Suddenly Single

by Carol Wyer

  ‘First thing is to position yourself correctly when you put the boot on,’ Sean said in a lazy, low drawl. ‘Loosen the laces and press your foot firmly into the skate, then take hold of both laces, one in each hand, extend your leg enough so you can rest your weight on the heel of the boot with your toes pointed slightly upward.’ He demonstrated with his own skate. Chloe stared at the bright pink socks he was wearing. ‘My daughter’s’ he said. ‘Mine all had holes in them.’

  ‘How old is she?’

  ‘Suzy’s thirteen. Well, thirteen going on twenty.’ he replied.

  Chloe felt herself ease in his company. He didn’t mind if somebody saw he was wearing pink socks. She liked that and the fact he was clearly proud of his daughter. His eyes lit up when he spoke about her.

  ‘Now tighten the laced part and loop your first two fingers through the lace here and grabbing the laces firmly, push down with the ball of your foot while still pulling up on the laces.’

  He continued to demonstrate and showed her how to take up the slack afterwards and how to deal with the excess lace.

  ‘Don’t want to trip up on those,’ he commented.

  The boots felt comfortable. He grinned. ‘Now you won’t fall over.’

  Fairfax addressed them all.

  ‘Welcome again. I knew this would be the first time you’d all meet each other so we thought we’d provide an event to help break the ice.’ He waited for the groans and they came. He held up his hands. ‘I’m also sure some of you have never been on skates before so we’re going to make this an easy event, as easy as possible. Travis!’

  A young man emerged from a side entrance to the ice. He was pushing a large plastic polar bear with a comical face.

  ‘These are adult skating aids and today you’ll be using them to make your way around the ice, unless of course you suddenly feel all Torvill and Dean about it and decide to perform the Bolero.’ Catching the look on a couple of blank faces he added, ‘You need to be of a certain age to appreciate that reference.’

  Eleanor joined in. ‘We’re going to start with a speed skate date. You’ll all find a partner and together, using the skating aid, skate around the arena once. During that time, you should try and find out as much as you can about each other. When you get back to the start, you’ll swap partners. Those on the left will move to the bear behind.’ She paused for effect and was pleased to see a few smiles. ‘Everyone will get the chance to skate with everyone else, men and women. This is the opportunity to learn something about each other and to help each other around the ice, of course.’

  The young man had brought out three more polar bears that now stood in front of the group. He added another one and moved to the side of the rink.

  ‘Grab a partner – any partner,’ said Eleanor. ‘Let’s start with boy-girl couples.’

  Sean looked at Chloe. ‘Be my partner?’

  ‘Thanks. I’d like that.’

  They drifted onto the ice, Chloe taking tentative baby steps. Sean gave her his hand to hold onto and guided her to the nearest polar bear. She clung onto the handle behind it, legs wobbling slightly.

  ‘Just fixate on staying upright,’ he said with a smile. ‘I’ll glide us around. The best thing is not to be stiff. Just try to relax and enjoy.’

  They set off ahead of the others, Sean talking all the while. ‘So, I own a bookshop in Uttoxeter called A New Chapter.’

  ‘Eleanor told me. She knew I worked in a bookstore for a while.’

  ‘That figures. Hence you’re a reader.’

  ‘I’ve always been a big reader. Started young,’ she said, trying hard not to think about dark nights on Skye, curled up on the settee with the old table lamp throwing a warm yellow glow onto the pages of her latest adventure, and Georgia in the faded leather chair opposite, flipping through a magazine.

  ‘Once a reader…’ he grinned. She looked up at him and then wobbled, feet trying to skid from under her. Behind them came laughter. Sean continued, oblivious to it. ‘You know about me. I’m originally from Canada – Toronto – been divorced for three years and my daughter stays with me once a week. I joined the events company because my daughter said I needed to get out more and meet people. Apparently, it’s not cool to spend all the time at home reading or writing blog posts. What about you? Your turn.’

  She’d been listening so intently to Sean, she’d not stumbled once but now the focus was on her, she felt her feet give way and she slid to the floor.

