by Rebecca Pugh
‘One white coffee,’ Mia announced as she placed the mug down.
Laurie looked up and smiled, then cupped both hands around the mug, as if seeking warmth from it. ‘Thank you.’ She turned back to the window, transfixed by the sea below. ‘It’s peaceful here, isn’t it?’ Her dark eyes returned to Mia’s face. ‘The beach is lovely.’
Mia nodded. There was definitely something off with Laurie. It was written all over her face and evident in every movement she made. Even as she’d reached her hands towards the mug of coffee the gesture had seemed slow and lazy and tired. ‘I love it here. That’s why I moved here. Well, that, and to be with Grandma Dolly.’ Mia narrowed her eyes. ‘Are you ill, Laurie? Is that why you’re here?’
To her surprise, Laurie let out a strangled laugh. ‘No. Why? Do I look ill?’ Her eyes returned to the sea. ‘No, Mia. I’m not ill. Just a bit worn out at the moment. I’d tell you if you’d give me a couple of minutes of your time but I can see you’re working so I’ll leave you alone and wait for my pancakes.’ Mia’s heart, despite being hardened against her big sister, softened when Laurie attempted what was clearly a fake smile in her direction.
‘I’ll go and check on them for you.’ She hurried back towards the kitchen once more. When she returned, the plate of stacked pancakes was in her hands smelling absolutely delicious. ‘And here are your pancakes.’ She slid the plate down and suddenly couldn’t make up her mind about whether she wanted to walk away from the booth or stay.
‘God, these look good. Thanks.’ Laurie tucked in immediately so Mia took that as her cue to leave. Now and then, while Mia cleaned and Laurie drank and ate, they’d make eye contact. Mia was always the first to break it. She’d never, in a million years, expected to see her sister sitting in the diner eating breakfast, but there she was, and despite her anger there was something comforting about having her big sister there.
During childhood, Laurie had always been Mia’s protector. When she’d become the victim of a group of girls who’d taken it upon themselves to make her school days a living nightmare, Laurie had been the one to sort them out and the bullies had left her alone. If Mia ever fell off a rope-swing or stubbed her toe on the chest of drawers, Laurie had been the one to dash to her side and make sure she felt better. It wasn’t that their parents hadn’t cared about Mia because they had; it was more that Laurie had always managed to get there first, her love for her sister powerful and never-ending.
So now, when Mia glanced over towards that far booth and saw Laurie deep in thought with her brow furrowed, she felt like she was the evil one for not caring, which was the complete opposite from the truth. She did care. She had always cared and always would care for Laurie, but after what had happened, there was something in Mia that was forcing her to hold back.
Chapter Eight
Laurie couldn’t stop staring at the view. It really was beautiful, and she was sure she could see a few bodies moving about on the pier down below. She wondered what it was like to live in such a cosy little town beside the sea. She couldn’t see herself living in such a place permanently but it was definitely ideal for what she was hoping for, and that was time away from the busy and hectic atmosphere of London. It was a welcome change of scenery, that was for sure.
As she sipped her coffee, she glanced towards Mia, who seemed strangely enthusiastic about scrubbing tables. Mia looked good, she’d give her that. She had a refreshingly pretty face, and with her hair pulled back she looked even more radiant. Laurie could tell she was the same girl she’d grown up with, just a more grown-up version. There were only three years between them yet Laurie felt like she was thirty years Mia’s senior. Was she overreacting? Perhaps. But the differences between she and Mia were evident for anybody to see, and their skin told the tales of how different their lives had been. Mia’s was stress-free and fresh, while Laurie’s was lined with the faintest beginnings of what she guessed were wrinkles. Plus, Mia was happy in what she was doing, even if she was scrubbing tables. Another big difference between them. Mia was happy, Laurie was not. Mia had achieved her dream. Laurie had lived a life full of stress and pressure. She couldn’t forget the pressure. Despite having stepped away from it now, she was finding it hard to believe that for the first time in her life she had nothing to worry about. It seemed she’d been living that sort of life for so long now that it would take some getting used to, not having the familiar strain of forcing herself through each day.
She caught Mia’s eye once more and had to stifle her smile. She could have been imagining it but she was certain Mia wanted to speak to her. Why else would she keep glancing over in the way she did? What Laurie needed to do was get Mia alone and explain everything properly, although how she was going to manage that she didn’t know. It seemed that her little sister was living and breathing through their grandma’s diner, especially considering how much effort she was putting into cleaning that table, Laurie thought to herself. The very same table she’d been scrubbing five minutes ago.
Laurie was just about to call Mia’s name when a man she presumed to be one of the diner’s cooks strode through the kitchen doors and beat her to it.
