New Beginnings at Seaside Blooms

by Jessica Redland

  ‘I’ve got no plans so it sounds good to me.’

  ‘Great. I’ll message you to confirm a time and film.’

  I nodded. ‘Do you want to leave your car here so we can walk together?’

  ‘Good plan. I’ll do that. Goodnight, then.’

  ‘Goodnight, Stevie.’ I tried to sound flirty but I’m not sure I pulled it off.

  We stood there staring at each other, Awk-ward! It had been easy to avoid a first kiss on Saturday when Clare and Rob were there, but surely not kissing at the end of our second date – a successful date – would be wrong. I looked into his eyes. He was going to kiss me. Yep, he was definitely going to do it. Any minute now. But I didn’t lean in to make it any easier for him.

  ‘Right, goodnight then,’ he said.

  ‘You’ve already said that.’

  ‘So I have. Come here you.’ He reached out… he was so going to kiss me… and enveloped me in a huge bear hug. ‘Sleep well, Sarah.’

  He turned and headed towards town to collect his car. That was odd.

  ‘That was odd,’ Elise said.

  ‘My thoughts exactly. What do you think it means?’

  ‘You’re asking the wrong person. I’ve only had two first kisses and one of those was with Ricky Williams when I was six. With Gary, it happened really easily and naturally.’

  ‘I was wondering if he was just a bit shy.’

  ‘Could be. If he’s been single for a while, it could be a pretty big thing.’

  ‘That was odd,’ Clare said.

  ‘That’s exactly what Elise said.’

  ‘You told her first?’

  Oops, hadn’t meant to let that slip.

  ‘I thought you’d have told me first. I’m the one who set up the date. I’m the one who’s met him.’

  ‘Hey, it’s okay. I was about to phone you when Elise called me. I could hardly not tell her. Besides, she wasn’t much help and I knew you would be. What’s your verdict?’

  ‘Well, it could be any number of things,’ Clare said. ‘He could have been single for a long time and be out of practice. He could be gay.’

  ‘No! You don’t really think that, do you? He’s been married.’

  ‘And divorced. Maybe that’s the reason?’

  I could tell by the sarcastic tone in her voice that she was messing with me. ‘You’re hilarious.’

  ‘Bad breath?’

  ‘I’d have noticed.’

  ‘Wind?’ Clare giggled. ‘Maybe he was about to do a huge belch and was scared of doing it while kissing you.’

  ‘Yuck. I don’t think that was it.’

  ‘In that case,’ she said solemnly, ‘I go back to my question from Saturday night; do you fancy him?’

  Did I? ‘No, I don’t think so. I feel as though I should fancy him because we seem so compatible. I thought the kiss might confirm things either way.’

  ‘You know what else it could be?’ Clare said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘That he’s feeling exactly the same as you.’

  Must kiss Stevie. Must kiss Stevie. Must do it now. Can’t sit all the way through the film wondering if he’s the Steven. Must kiss Stevie.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Stevie stopped walking down the cliff path on Wednesday evening. ‘You seem distracted.’

  ‘Sorry, miles away. What were you saying?’

  ‘I was telling you about Bonnie eating the wrapping paper last Christmas then trying to munch the tree baubles, but it’s probably not amusing enough to tell twice.’ He laughed. ‘In fact, it probably wasn’t amusing enough to tell once so I don’t blame you for not listening. Are you sure you’re all right?’

  ‘Sorry. I’m fine.’ I stared down the path again. Over the roofs of the houses in the Old Town, I could see the flashing light at the top of the lighthouse. The photo of Grandma in front of it came to mind. I needed to eliminate Stevie as the Steven once and for all and a kiss was the only way of doing that.

  ‘You’re not acting very “fine”,’ he said, sounding concerned.

  I took a deep breath. ‘You’re right. There’s something bothering me.’

  ‘Anything I can help with?’

  ‘I hope so.’

  I turned to face him. ‘There’s something I need to do before we walk any further. I hope it won’t annoy you.’ I leaned in and kissed him full on the mouth, gently at first, then harder. Thankfully he responded. Being pushed away would have been mortifying. I closed my eyes and tried to make myself go with the moment. But there wasn’t really a ‘moment’ to go with; it just didn’t feel right. I pulled away and we stood looking at each other. My mouth started twitching in the corners. His did too. Within seconds we were both laughing.