  ‘Up you get,’ he said, putting strong hands under her arms and lifting her effortlessly until she was upright once more. ‘Hang on tightly. I probably pushed a little too fast.’

  ‘No. It was me. I’m still finding it hard to get about.’

  ‘Doing great for a first-timer,’ he said. ‘So, come on.’

  ‘Not much to say. You already know I like reading. I’ve recently separated from my husband and live on the same development as Eleanor and Fairfax, who convinced me to join up after I got rather drunk on their homemade raspberry liqueur. I don’t have a job but I do have a dog.’ She kept her eyes downcast. She could feel Sean’s gaze burning into her. He glided effortlessly at her side, slightly turned to face her. She focused on moving her feet, little by little. Holding onto the skating aid gave her more confidence and with Sean pushing it ahead of them, she wasn’t finding the skating too difficult.

  ‘You’d be very welcome at the bookshop. It’s conveniently placed in the pedestrian high street right in the centre of town. I like to think of it as a haven for people to enjoy quiet time browsing and reading. There’s a special reading area. It’s open every weekday with the exception of Wednesday afternoons. That’s when I collect Suzy from school in Birmingham and she stays over. I’d rather keep it open, especially as there’s a toddlers club who want to use it to read to the little ones, but what can you do? I really could do with an assistant.’

  She knew he was hoping she’d volunteer. She’d enjoyed working at the book store near Birmingham. It had been an antiquated shop: a labyrinth of rows of dark wooden bookcases and a spiral staircase to the second floor where all the non-fiction was housed. The people who’d frequented the place had all been regulars and Chloe had been content to work there. There was something about bookshops that put her at ease.

  ‘Tell you what, why don’t you drop by sometime and see if you like the place?’

  She thanked him although part of her knew she’d not manage the challenge of going through a busy town to reach it. By now, they’d completed a circuit of the ice rink and it was time to change partners. She’d enjoyed talking to Sean and was reluctant to move on, but the rules dictated they did so. Her next companion, the huge man with dark hair and unkempt eyebrows, soon shuffled into place next to her. She took hold of the handle, preparing to skate. He spoke as he joined her.

  ‘Hi, I’m Robert. Call me Rob though.’

  ‘Chloe.’

  ‘Nice name.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘I think the best way to get to know each other is to ask a load of questions.’

  ‘Sure. Go ahead.’ They pushed off, each easing forward gingerly.

  ‘Mars bars or jelly babies?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Which do you prefer?’

  ‘Jelly babies.’

  The man grunted approvingly. ‘Me too. Football or tennis?’

  ‘Neither. I’m not a sports fan.’

  ‘I love American football or soccer as they call it. Big Chicago Bears fan. You play any sports?’

  ‘No.’

  He shook his head. ‘Okay. Not sports then. Classical music or rock?’

  ‘I quite like pop although I’m pretty easy about most musical genres.’

  ‘I’m definitely into rock: The Rolling Stones, Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses. Usually try to get to their concerts when they’re performing in the UK. Love a bit of rock. I play air guitar too. I came twenty-fifth in the air guitar championships.’

  Chloe went for a small smile. He was at
least trying to engage her in conversation even if they didn’t have much in common. His next question threw her.

  ‘Cabbage Patch dolls or Barbie?’

  She glanced up to see if he was joking but his face was serious.

  ‘I’m not into dolls.’

  ‘I meant when you were younger,’ he said with a sudden smile that revealed very even, slightly yellowed teeth.

  ‘Oh, erm. I wasn’t really into dolls then either. I had a collection of Pound Puppies and My Little Ponies.’

  ‘No dolls?’ he said.

  ‘No. You had a doll?’ she asked, expecting him to say he owned an Action Man.

  ‘Oh yes. I had Barbie and all the Rock Star dolls. My mother didn’t believe in stereotyping through toys and encouraged me to play with dolls, plastic ovens, makeup sets, anything really. She didn’t want to foster a sexist attitude.’

