‘I am. I met Rhys’s parents last weekend. Disaster. And Izzy has stepped up her plans for being crowned ‘Awkward Ex of the Year’ this week so I’ve had a few unsettled nights. I’ll tell you about it when we’ve ordered.’ I picked up the menu. ‘Actually, you look tired too. Been on lots of hot dates this week?’ Nick had recently signed up to an online dating site.
‘One date, and hot would not be the description. She turned up drunk then spent the evening telling me how much she still loved her ex and was hoping to get back with him.’
‘Ouch!’
‘Tell me about it. She’d only put her profile online to make him jealous. I sent her home in a taxi after an hour.’
‘That’s crap. But it was only one date. It hasn’t put you off, has it?’
Nick shrugged. ‘Not yet, but another couple of experiences like it will.’
A petite blonde waitress came over and took our orders.
‘Crap! I forgot to tell her not to put tomato in my panini,’ I said shortly after she’d left. I twisted round in my seat but couldn’t see her. Another waitress was nearby, cleaning a table. She had very dark hair, scraped back tightly and piled high on her head in a tumble of curls. I frowned for a moment. I couldn’t see her face, but there was something familiar about that hairstyle. She looked like… no, it couldn’t be. This woman was clearly pregnant and there was no way…
‘Excuse me,’ I said. No response. I cleared my throat and said, ‘Excuse me,’ again, a bit louder this time.
The pregnant brunette turned round and dropped her cloth on the floor. ‘Shit! Callie?’
It was her. I’d thought about her so often over the past few months. ‘Oh my God! Maria?’
She tried to cover her baby bump with her arms, but it was too late. I couldn’t take my eyes off her stomach.
‘Tony’s?’ I whispered.
She didn’t need to answer that. Guilt was written all over her face. I swallowed hard. ‘How long?’
‘Nearly seven months.’
I flinched. The laundry room obviously hadn’t been a one-off. ‘You’re still together?’ I asked.
She lowered her eyes. ‘Yes. Well, sort of.’
‘What does “sort of” mean? Is he still with his wife?’
She lowered her head even further and her shoulders slumped.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked, wondering whether I should get her to sit down or perhaps give her a hug. Tony had put me through hell, and I suspected he’d done the same to her given her hesitancy about whether they were on or off. Instead of feeling angry or hurt about the baby, I just felt compassion. ‘You know what he’s like. You’re better off without him.’
She looked up and stared at me for a moment. I thought she was going to accept. Then her eyes narrowed and she planted her hands on her hips. ‘Did you actually want something or are you here to cause a scene and get me sacked from yet another job?’
‘I didn’t get you—’ I stopped. Not worth it. ‘I wanted to ask for no tomatoes in my panini, please.’
‘I’ll pass it on.’ She retrieved her cloth and headed towards the counter.
‘Wow! That was fun,’ Nick said. ‘No wonder she didn’t return any of your calls.’
‘Yep. No wonder. Looks like Tony had three of us on the go at once. How stupid do I feel?’
Nick patted my arm reassuringly. ‘He’s out of your life now and you’ve got Rhys.’
‘Diet Coke and a cappuccino?’ Our blonde waitress reappeared and placed a glass in front of me and a large cup in front of Nick.
‘Did you get the change to my order?’ I asked, not convinced that Maria would have passed it on.
‘Yes, I did, thanks. Your paninis will be out in about five minutes.’
‘Thank you.’
‘I thought Maria wasn’t going to sort it out for you,’ Nick said when our waitress was out of earshot.
‘Me too. Maybe she isn’t as spiteful as I thought.’
But when our paninis were delivered five minutes later, my stomach churned.
‘What’s this?’ I asked, pointing at my sandwich.
Our waitress smiled. ‘Extra tomato as requested. Enjoy your lunch.’
25
Despite my protests that we needed to save for Christmas, Rhys insisted on a pub crawl along South Bay that evening. We made a pact not to talk about any of the things that had caused us stress recently – Izzy and Megan, Tony and Maria, Rhys’s parents – and it worked wonders. I hadn’t laughed so much in ages.
