One Last Summer at Hideaway Bay

by Zoe Cook

  ‘Perfect,’ Lucy replied. ‘Everyone’s happy.’

  ‘Great stuff,’ Tara tucked a loose strand of hair back up into her messy bun. ‘God I feel quite hung over after all those beers last night.’

  ‘It was fun, wasn’t it?’ Lucy said.

  ‘It was really fun,’ Tara said, still looking out to sea. ‘Have you ever been over there?’ She pointed to Keeper’s Island.

  ‘Yeah, we went on a school trip once, and the four of us swam over a few times,’ Lucy said. ‘It’s a wildlife reserve now, I think. They used to run boat trips in the summer.’

  ‘Yeah, I’ve seen them go out there,’ Tara said. ‘I’d really like to see it. It looks so mysterious from here, like something from the Famous Five.’

  ‘That’s exactly what I’ve always thought of it as,’ Lucy said, turning to Tara. ‘Like it should be full of secret tunnels and treasure maps, right?’ Tara nodded in agreement.

  ‘It’s a shame, it’s actually just really, really dull,’ Lucy said, remembering the disappointment of that much-anticipated school trip, the endless signs about birds that lived on the island, the lack of underground tunnels.

  Tara laughed. ‘I love it here,’ she said. ‘You’re so lucky to have grown up here. Tom never stops going on about what you all got up to back then.’ She hesitated before continuing. ‘It’s really nice to finally meet you.’

  ‘You too,’ Lucy said, feeling guilty for how nasty some of her thoughts had been about Tara. She was a nice girl and they weren’t that dissimilar, truth be told.

  ‘Right, well I had better go and help Molly make the cream teas. That girl is a disaster with clotted cream,’ Tara rolled her eyes and made her way back across the terrace. Lucy kept her gaze on Keeper’s Island. I’ll take Tara over there, she thought, surprising herself.

  Lucy was pleasantly surprised as Tara counted out the tips at the end of the day. £30 each was a lot better than it had been back in her day working there. She’d ended up staying on to help out in the evening, when it got increasingly busy as the sun faded. Stefan the chef’s lobster roll special had proved a real hit with diners and the atmosphere had been really fun. Lucy had enjoyed herself.

  Tara had changed out of her work clothes into a loose white-linen dress and let her hair down. It was the first time Lucy had seen it loose and she looked gorgeous.

  ‘Thanks again,’ Tara said, struggling with the bags of washing she was taking to do at home.

  ‘Here, let me help you with those,’ Lucy said, taking two carrier bags. ‘Where are you heading?’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry, it’s fine,’ Tara said, trying to take the bags back, seeming a little flustered. ‘It’s not far.’

  ‘Honestly,’ Lucy said, ‘I’m helping you home with these, which way are we going?’

  Tara looked Lucy in the eyes and conceded that the help would be good. They headed up the hill, saying goodbye to Molly as she turned off at the end of her road.

  ‘Where has Tom been all day, anyway?’ Lucy asked, as they climbed further up the hill.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Tara replied. ‘I think he had to go to Plymouth for something. He was supposed to be back this afternoon.’

  ‘You two seem really close,’ Lucy said. ‘I’m glad he’s got someone like you to help him with the café. It’s pretty full on there.’

  Tara took a few more steps before replying. ‘Yeah, it’s so busy, it’s crazy really. I never expected to stay here for so long. It was just meant to be a temporary summer job, but here I am.’ Tara shrugged.

  ‘I heard about the Condé Nast listing,’ Lucy said. ‘That’s amazing.’

  ‘Yep, it’s been his dream. He’s worked so hard for it,’ Tara said, pausing to catch her breath and sweeping her hair away from her face. Lucy felt the familiar pang of jealousy that Tara was the one who knew his dreams now.

  ‘Well, it looks like he couldn’t have done it without you,’ she said, pausing too now.

  ‘He thinks the world of you,’ Tara said, out of nowhere.

  ‘Oh, um, well, we have a lot of history, I guess. Ancient history, really,’ Lucy said, feeling awkward suddenly.

  ‘I don’t think it’s ancient history for Tom,’ Tara said, not making eye contact, beginning to walk again.

  ‘It’s very strange being back,’ Lucy said, honestly. ‘I didn’t really think about it before I got back here. I was just fucking everything up so badly in London, I needed to escape and Tom emailed, and it all just fitted together. I shouldn’t have been so surprised that it feels odd being back here, or odd that it isn’t odd at all, if you know what I mean.’ She realised she was rambling.