  ‘Commendable.’

  ‘And healthier for a child,’ he replied. ‘Okay, here’s an easy one, dogs or cats?’

  ‘Definitely dogs. I have one.’

  ‘I’ve got two cats – Smokey and Tigger. They’re my cute little fur babies,’ he said in an icky voice, completely at odds with his looks. Chloe couldn’t think of an appropriate response. His face had taken on the look of a proud parent.

  ‘Got some gorgeous outfits for them too. Last Halloween, I dressed Smokey up as a little bat and Tigger as a pumpkin and took them trick-or-treating. They were so adorable and we got a bucketload of sweets.’

  Chloe shut her mouth that had fallen open. Rob continued talking about his cats and all the things they got up to.

  ‘Sometimes, I hold them up to the mirror, just so they see how pretty they are. You ever do that with your dog?’

  ‘He’s a bit big for that and I expect he’d just bark at himself, thinking it was another dog in the mirror.’

  ‘See, that’s the difference between cats and dogs. Dogs are less intelligent, aren’t they?’

  They’d reached the end of the circuit and Chloe was glad to change partners. Rob had been intense. She took a deep breath. So far so good she told herself. She was meeting new people and the urge to flee wasn’t as strong, what with concentrating on not falling over and listening to cordial people chat about themselves. She looked up briefly as the woman wearing the red jumpsuit skated into place. Her face creased into a smile as she took hold of the handle and spoke.

  ‘Only fallen on my arse three times. Pretty good, eh? Hi. I’m Jacqueline,’ she said.

  ‘Chloe Piper.’

  Jacqueline nodded. ‘Tigers or elephants?’ She grinned widely at Chloe’s startled face. ‘I met Robert, call me Rob the Rocker, first. I think he’s trying to frighten off everyone with his chat up lines. Did he tell you about his cats?’

  Chloe nodded.

  ‘I thought so. Poor man. I reckon he’s lonely. So, what about you?’

  Chloe told her the same thing she’d told Sean.

  ‘That’s shitty. It’s really tough when you come out of a relationship. It feels raw for a while.’

  Chloe thought that was an appropriate word.

  ‘I left my husband five years ago. He wasn’t cheating or anything. He was a good man. I just got bored. Dreadful thing to admit, isn’t it? We got hitched when we were eighteen – way too young. By the time I got to almost thirty, I figured our relationship had run its course. I packed my bags and went travelling. Took my bike over to Mexico and got on the road north to south. Got it all out of my system. I’m ready to settle down again now, but of course, it’s not so easy to find somebody when you’re a bit older and out of the dating game, so this seemed like a good thing to do – sign up, make friends, and see what develops. You got your eye on anyone here today?’

  ‘No. I’m not ready for that yet.’

  ‘Yeah. Give it time. You need to find yourself first. I know that sounds a bit new-age, but it’s true. When you share somebody’s life for years, you can’t help but grow into one fused person. It’s tough to break apart again. You have to take some time to remember who you are.’

  Chloe thought that sounded sensible. In some ways, Jacqueline reminded her of Faith. She warmed to her.

  ‘Oh-oh, I think that guy likes you.’ Jacqueline nodded at Sean who’d sailed past with a new partner, a pretty girl with dark curls and a fresh face.

  ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘The way he beamed over here as he went past. I’m pretty certain he wasn’t grinning at me. Shame. He’s hot. I’d let him ride pillion with me any day.’

  ‘That’s Sean. He was my first ice partner. He’s very nice. He’s Canadian but lives over here.’

  They moved away. Jacqueline had an easy manner and Chloe soon found herself chuckling at her stories about her crazy trip through Mexico. As they drew to a halt, Jacqueline looked across at Rob now accompanying a woman called Neats, who he completely dwarfed. She chuckled deeply. ‘You know who he reminds me of?’ she waited for Chloe to shake her head. ‘A Bond villain. I can picture him sitting at home behind a desk, stroking a white fluffy cat.’

