‘My granddaughter. She dreamt this all up herself and bought me a subscription to the club out of money she earned herself. She’s a bright girl. Studies Politics in Bristol.’
‘I bet you’re very proud of her.’
‘Ridiculously so,’ he replied and fell silent with a smile on his face.
Chloe looked over her shoulder. William and Jacqueline weren’t far behind them, although at the moment, she and Ed were holding their lead. She could make out other vehicles further back still. Her partner was a man on a mission to succeed. Although he’d been chatting, he’d kept one eye on instruments and the other on the direction in which they were travelling. He was clearly comfortable with the vehicle’s controls. William however, wasn’t someone who gave up easily. He liked to win and he was a sore loser. He’d be doing everything within his power to catch up and Jacqueline was competitive. The water swooshed under the vehicle and Ed suddenly spoke up again. ‘Better hang on. We’re almost across and we’ve got that hill to climb followed by one more circuit through woods to victory. You ready?’
‘Ready.’
The Argocat’s engine picked up as they drove out of the lake and rumbled up the hill towards the finish line.
* * *
‘Congratulations, Ed. You certainly pushed your vehicle to the limit.’
William may have been saying all the right things but his eyes glittered, a tell-tale sign to Chloe that he was irked at losing. He slapped Ed on the shoulder in a manly fashion. William had always been a people person – her polar opposite, yet watching him now, she wondered how much of what he said and did was merely an act. He’d climbed up the promotional ladder at speed to become one of the youngest regional sales directors in the company, and now she wondered how many people he’d trampled on to attain his lofty position. He wouldn’t stop until he was manager or even director. William loved success, which was another reason their relationship had broken down – in his eyes, Chloe wasn’t a winner.
William suddenly grinned widely at Jacqueline and pulled her into a friendly side hug. ‘Sorry, team buddy. I let you down.’ She airily brushed her hair away from her face.
‘No, you didn’t. We just couldn’t beat the Argocat master here.’
Ed gave a small, nervous cough. ‘I’m afraid I had the advantage. I’ve driven similar vehicles before in terrain not unlike that course, so it wasn’t too great a challenge for me. And I had Chloe as my co-driver.’
William’s smile grew ever wider. ‘You’re a worthy winner then. And you have something to remind you of that.’ He pointed at the small trophy in Ed’s hands, a pewter Argocat on a wooden base.
The group was in a jubilant mood after racing around the muddy track. It had been an adrenaline high for most of them. Chloe headed to the large box by the shed to drop off her dirty overalls that would be washed and ready for use at the next event. As she peeled them off, her own clothes clean underneath, William joined her.
‘That was exhilarating, wasn’t it?’ he said.
‘Definitely.’ Suddenly aloof, she didn’t want to be alone with William. She cast about hoping Jacqueline or one of the others would come across but they were still discussing the day’s event.
‘You did really well. It can’t be easy for you, coming to these events. As I recall I couldn’t convince you to come away for a quiet weekend in Rome, let alone to anything like this.’
‘Crowds, William. I couldn’t face huge numbers of people. You knew before you married me.’
‘And we were together for almost five years and in all that time you’d never have agreed come to something like this. You wouldn’t even go to the cinema with me. Now look at you – wrestling in a stupid suit and racing about in an Argocat.’
‘What are you suggesting? That I was faking my disorder?’
‘No, just commenting that you appear to have made a remarkable recovery.’ He turned up the smile that in bygone days would have melted her and prevented her outburst. This time it didn’t work. Her hackles were up. How dare he insinuate such a thing! He of all people should understand how hard it had been for her to cope on a daily basis. He knew her history. He’d comforted her when she’d broken down after Nanny Olive’s death and he’d been there for her in his darkest hours, and to have this, a disorder that left her feeling fragile and incapable, that tormented her regularly, spoken about in this manner was too much. He should understand that for her to even be here was a mammoth step. More importantly, he should be pleased that she’d made any progress.
‘You bastard.’
His mouth turned down instantly and shook his head repeatedly from side to side to reassure her.
‘No. Chloe. You misunderstand me. I don’t mean to upset you. Far from it. I’m hugely impressed by what you’ve achieved. It must have taken enormous courage. I kicked the stuffing out of you with what I did and yet, here you are fighting back and overcoming far more than just me treating you like shit.’
As if by magic, the anger disappeared. She was over sensitive. How could William still manage to press her buttons and make her so defensive with one complimentary sentence. She mumbled, ‘That’s okay then.’
‘Chloe, don’t think too badly of me. I was a bastard. I hurt you and I’m truly sorry for that. I can’t tell you how much I regret my actions. I shouldn’t have done that to you. It was cruel. Horribly cruel. You had enough to contend with and I ought to have been more understanding and supportive instead of throwing in the towel and searching for something I thought would be mor
e satisfying. I should’ve respected our marriage vows and stuck it out with you. We were good together. Once upon a time we were really good.’ He let his words hang and then, as he dropped his overalls into the bin he whispered. ‘I’m so proud of you. Well done.’
His words sideswiped her. She balled her overall and dropped it into the bin on top of his and watched his retreating back. He bumped fists with Rob and moved away to talk to Sean and Danielle.
Eleanor scurried across. ‘Is everything okay? He’s not been annoying you, has he? I’d hate that, especially as you convinced him to remain part of the club. I’m sorry, Chloe. I don’t want you to be miserable. I can always ask him to leave.’
Chloe assured her that wouldn’t be necessary. ‘He was quite… sweet,’ she replied.
‘Oh, thank goodness!’ Eleanor rubbed at an angry spot that had formed on her forehead. Chloe noticed there were two of three others around her nose and she had a cold sore on her top lip.
‘It’s fine. Honestly, and the event was amazing.’
Eleanor’s shoulders dropped. ‘I’m so glad you enjoyed it. We were hoping a photographer from the Staffordshire Newsletter would turn up to take some pictures but he didn’t. Fairfax has taken a few shots and a short video of the Argocats charging out of the lake and up the hill, and we’re going to send our own article to various papers and put it on social media. I don’t understand why more people aren’t joining us. Don’t people want to have fun?’
‘They will. Once they see what’s available.’
Eleanor gave a small nod. ‘Positivity. That’s what’s needed. Glad you and William are okay.’
‘We are.’
People were leaving. Ed was still in his overalls and headed towards her, passing Eleanor who was on her way to thank the event organiser. He halted in front of Chloe.
