by Georgia Hill
She sipped her instant from Stevie’s Star Wars mug. For a second, she dreamed of a Sunday morning drinking coffee ground from fresh beans, while talking over the papers with someone who was into politics, current affairs or books. Someone sophisticated and worldly – like Joel. She wondered what he did at the weekends. Exeter was twenty-five miles away. Even if she could afford the petrol, she certainly couldn’t afford the price of a frothy coffee in one of the cafés there. She loved Berecombe, but it seemed too far away from anywhere interesting sometimes.
For the first time, a future without Ollie loomed. They’d known one another since year seven, had been going out since sixth form. He’d been part of her life for so long she couldn’t imagine it without him. She pictured rocking up at the Old Harbour without him. The empty seat at the table as her mother would no longer be able to ask him over for an evening meal. Being with their group of friends: Amy, Millie and Jed, newly loved-up Tash and Kit. Being there with Ollie but not being with him. She imagined him moving on, getting a new girlfriend. Percy’s little sister, Leah, had always had the hots for Ollie; she wouldn’t hang about before getting her claws into him.
Emma opened the play she needed to read for the next evening class. It was George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. But she couldn’t read. A big fat tear plopped down and smudged the words.
Chapter 18
It was too busy at work to allow herself to be maudlin. September marked the rush to get an offer accepted so there would be a chance to be in by Christmas and Emma spent most of the morning on the phone to the Morrisons. Leona’s clients had upset them. The viewers she’d taken over had been less than complimentary about the bungalow and had said so during the viewing – almost certainly as a tactic to put in a low offer. The Morrisons had taken umbrage and had threatened to use a rival estate agent in nearby Lyme Regis and it had taken all Emma’s people skills to reassure them and keep them on board. She then had to steel herself to ring Biddy and ask if she wanted to proceed on the purchase. As all Biddy wanted to do was talk about her latest chapter of erotica, Emma ended up exhausted and in dire need of coffee when she’d finished. But the hard work had paid off.
‘Biddy and Arthur have made an offer,’ she announced, triumphantly to Tash. ‘Five grand off the asking price, so I think the Morrisons will accept. And Biddy said it would be a cash sale with nothing to sell depending on it, so it’ll go through quickly. Don’t know where Biddy gets her money from, but me and the Morrisons are very grateful.’ She glared at Leona. ‘And it’s no thanks to you.’
‘On the other hand, maybe you should be grateful to me. My clients probably pushed your Brenda, or whatever her name is, into making the offer.’ Leona huffed and turned her back, her rigid shoulders making an eloquent statement.
Tash twisted her lips and made a face at Emma. ‘Leona, could you go out to this semi in Otterton Lane? Have a chat with the vendors, see if you can sign them up. Should go in the range of a hundred thou, twenty more if it’s in really good nick. Check with me before you give them a definite price, though, please.’
Once Leona had left, Tash made them some fresh coffee and brought it over to Emma’s desk. ‘Well done you.’ She perched on the corner, one stiletto dangling.
Emma took the mug. ‘Thanks.’
‘You should be proud of yourself. The Morrisons have been messing us about for years and Biddy … well, Biddy drove Pete insane when he sold her that house on the hill.’
‘How is our esteemed area manager?’
‘Trying to find a replacement for Leona so he can shift her off to the Bristol branch. He thinks she’d be better in a city branch. “More suited to the cut and thrust of a buoyant market,” I think were his words.’
‘Well, she hasn’t fitted in here, Tash. And we tried to make her feel welcome but she was a bolshy cow from the get-go.’
‘I know. Shame, though. We really need a third member of the team. Maybe a newbie you could train up? I could get you on a management course, if you like. You’re definitely ready. Might be a promotion in it.’ When Emma didn’t reply, Tash asked, ‘You okay?’ in an abrupt change of subject. ‘I didn’t want to ask earlier, with Leona around. You seem upset and it’s not just the Morrison sale. You can handle these sort of things in your sleep.’
