“Right. OK.” His voice was brusque, distant. “Well, that was weird,” he said.
“Yes—sorry, I got confused. Let’s speak in the week.”
“Sure. Give my love to the little man, won’t you?”
“Of course.”
Kat hung up, feeling a little bruised from the interaction with Jake, as fraught as when they’d talked in Edinburgh.
So nothing had changed, after all.
In the living room, she looked at the tickets on the mantelpiece. If Jake hadn’t sent them, who had?
41
Saturday, October 11
The seahorses glided about the tank, bouncing and gracefully entwining their tails around the fronds of seaweed.
“Do you know what’s special about them?” Kat said, playing idly with her son’s hair.
“They have magical tails?”
“Yes. There is that. But there’s something else too . . .”
“Horse faces?”
“And that. It’s also that the daddy seahorses are the ones who carry the babies.”
“Really?” Leo said, his eyes widening. He peered closer, pressing his face up against the glass. “They all have fat tummies. Are they all having babies?”
“I don’t think so,” Kat laughed. “I think that’s just the way they look.”
“Hi, Kat.”
Kat looked up and saw Adam standing beside them. Their eyes met. Her heart was racing, and she hoped desperately that it wasn’t obvious. She hadn’t seen him since the night they’d kissed, but as he smiled any awkwardness between them disappeared. It was good to see him again. His presence was calm and steady.
“Hello there,” she said.
“How are you enjoying the visit?” Adam asked them both.
“We’re having a brilliant time, aren’t we, Leo?”
“It’s the best day ever,” he said.
Kat turned back to Adam. “It’s nice to see you. What brings you here?”
“I had to see a man about a penguin. And I thought I’d come and say hi.”
Then the realization dawned on Kat, and she wondered how she’d ever missed it. “It was you, wasn’t it?” Kat said, narrowing her eyes playfully. “You were the one who sent us the tickets, weren’t you?”
“Yes,” Adam said. “I remembered you saying that Leo was into this kind of thing, and well—I do get the odd perk in my line of work.”
“Thank you, Adam. It was very thoughtful of you. Leo’s been wanting to come for ages.”
“You’re welcome.” Their eyes met, and Kat felt drawn to him, just as she had the night of the party.
“Have you got time to stop by the café afterward?” he asked.
She opened her mouth to make an excuse, but none came. Instead, she nodded.
“Yes,” Kat said, smiling. “Why not?”
An hour later, Kat and Adam were in the café, Leo off chatting to the woman at the counter about how he had met the dolphins in their pool.
“We’ve had a very special day,” Kat said to Adam. “Thank you again. The dolphin meet was just brilliant.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Adam said. “It’s fun to meet a boy like Leo who’s interested in the same things as me. I’m not sure quite what that says about my mental age . . .” He laughed.
“I spend so much time talking to Leo I sometimes forget how to have an adult conversation,” Kat said. “And you know what—I rarely miss it.”
He nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. Zoe’s far more grown up than me these days, though.”
“How is she?”
“Good,” Adam said. “We’ve been talking about secondary schools. I can’t really get my head round where the time’s gone, but she’s going next year.”
“Is there somewhere in particular she’s keen on?”
“Up until quite recently she had her heart set on going to a boarding school.”
Kat raised an eyebrow. “I’m not judging, but . . .”
“I know. I was surprised too. And that’s before we even go into how on earth I’d afford it. I told myself she was reading too much Mallory Towers, but I don’t know. Anyway, she’s gone off the idea all of a sudden. Which makes me wonder if what she was really interested in was escaping.”
“And now?”
“She’s so much more settled at home. I can’t explain it. It’s the little things. Séraphine makes sure we always sit down and eat meals together. Before she came, I’d grab a coffee in the mornings and Zoe would be eating her cereal. Even with the best of intentions we’d only say a few words to each other some days. We make time for one another now.”
“That’s good. So, now that she’s gone off the idea of boarding school, where are you thinking of?”
“You know—and this is funny—she wants to go to Parkview Comp.”
Kat smiled at the memory of the school she, Adam and Euan had all gone to. “That is funny.”
“Yes. Some of her friends are going there, which is really all she cares about.”
“You’re pleased, aren’t you?”
“I had some good times there. Didn’t you?”
Kat nodded. “I have some good memories.”
“I know you were younger, but you always seemed the cool one.” Adam smiled at the memory. “You had this aura. As if you didn’t need to follow what everyone else was doing.”
“Ha!” Kat laughed. “Well, I suppose I wasn’t in any of the cliques, but it wasn’t because I was cool. In fact, I spent most of my time feeling like an outsider. I spent all my time reading books. Still do.”
“Well, you seem to have plenty of friends these days. I know Séraphine feels she’s found soul mates in you and Charlie.”
Kat smiled. “Yes. I feel the same. We’re going to see Charlie in London next weekend. It’ll be nice to catch up.”
“That sounds fun.”
