The Promise of Summer

by Bella Osborne

  ‘You got a cab.’

  ‘Alone?’ She remembered being in a taxi but she didn’t remember Curtis being there.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Hallelujah.’ That was a relief. But it didn’t explain her unexpected houseguest. ‘Then why are you here?’

  ‘I said I wanted to continue our conversation and you said, “Sure, any time”.’

  She let her head flop back on the pillow and pretended this wasn’t happening. ‘When I said any time … oh, never mind.’

  ‘I got you a red bull and two paracetamols.’ He held them out towards her. ‘Although I’m now wondering whether they should be ingested separately.’ He went to take them away.

  ‘Give them here,’ she said, taking the can and knocking back the tablets. ‘How did you get in?’

  ‘When you initially couldn’t find your keys at the hotel and pulled out a rubber chicken you told me that your neighbour at flat four B had a spare. When I couldn’t rouse you this morning, I feared you may be unwell so I took the liberty of calling on them.’

  ‘At this time? Actually, what time is it?’ Seymour rearranged himself into a tight ball as if conveying that it was time to go back to sleep. Ruby squinted at the clock. ‘Seven o’clock. On a Saturday?’

  ‘I don’t understand what the problem is.’

  ‘Everyone has a lie-in at the weekend.’

  ‘But you work.’

  ‘Yeah, but unless there’s a wedding we don’t get in until just before we open up, which is 9.30 a.m. on a Saturday.’

  Curtis was nodding along. ‘I see.’

  Ruby waved her arms around in the hope of getting more of a reaction from the man who had interrupted her sleep. She usually cut it quite fine on a Saturday. When he didn’t respond she had to say something.

  ‘My alarm is set for eight thirty.’

  ‘You can cancel it now,’ said Curtis with a smile.

  ‘Grrr,’ said Ruby and she fell back on the bed causing Seymour to glare at her, or possibly the wardrobe – she never could tell.

  ‘Umm,’ said Curtis followed by silence.

  ‘What?!’ Ruby raised her voice and instantly wished she hadn’t. It was echoing around her hungover brain.

  ‘When are we going to chat?’

  She scrunched up her eyes. There was no point even trying to get back to sleep. ‘Give me five minutes, then I’ll have a shower and get dressed and then we can chat while I eat the toast you’ve made me.’

  ‘I’ve not … ah, got it. Breakfast on its way.’

  Once the tablets and fizzy drink kicked in she started to feel a little more human and less like the incredible hulk with PMT. She’d not drunk that much for a long time. The previous evening flashed through her mind while she showered. She could remember most of it. She certainly remembered his revelation about Cordelia and couldn’t think of it without sighing at her foiled plan. She could hardly ask him to be her sperm donor now. She wouldn’t want to split up Cordelia and Curtis before they’d even begun. She couldn’t help feeling that she’d lost a little more than the donor opportunity. She was struggling to understand what she was feeling. As if by stealth Curtis had grown on her. Although she had to admit that he and Cordelia were a far better match than they were. Not that that had ever been a consideration. Stick to the plan, she told herself. But what was the plan now? She had no idea.

  She finished showering, got dressed, dried her hair and joined Curtis at the table where he was drinking a cup of tea. The smell of which wafted in her direction. ‘Did you find another one of those fancy-arse teabags?’

  ‘No, I brought my own fancy-arse Lady Grey teabags with me.’

  ‘Lady Grey? Is that Earl Grey’s grandma?’

  ‘It’s a variation of Earl Grey tea invented by Twinings in the 1990s to appeal to the Nordic market. It’s flavoured with bergamot oil, lemon and orange peel. I’ve another bag if you’d like to try it.’

  Ruby wrinkled her nose. ‘No thanks. It’s still tea. Thanks for this,’ she said, sitting down to a plate of toast and a glass of orange juice.

  ‘You’re welcome. Can we talk now?’

  She took in his expectant expression. ‘Yes, Curtis. What did you want to discuss?’

  ‘Cordelia.’

  Ruby forced herself not to harrumph. ‘Okay. What about Cordelia Two Smoking Barrels?’ The woman had unknowingly derailed Ruby’s donor plans so she wasn’t feeling quite as warm about her as she had been when she was eating her company’s free biscuits, but that wasn’t Cordelia’s fault.

