‘I like that story,’ Phoebe smiled. ‘But it feels more complicated than that for me and Jack. For a start, Mum wasn’t pregnant and you didn’t have his little brother breathing down your necks every minute you were together.’
‘That’s true enough. All I’m saying is think carefully before you throw it all away. It’s not easy living with a lifetime of regret. If you’ve done all you can to save it and it still fails, at least that’s one regret less; easier than knowing you let it go without a fight.’
Phoebe nodded as she gazed past him, mulling over his words. It was possibly the first time her dad had been this open and frank about affairs of the heart. She had always seen him as this huge, gruff, ale-swilling man’s man – loveable in his own way but no room in his life for girly stuff like emotions. But the man beneath the carefree dad she’d always known was deep and insightful. She wouldn’t be surprised if his next confession was that he’d written her mum love poems in their youth – in fact, she wondered if he still wrote love poetry for her now. In many ways, although Jack and her dad were very different on the surface, they were also the same. Maybe that was why she’d been attracted to Jack. He was intelligent, thoughtful, creative and articulate. He was sensitive (usually) and very, very kind. His favoured form of expression might have been cooking rather than poetry but in the end it was sort of the same. Was he really the perfect man for her? Would she later regret any rash actions she took now? There was still anger for the way he had treated her, of course, and she still held a strong conviction that he was completely in the wrong, but maybe he deserved more effort from her to help him put it right.
Hugh patted her knee again before standing up. ‘I’d love to sit here all day but if either of us is going to get into work we need to crack on.’
‘I’m getting up now, Dad.’ Phoebe threw her covers back and swung her legs out of bed. Hugh nodded and went for the door.
‘Oh, and Dad…’ Phoebe called him back. ‘I should say thank you.’
‘Anytime, love. I only hope you make the right choice.’
Without conscious thought, Phoebe’s hand went to her belly. ‘Me too, Dad. Me too.’
*
‘Bloody hell!’ Midnight sucked on a cola lollipop as she and Phoebe sat on a low wall skirting the ornamental gardens that marked the exact town centre of Millrise.
To call them ornamental gardens was, perhaps, stretching the definition. While it was true that the gardens contained plants, many of them were of the dandelion and thistle variety, interspersed by the lesser-spotted crisp bag and hardy beer can. The council had done their best for many years and had tried to bring tourism to the area by improving parks and green spaces, but there had been a slow and steady decline to many parts of Millrise that echoed a prevailing and hopeless apathy borne from a lack of money. Sadly, the gardens were one of the victims of that downward spiral. Today, it wasn’t looking too bad, and Phoebe had only actually seen one beer can nestling in its chavtastic greenery.
From their perch, they could see the civic hall – dignitaries and council admin staff scuttling to and from their daily business – the Echo building further down the road looking similarly busy, and a small selection of local businesses such as solicitors, accountants and recruitment agencies. Midnight had chosen this spot to play her new game, ‘Hot or Not’, and as she listened to Phoebe offload, was diligently labelling each man she saw. Phoebe didn’t take offence at this distraction – she was used to Midnight’s inability to focus on one task at a time and she knew she was listening despite appearances to the contrary.
‘So, Archie has gone?’ Midnight asked before yelling ‘Hot!’ in the direction of a man coming out of Lycett and Lycett Accountancy.
‘I don’t know,’ Phoebe replied, her gaze following the direction of Midnight’s as she sucked on an identical lollipop. Although many foods still set off the nausea, Phoebe had found that sugary sweets agreed with her way more than was healthy. So she was eating them in large quantities as she would possibly never have an excuse this good again.
‘Not!’ Midnight swung her legs out in the direction of a man so bald and skinny he looked like an egg perched on top of an empty suit. ‘Haven’t you called Jack to find out?’
‘It didn’t seem like the best idea. As the whole argument started with Archie and the way Jack was protecting him, I didn’t think the phone call I should be making was: hey, how are you? I know that your brother almost got beaten to a pulp last night but has he gone now?’