‘I love you so much,’ Rhys slurred as we staggered along the promenade. ‘I’m sorry that Izzy’s trying to come between us.’
‘Ssshhh!’ I whispered, placing my finger across his lips. ‘It’s illegal to talk about her tonight, remember?’
‘I know, but—’
I silenced him with a kiss, my heart racing as the passion between us intensified.
‘You glad we came out?’ Rhys asked when we broke apart.
‘Very.’
We leaned against the railings, looking out towards the sea.
‘There’s someone down there,’ I whispered, spotting a couple on the beach below. Their voices drifted up to us.
‘Quit moaning,’ the man growled. ‘You’re putting me off.’
‘But I’m not comfortable,’ whined the woman. ‘My back hurts.’
‘That’s your fault for being pregnant.’
‘My fault? It takes two, Tony.’
‘For God’s sake, Maria! Stop wittering. You’re the one who called me and begged me to meet you.’
‘Not for sex! I wanted to talk.’
Rhys tugged on my arm. ‘Come on. Let’s get a taxi home.’
Feeling very sober all of a sudden, I let him lead me away.
‘He’s using her,’ I said.
‘I know. That’s what blokes like him do.’
‘I bet he wants nothing to do with the baby.’
Rhys put his arm round me. ‘I hate to agree, but I bet you’re right. Tony’s an arse. He’s never going to change.’
‘Poor Maria. She could probably use a friend right now.’
‘And I’m sure she has plenty of friends she can turn to.’
‘But I was her best friend and you know I miss her.’
‘Callie! Don’t forget the part she played in all this. If you get involved, it’ll only end in tears. For you.’
He was probably right, but I kept picturing her in The Chocolate Pot with her head hung low and her shoulders slumped. Rhys was wrong. She didn’t have plenty of friends to turn to. Part of the reason we’d become so close was that I didn’t have many friends either. I’d gradually pushed my friends out of my life when they’d disapproved of my choices of older men. It turned out they’d been right, but I hadn’t appreciated that back then and by the time I did, the damage was done. My only friends now were my brother, my mum, and the elderly residents at work.
Despite Rhys’s concerns, we both knew I was going to reach out to Maria again.
26
Ruby rushed up to me during my morning break the following day. ‘Callie, darling! Thank goodness you’re here. That Iris Davies has only gone and ordered a white dress for her wedding. A white dress, I tell you. At her age. You’ve got to stop her.’
‘A big white dress?’ I asked, surprised. A slim and attractive woman, Iris’s style was twinsets and shift dresses and she always looked classy.
Ruby nodded vigorously, looking genuinely concerned. ‘It’s enormous. Frills and everything. It’s strapless with a low back. You have to say something to her, darling. She’s going to make a fool of herself.’
‘Okay. I’ll ask her to show me a picture later and see what I can do.’
‘Oh!’ I said, taking in the image on Iris’s iPad a little later. ‘That’s… er… quite a dress.’ Crap! With a tight bodice, the dress flared out into what could only be described as toilet-roll-holder-chic. Yards and yards of net and organza swirled in puffy craziness. Peering closer, it appeared
that the net had been sculpted into a few hundred roses.
‘Gorgeous, isn’t it?’ Iris gushed. ‘I love big dresses.’
‘It’s… er… certainly very big. What does William think?’
‘Callie! Surely you know that it’s bad luck for the groom to see what the bride is wearing until she joins him at the altar.’
‘Of course it is. Silly me! So you’ve already ordered it?’
She was grinning from ear to ear and excitement emanated from her. I couldn’t say anything. Besides, what right did I have to say what was hideous and what was beautiful, or what was more appropriate on a younger woman than someone of advancing years? It was her day and she deserved to wear whatever she wanted. Oh, but why did she have to pick the loo-roll holder?
‘I spent hours searching for the right dress,’ she said, chuckling. ‘The one that would be absolutely perfect… for winding up Ruby.’
I looked up. ‘You mean this isn’t the wedding dress of your dreams?’
She smiled widely. ‘I would like to think it isn’t the wedding dress of anyone’s dreams. It’s the most ostentatiously vile creation I’ve ever seen. Do you know what it brings to mind? Those repulsive toilet roll covers that Nancy Emerson insists on knitting.’
