by Heidi Swain
*
That Friday was, without doubt, one of the longest and one of the quietest I had ever worked.
‘Where is everyone?’ I groaned, rearranging the soft fruit display for the umpteenth time.
‘Will you leave that?’ Harry scolded. ‘If you keep fingering it all like that it’ll be too bruised to sell.’
‘Well, I’m bored,’ I whined, sounding more Ryan’s age than mine. ‘There’s nothing to do.’
‘Are you going out for lunch?’
‘In this heat?’ I laughed. ‘Are you kidding?’
‘There you are then,’ said Harry, sounding satisfied.
‘There I am what?’
‘Don’t you think our customers are feeling exactly the same?’ he said, wiping his forehead with a large white cotton handkerchief. ‘Everyone’s had enough. Didn’t you see those pictures of the park on the news last night?’
‘No.’
‘All those deckchairs the council invested in and put in the park for folk to enjoy during the fine weather.’
‘I remember,’ I said, thinking of the recent story.
‘Every single one empty,’ Harry explained. ‘There wasn’t a soul in sight. No one wants to be out in this now. The novelty’s worn off.’
He was right. Over the last few days I’d heard far more customers moaning about the sunshine than embracing it. The only person who I knew still enjoying it was Blossom, and that was because she said it reminded her of her childhood in the Caribbean. She was loving the fact she was harvesting decent crops of her Jamaican favourites from her beloved allotment. She had promised me some callaloo seeds to sow at the Grow-Well next year.
‘You’re right.’ I nodded. ‘Let’s hope the rain comes soon and cools us all down a bit.’
‘It better,’ said Harry with a nod to the shelves, ‘otherwise you’re going to have one heck of a marathon jam-making session on your hands.’
I didn’t say as much but I still didn’t fancy standing in front of a hot stove, even if it would be the ideal opportunity to work on my technique.
The shop got a little busier later on, but not until well after four.
‘I thought you might have shut up early for the day,’ said one customer as he filled an old ice cream container with strawberries for me to weigh, ‘but I just couldn’t face coming out this morning.’
‘We had a rush of people in at nine,’ I told him, as other customers began to trickle in, all puffing and red in the face, ‘but after that it settled right down. There have been a few deliveries to get out, but beyond that practically nothing.’
‘Folk were no doubt trying to beat the heat at opening time,’ he said wisely as he paid, ‘and now everyone’s venturing back out again. There’s quite a breeze getting up,’ he told me, ‘but it’s not made any difference to the temperature.’
In the end it was almost half six when Harry and I closed up.
‘Look at that,’ I said, indicating the display I had been so intent on fiddling about with earlier, ‘we’ve hardly anything left. Customers will be moaning tomorrow.’
‘Typical.’ Harry sniffed. ‘I don’t think we’ve ever stayed open so late. Not even at Christmas.’
‘It was worth it though,’ I said as I began cashing up, ‘it’s made up for the slow start.’
‘Leave that,’ said Harry, ‘you get off.’
I handed him the bundle of notes I was counting out and stepped away from the till.
‘That way you can have a slow walk down to the pub.’
Earlier I’d had texts from both Colin and Lou asking me to meet them in The Dragon and I was looking forward to finding out if they had forgiven me for revealing their love for one another. Had they not been entwined in a passionate embrace when I left them the evening before I would have turned their invitations down, but seeing them kissing like that had left me in little doubt that my brazen declaration had been the right course.
‘Okay,’ I said to Harry, ‘I’ll just sort out the front and then I’ll get off.’
‘Thanks, love,’ he said, pulling out a fistful of change from the till. ‘If these thunderstorms are going to be as bad as the reports are suggesting then we won’t want to risk leaving anything out.’
My mind tracked back to the Grow-Well. We didn’t have much option other than to let our beloved garden fend for itself, but at least Ryan was going to go along and help give what could be moved and protected some sort of shelter.