  ‘Was it just me, or did that feel wrong?’ I fought the urge to wipe my mouth.

  ‘I don’t know what it was,’ he agreed, ‘but it felt like kissing a relative. Not that I’ve ever kissed a relative like that, mind you.’

  ‘You don’t fancy me do you, Stevie?’

  He let out a big sigh and looked at me sadly. ‘No. I’m so sorry. I want to but I just don’t. You don’t fancy me either, do you?’

  I pulled a sad expression too. ‘No. Which is strange because I do think you’re attractive and we have so much in common so you should be perfect for me. At the risk of sounding like a six-year-old, will you be my friend?’

  Stevie laughed and gave me a hug. ‘I’d be honoured. We can be cinema buddies. What do you think?’

  ‘Sounds perfect.’ I exhaled loudly as I linked his arm and pulled him in the direction of the cinema. ‘I’m so glad we got that out in the open. So, tell me new bezzie mate, is there anyone else online that you like the sound of? Maybe we can help each other find The One.’

  ‘Well, there is this woman called Rachel…’

  ✉︎ To Clare

  Back from my date with Stevie. Kissed him. Felt nothing. He was the same. Agreed we’ll be good friends as there’s no chemistry. I guess that means he’s not The Steven either. Pants

  * * *

  ✉︎ From Clare

  Who’s next on the list?

  I rolled off the sofa and headed for the fridge. Taking a pen, I updated my list:

  1Check out Steve Dennison on pub crawl tonight

  Go to The Coffee Corner for take-out on way to shop tomorrow morning to check out the manager, Stéphan Marcell

  Message Stevie Barnes, Steve Berry, Ste Parker, Steve Masterson and Stephen Fitzpatrick

  Arrange dates with one or more of the above

  Get very drunk tonight. And probably tomorrow night too

  Buy bacon for sarnies on Sunday morning. Buy ketchup for Clare

  Next on the list? Steve Berry. He’d messaged a few days ago and I got distracted by the whole Steve ‘Dr Who’ Dennison thing and meeting Stevie. The man deserved a reply…

  But then my phone beeped.

  ✉︎ From Nick

  Hi from a freezing Edinburgh. Windy city? It’s like a constant hurricane! I swear I’m so battered by the wind that my body is covered in bruises! Are you still on for Thursday? Can’t wait to catch up with you xx

  Aw, bless him. I’d kiss those bruises better. Whoa there, Sarah! Where did that come from? You seriously must stop thinking about Nick like that. You’ve got a list of Stevens to contact and you’re about to get in touch with one of them.

  But making contact with Steve Berry didn’t seem quite so urgent anymore.

  22

  I turned the music up a notch to try and drown out the depressing sound of rain hammering against the shop window. ‘My first quiet day,’ I said to Mum. ‘I don’t like it.’

  She put down the vase that she was dusting. ‘You’re not worried, are you?’

  I shrugged.

  ‘Don’t be, sweetheart. Shops always have a mix of quiet days and busy days, but I think we can definitely put today’s lack of customers down to the weather. Would you go shopping in this?’

  ‘No chance.’

  I glanced at t
he clock. Two hours and forty minutes to go until Bob’s rescheduled leaving do when I’d meet the guys from Bay Trade. And see Nick again. Butterflies! Stop doing that. He’s not Steven.

  ‘That’s the dusting done,’ Mum said. ‘I’ll just give the kitchen and toilet a clean. Shout if you need me.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum.’

  With no customers and no orders to create, I checked the dating site but there were no new messages, so I clicked onto Facebook. Nick had updated his status.

  Nick Derbyshire Looking forward to a night on the beers with the Bay Trade guys and the lovely Sarah Peterson

  4hrs

  Skye Harris The LOVELY Sarah Peterson? Is there something you want to share with us Mr Derbyshire? Are you finally off the list of Britain’s Most Eligible Bachelors?!