‘Why not?’ Midnight sucked on her lollipop and continued to scan the street for game. ‘It’s not like Jack doesn’t know your feelings about his brother and, besides, it’s sensible to get things out in the open.’ She sat a little straighter as she caught sight of a floppy haired youth dressed in chain adorned jeans on a skateboard. ‘Hubba, hubba, HOT!’ she shouted. The youth spun around, looking for the source of the exclamation, and Midnight collapsed into giggles.
‘It seemed a bit insensitive,’ Phoebe said, ‘that’s all. I know it’s sensible. Anyway, I don’t know that I necessarily want to yet.’
‘I thought you were all loved up with Mr Stalker?’
‘I was… I mean, I am. But sometimes love isn’t enough, is it? Does love mean I should let him treat me unfairly? Does it mean I have to stay with him no matter what he does?’
Midnight rolled her eyes. ‘Jeez, you’re always over-complicating things. If you like him and he likes you, then sort it out. That’s all there is to it. If not, then give him the elbow and move on.’
Phoebe spun the lollipop around in her mouth as she gazed into the distance. ‘Kind of hard to move on with a baby in tow, though, isn’t it?’
‘Having a baby isn’t the end of the world. The dating market is full of single parents.’
‘When you put it like that it all seems simple.’
‘That’s because it is. Although not as simple as you.’ Midnight nodded towards a man in his forties wearing a charcoal suit. ‘What do you think about him? I can’t decide. A bit of an oldie but he looks like he’s wearing well.’
‘Sort of lukewarm,’ Phoebe said. ‘Maybe if he was one of last people on earth and we had to reproduce he wouldn’t be too much of a hardship.’
Midnight nodded a sage agreement. ‘Good call.’ Biting into her lollipop with a loud crack, she proceeded to crunch it like a contented cow chewing the cud out in a field. ‘You want to know what I think?’
Phoebe shot her a sideways glance. ‘You’ve changed your score on the lukewarm guy?’
‘Nope. In fact, he’s a definite meh. I mean what I think about you and Jack.’
‘Ok…’ Phoebe replied slowly, wondering what pearl of wisdom she was letting herself in for now.
‘I think you’re both a bit thick. Although I’m leaning towards you being thicker than him right now.’
‘Explain.’
‘Well, he’s obviously going to freak out about you being pregnant because the last woman he got up the duff ended up dead.’
‘Right… Not exactly how I would have put it but I take your point. I already knew that, though. We talked about that when I first told him I was pregnant. He was upset but we sorted it.’
‘Doesn’t look like you sorted it to me, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation.’
‘We talked about how it was really unlikely to happen again and how I’d be super careful and so there was no need to worry. He said he was fine with all that and he knew that he was being silly.’
‘Yeah. I can say I’m Scarlett Johansson, but that doesn’t make it true.’
‘You think he’s not ok with it? Why would he tell me he was?’
‘Because he’s thick.’
‘How am I thicker?’
‘For believing that it was all sorted when the evidence against is right in front of your eyes.’
‘But all the coldness directed at me… like he didn’t want me around. That was nothing to do with the baby…’
Midn
ight shrugged. ‘Men are weird; they don’t know how to react to emotional stuff and they push it away rather than deal with it.’
‘Like Martians?’ Phoebe smiled.
‘Huh?’
‘Nothing. Mum was trying to persuade me to read a book that says pretty much what you just said. The shrink who wrote this book reckons that men need to sulk in caves when things are bothering them but women like to talk so when there’s trouble between the two, neither party naturally takes the approach that’s right for the other. When men have been in their caves long enough they’ll come out and be ready to discuss their problems.’
‘Do you think Jack has been in his cave for long enough?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Then smoke him out, girl.’
Phoebe grinned. It was amazing how Midnight’s seemingly skewed view of the world often made more sense than any other, and how much better Phoebe always felt after just a short time in her company. She’d barely known Midnight longer than the few short months she’d known Jack, and the relationship, in its own way, was just as important to her. Often, when Phoebe thought back to the punch she’d thrown in the Rose and Crown that had got her sacked from her job there and sent her in desperation to Hendry’s Toy Shop, it was hard not to believe that some divine providence had been sticking its nose into her life.