‘There now.’ I smiled, pulling my T-shirt away from my skin, as I arrived at the pub and found Lou practically sitting on Colin’s lap at our usual table. ‘Don’t you two look cosy together.’
To be honest, I didn’t know how they could bear to be so close, given the heat. The short walk had left me feeling pretty dehydrated. I was convinced every drop of fluid that should have been on my inside had leaked out.
‘Sit down for a minute,’ said Lou, pushing a chair out for me with her foot, ‘you’ll cool off after you’ve been sitting down for a bit.’
‘And here,’ said Colin, handing me a glass of lemonade, ‘this has just been poured, although I’m afraid there’s not much ice left.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, gratefully gulping half of it straight down, ‘I really needed that.’
I eyed the pair of them over the rim of my glass.
‘So,’ I said, ‘I take it I’m forgiven, then?’
‘There’s nothing to forgive.’ Colin grinned.
He kissed Lou’s cheek and put a hand round her waist, giving her a squeeze.
‘Thank goodness,’ I laughed. ‘God, I’m so happy for you both.’ I swallowed.
‘Me too,’ said Lou, sounding a little breathless.
‘And how did poor Natalie take the news?’ I asked. ‘I take it you’ve told her, Colin?’
‘I called her this morning,’ said Colin, his grin still in place.
‘And?’
‘And,’ he carried on, ‘she told me that she hadn’t for one second thought there was anything serious between us because every time we were together I spent the whole time talking about a certain someone else.’
I began to laugh.
‘She said she was under no illusion that I would start dating her because I was clearly so in love with Lou.’
‘So, the only people in the entire world who weren’t aware of what was going on were the pair of you?’
‘Apparently,’ said Lou, sighing contently. ‘To be honest, Pops, I don’t know how you’ve put up with us both for all this time.’
‘To be honest,’ I replied, ‘I don’t know either.’
Our conversation was interrupted as the door opened, letting in another blast of hot air and the distant sound of rumbling thunder.
‘Jacob,’ I gasped, looking up.
His arrival was a surprise.
‘I didn’t expect to see you tonight,’ I told him.
‘Lou sent Ryan to my place with a message’ – he frowned – ‘asking me to meet you all in here. Is everything okay?’
He slid into the seat next to mine, his leg pressed close, the heat between us even more intense than the outside temperature.
‘Colin and Lou have some news,’ I told him, assuming that was why Lou had invited him along.
‘We’re a couple!’ she announced. ‘Colin and I have finally got our acts together.’
‘Thanks to Poppy here,’ Colin added.
‘That’s fantastic.’ Jacob smiled. ‘Congratulations, guys, but what did Poppy have to do with it?’
Colin began to relay some of the details of what had happened the evening before and I took the opportunity to slip away and order us all another round of drinks. Lou was hot on my heels.
‘I’m hoping our little bit of matchmaking works out as well for you as yours has for us,’ she hissed in my ear, plucking keenly at the sleeve of my T-shirt.
‘What do you mean?’ I frowned.
‘Inviting Jacob.’ She beamed, surreptitiously looking back to where the two men
were deep in conversation. ‘We wanted to get him here to see if we can work things out for the two of you.’
‘Oh Lou,’ I groaned.
‘What?’ She giggled, turning her attention back to me.
‘We already know that we like each other,’ I reminded her, ‘and left to our own devices we would be going out.’
Her smile faltered but she didn’t say anything.
‘I know you’ve asked him here tonight with the loveliest of intentions, but neither of us are prepared to act on our feelings knowing how concerned Ryan is about what may or may not happen if things didn’t work out. I told you and Colin that only yesterday.’
‘I know,’ she said, biting her lip. ‘But I thought, what if I had a word with Ryan. What if I—’
‘No,’ I interrupted, ‘please don’t do that. He would be mortified if he knew we had talked about the situation.’
‘But you and Jacob should be together!’
‘I know that,’ I told her. ‘I’m well aware of that but, for now at least, we’re happy as we are. If Ryan has a change of heart at some point then we’ll take things from there but for the time being,’ I said, looking right at her and sounding as determined as I could to make sure that she really understood there was no wriggle room for her to interfere, ‘we’ll keep things as they are. For now, our friendship is the most important thing.’
