One Golden Summer

by Clare Lydon

  Betty frowned. “A divorce party? Is that a thing now? I’m not sure a celebratory cake is what’s needed for that, is it?”

  “You didn’t know my ex-husband,” Ginger replied, making Kirsty snort. “Can we try the poppy seed and lemon, salted caramel, and the coffee and walnut, please?” Ginger paused. “And you’re invited to the party. Can you make August 17th?”

  “Smashing! I do love a party.” Betty clapped her hands together. “Take a seat, I’ll bring the cakes over. On the house, of course.”

  “The perfect business arrangement.”

  “Not the rainbow cake?” Kirsty pointed at the seven-layered cake done in all the colours of the rainbow.

  Ginger gave her a look. “We’ve been through this. You’re gay. Saffron is gay. I, unfortunately, am uncontrollably attracted to men.”

  They walked over to a table at the back of the shop and sat.

  “Women aren’t any better, believe me.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Ginger settled in her seat before she spoke. “I know this is none of my business, and you can tell me to shut up, but has something happened with Saffron? She’s being evasive, even though she’s spent the past ten years of her life telling me she’d love to live near me. Now we live a ten-minute walk apart, and she’s hiding. I was wondering if you knew why.”

  Betty brought over the cakes, along with two teas.

  Kirsty waited until she’d gone to speak. “I know she’s had a lot of publicity stuff to do with Echo for Girl Racer.” Even saying her name made Kirsty’s brain hurt. “What kind of a name is Echo anyway?” She’d thought that even when she was just Saffron’s co-star. However, now she was impacting her life, Echo’s name seemed totally ridiculous.

  A little like Kirsty developing feelings for a movie star.

  “An LA name, sweetheart.” Ginger put on her best Californian accent to deliver that line.

  Kirsty couldn’t help but smile. “Is it real?”

  “As real as anything in Hollywood.” Ginger sighed. “You know what? I don’t know. I don’t know Hollywood. I’ve lived a very different life to Saffron. But I believe what she tells me. She thought things might be different when Echo moved here temporarily. But it turned out, they weren’t.”

  Kirsty nodded. She wanted to know more. But she didn’t want to make it look like she was desperate to know all the details.

  Even though she was.

  Ginger took a bite of the salted caramel cake and tilted her head back, savouring the taste. “This is good.” She picked up some stray crumbs with the tip of her finger. “If she could do this as the base layer, and maybe a different flavour for layer two, we might have a winner. I want something funny iced on top. Maybe Straight Outta Marriage? Or I have seen people having bride and groom cake-toppers like at a wedding. Only this time, the bride is dumping the groom into a toy version of a bin lorry. That would work, too.”

  Kirsty was glad she didn’t have a mouthful of tea, as she might have spat it out. “How do you think your friends who know both of you are going to take that?”

  “If they don’t see the funny side, it’s their issue. This party is about me and my rebirth, right?”

  “Totally.”

  Ginger put a hand on Kirsty’s arm. “Thank you for all your help with it, too. I couldn’t have done this without you.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “It’s funny, isn’t it? So much emphasis is put on romantic relationships. But here we are, having only known each other for a few weeks, but we’re bonded. Possibly because I’m a wreck and have been drinking your wine and spewing my guts to you.” She laughed. “But still, I really do appreciate having you as a friend. It’s rare to click with someone like we do.” She held up her tea mug. “Here’s to many more years of friendship.”

  Kirsty clinked her mug. “I’ll drink to friendship.” She was happy to have Ginger in the friend zone, where she belonged. Saffron, on the other hand… Kirsty filled her mouth with cake to stop herself from going down another dead end. “The lemon and poppy seed is great, too. Betty makes a mean cake.”

  Ginger glanced up at Kirsty. “I noticed you haven’t answered my initial question about you and Saffron. Things seemed weird the other day in the shop. Has something happened?”

  Kirsty went to speak, then stopped. Should she tell Ginger? If they truly were friends, she would. Her mind raced as she tried to work out what was the right thing to do.