  ‘I can’t really imagine what it’s like,’ Tara said, slowing down as they approached what Lucy assumed must be her apartment block. ‘But I know how much it meant to Tom that you agreed to come, so I’m really glad you did. I’m really pleased to be getting to know you,’ Tara said, reaching for keys in her pocket.

  Lucy didn’t reply.

  ‘Thanks for these,’ Tara said, taking the bags from Lucy as she propped the door open with her foot. The apartment block was newly built since Lucy had left the town; she’d not seen it before. It was smart and slightly soulless.

  ‘Do you want a hand taking them upstairs?’ Lucy asked

  ‘No, no, it’s fine, honestly, thanks,’ Tara insisted.

  Lucy said goodbye and turned to walk back down to the town. Tara was a nice girl. It was becoming increasingly clear why Tom liked her so much – how could he not? She reminded Lucy of herself before she’d left for London.

  A silhouette walked towards Lucy as she neared the town, raising a hand in a wave to her. She instinctively did the same. As the figure got closer she recognised the guy from the hairdressers – Olly. He was wearing a shirt now and looked like he’d brushed his hair – he looked ridiculously hot. Lucy smiled at him and he smiled back.

  ‘Evening, miss,’ he said, bowing his head slightly as he passed her.

  ‘Evening,’ Lucy blushed, feeling ridiculous for her girlishness. She picked up her pace and made her way into the lights of the main street, still busy with late-night drinkers with red faces.

  Lucy felt in her pocket and found the packet of cigarettes she’d bought with Tom. She made her way to the beach, finding a patch of sand away from the groups of teenagers still hanging around. She lit a Marlboro Light and blew smoke into the night sky. She wondered whether she should text Tom to check if he was alright. She hadn’t heard from him since the morning. It wasn’t like him to go missing for a day like this, or at least, it never used to be like him. She typed a message on her phone:

  Hi Tom, hope you’re ok? All good at the café today, had a great time. Let me know how you’re doing x

  She hit send, wondering whether he was already back at the house, sitting out on the decking with Kristian, drinking more beer.

  She gazed at the stars as she smoked, hugging her legs with her free hand. It was getting cold. She thought about what Tara had said, about how much it had meant to Tom that Lucy was coming back. What did that actually mean? Tara didn’t speak as if they were a couple, but Lucy knew girls, and she knew that Tara had feelings for him. Why else was she hanging around working at his café? It wasn’t as if the money was great or the prospects exciting. I wonder if his parents love her, she found herself thinking, I bet they do. The thought of Tom’s parents made her feel old suddenly. She wished they were here; she’d have loved to see them. His mum would have been able to give her some sensible advice about moving back to London – what to do. She’d tried talking to Nina and Kristian about it, but they were just adamant she shouldn’t go back to TV, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she wasn’t qualified or experienced in anything else. Tom wouldn’t really engage with her on the topic. He’d asked a few questions about Spectrum and what it had been like working there, but it seemed to make him uncomfortable talking to her about her London life, and Lucy hadn’t exactly been eager to go into it with him anyway. She should p
robably talk to Claire about it all, she knew, but after their last conversation, her sister was the last person Lucy felt like calling. She felt embarrassed at the thought of how that call had gone. What a selfish brat she’d been. She tried to imagine what Tom’s mum would say to her. She’d ask what would make me happy, she thought, but I really don’t know any more, I just don’t know.

  She stubbed her cigarette into the sand and brushed sand from her legs. She checked her phone but Tom hadn’t replied. It was late, she realised now, and she ought to get back. Her phone beeped and she expected to see Tom’s name, but it was Warren from Spectrum.

  Hey Luce, I’ve got news for you, call me. Lots of love xxx

  28

  The garden lights were still on as Lucy approached the house and she could hear laughter coming from the garden. Tom was back. She let herself in the front door and contemplated going straight to her room and to bed. She felt exhausted after a day on her feet at the café.

  ‘Lucy?’ Tom called from the garden. ‘We’re all out here.’

  Lucy sighed to herself and walked into the kitchen, where there was a bottle of prosecco in an ice bucket on the side. She poured herself a glass and made her way into the garden. Music was playing from Kristian’s speakers on the patio and Nina was sitting on his lap on the decking, his arms wrapped around her with a blanket. ‘Oh, you guys,’ Lucy said, rolling her eyes. ‘Would you just quit being so bloody happy?’ She smiled at Nina and raised her glass to her.

