by Kitty Wilson
‘So, if I understand what you just said, you don’t have a boyfriend then, but someone thinks that you’re his girlfriend?’ Hema jumped in with the question that everyone wanted to ask.
‘That’s about it.’
‘But you’re not his girlfriend.’
‘No.’
‘Well, don’t you think you should make it clear?’
Pippa looked straight across at Kam who was watching her, an inscrutable expression on his face as he waited for her answer.
‘Yes, I should, I know. And I have but he’s not listening. I know I have to be firmer. It’s just it’s not, well… there’s more to consider than just me.’
‘Like my brother.’
‘No, not your brother! Your brother has nothing to do with it.’
‘Hema, leave her alone. Come on, let’s get going!’ Kam marched down towards the main building, a modern structure that housed the information about the theatre below.
Pippa fell behind, reluctant to have things hanging unresolved and fell in step with Hema to try and explain herself slightly better.
‘I know it sounds bizarre, and you’re right, it is odd, but the thing is… it’s my mum. She has her heart set on this relationship being a success. She’s planning grandchildren. She’s even picked out the outfit for the wedding…’
‘Hahaha. This sounds familiar.’
‘And I have to get her to understand it’s not happening, but she’s not listening. He is her best friend’s son. I have to manage this carefully so our families don’t get caught up in a whole heap of miscommunication and fall out.’
‘It sounds like there may be a fair bit of that already.’ Hema scuffed the path with her foot as they were walking, and Pippa nodded.
‘You’re right, there is. But not really between me and him. I’m quite clear with him. I have really laid it on the line but it’s like he thinks it’s one big game. Either that or his ego is so ginormous he simply can’t comprehend that I am not interested at all.’
‘What does my brother think of this?’ Pippa was startled again. Hema obviously thought Kam was more involved in her personal life than he was. Whilst Pippa might enjoy daydreaming about him being all up close and personal, it wasn’t something that was happening or that she would allow to happen, and her desires were not something she was going to confide in his little sister when she had no intention of mentioning them to Kam himself.
‘I don’t know. I haven’t really talked to him about it. It’s kinda between me and James and our families. Kam’s great, but he’s a colleague so probably not going to ask him to weigh in on my love life, or lack of it.’
‘Hmmm.’ Hema’s response sounded just like many of Kam’s.
‘Do all your family make that noise?’
‘Yeah. It drives me mad when the others do it. They make it sound so meaningful, and then other times it’s like I’m literally hovering above myself hearing myself doing it as part of me is shouting, “Stop, stop right now, that’s so irritating.”’
‘I like it. It’s nice to have a family thing.’
‘Do you have a family thing?’
‘Yes, we like walloping each other with tea-towels, in a playful way,’ Pippa clarified.
‘It’s okay. I know what you mean, I didn’t picture you all sitting around nursing wounds. We do that too.’
‘Yes, I saw you pinch your sister in the car,’ Pippa giggled. She would have done the same to Pete or Polly.
‘I can’t help it. Put us all in that thing and it’s like being seven again. If she had pigtails I would have pulled those too,’ Hema giggled.
They reached the building, and Pippa gave them time to wander through and read the big information boards that outlined the history, before heading outside to the theatre itself.
Carved into the cliff it was something that couldn’t help but wow you as you stood there. The stage was made entirely of stone as were the benches for the audience. The sea, vast and open and elemental, provided the most breathtaking backdrop, one that Pippa knew from experience could often distract from the play being performed below. She also knew that although the theatre was nothing short of spectacular, bringing a cushion, a blanket and a flask was vital to help keep out the nip of the wind. Romantic it may be, but there was nothing like the bite of a cold sea breeze to kill that romance dead.
Not that cold or wind were present today. Today the sea had a turquoise sheen that made it look tropical, inviting, like it was sitting there for human admiration and perfect photographs.
Pippa sat on a bench at the top, watching Anuja’s face as she took it all in. Her gaze flicked to Kam who was deep in conversation with Ben, a conversation which involved more than the odd look flicked in her direction. She wished she knew what they were saying. She wondered if they were discussing her and, if they were, what they were saying. Would it be along the lines of ‘that Pippa’s a gem, a definite keeper’ rather than ‘that Pippa is a complete freak, run my friend, run now!’
Or maybe they weren’t talking about her at all and she was just making up nonsense because part of her wanted Kam to be saying lovely things about her. Part of her wanted Kam to be thinking of her as she did about him pretty much all of the time and definitely as her head hit the pillow in the evenings. But another part… another part of her was wondering if her friends and her mum were right all along, and she was just terrified: terrified of messing things up, of starting a relationship that may not work, of upsetting her happy life by messing around with someone involved in her work, of harbouring a crush she didn’t think was reciprocated. It was all too confusing, although, as long as she could keep it in her head and not let it overspill into actual life, she had a chance to manage it without upsetting the applecart.
