Heather, meanwhile, was asking Liz how she knew her dad. Liz explained that she had first met him years ago when they were teaching at the same school, although they didn’t speak very much at the time.
‘Ah, yes,’ said Heather, ‘his academic phase.’
‘Has he had a lot of phases?’ asked Liz.
‘Quite a few,’ said Heather, ‘in fact the only constant in his working life has been his art. He always goes back to it.’
‘He is very talented,’ said Liz enthusiastically. ‘He deserves to be successful.’
‘He is,’ agreed Heather, ‘but it’s hard to make a living at it. It’s just great to see him happy. I haven’t seen him enthusiastic about anything for a while.’
‘Oh, I doubt that’s down to me,’ Liz was smiling. ‘We’ve only recently met but I do enjoy his company, he makes me laugh.’
‘Well that’s a good omen,’ said Heather, ‘because that’s exactly what he says about you.’ Liz blushed.
‘I’m pleased he has met someone nice. Dad pretends he’s OK and he comes over to our house whenever he likes, but we worry that he is lonely.’
‘I know what that feels like,’ said Liz.
‘Yes, of course,’ said Heather, ‘dad told me that your husband died. It must have been awful.’
‘It was,’ said Liz, ‘but it’s getting easier all the time.’
Nick had now joined them with Monica, Tammy and Milly in tow. ‘Ah, there you are,’ said Heather. ‘This is Liz.’
‘Hi, Liz,’ said Milly smiling.
‘I’m going to have to go too now dad. John’s picking me up. We’re going shopping for a new sofa.’
‘We’ll stay with granddad,’ said Milly. ‘He promised us breakfast.’
‘Is that okay dad?’ Heather looked at Nick.
‘It’s fine.’
‘They would rather poke their eyes out with a sharp stick than come shopping,’ said Heather, ‘unless it’s something they want, of course.’
‘I know that feeling,’ said Monica, recalling her trip to Ikea.
‘Honestly, it’s no trouble,’ said Nick. ‘I’ll drop them off later.’
Heather said her goodbyes and headed for the exit.
‘I hope she said nice things about me,’ said Nick grinning.
‘How much did you pay her?’ asked Liz.
‘No money exchanged hands I can assure you.’ Nick held up one hand as if swearing on the Bible. ‘She is just one of my many, many fans.’
‘She’s lovely,’ agreed Liz, ‘and she cares about you a lot.’
‘She does. I’m very lucky. Have you got time for breakfast?’ he added. ‘I promised Brad and Milly a fry up. There is a fantastic little place across the road. What do you think?’
Liz looked at Monica hopefully. ‘Fantastic,’ said Monica. ‘We’ve got all day to shop.’
‘Great,’ said Nick, ‘wait here while I try to find my grandson.’
Nick came back a few minutes later with Bradley. Despite his earlier reluctance to mix, once the phone had been prised out of his hands Bradley was an enthusiastic chatterbox. Tammy was even more impressed with Milly who was about to go to a festival with her friends for her sixteenth birthday.
‘No parents?’ Tammy repeated incredulously. It was clear she thought that Milly was the coolest. Monica could see she was taking it all in to store up as ammunition for future requests. There will be trouble ahead.
Milly was equally keen to know how Liz had met her granddad and was at pains to point out his good points. Liz was enjoying herself but at the same time it all felt a bit overwhelming. She also couldn’t help feeling a pang of jealousy when comparing Nick’s family relationships with her own, and as they chatted and laughed together she wondered where she’d gone wrong.
Breakfast seemed to fly by. It felt as if they were in and out in a flash, despite sitting at the table for an hour and half. It was getting on for lunch time and Liz and Monica had some serious shopping to do so they had to break up the gathering. Nick said goodbye to Monica and Tammy before pressing Liz’s hands in his and promising to call in the week. Milly gave them all a hug before they parted on the pavement outside.
‘I think I’ll invite Milly to my party,’ said Tammy, hoping to impress her friends by way of association with someone so grown up.
