One Last Shot

by Archer, Julie

  Poppy was already up and dressed when Eva came into the kitchen. She was feeding India, who was alternately throwing her breakfast on the floor or rubbing it into her face.

  “Morning, hun,” said Poppy. “Coffee’s on if you want some and there’s food in the fridge, so help yourself. You look like you slept well.”

  Eva nodded. “I did, for once.” She helped herself to a mug of coffee and took a yoghurt from the fridge. She settled down at the breakfast bar and started eating.

  “We’ve got a play date this morning. Do you want to come with me?” Poppy tried to stop India throwing her porridge at Eva.

  “Er, thanks, but I don’t think that’s really my sort of thing.”

  “Then what? You can’t exactly sit around the house all day. Do you know how long you might stay for? Nate will be coming home soon.”

  Eva fiddled with her spoon.

  “I take it by that silence, you haven’t got a clue?”

  “Poppy, I didn’t just come here by accident. Something happened with Jed.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Eva took a deep breath and started to explain. Poppy knew the early stuff, how Eva had been asked to leave Foster & Meyer after the news of her affair with Jed Barker had become public knowledge and that she’d taken off to ‘distance’ herself from the scandal. What Poppy didn’t know was that Jed had rented her a flat, which he turned up to at every opportunity, wanting to carry on their relationship, despite still being very much married and apparently in love with his wife. At first, Eva had found it freeing. There was no more sneaking around and they could see each other whenever they wanted. But Jed had become extremely controlling, telling her what she should wear, where she could go, who she could see. That had been the reason Eva hadn’t come to Poppy’s wedding—Jed simply wouldn’t let her. He monitored her social media accounts and her bank balance, reprimanding her if she posted something he didn’t agree with or spent money on something he didn’t like. It had got to the point where she had been a prisoner in her own home, unable to leave the house when she wanted to and in fear of Jed coming over.

  When she had finally explained to him that she needed to move on and get another job, he had become violent. Jed had told her if she tried to leave or get a job with one of Foster & Meyer’s competitors, he would personally see to it that she was blacklisted so no-one would touch her. After a few fruitless conversations with her network, it seemed Jed had done exactly what he said he would. Eva had been screwed. She had packed a couple of bags and left to come to North Ridge. She was shaking by the time she finished the story.

  “That’s why I came here.” She could feel her eyes begin to fill with tears and tried to wipe them away before Poppy noticed. “I hoped that you would understand.”

  Poppy got up and crossed the kitchen in about two steps. She threw her arms around Eva, holding her close. Eva wilted against her friend.

  “Jesus, Eva, I had no idea!” Poppy let her go, stroking the side of Eva’s face. “We all knew that Jed had a bit of a reputation. The bruise?” Poppy’s eyes strayed to Eva’s shoulder. She nodded. “I didn’t think he was like that.”

  “Neither did I.” Eva smiled ruefully. “He certainly wasn’t at the start.”

  “Has he tried to contact you since you left?”

  Eva shook her head. “I left my old mobile at the flat. I haven’t been brave enough to check my email yet. I haven’t bothered with any of the social media stuff either.”

  “What are you going to do for money?” asked Poppy.

  “I don’t know.” Eva shrugged. “I’d been taking a little out here and there, not enough to arouse Jed’s suspicion, and storing it up, but most of it went on the train fare getting here. I need to find a job and get myself sorted.”

  “You can stay here for as long as you like.” Poppy busied herself cleaning up the mess that India had made. “And I’ll call Caro. Maybe she’s got a few shifts going at The Indigo Lounge. It’s not much, and it’s certainly nothing like you’ve been used to doing, but at least it would be cash in hand. Caro won’t ask for references either.”

  “Really? You’d do that?” Eva couldn’t believe how generous Poppy was being. After all, she had pretty much abandoned their friendship for years while being involved with Jed. “That would be amazing. I don’t care that it won’t be in PR or advertising; I could do with a fresh start. If all else fails, I’ll just have to sell the Balenciaga handbag!” The handbag was the only vestige that remained from Eva’s old life, and she couldn’t quite bring herself to part with it. At least not yet. Whatever else she had managed to stuff into the two holdalls she had arrived at Poppy’s with was just enough to see her through until she could get some new things.

  “Of course I will. Eva, we may not have been in touch, but I wouldn’t turn my back on a friend. After everything you’ve been through, it’s the least I can do.”

  Guilt and relief meshed. She had finally told someone the truth about what had been going on in her life. Eva watched as Poppy fussed over India, observing the perfectly normal family interaction, and she was hopeful for her own future.

  Chapter Four

  Eva couldn’t remember being this nervous for a job interview before. But, she remembered, most of her previous jobs had been secured by recommendations: Word of mouth, head-hunting and, in the case of getting the role with Jed, sleeping with her new boss. She didn’t know why this one felt so different. It had been a long time since she had needed to actually have a proper discussion with someone about her skills and abilities. Poppy had assured her that Caro and Nic wouldn’t be tough. Eva wasn’t so sure. She had been rather curt with Caro over Poppy’s hen night and worried about how her non-appearance could have been portrayed.