She knew that despite her brave words about not being ready, she wanted to settle down with someone. She was ready but finding the right person was such a gamble. Her mum and dad had got lucky and she wasn’t sure she could expect that to happen twice. The advice the world gave was so confusing, ranging from the pessimistic ‘You never truly know somebody’ to the more optimistic ‘When you know, you know’. All she knew for sure was that, right now, she didn’t really know anything.
As their group returned, her phone binged. Pulling it out of her pocket she saw it was from Lottie. The others stood there for a moment breathing in the beauty of this particular part of the coast, so she quickly read the message.
Oh wow! You are not going to believe what I’ve heard. Make sure you come find me when you get home. I can’t wait to see your face. But as ever, Pippsy, you were right.
Pippa read it twice. Had Lottie found out something she could use against James in the battle with her mum? That would be awesome. What could it be?
She pulled herself back to the moment. Anuja was still looking at the stage in awe, no doubt imagining herself in a flowy gown, hurling herself dramatically from one side of the stage to the other. Whereas Nisha was staring out over the cliffs to the turquoise sea and sandy beach next door.
‘It’s beautiful, like, really beautiful. Can we go down there?’
‘I’m not sure that was on Pippa’s plan,’ Kam jumped in.
‘No, but plans are like rules and made to be broken.’ She winked at Kam’s oldest sister, ‘Porthcurno is absolutely breathtaking and there’s no real reason we can’t go and explore the beach. If I remember rightly it’s just down the coast path, bit of a steep hill but shouldn’t take too long. It’s fascinating actually. Not only is it mind-blowingly beautiful and looks like it should be part of a tropical paradise somewhere far away, it’s also where they put the first underground cables to communicate with America in 1870-something or other. Let’s go explore, if everyone wants to?’
The walk down to the beach, a narrow path dry in the good weather and sprigged with tufts of grass, curled along the line of the coast. The path itself was unsteady and made more difficult to walk by the fact that it was next to impossible to tear your eyes away from the sc
ene laid out in front of you. The sea was bright and clear, a myriad of blues and greens making up the turquoise that was a siren call to anyone with a soul; there were children splashing, and adults lying on their backs or sculling across the cove and looking up at the cliffs made up of multicoloured strata and scattered with grass and wildflowers.
Geeta and her daughters’ voices tumbled over each other as they headed down towards the beach, claiming that this could be somewhere in the Pacific Ocean rather than part of the UK mainland.
Pippa and Kam were walking close together as they headed down, as if there was some kind of elastic bond between the two of them which meant that neither could stray far from the other for very long before they were pinged back together. Pippa was giggling – her concerns from earlier firmly put to the back of her head – and leaning into Kam as she pointed out some children mischievously throwing buckets of water over each other as they stood at the edge of the waves. Suddenly she felt her ankle twist in a dip, sending her body careering off at an angle, stumbling right by the cliff edge.
Kam moved like lightening and before anyone else had realised what was happening his arm had shot out, swooped around her and brought her back in safely. She grabbed his arm as he did so, trying to right herself on the bumpy path. Her ankle was fine but her body was shocked, not just by the near fall but also by its response to Kam’s touch. An electric shock had seared through her body, making the whole of her tingle from tip to toe. She had never felt anything like it and she stared up at him, frozen to the spot as the lust puddled through her, overwhelming her. Her mind was in meltdown, her heart was pounding as she tried to thank him, whilst their hands were still holding each other, as if that was exactly where their hands should always be. Breathing in deeply, she could capture not just the salty tang of the sea air, but the smell of Kam. The woody undertones of his aftershave combined with the very core scent of him.
He made no move to change position nor to stop looking at her. Her blonde hair flicked across her face in the breeze, her eyes big and blue and communicating so much as she stared up at him.
Pippa realised, in that moment that she was brave, and she was an optimist. There was no going back, job or not. What she felt for this man was something special, something different from all her other relationships, something that she was not going to walk away from until she knew, definitively, whether this man looking at her, heart and soul on display, felt the same.
Chapter Thirty-one
What an epic day. Thank you so much. My mum and sisters had a great time.
Thank you for letting me join in with your family. I had the best time too. You’re right, it felt like being with my own family with all the teasing.
What was your favourite bit?
Looking at you. Delete, delete.
Um, so much. Probably the bow and arrow battle in the prehistoric village.
That was so much fun, such a good idea bringing the toy bow and arrows. Although I thought with the fuss Ben was making we’d had his eye out.
Right, when he sank to his knees like that, wailing. For nothing! Has he ever considered a career in football?
Ouch. I shan’t tell him you said that.
Well, our children in class are braver. Oh, but I loved St Ives as well.
Right? That restaurant on the beach was beautiful.
So were you when you put that blanket around your mum’s shoulders. And made sure everyone’s drink was topped up, and insisted that you wanted pudding because you could see Hema’s face as she looked at the dessert menu and panicked no one else would join her. Pippa didn’t even bother typing that, just thought it. And swooned a bit. Before behaving herself and typing something innocuous instead.
One of my favourites. They say the light in St Ives is special, hence all the artists. And watching the sun go down from that terrace; that was def a high point.
My mum loved the fact she got to visit Land’s End as well.