They had a really successful afternoon’s shopping. Monica was initially reluctant to employ the services of a personal shopper when she saw how stick thin she was, convinced that she would be unable to pick out clothes for someone bigger than a size ten. Instead she opted to go it alone and rely on Liz and Tammy for advice.
Despite dropping two and a bit dress sizes Monica still had a more curvaceous figure. Although for the most part she could now get into anything she wanted to wear the problem was she didn’t know what she wanted.
She gathered up a few bits to try on which included some dresses for going out (she had Kevin in mind) and pictured herself sitting opposite him in a romantic candlelit restaurant, looking glamorous and sexy. Trying on the dresses soon burst that bubble. They were not very flattering. They were the wrong shape for her shape so she swallowed her pride and called in the professional.
Two dresses and one handbag later they were on their way home. Tammy and Liz were exhausted. Monica could have shopped for England. She had acquired a new zest for shopping since losing weight. Liz declined the offer of dinner and opted to go home to a hot bath and the sofa instead. She just wanted to relax at home by herself for a while and think things through.
Chapter 22
As she lay in the bath she thought about calling some of their old friends, maybe even Jim’s sister. She had met Jim when she was very young and they had almost grown up together. Most of their friends were their friends as a couple. She had a few acquaintances, girls she had met at work and went out with occasionally, but no real close female friends. Until Eve that is. Eve was so kind when Jim died and Liz regretted not making more effort to be a better friend to Eve while Jim was alive.
When Jim was alive they had socialised a lot with other couples, most of who were still together. As nice as they were on the telephone it was apparent that she would not be welcome as a single entity, she would unbalance the group. They didn’t say so but there was a reluctance to commit, she could hear it in their voices when she suggested meeting up. She made a conscious decision to abandon any guilty feelings she harboured for not staying in touch. Life was too short. Her withdrawal from the old social collective was inevitable.
She reflected on how easy it was to lose your identity. She had almost disappeared, lost in grief and pulled back from the brink. She hadn’t thought much about friends when Jim was alive. She didn’t feel the need to make an effort, after all Jim had been her best friend. But what would she have done without Eve and now Monica, Tammy and Nick. She felt lucky to have a second chance and promised herself that she would never make the same mistake again.
The date for the party had been fixed for Sunday the nineteenth of August. Tammy’s birthday actually fell on the Wednesday before but weekends were easier for most people. Tammy had decided to design the invitations herself and was busy scouring the internet for suitable templates and pictures.
Liz spent almost an hour talking to Eve, telling her all about Monica and Tammy. She went through the changes to the garden, which she couldn’t do without mentioning the lovely boys from Fantasy Gardens who she now considered friends.
She didn’t mention Nick. She would hold him in reserve. She wasn’t entirely sure where it was going and she didn’t want to jinx it. Nick was so different to Jim and just thinking about him set her pulse racing in a way that she didn’t think possible at her age.
Eve was pleased to know that nice people were living in her house and that Liz had made some new friends. She had made great progress health wise and living in a bungalow meant that getting around was a lot easier. She wasn’t sure if she could make the party on the nineteenth as her daughters were planning
a holiday in Devon in August and the whole family would be going.
‘Lucky you,’ said Liz, knowing full well that a family holiday was unlikely to be something she would ever experience. They said their goodbyes and promised to meet up soon.
* * *
On Monday morning she thought about ringing Adam. She hated arguing with him and wanted to reassure him that she wasn’t about to give away her pension and that Nick was a really nice man who earned his own money. Adam would probably like him a lot if he gave him a chance. She decided to think about it a bit more before making the call.
Finn and Rory’s arrival interrupted her reverie. They were earlier than usual as they were expecting a delivery.
‘Morning.’ Finn’s musical voice wafted in through the window as Liz made a pot of tea and popped some crumpets into the toaster.
‘Morning boys,’ she replied.
‘How are you Mrs B?’ shouted Rory.
‘I’m great,’ said Liz, as she opened the back door and came out with the tray.