  Nick Derbyshire I wish. See you tonight

  My heart thumped faster. ‘I wish…’ ‘I wish…’ What did that mean? What did he wish? Did he wish he were with someone as in anyone? Or did he wish he were with me? It could be taken both ways. Seriously people, make your messages clearer.

  I read the message over and over again, butterflies going mad in my stomach. What was happening to me? Every time I heard his name or thought about him, I fell to pieces. I couldn’t have fallen for him. It was wrong. He was wrong. Argh! He is not called Steven!

  I wiped my sweaty palms down my coat and tried to ignore the gymnastics routine in my stomach as I thanked the doorman who held the door of The Old Theatre open for me at about quarter past seven. Nick had texted me just as I left the shop to say they’d probably be towards the back on the first floor and to remind me they were meeting at seven. Despite my preference to be punctual, I’d been too nervous to risk being first.

  I took a deep breath and headed for the stairs. Hesitating at the stair head, I could see what I figured had to be the Bay Trade crowd, given the mix of ages, but no Nick. My phone beeped and I fished it out of my bag.

  ✉︎ From Nick

  Running a bit late. So sorry. See you really soon xx

  Damn! I’d have to approach someone. Scary. I stared at the group, trying to decide who looked the most approachable. A tall, slim woman with long blonde wavy hair caught my eye and headed towards me. ‘Are you Sarah?’ she asked.

  I nodded.

  ‘I thought so. You look just as lovely as Nick described. I’m Skye.’

  ‘Hi.’ Eek! Nick’s best friend.

  ‘I’m so pleased you’ve come tonight,’ she said. ‘I know Bay Trade doesn’t sound like the most exciting of concepts but I promise you it’s great fun and fantastic for business too.’ She beamed at me and ushered me towards the bar. ‘Nick’s running a bit late I’m afraid. Domestic crisis. He asked me to look out for you. Can I get you a drink?’

  ‘It’s all right, I’ll get it.’ I reached for my purse, not wanting to impose.

  ‘Nonsense. Put it away.’ Skye laughed gently. ‘You can get me one later if it makes you feel better. Now, what would you like?’

  ‘Dry white wine please.’

  I studied Skye while she placed the order. I instantly felt comfortable in her presence, possibly because she reminded me of Elise. She wore the same sort of clothes – long floaty cream dress, bolero-style turquoise cardigan, some chunky silver and turquoise beads and a turquoise flower in her hair – and was the same tall, slim build.

  ‘What sort of domestic crisis?’ I asked tentatively while we waited for the drinks. I suddenly had a vision of a wife and children at home that he’d conveniently forgotten to mention.

  ‘I’m not sure of the full details,’ Skye said. ‘Something to do with his new puppy and some feather pillows I think.’

  I heaved a sigh of relief that I hoped wasn’t obvious to Skye. ‘Nick says you paint?’

  ‘Yes. I’m an artist first and foremost but I also love making jewellery and have probably spent more time doing that than painting recently. I enjoy anything creative.’

  I pointed at her necklace. ‘Did you make that?’

  ‘I did. And these.’ She pushed her hair behind her ears to show me some stunning silver and turquoise earrings.

  ‘They’re gorgeous. I might need a pair myself.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘With compliments like that plus a glowing reference from Nick, I already adore you.’

  Glowing reference? Look just as lovely? What had he been saying about me? My heart raced.

  Skye was the perfect hostess, introducing me to various members of the group and asking me lots of questions about my background, the shop and how I was finding life back in Whitsborough Bay after so many years in big cities. She couldn’t have done more to make me feel at ease. She made me laugh with anecdotes of nights out with Nick. Each time she told a story involving him, I found myself hanging onto her every word. It was obvious that Skye – and everyone else in the group – thought the world of him, which made me like him even more.

  About twenty minutes later, I saw Nick out of the corner of my eye and my legs went momentarily wobbly. He made a beeline for me, grinning. ‘You came!’ He gave me a big hug and a peck on the cheek then looked embarrassed as he pulled away. ‘Sorry. It seems like I haven’t seen you in ages. Was that a bit full-on?’

  ‘No, it’s fine,’ I reassured him. ‘I liked it.’ Uh-oh! Where did that come from?

  He looked momentarily surprised then winked and said, ‘In that case, I’ll have to do it again.’