I gathered that. She made me take about a hundred photos.
She really likes you. She told me. Quite a lot.
I really like her too.
But I like her son more. And how much does she like me, exactly?
It was the best day. Exactly how summer half term should be.
It was. And they go home soon too. I was worried about this visit and you’ve made it fab, so thank you.
Absolute pleasure. Best. Day. Ever. Now let me sleep, I’ve got my own mother to deal with tomorrow.
Good luck. Anything I can help with?
Can you hide outside the window and pass me gin at pertinent moments?
I can try.
I’ll let you off the hook. But thanks for being willing.
Okay, night night. See you soon.
Night night. Sweet dreams.
Night night. Sleep tight.
Only minutes later, Pippa exhausted by a full day as well as an evening full of exciting news fell asleep in her bed, phone clutched in her hand and a great big grin on her face.
Chapter Thirty-two
‘Thanks for helping me organise all this, mum.’
‘That’s a pleasure, love. You know I never mind helping. I’m still coming tomorrow as well, aren’t I?’
‘Yes, if you don’t mind. But I think that’s the bulk of it sorted for today. It’s never looked so organised. I’ll be a bit reluctant to take them out of the boxes to display them tomorrow.’
‘Well, it could have hardly been any messier.’
‘Mean. And I was going to put the kettle on for you whilst you put your feet up.’ Pippa stood in her mum’s living room, surveying the great big pile of plastic boxes complete with lids and now full to bursting with all of her stock. She had a huge vintage clothing and craft fair coming up tomorrow. Held in a large local hotel it drew visitors from all over Cornwall and beyond, and she had needed a little bit of a sort out, to create a semblance of order before the day itself. At one point her mother had even taken her life in her hands by delving into the back of Pippa’s car and rifling for anything that could be considered further stock. She earnt brownie points by doing it without tutting, something Pippa wouldn’t have thought possible.
Now the job was done Pippa braced herself for the real task of the day: sitting her mother down and getting her to accept that there would be no wedding, or babies, on the horizon for the foreseeable future, and certainly not with James, was not going to be easy.
Lottie’s delving on the other hand had unearthed more than they had bargained for. Way more than they had bargained for. It turned out that one of Lottie’s old uni friends was working for the Financial Conduct Authority, the role of which she had explained to Pippa the night before with a shake of her head. She had confided that Simone, her friend, had been amazing and had told her way more than she probably should have. The main point was that James’ firm was currently under investigation. Simone had a few choice words to say about James as well, none of which were much of a surprise to Pippa. She had a feeling she and Simone might get on.
And that wasn’t all. Lottie had also tracked down pictures of James on Instagram, posted by his friend, that pictured them spending their fraudulently obtained wealth in a particularly insalubrious fashion.
After a perfect day spent with Kam and his family, Pippa had returned home from dinner with them to discover all of this from her very smug-looking flatmate. There had been a lot of dancing around the kitchen table as they had celebrated Lottie’s genius.
Now all she had to do was tell her mum.
‘Here you are, a nice cup of tea, and I’ve grabbed us some of your shortbread. Is anyone else about? The house is ever so quiet.’
‘No, love. Polly is out in Roscarrock; she took her guitar, muttered something at us and headed out ever so early, and I think your brother is in Plymouth today for the match. Your dad’s about somewhere, probably the shed, which he uses as an excuse to escape from the things I need done around the house. That cupboard door in the bathroom is still wonky. He doesn
’t seem in the slightest bit inclined to fix it. He just gets that glazed look if I ask him to look at it and then, poof, I don’t see him for hours.’
‘That’s alright isn’t it? It gives us time to chat anyway.’
‘True. Did you want to talk about something specific, love? You seem to be building up to something.’
‘Okay, I can’t get much past you. I do and I want you to hear me out before you interrupt or say anything. Ready?’
‘Ready. Although I do think—’
‘Nah, nah, nah. No thinking, just listening, or do I have to stuff so much shortbread in your mouth that you won’t be able to talk until I’ve finished?’
‘Ready. I’ll be as quiet as a church mouse.’
Pippa’s friend, Alice, spent a lot of time helping out in the village church and had fairly vocal views about the church mice, but Pippa decided now was not the time to bring that up. Plus, her mum had her most innocent I’m-going-to-do-my-best face on and it made Pippa melt a little bit.
‘Okay, now I know you have big plans for me, and I love that you care so much and all of that, but this relationship fantasy you have about me and James… no, no, no, do not say a word. Quickly close your mouth. You promised! Okay, thank you. James and I are never going to work, largely because he’s an arsehole. I don’t ever want to sleep with him and we could never build a happy ever after.’
‘Well, really.’
‘Oh hush, you’ve had three children, none of this a-relationship-is-about-more-than-sex nonsense. I know that’s true, of course it is, but you still have to have a flutter and the only flutter I have when I think of James feels distinctly more gastrointestinal in nature than romantic. He is a not a nice person underneath that veneer of charm, and I am not going along with this ridiculous charade any longer.’