Kat turned to see Leo was skidding on the floor on his knees. “Leo, come on. Up.” She hurried over to him and got him on his feet again.
“We’ve lost a lot of trousers this way,” she explained to Adam. “I think it’s time for us to go.”
“Shop!” Leo chimed in.
“Yes, we can go to the shop first,” she said, before turning back to Adam. “Thanks again.”
She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, closing her eyes for a moment as her cheek touched his, the trace of stubble, the faint smell of aftershave. It felt good, being close to him. She remembered how it had felt to kiss him, that night at the party, and she realized how much she wanted that to happen again.
As she pulled away, their eyes met.
“See you soon . . . Maybe somewhere with more wine and less marine life,” he said with a smile.
42
Thursday, October 16
In her living room, Charlie opened the box Letty had given her back at the tearoom. It was too late to use anything in the feature—finished copies of the magazine were already in—but she was still curious. She wanted to have a look before sending it back, with a note of thanks. She took out a 1970s map of the town and smiled as she saw the locations that had become so familiar to her. The street with the old cinema on it, and Rosa’s, where she and Euan had drunk coffee together.
She delved back into the box and sifted through cards from customers thanking Letty’s parents, Julia and Leon, for their hospitality and the fine scones, as well as personal correspondence, invoices from suppliers, photocopies of the deeds.
She was distracted by a ping on her iPad as a new e-mail appeared.
Her heart thudded in her chest as she saw Euan’s name, for the first time since they’d said good-bye to each other almost two weeks ago. She clicked to open it.
Hey Charlie,
I’ve been trying to forget what happened between the two of us—as you made it cl
ear you wanted us to.
But the thing is—I can’t.
I can’t stop thinking about you. I know I felt a connection between us. That’s not something that happens often—at least not to me.
I don’t want to give up. I want to give this, us—whatever that is—a chance. Yes, there are a few miles (OK, quite a few miles) on a motorway between us. But that doesn’t mean we have to let this slip away.
I want to see you laugh again.
Euan x
Closing the message, she sat back on her sofa and let his words slowly sink in. He’d seen through her. He’d felt the same connection she had, and he hadn’t bought her attempt to brush their encounter off as nothing serious. He was brave, where she’d been cowardly. And she couldn’t help thinking that he was the one in the right.
The next day at work, Charlie dressed for her new role in a smart gray suit with an ivory-colored blouse underneath. She spoke up in the meetings she’d often kept quiet in, and talked her new assistant through what she’d need help with. Jess was still in the editor’s office until the new year, but she’d already started to hand over to Charlie, and as far as the Indulge team was concerned, the switch had already happened. After lunch Charlie sat down at her desk and began brainstorming ideas for the next edition. As she worked, her thoughts about Euan could be pushed to one side. His e-mail was still unanswered.
Ben tapped her on the shoulder and passed her a coffee. “Peace offering,” he said, with a smile.
She took it reluctantly, feeling the same uncomfortable mix of irritation and anxiety she’d experienced the last time they’d talked. But she reasoned that if they were going to work in the same office it was easier to be civil.
“How about I take you out for a drink to celebrate your promotion?” he said.
Charlie shook her head, putting the coffee to one side. “No. No way.” She felt a rush of power as she realized the words had come out just the way she’d wanted them to—clear and assertive.
Ben’s face fell. “Why not?”
Charlie looked back at him. “Do you really have to ask?”
“What happened—well, it’s all water under the bridge now, isn’t it?” he said. “Don’t you want to move on, be friends? We work together, after all.”
He looked so pathetic, standing there on his own, failing to comprehend her rejection of his friendship. His shirt was cheap and synthetic, fitting too tightly over his chest. Charlie wondered what she’d ever seen in him.
“I want to move on, yes,” Charlie said calmly. “But I don’t want to be friends. My life is infinitely better without you in it.”
She noticed that people working at the desks around her had fallen silent, and their eyes were all on her and Ben.
“Come on,” Ben said, lowering his voice. “Be reasonable, Charlie. Don’t be a cow.”
“No, you’re the one who needs to be reasonable, Ben. You took me for a fool. You lied to me, you cheated on me, and you humiliated me. I’m lucky enough to know what true friendship is—respect, support, kindness. I don’t think you’re even capable of those things.”
Ben’s mouth was agape.
“You’re being harsh,” he said, almost under his breath.
Jess was watching from her doorway, a huge smile on her face—and a couple of Charlie’s other colleagues were discreetly giving her the thumbs-up.
As she looked at Ben, a small, floundering man, trying to find a way to erase his wrongdoing through forgiveness, she felt a wave of relief. She’d escaped marriage with him. The hurt she’d felt hadn’t been a broken heart but a deep sense of humiliation and wounded pride. At last she could see him for what he was—pathetic, needy and shallow. She no longer felt tied to him in any way whatsoever.
“No, Ben. Trust me, you don’t want to see me when I’m being harsh.”
43
Friday, October 17
From: Séraphine
To: Kat and Charlie
Re: LONDON. Can’t wait to see you!