  “We kissed.” Her mouth made the decision before her mind could catch up.

  Ginger’s mouth formed an “O.” “And?” She sat forward, her forehead creased with concentration.

  “And nothing. It was all going great, but then she got a text from Echo. Saying she missed her. And I saw it. So I left.”

  Ginger threw her head back and let out a sigh. “Fucking Echo.”

  “Exactly, that’s my concern.” Kirsty’s mind was still filled with images of Saffron caked in leather. But she also knew what Echo looked like in leather, thanks to the movie.

  “You know what happened?”

  Kirsty shook her head. “No. I know Saffron’s going to disappear. I know I don’t want to get in the middle of something that’s not done.”

  “It’s done. I promise you.”

  “If you’d seen this text message, you wouldn’t have said so. She told Saffron she missed her in her bed.”

  Ginger’s face clouded over. “She probably does. But that’s her issue, not Saff’s. She shouldn’t have been such an idiot and posted private photos of them on her social media, should she?”

  Kirsty froze. Her stomach dropped. “She did that?” How awful for Saffron.

  “You didn’t see them? Hear about them?”

  Kirsty shook her head. “I’m not really a social media person. I’m barely on top of it for the shop.”

  “You must be the only person alive who didn’t see the shots. Echo swore it was a friend who posted them. But it was on her account, and it was conveniently timed when the movie came out. She did it for her career, I have no doubt about that. Sure, she deleted them afterwards, but the damage was done. For someone like Saffron, who has always had trust issues, it was the last thing she needed.”

  Kirsty sat back. “Wow. I didn’t know.” She ran through all the conversations she’d had with Saffron so far. She’d never wanted to talk about Echo. Now Kirsty knew why. “But why didn’t she just explain things to me? Tell me what happened?”

  Ginger sighed. “My sister doesn’t open up easily. Even to me. She’s also probably still processing it all, as it was only a few months ago. You can ask her for the full details, but she won’t want to tell you. She doesn’t want to offend anyone. But she needs to remember you can’t please everyone all the time. It’s just not possible. And if you try to, you end up pleasing nobody, least of all yourself. Saffron’s doing it with her career and her love life at the moment. Quite some feat.” She leaned in to Kirsty. “Promise me one thing, though. Don’t give up on her. My sister is a wonderful, loyal person. But she’s also her own worst enemy.”

  Kirsty pushed the cake away, suddenly not so hungry anymore. “I’m not going anywhere. This is my home. But the thing is, it’s not Saffron’s home, is it? Because of that, I’m not sure I’m the person who’s going to make Saffron happy, no matter how much you might want me to be.”

  Ginger shook her head. “I know Saffron wants a change. She’s had the next Girl Racer script sitting in her house for ages, and she hasn’t read it. Maybe now would be a good time for her to take some time out. She’s never done that. Slowed down. Cleared her head.”

  “Shouldn’t you be telling her this?”

  “I did, the other night. Maybe I need to ring Echo and tell her the same. She’s not right for Saffron.”

  “And I am?” Kirsty’s body told her she was, but her mind was shaking its head.

  Ginger looked her directly in the eye. “You might not see it now, but I really think you could be.”

  Chapter 18

  At half past ni
ne on Wednesday morning, the sun still hung relatively low in the east, but the pleasant temperature, the cawing of seagulls, and other sounds of summer propelled Saffron to leave her house for her daily walk much earlier than normal.

  As she meandered past the beach huts, her mind wandered to Kirsty. What did she do on a beautiful summer morning? Was she in the wine shop already? Seemed early for wine. Well, not for Saffron’s parents, who enjoyed what they termed, breakfast wine. Not that Saffron thought Kirsty a boozer, but Saffron imagined owning a business more than likely involved loads of tedious and time-consuming tasks, like inventory and spreadsheets.

  A shiver put an extra pep into Saffron’s step, the harbour coming into view. She loved exploring the stalls of local artists and shop owners, an awe deep within for the creators willingly standing to the side while someone critiqued their work in real time. There was no way Saffron could ever put herself through that. She always showed up for the red-carpet portion of opening night, but slipped out when the movie started.

