by Rebecca Pugh
After a few more moments of unsure lingering, Laurie took a deep breath and began walking towards the door with trepidation. It was dark outside and the car park was empty, but there was something about Sunset Bay, she wasn’t entirely sure what, that ensured she didn’t feel scared about being there by herself. Despite the darkness and being the only person there, she didn’t feel threatened, as if no harm could reach her. It could have been something to do with the fact that Mia was in the diner somewhere, her little sister who she hadn’t set eyes on since Grandma Dolly’s funeral.
Laurie pushed open the diner door and was immediately taken aback by the scene within. It was like a diner house-party. There were balloons and banners everywhere, people squished into every space available and incredibly loud music that had people shouting at each other in order to be heard over the top of it.
She allowed the door to close behind her and studied the faces of the people closest to her, congregating in small groups here, there and everywhere. She realised that she was going to need to push through them to get to the other side of the diner and her stomach did a somersault. Mia, her baby sister, was in here somewhere, hidden amid the groups, and she needed to find her, no matter how difficult the task may seem.
Laurie took a deep breath and stepped towards the groups, slipping through any available gaps whenever they appeared. Drinks were in hands, paper plates full of food in others, and there were costumes-aplenty as she passed through. A fair few were dressed up as Elvis and the women had stepped into the most beautiful 50s-style dresses, their hair and make-up matching the era perfectly. If she hadn’t been so nervous she would definitely have stopped to admire them more closely, from top to toe, but, as it was, her heart was picking up speed with every step she took and she didn’t feel she had the patience to stop and stare. The sooner she located Mia in the hive of activity the better for them both.
Just as Laurie was stepping through a particularly noisy group of party guests, she spotted Mia and almost tripped over on the hem of one guest’s dress. She apologised breathlessly, trying desperately not to lose sight of Mia for fear of having to search for her once more. She burst through the group and finally found herself with a little extra space to breathe, eyes moving from left to right as she tried to find the familiar face. And then there she was. Mia. Now a beautiful young woman, propped up beside the jukebox with a bottle of beer in one hand and her other fiddling with the buttons as the tracks flicked by behind the glass screen.
Laurie paused for a moment just to take her sister in. She looked … amazing. As if she was having the time of her life and no one could ruin that for her. Except me, Laurie thought to herself, feeling her shoulders droop a little. She was half-tempted to turn back and forget about this whole thing. She wasn’t even sure of why she’d chosen to come here. She and Mia were no longer the best of friends, hadn’t been for years now, and she was certain that as soon as Mia clocked her standing there, what appeared to be a fantastic night would instantly come crumbling down and it would all be Laurie’s fault. Her heart was racing unnaturally, thumping violently and drumming in her ears, and she knew she’d made the wrong decision in thinking that this would be okay.
She was about to turn and walk away while she still had chance, but it was too late. Mia’s eyes, which had seconds before been sparkling with happiness, landed on her and widened. Laurie swallowed, half-facing her, and suddenly she lost the ability to move. She stared at Mia, and Mia stared back, and to Laurie it felt like the staring match went on for ever, neither one of them moving or even blinking. The strangest part was that the party continued around them. People laughed and drank and ate, but the line of sight between the sisters didn’t break once. No one stepped in the way, and so it continued, until Mia blinked away and rushed off through what Laurie presumed were the doors to the kitchen without a backward glance, leaving her standing there looking like a rabbit caught in headlights.
Laurie lunged as someone banged into her side. She managed to regain her balance and turned to the remarkably pretty woman beside her. Instead of stopping to apologise, she sent a glare Laurie’s way and continued towards her destination, which was beside a very attractive man. His eyes found hers across the way and he frowned slightly, as if he was trying to figure something out. Laurie approached and hoped he’d be able to help her. As she neared them, his companion turned a disdainful eye towards her, gaze landing on Laurie’s pumps and travelling up the length of her body.
‘Hi, sorry to interrupt,’ she began, trying her best to ignore the icy-blue stare. ‘I’m looking for Mia, and I’m sure I just spotted her heading through those double-doors. Don’t suppose you could go and grab her for me, could you? It’s important.’