Hello you two,
It’s tomorrow!
I wanted to say how much I’m looking forward to seeing you again in London before I leave—it will be the perfect farewell to England, and to you, my good friends.
Séraphine x
* * *
From: Kat
Hey you two,
Can’t wait to see you both. Charlie—hope it’s going well back at the office. We have so much to catch up on! See you at the station at eight tomorrow, Séraphine.
Kx
44
Saturday, October 18
Charlie, Séraphine and Kat walked across Green Park in the crisp winter sunshine, chatting happily as they made their way toward the Strand.
“London’s exactly how I pictured it,” Séraphine said, passing the queues outside the Royal Academy of Art. “I’ve wanted to come here since I was a teenager, hooked on watching Love, Actually.”
“Oh, it’s every bit as romantic as that,” Charlie said. “That’s exactly what my life is like!” She smiled.
There was a spring in Séraphine’s step as she passed the Ritz and snapped a photo. “I’ve only got a fortnight left of being a tourist and I need to take advantage of it.”
“So where is it you’re taking us, Charlie? You’ve been very mysterious about it all,” Kat said.
“Here we are.” Charlie pointed to the sumptuous displays in Fortnum and Mason’s windows. “One of the finest afternoon teas in the city.”
They walked inside and Séraphine looked eagerly at the hand-crafted chocolates and tables laden with fine treats and boxes of tea.
“My parents would love some things from here,” she said.
“We’ll have time to shop later,” Charlie said. “Right now we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
The lift climbed to the top of the building, opening onto a spectacularly elegant high-ceilinged reception area of the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. After giving Charlie’s name, they were seated by the window with a view overlooking the tall buildings of central London, and Charlie gave the waitress their order.
“I’ve got a surprise for you both,” she said. She bent down to rummage in her bag. She took out copies of Indulge magazine, glossy and bright, with a picture of a teacup on the front. “Ta-da! It’s hot off the presses.”
“It’s out!” Kat said delightedly.
“These are early copies. I practically snatched them out of the hands of our production manager so that I could bring them to you. It’ll be in the shops next week.”
Kat flicked through the pages, seeing her and Charlie’s words in type next to photos of the places they had visited. “It looks gorgeous.”
“Here, see—both of your names are in print.”
“And this is the feature you wrote? The history of the Seafront?” Kat asked.
“Yes—I had to get it in somehow, it wouldn’t have been right to leave it out. But don’t worry—I haven’t given away too much, and I ran it all past Letty first. Here, I’ve got another copy for you to give to her.”
“It’s so . . . real now,” Kat said, holding it in her hands.
“And there’s something else, Kat. Indulge was delighted with your writing and they’re very keen to use you again. It would be on a freelance basis, so I can’t guarantee a regular income, but it should be interesting work when it happens. Would you be up for that?”
Kat could hardly believe what she was hearing. Here was an opportunity to earn money doing what she loved—it was no longer a distant dream, it was something that was actually happening to her.
“Yes,” she said, a smile spreading across her face. “You’re serious about this?”
“Of course,” Charlie said. “You’ve certainly proved yourself.”
“This is amazing.” Kat was almost numb with the surprise of it.
“You deserve it,” Charlie said. “We’d be lucky to have you.”
“Congratulations,” Séraphine said, giving her friend a squeeze.
“Thank you,” Kat said, beaming. “So, is everything going well at the magazine?”
“Yes, I’ve settled right back into London life,” Charlie said. “It’s busy, since I got the promotion, but that’s how I like it.”
“No regrets about coming back, then?” Kat asked innocently.
“What do you mean?”
“Just a hunch.” Kat shrugged.
Charlie’s voice took on a cooler tone. “If you’re talking about Euan—and I know you are—then I’m completely committed to my decision. I’ve been working toward this promotion for years.”
“If you say so,” Kat said, and she and Séraphine exchanged glances.
“Don’t look at each other like that. I’m not about to throw it all away.”
“Has he been in touch?” asked Kat.
“Yes,” Charlie said, toying with her spoon. “He sent an e-mail.”
“And what did you say?” Séraphine asked, her eyes lighting up.
“I haven’t replied yet.”
“It seems a shame to let it all go,” said Kat. “I could have sworn there was something special happening between you two.”
“I haven’t replied to him because I don’t know what to say,” Charlie told them, letting her guard down a little. “It feels easier to just say nothing at all.”
Who’s having the last macaroon?” Kat asked an hour later. “Everyone’s being far too polite.”
“You have it,” Charlie said. “I couldn’t eat another thing.”
“Macaroons are one of the few things I’ll be able to get back home. I’m happy to let it go,” Séraphine said.
“How’s Letty doing?” Charlie asked.
“Good,” Kat said. “She’s helping my dad out with Leo later—she wanted to be sure I’d come down and see you. It’s so nice to have a day off and relax with you two. It’s a real escape.”
The Seafront Tearoom Page 22