‘You’re too good to us,’ said Rory, picking up a crumpet and devouring half of it with one bite.
‘Philistine,’ hissed Finn, as he delicately pecked around the edges of his. Liz joined them on the patio and sat drinking tea and laughing as they batted good humoured insults back and forth.
* * *
Monica had made arrangements to meet Kevin for lunch on Tuesday and was already planning what to wear and where to go. That was until she received a text from him an hour later apologising. He said that something urgent had come up at work and he would have to cancel lunch. He asked if she was free for dinner on Friday instead. She did a little dance on the spot before calling Liz to ask if she could look after Tammy. It was no problem. Excited, she sent him a text confirming that Friday would be fine.
* * *
The garden was coming on spectacularly well. All the pathways and raised beds were now in place. The summer house had been erected at the back of the garden, no glass in the windows yet but you could see the effect. Rory had run the electrics for the fountain and the lights and Finn was busy planting. Liz surveyed the garden and felt happy and a little lighter, as if a huge weight had been lifted. She smiled to herself. ‘What do you think Jim?’’ she said in a whisper, looking up to the sky. ‘I think it will be wonderful.’
* * *
Friday came round fast. Monica decided not to mention Tammy to Kevin, nor Kevin to Tammy. It was much too soon. After all this was their first proper date and she didn’t want to complicate things. She let herself in the side gate to find Tammy and Liz in the garden planting Lavender to edge the border where the summer house sat overlooking the garden. Liz had tea and biscuits waiting on the table.
Monica told Tammy that she was going out with some friends from work. Tammy was disappointed it wasn’t a date. She was keen for Monica to find someone.
‘Mind if I weigh in before I sit down?’ said Monica in a rush.
‘Go ahead,’ shouted Liz, ‘I’ll pour the tea.’
Monica came back out into the garden grinning. Liz and Tammy looked at her expectantly. ‘Well?’ they said together.
‘I’m down to a size twelve.’ She was really pleased with herself. ‘I’m back to my old weight.’
‘That’s amazing,’ said Liz. ‘Well done. Would you like a biscuit to celebrate?’
‘Yes please,’ said Monica smugly, ‘but only one.’
‘What are you wearing?’ asked Liz.
‘I can wear almost anything I want to now,’ said Monica, ‘but I think I’ll wear the red dress.’
‘I’ll do your hair,’ Tammy volunteered.
‘That would be lovely,’ said Monica hugging her, before going off to get dressed.
Liz had made quiche and salad for dinner and set the table in the garden. Tammy loved eating outdoors. They had just finished putting the dishes in the sink as Monica rang the bell. Liz opened the door to find Monica posing with her hands on her hips. She was wearing a deep red dress and high heels and the dress complimented her dark brown skin and flattered her curves.
‘You look amazing,’ said Tammy, taken aback a little. She looked more like her mother than ever, except for the hair.
Monica had done the usual; that is she fiddled about with it for ten minutes or so before losing patience and scraping it up into a bun.
‘It ruins the look,’ said Tammy with authority. She set about straightening Monica’s frizzy mane, finally taming it into a sleek style which totally transformed her face, making it appear longer and thinner. When Monica looked in the mirror she couldn’t believe it.
‘Wow. I hardly recognise myself. Thank you so much.’ She squeezed her arms around Tammy’s shoulders. ‘I love it.’
‘Told you,’ said Tammy. ‘You should trust me more.’
‘Have a fantastic time and enjoy yourself,’ said Liz.
‘I’ll be back around eleven o’clock,’ shouted Monica, as she got into her car.
‘Don’t worry. Tammy can stay over, it’s no trouble.’
Tammy liked having Liz all to herself. They washed up together and then looked through Liz’s small collection of DVD’s. Tammy found Pride and Prejudice which they had both watched a few months back. Liz had seen it four or five times but she loved it so they snuggled down on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn to be mesmerized by Mr Darcy.