‘Oh my God, Iris! I thought the same, but I didn’t like to say anything in case I upset you.’ I let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. ‘So have you really chosen the perfect dress or are you still looking?’
Iris touched a few buttons on her iPad. ‘This is what I’ll be wearing.’
I gasped, feeling suddenly quite emotional at the classy, cream lace dress. ‘It’s stunning.’
‘Thank you. I told Ruby she could pick her own dress but what do you think of this?’ It’s very her, isn’t it?’
I smiled as she showed me another dress – a green A-line dress with lacy capped sleeves and rose detailing at the waist. ‘It’s beautiful. I reckon she’ll love it.’
‘I thought we could have simple white bouquets with trailing ivy.’
I nodded. ‘Sounds perfect. When do you think you’ll tell her that you’re winding her up?’
‘I’d love to string it out for weeks, but we don’t have that long. I need to order her dress, so I’ll probably continue my ruse over the weekend, then confess.’
I stood up. ‘I’d better get on. You’re a cheeky little monkey, Iris Davies. I didn’t know you had it in you.’
‘I used to be very mischievous, but I think I let growing old knock it out of me. Then I met William, and I feel like a teenager again, so my mischievous streak has returned.’
It was lovely to see her with so much energy and enthusiasm. It was amazing what love could do to someone. If only Ruby had someone to love. I kicked myself for still not having broached the subject of Rhys’s grandfather. Maybe I’d stay back after my shift and ask her tonight.
I didn’t get a chance to, though. Iris, the little minx, had obviously decided to take the wind-up a step further. When I called round to Ruby’s room after my shift, she was in a right state, telling me that Iris had ordered her ‘a revolting shiny cerise satin eighties-style frilly beast of a dress’. She claimed that the clowns had worn more tasteful outfits when she’d been in the circus and she’d rather wear a clown costume than what Iris had selected. I eventually managed to calm her down, but there was no point in raising the subject I wanted to because she’d only get het up again and I was starting to worry for her blood pressure. It would have to keep for another day.
27
I was at a loose end on Sunday. It was Rhys’s Sunday with Megan, Mum was out with some friends, and Nick needed to work. Not for the first time, I wished I hadn’t let my friendships slip. I picked up my phone and started a text to Maria, but I couldn’t find the right words, so I tossed it on the sofa and sulked.
Shortly after lunch, Ruby texted me:
✉︎ From Ruby
That cheating woman has been winding me up. She’s wearing a surprisingly classy and dignified dress and has suggested a dress for me which I actually love. Wonders will never cease! Feeling like this charade won’t be quite as ridiculous as initially expected and I might finally have a good night’s sleep xx
* * *
✉︎ To Ruby
Rhys is with Megan and I’ve got nothing to do. It’s a gorgeous day. Fancy a stroll around Hearnshaw Park?
We met at the entrance at 2 p.m. Ruby kissed me on the cheek, then slipped her arm through mine as we set off into the park. ‘I’m glad you got in touch, darling. I was at a bit of a loose end myself.’
‘Is Iris with William?’
‘She spends most of her time with him these days.’
‘Well, they have got a wedding to plan. Things will be back to normal after that.’
Ruby sighed. ‘Only they won’t be, will they? She’s moving in with William after their honeymoon and…’
‘And what?’ I asked after she tailed off.
‘And I’m going to miss my friend,’ she said, softly.
I knew it! I knew she saw Iris as a friend, despite the bravado. ‘I’m sure you’ll still see each other.’
‘She says so, but people in love can get so wrapped up in each other that they lose track of their other friendships.’
I couldn’t offer her any encouragement on that one. I was living, breathing proof of how easily that could happen. ‘You’ve always got Rhys. And you’ve got me too.’
Ruby patted my arm. ‘I know, darling, and I count myself very lucky.’
We arrived at the ice-cream kiosk by the boating lake which, in the winter, sold hot drinks. ‘Cup of tea?’ I asked.
‘Perfect. And perhaps a little packet of shortbread,’ Ruby said, eyeing up the wicker basket brimming with homemade treats.