Midnight hopped off the wall. ‘Are you going to phone him now? You’ve just got time while we walk back.’
‘Not now…’ Phoebe glanced around. The street felt too busy, too intrusive. ‘It’s too noisy here. I can phone him later.’
‘Don’t make excuses to put it off. I always say do it now and regret it later.’
‘Like shouting at random passers-by?’
‘Not shouting, merely observing and showing my appreciation for the male form.’
‘Try telling that to the ones you just insulted by shouting NOT at them. I hope you never observe me like that, it’d be terrifying; I dread to think what score you’d give me.’
‘You’d definitely get a hot.’
‘Even when I have my huge baby belly?’
‘Even more so. Quit stalling and get to a nice quiet spot so you can sort your idiot out.’
Phoebe dropped down from her perch and threw her now empty lollipop stick into a nearby bin.
‘What I don’t get is how you’re still single,’ Phoebe said as they began to walk back towards the high street. ‘I mean, you’re stunning, you have a figure to die for, you’re dead funny and dead smart. Isn’t there anyone you fancy?’
‘If you’d met my friends you’d see why I’m single,’ Midnight laughed. ‘They’re great but hardly eye candy. And you’ve seen what we have to contend with at work. Adam Hendry’s a bit of alright, but we all know he only has eyes for you.’
‘Ugh, don’t remind me.’ Phoebe did a theatrical shudder.
‘I honestly think I’ll have to look further than Millrise.’
‘You’re probably right about that. I don’t think the small town mentality suits you. You think you’ll move away?’
Midnight shrugged. ‘Who knows? Maybe I’ll take off on an adventure one of these days.’ She gave Phoebe a sly, sideways look. ‘Where did you say your brother was living?’
‘Queensland.’
‘Maybe I’ll go and look him up.’
‘He’s spoken for, I’m afraid.’ Phoebe was strangely relieved by this fact. She couldn’t decide whether the idea of her brother dating Midnight was the most exciting or the most terrifying prospect she could imagine. It would certainly make life interesting – for Phoebe and for Josh.
‘If he looks as much like you as you say then he’s probably not my type anyway. I like my men a bit more… manly. If you know what I mean.’
Phoebe’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She lifted it out to check.
‘Jack?’ Midnight raised her eyebrows.
‘I have another voicemail from him.’
‘What’s he say?’
Phoebe dialled the number to retrieve the message and held the phone to her ear. It wasn’t the first missed call from him that day or, indeed, since the argument of the previous night, but she hadn’t been in the right frame of mind to listen to any of them. Somehow, she felt stronger after a morning at work; just like her dad had said, distance from the problem and a chat to Midnight had helped everything fall into place. She knew now what she needed to do, and she’d even been able to see so far ahead that she knew what she would do if that didn’t pan out the way she hoped. Strangely, that prospect didn’t seem all that scary now either. As Midnight had also pointed out, Phoebe owed it to Jack to save him from his cave if she could. After all, he probably didn’t even realise he was in there. But if he still refused, she had other priorities to worry about and she would simply have to get on with them.
The message began to play:
‘Phoebe… Please, pick up … Phoebe?’ There was a loud sigh, a heartbeat’s pause, and then: ‘I know I was a dick last night; I know I upset you. Archie’s really sorry too. You were scared for us and I realise now how insensitive to that I was. But I was wrapped up in my own problems and… Phoebe? Oh… what’s the point? You’d be right if you never called me again but don’t do that. At least until you’ve given me a chance to try to explain and change your mind. So… call me, yeah?’
The line went dead. Phoebe stowed her phone back in her pocket.
‘Well?’ Midnight asked.
‘He wants to talk. He says he knows he’s been a dickhead.’
‘At least he’s got something right.’
Phoebe smiled. ‘He does sound really sorry.’
‘See, you’re forgiving him already.’
‘I am?’
‘Yep. And you can’t wait to see him.’