‘Sure thing.’ He passed his drink across to his blonde companion and took off through the doors, leaving Laurie with the ice queen. Laurie thought about beginning a conversation but then thought better of it when it became clear that the woman would rather stare straight ahead than make eye contact with her. So, Laurie remained silent, watching the party guests enjoying themselves, and hoping against hope that Mia would return and that she hadn’t instead climbed through a window and escaped, fleeing into the night.
He returned through the double-doors about ten minutes later, much to his companion’s delight, and shook his head at Laurie as he approached. ‘She said she’s not coming out. I have no idea who you are but she doesn’t seem very happy you’re here.’ A frown appeared as his eyebrows dipped in the middle. ‘This is so weird but you seem strangely familiar.’
Laurie sighed. ‘Great.’ She looked around the party and realised that she had no place here. She should go. She’d probably ruined Mia’s night completely the moment she’d set eyes on her. Of course, there was the option of going after her. Of storming through those doors, taking hold of Mia and forcing her to acknowledge her presence and whatever it was that sat so heavily between them, but she felt tired as it was. Perhaps it was best if she left it until morning. She’d passed by a row of B&Bs when she’d come into town so she’d head back that way and try again tomorrow. Probably what she should have done in the first place, but she realised then that she hadn’t been able to help herself. ‘If you speak to her again tonight,’ Laurie said when she saw that the man’s eyes were still studying her face, ‘could you let her know that I’m in town for a while? I’m going to go and check out the B&Bs in town. I’ll pop by tomorrow or something.’ Laurie turned to leave but then looked back at him. ‘And thanks. For trying.’
‘Wait!’ he called as Laurie began to push back through the people towards the door. ‘Who are you?’
Laurie thought about how to answer. She’d been lying for such a long time now that the truth seemed like the best way to go. She fixed him with a pained look and then said, ‘I’m Laurie Chapman. Mia’s big sister.’ Nodding, almost as if confirming it to herself, Laurie smiled faintly and hurried off. She hoped that at least one of the B&Bs had a spare room. What she needed more than anything right now was a bed, and a warm duvet to crawl beneath.
Chapter Seven
Mia paced back and forth in the toilets with a hand to her mouth. Anything could have happened that night, aliens landing a UFO outside, for example, and she would have been less surprised to see it there than she was to see Laurie standing in Dolly’s Diner.
She thought she’d imagined it at first, that perhaps her mind had been playing tricks on her, but she was certain Laurie had been there. She supposed she could have handled it in a more mature manner, maybe approached Laurie and heard what she had to say, but she’d acted on instinct and run.
‘Mia?’
She turned to see Cal peeping in through a crack in the door. ‘Is she still here?’ she asked breathlessly. ‘Has she gone? Where is she?’ She tried to glimpse behind him but as he pushed the door further open she could see, with relief, that Cal was alone.
‘No, she’s gone. She told me to tell you that she’s in town and will stop by tomorrow …’ Cal trailed
off as he stepped inside, closed the door and leant up against it. He looked confused, Mia noticed. Well, she couldn’t blame him really. ‘I had no idea you had a sister. A big sister, no less. She looks just like you, or you look just like her, I guess I should say.’ He waited, obviously hoping Mia would fill in the blanks for him, but she remained silent as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts.
‘Long story,’ she said in the end. ‘Did she say why she’s in town?’
He shrugged in reply. ‘No, nothing. She just said about being in town, said she was your sister and then left.’ He fixed her with a curious look. ‘I guess you two are not the best of friends?’
Still pacing, Mia fidgeted with her hands resting against her stomach. ‘You could say that.’ She couldn’t believe that Laurie was there. Just her sister’s presence had completely blown her away and now she couldn’t concentrate on a single thing other than Laurie and why she was there. It didn’t make sense. Why now? Why tonight of all the nights? During the diner’s anniversary celebration? Mia closed her eyes and counted to ten to calm herself in the only way she knew how.