* * *
Monica was late. She managed to catch every red light on her way to the restaurant. Kevin had suggested picking her up but she didn’t want to risk Tammy seeing him so arranged to meet him there. She turned into the street but there was nowhere to park. Damn. She was getting agitated. ‘It’s a bad omen,’ she started to worry.
Luckily, as she turned the corner a car was just pulling out and her little Nissan could slip in without the need to parallel park. She was relieved. She’d never been good at parking. A good omen. She locked the car and walked towards the restaurant as it started to rain. ‘Two to one to the bad omens,’ she thought to herself.
The restaurant was dimly lit and intimate. She felt self-conscious as she pushed open the door she hoped and prayed that Kevin would be there. She needn’t have worried. He was sitting on a sofa next to the small bar having a drink. He stood up as soon as he saw her and came towards her, smiling.
‘You look great,’ he said, reaching for her hand.
‘Thank you,’ said Monica, feeling a bit like a princess.
‘Would you like a drink or shall we sit down at the table?’
‘Can we go to the table?’ said Monica, allowing herself to be led. This was her reward for starving herself for the past few months.
‘I hope you like Italian.’ He pulled out her seat for her to sit down.
‘I do,’ Monica gushed.
He scrubbed up really well. He was wearing a suit. She caught the scent of his aftershave as he kissed her on the cheek and it made her feel slightly lightheaded. She still fancied him like mad. ‘Steady girl,’ she thought to herself. It had been so long since she had been on a date and she had to fight the urge to climb across the table and ravage him.
She looked at the menu and was grateful that the Italian dishes had English subtitles underneath which made ordering so much easier.
‘Have you been here before?’ she enquired.
‘A couple of times.’ He peered at her over the top of the menu.
‘What would you recommend?’
‘I’m a bit boring I’m afraid,’ he said. ‘I always have the same thing, Chicken al Forno.’
She briefly considered spaghetti bolognaise but recalled the trouble she had eating it when she had made it for Liz. She pictured herself with spaghetti worms sticking out of her mouth as she struggled to keep them in check. Not a good look for a first date. She decided on penne arrabiata instead, neat, fork sized bits of pasta she could manipulate easily.
Kevin had already ordered a mixed starter of olives and roasted vegetables and a bottle of Chianti. The decision to drive also meant
that she would be unable to drink too much wine. She needed to have a completely clear head. She didn’t want to risk making a fool of herself or letting her guard down. First date rules included not getting too drunk so you’re not tempted to sleep with him. She fancied him too much to risk it.
The waiter brought the food and Monica was very grateful that it was easy to eat. However the chef overdid the chillies in the arrabiata sauce. She could feel the steam coming out of her ears, it was so hot.
She tried to skim the sauce off the pasta before taking each bite without making it too obvious. Kevin didn’t notice, he was too busy eating his chicken and talking about his project. In the end she gave up and merely pushed the pasta around the plate rather than risk the need to fan her mouth which felt like it was on fire.
Despite the diet she ordered ice cream for dessert. She was still hungry after leaving half of the pasta and, besides, she needed to cool down.
After dinner they sat at the table chatting. Kevin expanded on his idea for a new web-based app and was really keen to find a buyer. He talked so much about his work he barely asked her any questions for which Monica was grateful. She wasn’t ready to talk about Joanna or Tammy and she was happy not to be thinking of sad things that would bring down her mood.
There was only one other couple left in the restaurant at the end of the evening and the waiters had begun stacking the chairs ready to lock up.
‘Would you like to come back to my flat for coffee? It’s just around the corner?’ Had she drunk a couple of glasses of wine the sensible Monica would be consigned to a deep dungeon while the reckless Monica would enjoy an evening of carnal pleasure. But the stone cold sober Monica panicked a little. She imagined Joanna sitting on her shoulder and whispering words of wisdom in her ear, ‘If he’s getting free milk he has no need to buy the cow’.
‘I can’t,’ she spluttered. ‘I’ve got something important on in the morning and I need to be alert.’
He made a sad face. ‘Just for a little while,’ he pouted.
Lavender Girl Page 22