Emma took in a deep breath. If she said it, it would make it real. She hadn’t told anyone yet, hoping Ollie would ring and it would all be a mistake. But it had been two days since their argument and she’d heard nothing. When she blurted out that she thought she and Ollie had split up, Tash held up her hand and insisted an emotional crisis like this deserved lunch at Millie’s.
They sat on the terrace in the sunshine and Tash lifted her face to the warmth. ‘Better make the most of this. Autumn’s coming.’
Millie served them an enormous pot of tea and farmhouse cheddar and caramelized-onion toasted sandwiches. ‘Some nice lemon drizzle for pud, freshly made this morning. Lovely with a dollop of clotted.’ She put the tray down and added, ‘And don’t feed the seagulls. They’ve been a menace this season.’
Emma eyed the food. ‘No chance a bird is getting any of this.’
‘I thought you were taking a backseat, Mil,’ Tash said. ‘Letting Petra take over.’
‘I like to keep my hand in.’ Millie grinned. ‘Keeps the staff on their toes. And I’ve got a meeting with Amy in the bookshop later. Talking Hallowe’en for next month.’
‘Sounds good. Keep us posted.’
‘Will do.’
‘I think she’s pregnant,’ Emma said, as they watched Millie disappear into the café.
‘Do you?’ Tash lifted up her sunglasses and peered after Millie. ‘That’s nice. They’ll definitely be wanting the Greys’ cottage then.’
‘Do you ever stop working?’ Emma managed a giggle.
‘Soz.’ Tash poured the tea, passed her the pink flowery cup and said, ‘Come on, then, what are you going to do about Ollie? Tell your Auntie Natasha.’
Chapter 19
‘So, you still love him?’ Tash asked when Emma had filled her in.
‘Yes.’ Emma sighed in exasperation. ‘Well, I think so. It’s hard to know. He’s always been around, always been there.’
‘Can you imagine life without him?’
‘No, but if we’ve got nothing in common any more and we’re boring each other senseless, it can’t be enough that I can’t imagine life without him.’ Emma groaned and put her head in her hands. ‘And that sounds as muddled as my thinking.’
‘I don’t get why you’re boring one another. True, you’ve got different interests now.’ Tash waved a toasted sandwich in the air. ‘That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Gives you something to talk about when you get together.’
‘It might work with you and Kit but it doesn’t seem to with us,’ Emma said gloomily, reaching for another sandwich. ‘Maybe we don’t care enough about each other to be interested.’
‘Or maybe you’ve both just got swept off your feet by these sudden new things in your life and you need to work through it all? Your passion for English Lit will wane in time and Ollie will calm down about his crewing once the novelty wears off. He’s just a bit excited about it all at the moment.’
‘Maybe. That’s if I ever get the chance to talk to him again. I’ve sent three texts and he’s ignoring me.’ Emma bit her lip. She couldn’t believe Ollie was really serious about them splitting up but it looked like he was, this time. In a bid to change the subject she asked, ‘How’s the animal sanctuary idea going?’
‘Yeah. Good, thanks. We’re going over to a place in Somerset to see how they do things.’ Tash frowned. ‘Lots of paperwork to wade through, though, and it all costs a fortune. The donkeys, alone, cost us an arm and four legs in vet fees. We’ve just taken on a new puppy. Found in a plastic bag by the side of the road.’ Tash’s lips thinned. ‘How anyone could do that is beyond me. Kit’s been bottle feeding her through the nights. You’ll have to come and see her. Merlin’s so funny, he thinks he�
�s the daddy and he and the puppy curl up together. It’s so sweet. Benji would be jealous if it wasn’t for the fact he’s now become devoted to Kit’s mum.’
Emma sat back and grinned. ‘Listen to you, talking all things doggy. And you say you don’t have anything in common with Kit?’
Tash blushed. She didn’t show the softer side of herself to many. ‘Okay, okay. I’ve got involved with that side of Kit’s life, but it doesn’t mean we have much else in common and we’re very different personalities.’
‘Maybe that’s why it works. You are very different. Me and Ollie are too similar. We’re both so easy-going.’
‘Em …’ Tash paused. She picked up the teapot and refilled their cups before going on. ‘Do you think there’s any truth in what Ollie said, that you take him for granted?’