  ‘I’ve only just seen your text, Luce, sorry,’ Tom said, beckoning her to sit down next to him at the table. ‘Thanks so much for helping out today. Tara said you were brilliant.’

  ‘It was fine, not a problem, I enjoyed it,’ she said, sitting down next to him. He shuffled up to make room for her, but left his leg brushing against hers, and she felt her skin tingle.

  ‘Do you fancy a few more days this week?’ he asked. ‘You can say no.’

  ‘I’d love to,’ she replied, honestly. ‘I’d be happy to.’

  ‘Can you believe we’ve been here nearly a month?’ Kristian said, raising his beer to his lips.

  ‘It’s gone so quickly,’ Nina said, sadly. ‘I don’t want this summer to end. It’s been the best.’

  ‘It has,’ Tom agreed. ‘You can all stay, you know, as long as you like. My parents aren’t rushing back from France any time soon.’

  ‘I’d love to, mate, but I’ve got this thing called work,’ Kristian said. ‘Pain in the ass, really.’

  ‘Yeah, I know,’ Tom said, finishing his beer and reaching for another from the coolbox beside him.

  ‘Kristian’s taking the full-time position,’ Nina said. ‘We decided for definite yesterday and he’s accepted the role today.’

  ‘That’s amazing news,’ Tom said. ‘So you’ll only be a few hours away: awesome. That’s great, mate, seriously. Good call.’

  ‘Yeah, well, I figured a bit of consistency would be good, given the baby and all that,’ Kristian said, looking at Nina. ‘We’re probably not going to be jetting off to India any time soon, are we, my angel?’ Nina smiled at him and rubbed her stomach protectively.

  ‘What about you, Lucy?’ Tom said, turning to her now, his leg still resting against hers.

  ‘Oh, I’m going back to my flat,’ she said, feeling pressured by the shift of attention to her. ‘Then I need to find a job. Actually, I had a message from Warren at work. I need to call him. He might know of something coming up.’

  ‘I thought you weren’t going back to TV,’ Nina said, looking concerned. ‘It’s obviously not a great fit for you.’

  Lucy felt defensive. ‘It was fine, actually. It was my problem,’ she said. ‘I messed it all up. I actually had a good job – it wasn’t bad there. I just got carried away with it all.’

  ‘No you didn’t,’ Nina replied quickly. ‘It got on top of you, because you worked for a fucking awful woman at a terrible company that bullied and belittled people. Don’t rewrite history now, Lucy.’

  Kristian looked uncomfortable at Nina’s outburst and tried to pull her in closer to him to stop her talking.

  ‘No, I’m serious,’ she continued. ‘You turned up here after months and months of no contact, looking absolutely awful. You looked ill. And now you’re talking about going back to it all? That’s ridiculous, and you know it.’

  Lucy was taken aback by Nina’s anger. ‘I hadn’t even said I was considering that,’ she said, firmly. ‘But it is my decision what I do. I was an idiot to just drop everything and come here like this. Don’t try and make me feel stupid for wanting to pick up the life I’d been building myself for years in London. What other option do I have?’ she said, more loudly than she’d intended to. Tom had moved his leg away from hers and was looking away from the group, as if trying to extract himself from the conversation.

  ‘You could stay,’ Nina said, quietly now. ‘You could stay here.’

  The conversation had made the remainder of the night uncomfortable. Lucy had finished her glass of prosecco and made her excuses to go to bed. She’d said goodnight to Nina and hugged her to let her know there were no hard feelings. She knew she was just looking out for her, but it was pretty galling listening to her sanctimonious lectures about what was right. It was so easy for Nina; she had Kristian, a baby on the way and a perfect job lined up for Kris in Bristol. She’d probably never have to work again. Lucy was jealous at the thought.

  In her bedroom she changed into her silk pyjamas and waffle dressing gown, opened the balcony door and stepped outside. The night air was cold now, but it felt good on her skin. She looked at the time and decided it was probably okay to call Warren – he was most likely out in town somewhere, given that it was a Friday night. The phone rang and rang and he answered just as she was about to hang up.

  ‘Luce!’ he exclaimed. He sounded drunk.

  ‘Hey, Warren, how are you?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m great, how are you?’ he slurred

  ‘Yeah all good here, thanks, I got your message. Is now a good time? I can call back.’

  Lucy could hear Warren moving through crowds, muffled laughter and shouting in the background, then relative peace.