  Eva had dressed carefully, pairing tight black jeans with calf-length boots and a simple white blouse with a black and white striped jacket over the top. She had borrowed the jacket from Poppy; the meagre contents of her current wardrobe did not stretch to interview clothes, and her even more meagre bank balance could not afford anything new.

  She approached the vibrant blue door of The Indigo Lounge in plenty of time. She hesitated, her hand poised ready to knock. The door swung open, and Caro Flynn appeared.

  “Oh, gosh, hello, Eva,” she said. “I was just going to grab some coffee before we started. Can I get you anything?”

  “Thanks, a latte would be great,” Eva said. “If it’s not too much trouble?” She reached into her bag for her purse, but Caro put a hand on her arm.

  “It’s not too much trouble. Today of all days, the coffee machine decided to explode. If we actually had a kettle that worked, I’d be able to make you a coffee instead of having to buy one.” Caro laughed. “Go on through. Why don’t you take a look around, and I’ll take you up to the office when I get back? I won’t be a minute.”

  Eva walked in, and Caro shut the door behind her as she left. It felt strange being in an empty bar during the day. She glanced around the room, taking in the decor—how the tables were laid out and where the stage was. She was aware that The Indigo Lounge focused on music, and Blood Stone Riot had played there many times. Not least because of their special relationship with the owner. Eva walked behind the bar and surveyed the drinks. Like any other bar she had been in, they had a wide range of bottled lagers, a couple of draught beers, and an extensive selection of spirits. Her head started to spin at the combinations on offer. She hoped she would be able to remember them all.

  “Eva? I’m Nic.”

  The voice came from behind her, and she turned to see Nic Santino at the bottom of the stairs. She recognised him from some of Poppy’s pictures.

  “Did you see Caro?” he asked.

  “Yes, she’s getting coffees.” Eva realised that was a dumb thing to say because, of course, Nic probably already knew that.

  The door banged open again, and Caro reappeared with a holder containing four cups. “Amy’s super skinny mocha thing was the problem again. Don’t tell her it
’s semi-skimmed milk.” She beckoned to Eva to follow her. “If you’re ready, we can make a start.”

  Eva followed Caro. She wished she had been able to go to the hen night and get to know her better, then she might have a better idea of how to handle this interview.

  They went up to the top floor where Amy was sitting at one of the desks, arguing with a supplier on the phone. She smiled and waved at Eva and resumed her conversation. Caro gave Amy her drink and gestured to the sofas, where she handed Eva her latte.

  Eva perched on the edge of the sofa and tried to calm her nerves with a sip of the too-hot coffee. Caro and Nic settled down opposite her. Caro opened a notebook and took out a copy of Eva’s CV.

  “Poppy’s told me a little about your situation,” said Caro. “How you need something to tide you over for a while.”

  Eva nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

  “It could be quite good timing, actually. I’m planning to go back over to Mallorca for a few weeks to see what’s going on with The Roca Bar, so Nic will definitely need an extra pair of hands around the place.”

  “Oh, I thought it was just going to be bar work?”

  “There will be some of that, yes, but Poppy mentioned that you’d done quite a bit of social media and promotion type stuff. That’s something we need to be a bit better at. I think the three of us have the inclination, but not always the time,” said Nic. “Do you want to tell us what you did for the Paper Birds campaign?”

  Eva started to relax as she told Caro and Nic about the work she had done for one of her favourite clients at Foster & Meyer. One that she had worked on without any assistance from Jed. Caro scribbled notes as she talked; occasionally showing what she had written to Nic. Eva hoped that it was positive.

  “And with that increase in sales, they were able to move to a larger warehouse and do more in the online market.” Eva finished her example and took a fortifying mouthful of coffee.

  Caro and Nic nodded. Caro leaned over and whispered something in Nic’s ear.

  “Tell us about some of the challenging people you’ve worked with,” said Caro.

  Eva debated whether to mention anything to do with Jed but decided against it. Now wasn’t the time to share her decidedly shady past with potential new employers. Instead, she chose to share an issue she’d had with a client who had kept changing their mind about what they actually wanted from their campaign and wanted impossible deadlines to be met. If she translated that experience to working behind a bar with a choosy customer, that ought to be enough. They then asked a couple of things relating to some of her earlier jobs and how long she thought she’d be staying in North Ridge for.

  “I honestly don’t know,” she said. “But if I can find a decent job and some more friends, then I hope to be around for a while.”

  Nic nodded again. “What hours do you think you could work? I’m thinking something along the lines of maybe a couple of nights a week in the bar and three days in the office with me and Amy. And any other promotional stuff you can probably do from home.”

  “That sounds great!” Eva could barely contain her excitement. “I’m pretty flexible really. I’m helping Poppy out with India where I can, but otherwise I’m free.”

  “We’ll do this on a freelance basis if you’re happy with that,” said Caro. “It’s easier that way, and we can offer a flat rate for the hours you do. Amy will sort out a services agreement, and we’ll go from there.”

  “Thank you both. I really appreciate this. I won’t let you down.” Eva stood up and leaned over to shake both of their hands.

  “I know you won’t,” said Caro. “Otherwise Poppy won’t hear the end of it.”