‘No, I don’t!’
‘You sure, my lovely? Look, I’m no expert when it comes to relationships. Look at my history. One bloke breaks up with me and goes out with Amy, the other turns out to be a wannabe bigamist.’ She shuddered. ‘But I know relationships take a bit of work. Kit and I, well, we’re still at the starry-eyed phase, but I can see a point when certain things he does will wind me up.’ She shrugged. ‘And we’ll have to find a way round that.’
‘Ollie’s never irritated me.’ Emma drank her tea, thoughtfully.
‘Hasn’t he?’
‘No, it’s not that. It feels more as if we’re drifting apart and that we don’t care enough to work things out.’ Emma stared into her tea cup as if the answer might lie there. ‘He did dress up as Ross Poldark for me though.’
‘Oh my God. When?’
‘At the hotel. He appeared in this get-up, thinking he looked just like Aidan Turner.’
‘And he didn’t?’
Emma shook her head. ‘Hardly.’
‘What did you do?’
‘I laughed.’
‘Oh Em!’ Tash put her cup down on its saucer with a clatter.
‘Well, he looked so ridiculous.’
‘But he was trying to please you. He’d booked this lovely night away, had taken the time to find a costume and you laughed at him?’
‘Wasn’t so much of a costume. I think he borrowed the breeches from George Small and he had on his mother’s blouse.’
‘But he was doing it for you. And then you laughed and he was completely humiliated. Imagine how he felt, Em. Ollie doesn’t do stuff like that, he’s too straight. No wonder he was angry with you.’
‘Yeah. I can see that.’
Tash peered closer. ‘There’s no one else, is there, Emma? And I don’t mean a fictional character.’
‘No. There’s no one. It’s only ever been Emma and Ollie. Ollie and Emma.’
Tash, looking at Emma’s blushing face wasn’t so sure. She hoped she was wrong.
Chapter 20
Some of the sophisticated gloss of the evening classes had tarnished. Emma hadn’t been gripped by Hamlet and had got annoyed by his lack of decision. Ollie would have been straight in there, sorted the problem out and then made everyone a cup of tea afterwards. The side of him which she had always written off as boring she now saw as mature and practical. He’d make an excellent RNLI crew member, she realized. Calm in a crisis and focused.
She tuned back in to Joel explaining about Pygmalion. ‘Of course, it’s the play that My Fair Lady was based on.’
‘Well, we all know that, my boy,’ Biddy interrupted.
Emma didn’t. She didn’t think she knew My Fair Lady and said so.
‘You must know the film, child. Rex Harrison. “All I want is a room somewhere …”.’ Biddy sang some of the song tunelessly and everyone put their fingers in their ears. ‘“Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly?”’ she continued, oblivious of their reaction. ‘Used to have a lovely client who liked me to sing to him while we did it. Maybe I’ll get me to some classes. They might be grateful for some real singing talent.’
‘If we could get back on track,’ Joel said and glared at her. Biddy refused to be silenced and carried on singing in her best cock-er-ney. ‘Maybe it would be a good time to take a break?’ he yelled over the racket and everyone nodded in relief. They drifted across to the spiral staircase which led down to the café area of the bookshop where Millie had laid on coffee and homemade sausage and chutney rolls. Biddy followed, still humming to herself.
‘Emma,’ Joel said, ‘before you go down, could I have a word?’
Emma looked at Joel in surprise. She was no longer sure how she felt about him. Instead of learned and worldly, tonight he seemed smug and impatient with them all. And slightly sleazy.
‘It’s how I see you and me, you know.’
Emma frowned. ‘What, singing in a cockney accent?’
He came to her and laughed. Running slender long fingers down her cheek, he said, softly, ‘And that’s exactly my point. I see you as my Pygmalion project. Someone to fill with my knowledge. To help explore what our wonderful world has to offer. To mould. You have so much to learn, my little Emma Tizzard. My flame-haired beauty. My very own Eliza Dolittle. Of humble stock but capable of so much more.’
Emma stepped back, insulted. She didn’t want to be anything anyone thought she should be. She was her own person and that should be good enough. And how dare he say she wasn’t as good as him? She was about to tell him when they were interrupted by Biddy returning.