‘I just want you to be happy,’ she murmured, ‘as happy as I am.’
‘I’m fine,’ I told her, ‘really. I’ve never been happier.’
‘As long as you’re sure.’
‘One hundred per cent,’ I reiterated. ‘Absolutely no matchmaking required.’
She nodded and left me to carry on at the bar, returning to her seat next to Colin.
‘How’s the weather looking out there?’ I asked Jacob as I deposited the fresh tray of drinks. ‘I thought I heard thunder when you came in.’
Talking about the weather wasn’t particularly inspired but I thought it best to steer us all a little way away from love and all its connotations and potential complications, for the time being at least.
‘You did,’ he confirmed, ‘but it’s as hot as hell and there’s still no rain. The lightning is pretty impressive though.’
‘It better rain soon,’ panted Lou, fanning herself with a menu. ‘Otherwise we’ll all go mad. Ryan said he was going to help move some stuff at the Grow-Well. Just to be on the safe side if the storms do hit.’
‘That’s not a bad idea,’ said Jacob, gulping down the Coke I had collected for him. ‘The judging will have to happen soon and it would be such a shame if the weather shredded all our hard work.’
‘Are you going to the youth centre tonight?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ he said, looking up as the lights flickered on and off and the thunder rumbled again, closer this time.
It had grown so dark that the bar lights had been turned on, but given the storm that was beginning to build, I wasn’t sure how long they’d be working for.
‘I’m heading down there in a bit,’ he carried on. ‘Weather permitting.’
‘I hope Gus will be all right,’ I said to Colin, suddenly remembering how sensitive the little dog could be.
‘That’s the funny thing with Gus,’ Colin said cheerfully, ‘he doesn’t bother about storms at all.’
Another boom cracked through the air, making us all jump.
‘Just as well.’ I smiled. ‘I hope Violet and Dash aren’t giving Ryan the runaround.’
I didn’t much like the thought of my brother trying to round them up in the middle of the storm that we could hear starting to rage.
‘I think I’ll just call and make sure he’s okay.’
Lost in each other’s eyes, Colin and Lou didn’t answer, and Jacob was busy with his own phone, which had just gone off.
‘Bloody hell,’ he groaned, stuffing it back in his pocket and draining his glass. ‘I have to go.’
‘What’s up?’ I asked while waiting for Ryan to pick up.
‘It’s the youth centre,’ he sighed. ‘Some bother between a couple of the boys. I need to get down there.’
Ryan hadn’t answered, so I hung up.
‘You don’t know who the culprits are by any chance, do you?’ I asked.
‘No,’ he told me, ‘why, what’s wrong?’
‘Ryan isn’t answering his phone.’ I swallowed. ‘And I’m not sure if he’ll be at the garden or the youth centre right now.’
‘It won’t be anything to do with him, Poppy,’ said Lou, coming back out of her trance. ‘He’s a good lad. I daresay he’s still at the Grow-Well.’
‘But even so,’ I said, reaching for my bag and purse, ‘I think I’ll come with you, Jacob, just to be on the safe side.’
‘No,’ he said, laying his hand over mine. ‘Don’t do that.’
‘But—’
‘Look,’ he said, ‘if it is anything to do with Ryan I’ll text you straight away, but I’m certain it won’t be.’
‘So, where’s the harm in me coming with you?’
‘How’s it going to look if you tag along?’ said Jacob, trying to make me understand. ‘If Ryan is there and you turn up, he’ll assume you thought he was one of the lads causing trouble, won’t he?’
‘I guess . . .’
‘It’ll annoy the hell out of him,’ said Lou, ‘especially if it is nothing to do with him.’
I supposed they had a point. It would look a bit odd, me going down there for the first time ever, with Jacob, who had just happened to have received the text saying there was trouble afoot. Given the mood Ryan had been in this week, it probably wasn’t a good idea to wind him up even more.