  ‘Would you consider her a good match as a partner?’

  Ruby tried to keep a straight face. ‘Well, I usually like my partners taller, wearing less make-up than me and a bit more muscle …’ Ruby bit into her toast.

  Curtis’s forehead was puckering, something she was used to seeing when he wasn’t quite understanding something. The frowning stopped and a smile appeared. ‘Very funny. Not as a partner for you, and by the way I am aware that I need to deliver on that side of our agreement. I meant Cordelia as a partner for me. Actually, that is a good point. What if she’s a lesbian?’

  ‘I don’t think she is.’

  ‘Should I ask her?’

  ‘No! I can check with Jonty,’ said Ruby.

  ‘Right. I wish I’d brought my laptop.’

  ‘You don’t need a spreadsheet for this.’ She smiled at him. He was endearingly naïve. ‘The tricky thing about relationships is that you can’t work them out with a spreadsheet. You just know if that person is a match or not.’

  Curtis tilted his head. ‘But you said you’ve been out with lots of unsuitable men. So, at what point does the mismatch become apparent?’

  ‘You’ve spotted the flaw in my method. The trouble is that whilst I know they aren’t the best match I continue to hold out some hope that maybe they could be. In my defence they don’t usually reveal their true selves and arsehole tendencies until about date four or until after I’ve slept with them.’

  Curtis was blinking. ‘It’s incredibly confusing.’

  They sipped their drinks in silence for a while before Curtis spoke. ‘And didn’t you want to finalise what we’re doing with the engagement ring?’

  The word ‘finalise’ didn’t sit well with Ruby. It made her realise that once that ring was returned they would have just formal work things to interact over and then probably only until the end of the project. Non-work Curtis was her friend now and she didn’t want that to fizzle out. ‘Yeah, we need to think about that,’ she said noncommittally.

  ‘Weren’t you completing a spreadsheet?’

  ‘Was I?’ She racked her brains for the last conversation about the ring. Bugger it. She had suggested a spreadsheet to log their attempts to return it. ‘I thought we could do it together because you love spreadsheets. And to make sure I’ve got the dates right. I’ve been wondering about Lewis and his girlfriend. There must be more we can do.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Curtis. ‘But I’m not sure what.’ She inched forward and got a whiff of cologne.

  ‘New aftershave?’

  ‘I may have been doing some research of my own into relationships.’ He broke eye contact and concentrated on finishing his tea.

  She sniffed the air. ‘Good start. I like it.’

  ‘I’ve been thinking about the ring and I believe we have two options. We either courier it to the jeweller’s because if it was stolen from them then it is theirs or if it is legitimately Lewis’s they will contact him. Or we hand it in to the police and say we found it on a train. The latter we probably should have done right at the start and I would be uncomfortable having the conversation with the police as to why we have not done this sooner. They may think we’ve been trying to sell it and have failed.’

  ‘I have to be honest – I don’t like either of those ideas.’

  ‘I appreciate your honesty. But do you have another suggestion?’

  ‘I do. Social media.’ She leaned back and downed the rest of her juice with satisfacti
on.

  Kim was miles away as she unlocked the shop. She let out a yawn. Another virtually sleepless night. The combination of warm weather and night sweats was killing her. She’d been going over the previous evening. At least she and Adrian had been able to laugh about her impromptu flashing episode.

  Despite low energy levels, she was excited. Today was the day she was going to become a dog owner. She’d ordered all sorts of dog-related paraphernalia, which a kind neighbour was going to take in for her, and Adrian was picking her up later so they could fetch Boomer together. She pottered through to the back room and put the kettle on. She was considering having one of Ruby’s Cokes; she needed a boost and maybe caffeine was the answer.

  She heard someone knock on the door. It must be Ruby, she thought, and in a daze she went to let her in. As she flicked the catch she caught sight of who was on the other side a fraction too late to stop them pushing on the door.

  The sight of him made her gasp. ‘Vince?’

  ‘Hi, Kim, I was hoping we could talk.’ He pointed into the shop.

  She did a bit of a goldfish impression before she pulled herself together and managed to form a sentence. ‘No, Vince. I don’t want to hear anything you’ve got to say.’

  ‘Please, Kim. It’s important.’