‘Forgot my scarf.’ She eyed them beadily. ‘Getting chilly of an evening now.’ As she picked it up she neared Emma and whispered, ‘I don’t think it’s just knowledge he wants to fill you with, lovie.’ She winked. ‘Be careful.’ Reverting to her normal, overloud voice, she added, ‘And, course we know the Pygmalion myth really started back with the ancient Greeks when he fell in love with his statue and made her human.’ She huffed. ‘Typical man, always think they can make us into what they want. Now, young Joel, get me back down these dratted stairs. I’m in need of a coffee and one of those pastries. Not a patch on my brownies, but they’ll do.’ She offered an arm with a gleam in her eye that would not be defied.
Emma watched as Joel bit back a retort, regained his usual good manners with difficulty, and allowed Biddy to pull him to the top of the spiral staircase. She knew Biddy was more than capable of tackling the stairs unaided but was glad of her intervention. Sinking down onto one of the sofas, she scrubbed at her cheek where Joel’s persuasive fingers had caressed. She was desperate to rid herself of the stain of his touch.
She had been insulted and on many levels. She couldn’t believe his arrogance, his assumption that he was so much her superior. That had been made patently clear. It had hit the same nerve that Leona had: that a piece of paper proving you’d passed a few exams made you a better person. It didn’t make Leona a better estate agent – far from it, in fact. Her self-importance stopped her from listening to what the clients wanted. And paper qualifications certainly didn’t make Joel any better than her, Emma thought, or her parents. Short-tempered she might be, but her mother worked hard to look after them all and her father, with only O levels to his name, put in endless hours at the factory to make ends meet. Emma drew herself up, her anger and indignation blossoming furiously. And look at her. Her parents had produced her. She held down a good job, had a town chockful of friends, had a wonderful family and a gorgeous boyfriend. Or had, Emma corrected herself with a sad smile, until recently. Why would she want to be anything other than she was? How dare Joel suggest he mould her? In fact, the more Emma thought about him, the sleazier he became. He’d just been on a power trip, influencing those he considered beneath him in order to … Emma jumped up, as the horror of what Joel was all about hit her. Rage surged through her veins. ‘Sick bastard!’ she seethed. ‘Using Chaucer to get into my knickers!’ Never, in a million years, could she see Ollie acting like that. so dishonourably. Good, kind, straight-as-a-die Ollie, and RNLI volunteer and willing to risk his life for others, Ollie. A gazillion times the better man than Joel. Emma let herself flop back down onto the sofa again. And, f
or the sake of a few mellifluously uttered literary words, she’d let Ollie slip from her grasp. She thrust her hands through her hair, praying there was some way she could persuade Ollie to come back to her.
Chapter 21
The evening of the carnival was the first cool one of autumn but it was clear and dry.
‘At least it’s not raining,’ Tash said to Emma as they clambered aboard the St Trinian’s float attached to the lorry. ‘Should be a good turnout. Not sure how warm we’ll be in this get up, though.’ She tugged her short, pleated skirt down.
‘You look great,’ Emma said, admiringly.
‘We both do. Selfie?’
They posed, ignoring a wolf whistle from George who was getting into the cab.
‘Naughty schoolgirls, eh?’ he cackled.
Tash gave Emma a worried glance. ‘Do you think it’s too much?’ She looked down at her white shirt, unbuttoned as low as she dared and at the stockings, the tops of which barely nudged the short skirt.
‘At least you’re used to the stilettoes,’ Emma pointed out. ‘I can hardly walk in these.’ Then she remembered that Tash was still trying to regain her confidence after her relationship with an abusive boyfriend had finished. She was still looking anxious. ‘He won’t be here, you know, my lovely. He’s gone back to Manchester. I asked Marti if she’d seen him around and she said no. And you know how nosy she is. One-woman neighbourhood watch scheme, she is. Besides, you’ve got your mate Emma to see him off. I’ll fight him off with one of these bad boys.’ She waggled her giant water pistol. ‘Fully loaded and dangerous.’