‘Mia, it’s okay,’ Cal soothed as he stopped her from pacing and placed a hand on each shoulder, standing in front of her now. ‘You need to calm down. She’s gone. She’s not here any more. Okay?’
She nodded. ‘Okay.’
‘Good.’ Cal nodded. ‘Seeing her again has really shaken you up, hasn’t it? Do you want to call the party to an end?’
Did she? She’d been having such a good evening before Laurie had appeared. One of the best nights of her life, actually. She couldn’t send everybody home just because of Laurie, could she? From the sounds of things, everybody else was still enjoying themselves and Mia was glad of that. ‘No,’ she said, ‘let’s not call it to an end just yet. Everyone is having such a blast and I don’t want to ruin it for them.’
A smile spread across Cal’s lips as he looked down at her. ‘You really are of a golden heart, aren’t you, Mia Chapman?’
She gazed up at him and realised how close they were to each other. She became intensely aware of his hands on her shoulders. He still hadn’t removed them. She looked back at him, noticed the smile was still lingering on his lips. She swallowed. Was this a moment? She wasn’t sure but it felt like one. ‘Hannah is probably looking for you,’ she said in a voice that sounded nothing like her own. She cleared her throat quickly. ‘You should probably go back outside.’
Cal didn’t move. ‘I want to know that you’re okay.’
‘I’m fine. Honestly, I am. I’ll just take another few minutes and I’ll be back out, too.’ She nodded firmly, to assure him, and took a step back, removing his hands herself. ‘Go on …’
Cal seemed unsure of whether to go or stay, but after a few seconds more of his gaze lingering on her, he turned and slipped out of the toilets.
Mia turned to study her reflection in the mirror. She refused to allow Laurie to ruin this night for her. Yes, she’d been caught unawares by her sister’s presence but tonight was about her and her staff and the diner. They were supposed to be celebrating it. She couldn’t be sad or angry.
She straightened her posture and fixed a grin on her face. She could cry when she got home, but not here and not tonight.
***
The next morning, as July arrived, during her usual run on the beach before she opened up the diner, Mia went through a million and one reasons in her mind as to why Laurie was in Sunset Bay. It was an odd feeling, knowing her sister was somewhere in town. It felt strange having her so close after being apart for such a long time.
She couldn’t understand why her sister was there. Laurie had never wanted for anything in life. As far as Mia knew, she pretty much had the perfect life. She had a successful career, a nice apartment, if what her mother had said was anything to go by. So why on earth was Laurie in Sunset Bay? This really wasn’t her scene at all. There were no cocktail bars or fashion boutiques in the seaside town. Nothing that Laurie would look upon with admiration, that was for sure. No wine bars or glamorous clubs, and the beach, although beautiful in Mia’s eyes, was certainly no tropical paradise … She racked her brains for some reasonable explanation of her sister’s reappearance but couldn’t find a single thing that seemed even remotely fitting.
As she jogged, she supposed that, sooner or later, she’d have to speak to Laurie, even if the thought did fill her with a fiery rage. Mia couldn’t believe she even had the cheek to step foot in the diner, never mind set up camp in town. After what had happened, she would have thought Laurie would stay away if she knew what was good for her, but apparently not. Had she forgotten, Mia wondered briefly. Had she somehow forgotten that Mia was angry with her? Mia thought she’d made it obvious in her last email that things weren’t right between them, but she’d remained vague, thinking that Laurie would get the message just from the tone of the email.
Heading back towards town now, Mia’s mind ticked over. Something wasn’t right. The bottom line was, she was angry with Laurie and she didn’t really want to see her sister either, as harsh as it sounded. Life had taken them in different directions. Laurie had probably changed completely. They were no longer the best friends they’d been as little girls, so why on earth was she there?
Once dressed and on her way to the diner, Mia wondered whether Laurie would turn up at some point. The very thought of it sent her insides tumbling around as if they’d just been thrown into a washing machine and put on the fastest spin-cycle. She gulped down a lungful of fresh air whizzing in from off the sea and told herself to forget about it. Or, at least, not obsess over it. Perhaps that was the coward’s way of dealing with it, putting it off until she could put it off no longer. She knew, though, that it wouldn’t be too long before thoughts of Laurie crept back in again.