  ‘Not to me it’s not.’

  Vince chuckled. It was a familiar sound despite the missing years. ‘You don’t know what it is yet.’

  ‘But I know you.’ She stabbed a finger in his direction, wishing it were a sword and that running someone through for being a cad was still socially acceptable.

  Vince shook his head. ‘I’ve changed, Kim. Really I have.’

  She stood up straight and looked him in the eye. ‘Does your acupuncturist agree?’

  ‘We’ve parted ways.’

  ‘Ooh, shame.’ She sounded bitter even to her own ears. ‘So that’s why you’re here. You’re homeless and you think I’ll be mug enough to take you back. Jog on, Vince.’ She tried to waft him out like a bad smell.

  ‘No. It’s amicable. I’ve got a lovely place in Mablethorpe.’

  Kim waved a hand to stop him. ‘I’m sorry, I think you’ve mistaken me for someone who actually gives a crap.’

  Vince chortled. ‘This is what I’ve missed. Feisty, straight-talking Kim.’ He took a minute to appraise her. ‘You’ve not changed. You look amazing.’

  ‘Thank you, now I know you’re talking grade-A bollocks because I feel like shit and look like Mrs Doubtfire.’

  ‘You’ve always been too hard on yourself. I think—’

  ‘No, Vince.’ She shook her head. ‘You need to go. Now, please.’ He needed to leave before Ruby arrived for work. She held the door open for him.

  He pressed his lips into a thin line. ‘Okay. I’ll go but can we meet up later? Maybe go for a meal – my treat.’

  ‘No.’ She was starting to lose her remaining shred of patience and Ruby was due in any moment.

  He held his palms up in surrender. ‘I’m going.’ He paused in the doorway and she wanted to kick him through it. ‘How about Sunday lunch?’

  ‘Out!’

  Vince rested a hand on her shoulder. ‘Kim, I didn’t want to have to tell you like this but … I’m dying.’ The words slapped her hard and she knew it must have been written all over her face. ‘I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you myself. That’s why I sent the letter asking if we could meet. I’m here because I want … no, I need to put things right between us. That’s all I’m trying to do.’

  She could feel unexpected emotion bubbling up. After all these years and everything that had happened, she still cared. ‘But you look …’ She stopped herself saying something crass. Telling him he looked well probably wasn’t helpful.

  ‘It’s one of those invisible killers. Cancer.’ She felt tears prick her eyes.

  ‘Thanks for telling me, Vince, but I think it’s better if things between us are left as they are.’

  He sighed deeply. ‘Right … okay …’ He nodded solemnly. ‘I understand. Of course. I hope you didn’t mind me coming. It’s been good to see you again. Goodbye, Kim. Take good care of yourself.’ He stepped outside.

  ‘Bye, Vince.’ She closed the door and slid the lock.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ruby was thinking over her conversation with Curtis as she walked from the car to work. Curtis fascinated her. It was like he’d been living in a cave most of his life and was only now emerging. There was a little bit of her wondering if maybe they could have been more than friends or was that the hangover addling her brain? She’d grown close to him very quickly and she valued their friendship above all else. It was actually quite sweet how he was running his thoughts on Cordelia past her. It made her feel like she was being useful. If there was something she knew a lot about, it was relationships. Maybe what she knew about them was how they failed but perhaps somewhere, in amongst the failures, there was the secret to how to make them work.

  She felt a little like Curtis was an experiment. What did that make her? The mad scientist? At least even if she couldn’t have her happy ever after maybe she could help Curtis find his. As she neared the shop, she saw someone leave. It wasn’t even open yet, so that was odd. The light was on inside and she could see Kim was already setting up.

  She watched the familiar man crossing the road. ‘Hey!’ She waved and ran after him.

  Vince turned and waited for Ruby on the corner. ‘Hello again. I’m sorry if I startled you last night.’

  ‘It’s fine. All forgotten. Have you seen Kim?’

  ‘I have.’ He nodded earnestly.

  ‘And?’

  Vince seemed pleased. ‘We’re having lunch tomorrow. I’m picking her up. Blast, I’ve forgotten what number she said her house was. She’ll think I’m getting dementia. Twenty something, no that’s wrong …’ He turned to head back to the florist’s.