Purchases made, we sat in silence on one of the green metal benches. The red and green dragon-shaped boats had been stored for the winter so the only ripples on the lake were from ducks, geese and the occasional swan gliding through the water. Soggy clumps of bread kissed the edge of the lake.
‘I’m sorry that things are going to change for you, but it’s lovely seeing Iris and William so much in love, don’t you think?’ I asked, looking for a way in.
‘I suppose so.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m being mean-spirited. Yes, it is lovely, darling. I’ve never seen Iris so happy. I swear the woman looks ten years younger since they got together. You could almost pass her for a woman in her seventies.’
I laughed. Iris was in her seventies and Ruby knew it. ‘Have you ever been in love?’ I asked.
‘Loads of times, darling.’
‘Really? Then you must have been very lucky. I’ve always believed that love – true love, that is – only comes along once.’
Ruby’s shoulders slumped. ‘Twice,’ she whispered. ‘It was twice for me. A very long time ago, but I lost them both.’
‘Was one of them Rhys’s grandfather?’
She nodded.
‘Why don’t you ever talk about him?’
‘Too painful.’
‘Did he die?’
Ruby looked towards the waterfall cascading from the island in the middle of the lake, and I wondered whether I’d already pushed too far. Eventually, she turned to me. ‘You’re not going to rest until you know all about it, are you?’
‘I don’t want to force you,’ I assured her.
She shrugged. ‘It’s been so very long, but I remember every moment of my time with both of them like it was yesterday. In fact, I remember it better than I remember what I had for breakfast this morning, or for dinner last night.’ She took a sip of her tea. ‘Teddy and George. You really want to know my sad story?’
I nodded, my heart racing. Finally I was going to hear about Rhys’s heritage and something told me it was going to be worth waiting for.
‘Teddy was first,’ Ruby said. ‘Teddy Latimer. We met in Paris when I was nineteen.’ She fell silent for a few minutes. I didn’t dare speak in case she changed her mind about confiding i
n me. Eventually she sighed. ‘I told you I was an exotic dancer, didn’t I?’
‘Yes.’
‘Teddy came to the show for his twenty-first birthday. His friends had arranged for a special backstage pass to meet the girls. We were paid to give him special attention.’ She laughed at my agape mouth. ‘Oh, Callie, darling! Not that sort of attention. I wasn’t a prostitute! And just so you’re clear, exotic dancing back then was nothing like I’d imagine it is these days.’
She gently slapped my leg when I giggled. I have to admit, I’d tried to avoid thinking about what her exotic dancing had involved.
‘We were asked to flatter Teddy and fuss over him,’ she continued. ‘That’s all! The other dancers were, quite literally, all over him and poor Teddy looked absolutely terrified. I said I wasn’t a prostitute but some of the other girls… Let’s say they weren’t averse to earning some extra money. One of them whispered that he could go the whole way with her for a small fee. Teddy leapt out of his chair and dashed for the door, muttering something about needing some air. His so-called friends seemed unconcerned by his absence. I suppose it meant more attention for them, but I felt sorry for the birthday boy, so clearly out of his depth. I grabbed my robe and went to find him to make sure all was well.’
She paused and smiled at the memory. ‘I couldn’t find him at first but then I heard the music. Oh, it was exquisite. I followed it and found Teddy in the concert hall, playing the piano. Chopin’s “Héroique” Polonaise in A Flat Major. Do you know it, darling?’
I had to stop myself from laughing. As if! ‘Er, no. Can’t say I do.’
‘You should seek it out. It’s beautiful. Perry Como had a song called “Till the End of Time” in the hit parade a few years earlier. It featured in a wonderful film of the same name and was based on Chopin’s piece.’
I decided not to mention that I had no idea who Perry Como was either.
‘I can still hear the music now,’ Ruby continued. ‘And I can still picture Teddy poised at the piano. Such an accomplished pianist. Even though he was a couple of years older than me, he looked so much younger with only a shaft of light from the moon illuminating him. I lost my heart to him at that very moment.’
Making Wishes at Bay View Page 14