The crew were waiting outside as usual, looking as chirpy as ever after the anniversary celebrations the evening before. They’d all stayed late, except Cal who had been snatched away by Hannah at some point during the night, to help clean up and get the diner looking spic and span before opening this morning.
‘No one would ever guess that just last night there’d been a party going on in here,’ Pollyanna commented with admiration as they all headed inside. ‘It looks tidier than ever.’
Mia took a bow. ‘Here every night, folks!’
Everyone headed off to do their bit in setting up for the day and it wasn’t long before customers began to spill inside and into the booths. The scent of rich coffee filled the air, mingling with the sweetness of the pancakes wafting through every time the kitchen doors swung open. Mia was pleased to hear from numerous guests that activity had been spotted down on the pier that morning, meaning that the stall-holders were beginning to set up for the holiday season. She loved this time of year and despite not being able to head down to the pier as much as she’d like to, what with working in the diner, she adored knowing that people would come to Sunset Bay from all over the place just to experience it for themselves. On a balmy summer afternoon, it was definitely the place to be. The music from the rides could be heard for miles, along with the squealing of excitable children and calling from the stall-holders. Fantasising about the days spent there alongside Grandma Dolly did a perfect job of taking Mia’s mind off her sister’s whereabouts and soon after she was throwing herself into a day’s work.
***
When lunchtime rolled around, Mia waved off Pollyanna as she left the diner for her break and picked up her notepad and pen. It was then that she noticed a familiar figure hunched over in the furthest booth. A familiar figure who looked very much like her sister, Laurie. Mia froze on the spot, suddenly unsure of what to do, and Laurie chose that moment to glance up and make eye contact with her. Swallowing, she realised that she could hardly turn away and pretend she hadn’t seen her, and certainly not now Laurie had just waved in her direction.
Bloody hell, Mia thought as she straightened her posture and strode over to the booth. As she approached, it was difficult
not to notice the dark shadows beneath Laurie’s eyes and the strained expression on her sister’s face despite Laurie obviously trying hard to seem cheerful and upbeat. She arrived at the table, raised her notepad and forced a smile
‘What’ll it be?’
‘White coffee and the stacked golden pancakes with syrup, please. And a coffee for you, if you’d kindly join me for a couple of minutes so that I can explain why I’m here?’ Laurie’s eyes pleaded with her but Mia refused to be a pushover. She wasn’t a little girl any more.
‘Sorry, but I’m working.’ She scribbled down the last of the order and avoided eye contact. ‘Should only be a few minutes. I’ll get your coffee for you.’ And with that, she turned away and pushed through the swinging doors into the kitchen.
Cal and Marco were chatting away happily when Mia stepped inside. ‘Order of stacked pancakes,’ she called.
Cal’s line of sight switched from Marco to her. He frowned. ‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing’s up,’ she snapped, realising that she sounded like something was most definitely up. She groaned and finger-massaged her temple, not wanting to go back outside but not wanting to face what she knew would be an onslaught of questions from Cal. ‘She’s here.’
‘Your sister?’ he asked with raised eyebrows.
‘Yes. She’s here, at a booth, ordering coffee and bloody pancakes.’
‘So take her coffee and pancakes.’ He shrugged and snatched the order note from her fingers. ‘Go on.’ He nodded towards the door then turned back to the sizzling frying pans.
Mia sighed as she stepped back into the diner, her eyes immediately seeking out Laurie. She’d hoped that perhaps she’d given up and left the diner, but no. She was still there, gazing through the window, down at the beach, her hand propping up her head as it rested beneath her chin.
As she slipped back behind the counter to prepare the coffee, Mia studied her sister from across the way and hoped that Laurie wouldn’t turn and catch her in the act. Laurie looked stressed, worn out, and tired, too. As Mia approached with the mug of steaming coffee, it was clear that something was wrong. She wasn’t sure what it was that made her think so. Call it sister’s intuition.