  ‘Forty-five Marr Ter—’

  ‘Marr Terrace,’ said Vince, clicking his fingers. ‘What am I like?’

  ‘Is everything sorted between you?’ asked Ruby.

  ‘It’s early days but …’ He held up two pairs of crossed fingers. ‘I’d better dash. Bye, Ruby.’

  ‘Bye,’ she said then crossed back to Bloom with a View and tapped on the door. She watched Kim through the glass; she initially seemed alarmed when she looked up but her expression softened when she saw it was Ruby.

  ‘Good morning,’ she said, opening the door and shutting it quickly once Ruby was inside.

  ‘Shall I put the kettle on?’ asked Ruby. ‘Then we can have a chat.’

  ‘Thank you, it’s not long boiled.’

  Ruby got the drinks while Kim finished setting up. Ruby handed Kim a mug. ‘So …’ she said, now not quite sure how to broach the resurrected husband issue.

  ‘Did he say yes?’ asked Kim, blowing on her tea.

  ‘What?’ Ruby was wrong-footed.

  ‘Curtis. About being your sperm donor,’ she said.

  ‘No,’ replied Ruby and Kim visibly drooped. ‘No. Not no. I’ve just not asked him yet. He dropped a Cordelia-shaped bombshell and talking of bomb—’

  The door chimed; Kim jumped as a customer came in. ‘Tell me later,’ said Kim, handing her mug to Ruby and going to greet the customer. That was Ruby’s opportunity gone for now. She wouldn’t ask her about Vince in front of customers. She’d have to bide her time and wait until there was a lull or, worst case, after they closed.

  The customer was Hayley. ‘Hi, Hayley,’ said Kim. Pictures of her flashing her naked body at Adrian’s daughter loomed large in her mind.

  ‘Hi,’ said Hayley, her eyes darting around as she checked out the shop. ‘What a lovely job, playing with flowers all day.’

  Kim saw Ruby flash her a look as this was one of Kim’s pet hates – when people made the assumption their job was akin to a toddler playing in the sandpit. Anyone can plonk cut flowers in a vase but what they did took real skill and flair. It annoyed her that it was often dismissed as easy.
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br />   Kim kept her cool. She was sure Hayley wasn’t trying to wind her up. She pasted on a smile. ‘How can I help?’

  ‘Is there somewhere we can talk in private?’ Hayley asked, scanning the shop.

  ‘Sure.’ Kim led her out the back. ‘Is everything okay? Is your dad all right?’

  ‘It’s Dad I wanted to talk to you about.’ Kim held back the beads and Hayley stepped through. ‘Um, no door?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Right.’ Hayley glanced through the beads. They could both see Ruby was watching them but she turned away and began humming, which made Kim smile. The door chimed and Ruby went to serve. ‘Here’s the thing.’ Hayley pulled a face like she was sucking on a lemon wedge but someone had just nicked her tequila. ‘I’m worried about Dad.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Her stomach plummeted as she feared the worst.

  ‘Mum’s death has been hard for him and he’s still coming to terms with it. He spends a lot of time at her graveside. I worry about his mental health.’

  Kim was relieved it wasn’t anything more. ‘It’s lovely that you’re concerned about him, Hayley. I think he’s probably coping better than you think.’

  Hayley squared her shoulders at this. ‘Maybe I’m not being clear. He still loves my mother. There’s no room for anyone else.’

  ‘Oh, I see. You’re warning me off,’ said Kim, trying not to smile. ‘It’s okay. We’re just friends.’

  ‘That wasn’t how it looked to me.’ Her lips puckered like a cat’s bumhole. ‘Every time I go around, you are there wearing increasingly less clothing. You can see that he has money. You’ve got him ferrying you about like a frigging taxi service. I think your intentions are pretty clear.’ Hayley folded her arms and returned her lips to their tight pose.

  Kim chuckled. ‘You think I’m after his money?’

  ‘You said it.’

  Mardy mare, thought Kim.

  ‘Hayley, please let me put your mind at rest. I’m not interested in your dad’s money and I assure you we’re just friends. Okay?’ The door chimed and Kim glanced through the beads to see two customers enter the shop. She needed to get back to work.

  Hayley paused. ‘No. Kim, it’s not okay. I’d like you to stay away from my father.’