‘I can’t?’
‘As we all know, a minute away from Mr Stalker is like a year to you.’
‘I’m not that bad.’
Midnight fired an impish grin at her. ‘You know what I said about calling him now? Scrap it. If he’s as sorry as you say then you should totally make him sweat for the rest of the day. At least until teatime if you’re too pathetic to manage the whole day.’
‘Oh my God! You’re so mean! Now I know why you’re single: you’re too evil to date real actual people!’ As Midnight laughed, Phoebe pulled her phone out again. ‘I should probably call him back…’
This time, Phoebe was the one talking to an answering service. ‘Hi, Jack… Ok, this is weird. We should probably talk at some point actually to each other rather than to a tape recorder. I’ll call you again when I get my afternoon break.’
‘That was even weaker willed than I had bargained for,’ Midnight said as Phoebe ended the call.
‘Sorry. I guess I really am that pathetic.’
Midnight shook her head in mock solemnity. ‘And to think, I let people see you in my company.’
As they wandered through the entrance doors of Hendry’s, Phoebe feeling lighter and happier than she had done in what felt like years, Steve was ready to pounce.
‘Midnight…’ he always said her name as if the very sound of it offended him. It probably did; as Midnight had often asserted, something like an unusual name for Steve was like the sun being kicked out of orbit for anyone else. ‘You’re late coming back from your break.’
Midnight gave her watch a nonchalant inspection. ‘Not according to my watch.’
‘Well, you are according to mine.’
‘Well… as I left by the time on my watch I should come back by the time on mine too. In fact, this watch says I have two minutes left which I fully intend to enjoy before resuming my duties. So… if you’ll excuse me…’ Midnight folded her arms and gave him a wide smile, as if she intended to pass the next two minutes exactly where she stood and love every second of it. He snorted like an enraged bull then, unable to respond to Midnight, he jabbed a finger at Phoebe. ‘Mr Hendry is looking for you.’
‘Mr Hendry?’
‘The young one…�
� Steve flapped his hand as if to dismiss her. He began to mutter about people who were in nappies when he started out as store manager meddling where they weren’t wanted and stalked off in the direction of Gareth Parker, who suddenly looked like a startled rabbit despite the fact that he was doing nothing wrong, unless you counted actually doing his job as something wrong.
Phoebe shot a helpless glance at Midnight.
‘You’d better go and see what he wants,’ Midnight said.
‘Bloody hell…’ Phoebe grimaced. ‘It’ll be another ruse to get me alone. I don’t know how much longer I can keep putting him off without being downright rude. He knows I have a boyfriend and it still doesn’t stop him.’
‘A little thing like a boyfriend won’t bother him. For men like him it’s all about winning and if there’s an obstacle like another man in the way it makes the sport that bit more exciting.’
‘I don’t think I like being sport.’
‘Everything is sport to him. You should be loving it. Girls in here would kill for five minutes on the roof with him.’
‘It’s flattering and everything… I have to admit he’s attractive too… But he’s just making life so damned difficult all the time. All I want is to come to work, do my job, and go home without having to worry about all this extra crazy stuff. God knows I have enough things outside work to worry about. Is that too much to ask?’
‘You know what would put him off?’ Midnight added.
‘The baby?’
‘Exactly.’
Phoebe stared across the shop floor at where Steve was running his finger along the top of Gareth’s till and gesticulating about something it was obvious only he could understand as Gareth stared at him blankly. Phoebe assumed he was complaining about cleanliness, but as it wasn’t Gareth’s job to clean the tills it seemed a bit unnecessary. Perhaps Steve was having a mini-breakdown, just one of the weekly occurrences Phoebe now missed as she worked upstairs. ‘I suppose it’s going to have to come out sooner or later,’ she said thoughtfully, her eyes still trained on Steve. ‘I only kept it to myself because Jack said…’
‘But, it’s not up to Jack, is it? This is your life and your call. If you want to tell people then you go for it.’
Mishaps in Millrise: Parts 1-4 in one book – plus a little extra… Page 28