  Eva felt as if another huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. While it wasn’t exactly the type of work she was used to and it wouldn’t pay anywhere near as much as she had earned with the agency, it was certainly getting her back on track.

  Chapter Five

  It was just typical that on the day her dad was coming home, India was at her worst. She had woken at some ridiculous hour of the morning and refused to go back to sleep. Then she had thrown her breakfast onto the kitchen floor, before vomiting anything she had eaten all over her highchair, her clothes, and Poppy. If she didn’t love her daughter unconditionally, Poppy would gladly have swapped her for a better-behaved child. Eva had escaped for a shift at The Indigo Lounge before things got worse, which meant Poppy was on her own to tidy up the house before Nate got home.

  “Honestly,” she said. “Who knew such a small person could make such as mess!”

  She put India in her playpen, in the hope that she would fall asleep and there would be time to sort things out. Just as it looked like her prayers were going to be answered, the house phone rang, shattering the peace. India’s eyes flew open, and she started to cry.

  Poppy cursed the sales callers who plagued her and answered the phone with the intention to get rid of them as soon as possible. “Hello?”

  “Poppy? It’s Parker Roberts.”

  “Oh, hi. Nate’s not home yet,” she said. Parker rarely called the house, and when he did, it was always something to do with the band.

  “Ah, right.” Parker sounded disappointed. “What time’s he due back?”

  Poppy glanced up at the clock and her heart jumped as she saw that her husband would be home in a little over two hours. Two hours in which she had to turn the house from a bomb site to a home. “Sometime this afternoon.”

  “Hmm, I’m not around later. Can you pass on a message for me?”

  When had she become a PA? “Sure, go on.”

  “Let him know that I think I’ve found a bassist for the band, and I want him to audition with them the day after tomorrow. If everything goes well, I want to get them back out on the road as soon as possible.”

  “But he’s only just got home!” The words were out of Poppy’s mouth before she could think.

  Parker went silent, and Poppy thought he’d hung up.

  “I hadn’t thought of that, sorry, Poppy.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean that he shouldn’t go away again, it’s just that he’s not been here for a while and it would be nice for him to spend some time with India. And with me for that matter.” As if on cue, India started to cry louder.

  “Of course.” Parker said. “Look, if you can just tell him about the audition and then we’ll look at the other stuff in due course. I’m just passing on the pain I’m getting from the hierarchy here.”

  “I will. Bye, Parker.”

  Poppy put the phone down. It was good news that there was the potential to get the band back together as a four piece and carry on where they had left off all those months ago. But the thought of Nate having to go away again made her wonder if they would ever get the chance to be a normal family. She went to India, picked her up, and snuggled her tight; soothing her as her cries lessened and she finally snuffled contentedly in her mother’s arms. A single tear slid down Poppy’s cheek.

  Nate finally returned two and a half hours later. Poppy had managed to make the house, India, and herself, look acceptable. She could rival her friend Daria in the presentation stakes. Daria was the closest friend she had made through postnatal classes and had a home that was impeccable, even with two children under four in it. She was always impossibly-groomed and managed to make Poppy feel underdressed no matter how hard she had tried.

  Nate dumped his bags, guitars, and equipment in the hallway and held his arms out. “Have you been a good girl while Daddy’s been away?”

  “If you’d seen her with sick all over herself at eight o’clock this morning, I doubt you’d be saying that!” Poppy handed India over to Nate. She watched as her daughter giggled.

  “Poppy, she can’t help it if she’s sick. That’s a normal thing to happen.”

  Nate’s implied criticism stung. Particularly as he hadn’t been there in so long he didn’t know what was normal.

  “Have you been shopping again?” asked Nate.

  “U
m, what do you mean?” Poppy glanced around nervously, checking for any evidence of online parcels or carrier bags.

  “That’s not your usual style.” Nate nodded towards the faux fur leopard-print coat hanging up on the coat rack.

  Eva’s coat. There were definitely a few things that Poppy needed to tell Nate about, not least their current lodger.

  “Why don’t we get a drink and then I can tell you everything?”

  They were settled in the living room, and India had eventually fallen asleep in Nate’s arms. Nate took the news of Eva’s arrival well. Poppy had perhaps exaggerated Jed’s behaviour, stressing how she couldn’t possibly turn away a friend in need, and had highlighted all the good things about having a second adult in the house. But she wouldn’t be able to put off telling Nate the second piece of news for much longer.

  “Parker called earlier,” she said.

  Nate looked surprised. “What did he want?”

  Poppy passed on the details. She watched as her husband’s face lit up with excitement.

  “Really? We could be getting Blood Stone Riot back out on the road again?”

  He was practically jumping about with excitement, which meant that India could wake up any minute. Poppy took her from Nate’s arms and went upstairs. Nate’s reaction to the news wasn’t too much of a surprise, but he clearly hadn’t thought through the implications of it. He seemed more excited by the opportunity to leave his family again than being at home with his wife and daughter. She tucked India into her cot and descended the stairs, mentally preparing herself for the confrontation that was to come.

  “Did you even think how it would affect us? You and me as a couple? Us as a family?” She sat on the edge of the sofa, away from Nate.