  Chloe couldn’t help but laugh at the image and as she and Jacqueline parted, she realised she wasn’t feeling so nervous about talking to these people any more.

  Chapter Seven

  Thursday, 21st December

  ‘And then we played a game called Four Corners where each corner of the ice-skating rink was numbered and by each corner there was an ice skate containing numbers. We had to skate around to music and when the music stopped make our way to one of the corners. Eleanor chose a corner at random and a person there pulled out a piece of paper from the skate, call it out and everyone standing at the corner that had been called was out of the game. The person would replace the paper and we’d go around again. Sean won. He’s such a good skater, he got to the corners faster than the rest of us.’

  ‘Sounds bonkers,’ said Faith. ‘However, you’ve managed to mention the name Sean at least six times during this conversation, so that bodes well. Tell me more about this mysterious, handsome Canadian.’

  ‘I’ve already told you everything and don’t sound so animated about it. He’s just a nice guy.’

  ‘Ye-es,’ said Faith in a knowing tone.

  ‘That’s all.’

  ‘Come on, Chloe, didn’t you fancy him a little bit?’

  ‘Like I said. He was really nice. A proper gentleman. I didn’t fancy him. He – well – he just didn’t excite me in that way.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll wait to hear what manifests when you visit him at his bookshop. You’re not going to take him up on his sort of job offer, are you? I need you behind your laptop, grafting on the new novel, not sitting behind a desk reading Jilly Cooper.’

  ‘Jilly Cooper?’

  ‘Well, if you are going to be stuck in a bookshop, read something that’ll give you some inspiration for your own book. Barnaby Rudge or The Pickwick Papers are hardly likely to get your pulse racing and ignite any sparks in your imagination, are they?’

  ‘Dickens? You mentioned two novels by Dickens. I thought you hated classics.’

  ‘They just happened to be first two books that sprung to mind. I was listening to a radio presenter interview Celia Wainwright last night and Dickens came up in the conversation.’

  ‘Oh, right.’

  Celia was an up-and-coming writer of women’s fiction whose debut novel had gained notoriety. Faith sounded vaguely apologetic that Celia had been interviewed on a radio show and not Chloe. It wasn’t Faith’s fault. Chloe hadn’t made herself available for interviews, and there was no doubt that hiding away on the hill wasn’t going to do her career any good. It had been fine up until recently. The identity of the author of Spank Me Harder, Vicar had been kept under wraps. No one had been able to uncover any facts about C J Knight, which worked in Chloe’s favour. There was no way she wanted to face book clubs and interviewers or turn up for book signings or anything that involved engaging with others. It’s not that she wasn’t grateful to her readers. She truly
was, but the prospect of going to such gatherings and mixing and worst of all, talking about herself, was one step too far for Chloe.

  Faith had actively encouraged her anonymity, not merely so the villagers of Appletree wouldn’t storm her house, but it was a terrific marketing tool. It had added a layer of intrigue to the whole process and Faith had remained coyly tight-lipped whenever she was asked to reveal the true identity of the author behind the book. Faith had handled all the interviews herself, talking about the talented C J Knight and even suggesting the author might be male. However, with Chloe’s cover now partially blown and a few people – largely those in the village of Appletree – in the know as to who had written it, Chloe had less reason to keep a low profile, yet that was what she wanted to do.

  ‘Was it any good? The interview?’

  Faith paused. ‘Yes. Celia was very enigmatic. There was a significant spike in sales of her book immediately after the broadcast.’

  Chloe waited in case she was pressed further to appear on a show herself, but Faith sidestepped the issue, leaving Chloe wondering if her friend was losing confidence in her. Agents worked for their authors, trying to get them good publicity as well as deals with publishing houses, and Faith had done her bit for Chloe. She had other writers who needed her attention far more than a hopeless one who was not only reluctant to face her readers but couldn’t drum up a second novel.

  ‘I’d better get on with some writing then,’ said Chloe.

  Faith perked up. ‘You started?’

  ‘Yes.’ The lie stuck in her throat.

  ‘That’s great.’