  Given it was still early in the day, the crowd consisted mostly of locals and the owners setting up for the day. Saffron purchased a coffee, buying an insulated stainless steel to-go cup with a blue old-fashioned rowing boat painted on it. Perhaps buying a piece of kitsch was silly, but she couldn’t resist having yet another root to the seaside town.

  Sipping the piping hot coffee, which combatted the occasional chilly breeze coming off the water, Saffron stepped into a stall with crafty home items. The type of mementos tourists would purchase for their avant-garde family and friends.

  Dangling from the ceiling were strings with randomly coloured puffy balls spaced an inch apart, reaching nearly to the floor.

  “Are you joining the dark side?”

  Saffron whipped around, nearly taking Kirsty out. “Jesus! You startled me.”

  “I’m sorry.” Kirsty laughed, darting her hands up in a don’t shoot way.

  Saffron placed a hand on her chest, in an effort to steady her pounding heart. “Don’t be. It’s nice to see you. Can’t you tell how excited I am?”

  Kirsty offered a timid smile, but didn’t say the same.

  “Er, what did you mean about the dark side?”

  “Oh, just a lame joke.”

  “About Star Wars?” Saffron scrunched her brow.

  Kirsty held one of the larger sized puffy balls on the string dangling between them. “Wasn’t gunning for Darth Vader but referencing a lesbian checking out artwork with 20 or so balls. Seems a bit much.”

  “Right! Now I get it.” Saffron laughed at herself. “I was thinking of getting some of these for Ginger. Enough to cover a doorway, like those beaded curtains that were popular in the sixties. Or was it the seventies?”

  “Why are you asking me? Are you being ageist?” Kirsty challenged, her face frustratingly devoid of emotion.

  Was she mad? Teasing? Better to act neutral but close to apologising. “What? No! It was me talking out loud.”

  “How else do you talk?”

  Saffron inspected Kirsty’s grey eyes, unable to decipher the tone of the conversation. Christ, the woman could be infuriating, keeping everything bottled up. “Are you giving me a hard time, or have I upset you?”

  Kirsty’s easy-going smile, with a pinch of snark, put Saffron at ease. “Just teasing. I promise. What have you been up to since we last saw each other?”

  Saffron leaned against one of the dangling strings, nearly losing her balance. Kirsty reached out to prevent Saffron from toppling over.

  “Thanks.” Saffron licked some spilled coffee off the back of her hand. “FYI: these are not a good substitute for a wall.”

  “Duly noted. It’s good to have you around to test these things out.”

  “Glad my stupidity serves a purpose.”

  “You made me smile.” Kirsty treated Saffron with another killer one.

  “Then it was worth it. You have a lovely smile.”

  Kirsty’s eyes dropped to the worn wooden planks under their feet.

  “To answer your question, I haven’t been up to much. Unless pottering about my house counts as something.”

  “Is that right? You better watch out. That can lead to slowing down and enjoying life. Before you know it, you’ll be strolling the High Street like a local without a care in the world.”

  “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

  “Maybe it’s something you can do for a bit, but it’s hard to see Saffron Oliver settling down, not jet setting around the world, filming movies.” Kirsty blinked. “You aren’t wearing a baseball hat.”

  “Not needed during the week. It’s only on the weekends when the Down From London types invade. Most around these parts have grown used to me and simply say hi and move on with their lives. It’s so refreshing.” Saffron’s massage therapist would be shocked by the looseness of her shoulders and might not feel needed anymore.

  “Is it? You don’t miss people surreptitiously snapping your photo? Or staring with adoring eyes?” Kirsty batted her lashes.

  “I’ve told you before that type of attention makes me uncomfortable.”

  Kirsty’s expression baffled Saffron, as if Kirsty didn’t quite believe that statement.

  “Back to Ginger and the balls. What do you think?” Saffron crossed her arms, appraising them.

  “In what way?”