  ‘Feel free,’ I responded before I could stop myself. It must have been that large glass of wine on an empty stomach. ‘So, tell me about this puppy,’ I said, keen to change the subject.

  Nick rolled his eyes at me. ‘He’s a six-months-old golden Retriever called Hobnob and he went on a rampage while I was out today. He shredded my pillows and there were feathers everywhere. I half expected to find some dead geese. Then he managed to grab a toilet roll and trail it around the house.’

  I laughed at the image. ‘Did you get it cleared up okay?’

  ‘Yes. It took ages. But that wasn’t the worst. When I was ready to come out, I discovered he’d taken a dump in my best pair of shoes.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘And do you know how I discovered that?’

  ‘You didn’t—’

  ‘Thank God for socks is all I can say. Even so, it was pretty grim. The shoes and the socks are now in the bin, my best jeans are in the wash and I had to jump in the shower again. That’s why I’m so late, the little sod.’

  ‘Nightmare. What’s he doing now?’

  ‘When I left, he was in his bed feeling very sorry for himself. I hope he’s still there reflecting on his behaviour when I return tonight. I can’t be too hard on him, though. I’ve been away for two weeks on the trot and when I finally brought him home from my sister’s, I had the audacity to nip to the supermarket. I think it was a dirty protest for being such a rubbish owner. Do you have any pets?’

  ‘Two cats. Kit and Kat are brother and sister but thankfully they’ve been pretty well behaved despite all the disruption they’ve had with three homes in less than two months.’

  ‘What do you think it says about both of us that we’ve named our pets after chocolate biscuits?’

  ‘I dread to think,’ I said. ‘I used to have a goldfish called Smirnoff so that probably isn’t a good sign either.’

  Nick laughed. ‘You’re not going to believe this but I had a hamster called Guinness. Speaking of which, I must do a trip to the bar. You’ve got an empty glass so that needs rectifying.’

  Nick reached for my glass and his hand gently grazed mine. We both looked up and directly into each other’s eyes. Had he felt that jolt of electricity too? It felt even stronger than on the beach. This wasn’t meant to be happening but I didn’t think I could stop it. I didn’t want to.

  ‘Bar,’ muttered Nick, disappearing quickly into the crowd.

  The group moved from the pub to The Bombay Palace. The hours whizzed by, getting to know the different Bay Traders and chatting to Nick. Everyon
e was so welcoming and friendly but I found myself longing to be alone with Nick. Something had definitely started on his sister’s wedding day, continued at the pub, deepened on the beach and, now… Well, there was no denying it. I wasn’t just falling for him; I’d fallen. No matter how much I believed in the predication, there was no room in my mind for thoughts of any Stevens; my mind was filled with Nick.

  Bob wanted to settle the bill for the whole group as a goodbye gift before emigrating. While some of the group were busy pinning him down so he couldn’t hand over his credit card, I leaned on the table and allowed my thoughts to drift into a fantasy of a romantic walk home with Nick. I’d shiver in the cold night air, he’d put his arm round me to keep me warm and I’d rest my head on his shoulder. He’d gently kiss the top of my head and tell me he’d had an amazing evening and it was all thanks to me. I’d tell him I was sorry it was at an end. He’d stop, take my face gently in his hands, tell me it was just the beginning and not the end, and kiss me. And it would feel nothing like the asexual kiss I’d shared with Stevie. And it wouldn’t matter that he wasn’t a Steven. It would be perfect.

  ‘Sarah. Hello. Wake up.’ Skye waved her hand in front of my face. ‘Penny for them?’

  ‘What? Erm… I was just thinking of something I have to do in the shop tomorrow.’

  ‘Must have been something serious. You were miles away.’

  Pants! ‘It was… erm…’ Think! Fast! Nick’s looking at you. ‘It was a bouquet a customer wanted and I… erm… don’t think I have the right colour gerberas.’

  ‘Well, I reckon that’s a big fib and you’re really thinking about a man,’ Skye said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. ‘I’ve seen that look before. And you hardly touched your food. Must be love.’

  My cheeks flushed and I cast a nervous glance at Nick. He laughed and put his arm round me.