‘All right,’ I relented. ‘I won’t come.’
‘But why would you even think it has anything to do with Ryan?’ Colin frowned.
I felt guilty for even entertaining the idea, especially when my friends were all so certain that it wouldn’t be anything to do with him, but I knew something was amiss with Ryan. I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was.
‘It’s just that he’s been in a funny mood this week,’ I said, trying to justify my suspicion. ‘Not himself at all.’
‘Along with everyone else,’ said Jacob. ‘This weather hasn’t exactly made any of us feel like the life and soul, has it?’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ I said, nodding back to Colin and Lou, who were kissing, again. ‘Some have definitely coped better than others.’
Chapter 27
I followed Jacob to the door as he left. The electricity between us felt even more highly charged than that which was racing through the dark clouds hanging over the city.
‘Promise you’ll ring if it’s Ryan,’ I begged, hardly daring to look up at him.
‘Promise.’ He smiled, lowering his head and lightly brushing his lips against my warm cheek.
This whole business of keeping our relationship platonic, now we had acknowledged we both wanted it to be anything but, was hard work and it took every ounce of strength not to turn my head and meet his lips.
‘Okay,’ I whispered, ‘thanks.’
I was ready to leave The Dragon a little while later and, as I hadn’t heard a word from Jacob, I knew I could head straight home. I was relieved that my fears about Ryan were unfounded but felt more than a little ashamed that I had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Colin, Lou and I stood on the pavement and looked up at the sky. The storm, which had been threatening us with rain all evening, had moved off without shedding a single drop and, if possible, the air felt even hotter and heavier than before.
‘I’ll catch up with you two over the weekend,’ I said to the pair before we parted. ‘I’m so pleased everything has worked out for you both.’
‘Me too.’ Lou sighed dreamily. ‘Now all we need to do is make Ryan see sense about you and Jacob and we’ll be double-dating before you know it.’
Colin shook his head.
‘Don’t worry,’ he told me, ‘I’ll keep her under control.’
‘Thank you, Colin,’ I said with a smile, ‘that will be much appreciated.’
I headed back to the square and found Gus contentedly curled up in his bed in the kitchen. Colin had been right; the little dog didn’t appear at all concerned about the thunder and trotted happily enough into the garden when I opened the door before making myself a cup of tea and going up for a shower.
I knew Ryan wasn’t at home because of the absence of discarded footwear in the hall for me to trip over, but out of habit I checked his room anyway. Everything looked much as it always did, and I carried on into the bathroom, hoping he wouldn’t be too late. It was going to be hard enough to sleep as it was; if his bed remained empty for too much longer I knew I’d never nod off.
*
I was surprised to see when I woke up that it was almost half four, the sound of thunder pulling me out of the slumber I hadn’t expected to succumb to. I opened the bedroom curtains and leant out of the window, hoping to take in a lungful of fresh air, but it was still stiflingly hot and there was no sign of the promised rain. Everything was every bit as parched as it had been the night before, me included.
I quietly made my way to the bathroom for some water, but I needn’t have worried about slipping into stealth mode because Ryan’s door was still open, and his bed was untouched.
‘I know it’s early,’ I found myself saying to Jacob a couple of hours later as I stood on his doorstep, wringing my hands and fighting back tears, ‘but I’m going out of my mind and didn’t know who else to ask.’
‘Poppy.’ He frowned. ‘For God’s sake come in. Whatever’s happened?’
‘Nothing probably,’ I said, stepping into his hall and trying to sound less anxious than I felt, ‘but Ryan hasn’t come home and I’m at my wits’ end.’
I knew he wasn’t the only sixteen-year-old in the world who may well have decided not to come home on a Friday night, but right now he was my responsibility and he was the current keyholder for Prosperous Place. That alone was enough to crank up my concern. Ryan had been taking his responsibilities very seriously of late and he had been looking forward to caring for Violet and Dash, so this sudden disappearance was frighteningly out of character.