  ‘No it’s fine. I’m outside now. I’m out with the gang from the office. I’m shitfaced, to be honest with you.’

  Lucy could tell.

  ‘So, I spoke to Emma earlier,’ he said. ‘She was asking about what you’re up to now. I think she wants you back.’

  Lucy didn’t know what to say. It didn’t feel like the big news he’d made it out to be.

  ‘I doubt that,’ she said, dejectedly, not sure she’d even want Emma to ask her to come back.

  ‘I know, right, after what you did at the wrap party we all thought you’d become one of those people no one can ever speak of again in the office. But Emma’s not found anyone to replace you and she’s started mentioning you quite a bit, in a nice way, and then today, like I said, she asked me if I knew what you were up to. What are you up to, actually?’

  ‘I’m working in the café,’ Lucy said, without thinking.

  ‘Oh God, Luce, I’m sorry,’ Warren said, as if she’d told him the sorriest tale he’d ever heard. ‘That is so sad’.

  Lucy laughed, ‘I’m bearing up okay, Warren,’ she said, ‘I’m coming back to London in a few weeks anyway. And you guys are down here next week, so it’ll fly by.’

  ‘A-mazing scenes,’ he replied. ‘Do you want me to tell Emma you’re coming back? I’ll leave out the café part if you like, that just sounds tragic. I really think she might offer you your job back, you know.’

  Lucy didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t expected Emma to ever forgive her, let alone consider wanting her back. And knowing Warren, there was a fair chance he’d got it all twisted up anyway – he was hammered, after all.

  ‘Um, no, don’t say anything, thanks’ she said. ‘I couldn’t come back after everything that happened.’

  ‘You were great at your job, Luce. You shouldn’t just giv
e up on it all because of one mistake. If she gives you the chance to make it all okay again, I think you’d be an idiot not to take it.’

  Lucy went to reply, but he’d hung up the phone. She made her way back into her warm bedroom, closing the curtains behind her. She took off her dressing gown and got into bed, feeling lost.

  Kristian was in the kitchen frying bacon when she made it downstairs in the morning. ‘Nin feels terrible about last night,’ he said, used to apologising for her, it seemed to Lucy.

  ‘She just cares about you – we all do,’ he said. ‘But she’s not the most tactful, sometimes.’ He gave Lucy a knowing look and she smiled.

  ‘I know. I was being a cow anyway,’ she said. ‘I just feel so stupid, like everyone thinks I’m an idiot.’

  ‘They don’t’ Kristian said, cracking eggs into the pan now. ‘I wanted your help with something, actually. When Tom gives you a day off from your new job, can I borrow you?’

  ‘Of course,’ Lucy said. ‘Is everything okay?’

  ‘Yep, I just want your opinion on something. Tom said you might be working the next few days, but if you’re free on Wednesday, I could use an hour of your time.’

  It was news to Lucy that she might be working for the next few days. She needed to speak to Tom about what was going on with that.

  ‘Sure, that’s fine’ she said. ‘I’ll help you with whatever you need.’

  ‘Cheers, Luce. Want a sandwich?’ he gestured at the pan.

  ‘I’m alright, thanks. Got to get to work or my nightmare of a boss will bollock me,’ she said. ‘I’ll catch you later. Tell Nina we’re okay, please?’

  ‘Of course,’ Kristian called as she left the house.

  29

  Tara had ended up being the one to ask Lucy to work for the next few days. Tom had more business to do in Plymouth. He’d not even been around in the evenings when Lucy had come home from work.

  Things were, much to Lucy’s relief, fine again with Nina. With Tom away, they’d sat up most evenings talking about the future. Lucy promising to stay in touch this time and not to ‘be a prat’, as Nina so eloquently put it. Kristian had been acting strangely, Nina confided in Lucy, and she didn’t know what was up with him. Lucy thought back to their conversation in the kitchen, and his request for her to help him with something, but decided not to mention it to Nina. She had a good idea about why he might be acting strangely in light of that. They talked, too, about Tom, about how odd it was the way he’d absented himself for the last few days, especially given that it was almost the end of their time together. Nina had a theory that he was buying another property in Hideaway; the Beach Café was doing so well, and he had mentioned wanting to set up a gourmet sandwich bar as a sister company. It made sense, Lucy thought, and that would be Tom’s style, to want to keep it all quiet until it was signed off and a done deal. He’d always been proud like that, never wanted anyone to see him mess anything up.