  “I want to get Ginger a gift for the party, and…” Saffron looked back at the puffy balls on strings. “To be honest, my assistant usually does my gift shopping. From the shocked expression on your face, that’s a good thing.”

  “Buying gifts can be hard.” Kirsty studied the dangling balls like they were a masterpiece she didn’t understand.

  “I bet it’s not for you.” There was a twinge of tightness in her left shoulder.

  “Not true. Every year, I struggle buying my dad something for Christmas. How many silly socks can one man own?” Kirsty panned the contents of the stall. “You know what, just on the other side, I spied something I think would be the perfect gift for Ginger.”

  “Lead the way.” Saffron motioned she was at Kirsty’s mercy. If only Kirsty understood the true effect she was having on Saffron, whose heart hadn’t settled yet and never seemed to whenever the bedevilling woman was near.

  A man in a yellow T-shirt and shorts walked his black lab.

  “Hello, Rufus. How are you?” Saffron rubbed behind the dog’s ears.

  “I swear he looks out for you every day.” The man grinned.

  “That’s quite a compliment coming from such a handsome fellow.” Saffron gave the dog one final pet before the two of them took off, Rufus pulling his owner as only a large puppy could.

  “My, my, my. You are making friends in town.” Kirsty chuckled. “I don’t believe I know Rufus and…?”

  “I don’t actually know the man’s name.” Saffron hitched a shoulder. “Now, the gift.”

  “It’s over here.” Kirsty led them to a jewellery stall. “Here it is.” She slid a silver necklace off a hook. “The pendant is a lotus flower.”

  “It has a pearl dangling from the flower.” Saffron tapped it, the gem bobbing back and forth. “It’s beautiful.”

  Kirsty held it aloft, the sun glinting off the silver. “Lotus flowers symbolise rebirth, and that’s what Ginger’s party is about.”

  “And the pearl is for Sandy Cove, where she’s starting over. It’s perfect. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Happy to help my client.”

  Saffron’s stomach plummeted, but she didn’t want the interaction to end so soon. “Can I buy you a coffee? It’s the least I can do since you’re saving my arse helping me shop. Or do you have to rush off?”

  “That’d be lovely. Helena is opening the shop this morning, so I have some time.”

  “Perfect. What about a pastry? I really owe you. I would have been here all day and still ended up with the balls.”

  There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Kirsty conceded, “I do have a sweet tooth.”
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br />   “Fab. I’ll pay up here and then get pastries and coffees. Why don’t you grab one of the tables, and I can try this new thing I’m learning. I think you’d call it slowing down and spending quality time with a girlfriend.” Saffron couldn’t believe the word fell from her mouth. “Er, I mean girlfriends like in Sex in the City. Not—right. Why don’t I stop”—she mimed digging a hole—“and get on coffees and pastries? Even I can’t fuck that up.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short.” Kirsty’s laughter reassuringly wrapped around Saffron. Everything about the woman made Saffron feel better and normal, and when they were apart, she couldn’t handle the silence.

  Saffron playfully snarled, liking that Kirsty understood her, which only dug the dagger in all the more given Kirsty had been clear that nothing could happen between them. Damn Echo and her mind games.

  With the necklace now safely in a box, Saffron marched to the coffee hut. “Joe, I need a refill.” Saffron handed him her to-go cup. “Another coffee and…” She checked out the offerings. “I need some pastries, but I don’t know which ones. Can you select a dozen to knock my socks off?”

  “Leave it to me.” He fixed the coffees first before tackling the pastries, selecting ones from the case with tongs, delicately placing them into a pink box. “I wish all my customers were as easy as you.”

  “Experience has taught me it’s best to leave the important matters in life to the experts.” Saffron tapped her card and dropped a tenner into the tip jar.

  Kirsty had her eyes glued to her phone when Saffron set the box on the table. “What’s that?”

  “Open it and see.” Saffron took a seat in one of the metal chairs with plastic blue slats.

  “Let me guess. You panicked and got one of everything.”

  “Close, but not on the money.” Saffron sipped her drink, enjoying the fact Kirsty got that about her.

  “Out with it.”