‘Pollyanna back yet?’ the man asked as he slung a cloth over his shoulder and sat down on the table Mia had been cleaning. Laurie noticed the flush that arose on her sister’s cheeks immediately and it didn’t take her long to put two and two together. Mia clearly had some sort of schoolgirl crush on the man, but it wasn’t surprising really. He was very good looking, with messy dark hair and even darker eyes.
‘Not yet.’ Mia whipped the cloth she was using to wipe the table across the man’s knee, causing him to yelp and budge out of her way.
Laurie was intrigued. She could have been mistaken but from what she was seeing there was definitely something brewing between those two. Added to that, he seemed to be relishing the fact that Mia was paying him attention, as he grinned and playfully smacked her back with his hand. Laurie kept her thoughts to herself, though, and pretended to study the menu, yet her gaze still slid sneakily back towards them when she thought she could get away with it. She wasn’t sure but she felt she’d seen him before, perhaps at the party? Had he been the one with the comb sticking out of his back pocket with the blonde on his arm? If so, what on earth was he fluttering around Mia like that for when he apparently had a girlfriend already? Laurie’s curiosity was beginning to get the better of her, as well as her instinct to take care of her little sister, even though it was really none of her business.
Quiet mutterings came from the two of them and Laurie knew they were talking about her. She felt her cheeks grow warm as the man’s eyes landed on her. She refused to lift her head, though; didn’t want to give either of them the satisfaction. Suddenly, with her face hotter than ever and feeling foolish for sitting there, Laurie was about to stand when the man flopped down into the seat opposite.
‘So. You’re Mia’s big sister, then?’
Laurie nodded slowly. ‘I am.’
‘I spoke to you last night, when you were in here looking for Mia. Don’t know if you remember? I had my hair combed back, dressed in black jeans and leather jacket?’
Laurie smiled. So she’d been right, then. ‘I thought you looked familiar.’
He stretched a hand out across the table. ‘Cal. Cook.’
‘Laurie,’ she replied. ‘I currently don’t have an occupation so I’ll just say sister.’ She shrugged in amusement, aware of Mia watching them both as she pretended to be occupied behind the serving counter.
‘Nice to meet you, Laurie. What brings you to Sunset Bay?’
‘Thought it’d make a nice change.’ She averted her gaze to the window. ‘It’s nice here. Seemed like the perfect getaway.’
Laurie frowned when Cal leaned forward across the table. ‘We both know that’s not true.’
What on earth was he playing at? Laurie’s expression quickly shifted from calm to slightly aggrieved. ‘Excuse me?’ she replied in disbelief.
Cal, completely
relaxed, shrugged and slumped back against the seat. ‘I’m just saying. It’s weird. That you’ve popped up out of nowhere. And Mia never told any of us that she had a big sister.’ He fixed her with a penetrating stare. ‘We all care about Mia here. We’re one big happy family. We wouldn’t want to see her get hurt, that’s all.’
Laurie couldn’t believe their conversation had taken this sudden turn, but she wasn’t about to sit there and be threatened, which was the impression she was getting, so she leant forward and hissed back, ‘For your information, Cal, I’m not here to hurt Mia. In fact, I wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing, so perhaps you should get your facts right before making assumptions, don’t you think?’
His eyebrows lifted. ‘Is that so?’ There was a definite challenge in his tone as his eyes bore into her. ‘Well, it’s just a warning.’
‘And you’ve got some cheek,’ Laurie snapped back, but ensuring she kept her voice low so as not to alert Mia to the little altercation. ‘This is nothing to do with you.’
‘Of course it is. Round here, we’ve all got each other’s backs.’
‘Does that include your girlfriend’s back, too?’ Laurie raised a single eyebrow. ‘Or is she not included in the diner’s family tree?’
Cal’s nostrils flared as he glared at her, but he didn’t say anything else and Laurie wondered if she’d hit a nerve. ‘That’s what I thought,’ she muttered under her breath.
He remained seated for a couple more minutes until, finally, he removed himself from the booth, but before leaving he turned back to her. ‘I’ll be watching you,’ he whispered. ‘And if you even upset her the tiniest bit, you’ll have me to answer to.’ With a last look over his shoulder, Cal strode over to the door and left in what Laurie presumed was a huff. She blinked towards Mia and was pleased to see that she hadn’t noticed any of what had just happened.
Laurie knew it was time to go. She rose and headed to the counter, rapping her knuckles loudly on it when she arrived. ‘Erm, Mia? I’m going to head off, maybe take a look around town, see what there is to do around here.’ She laughed lightly. ‘But if you change your mind at all and do want to talk, then call me?’ Laurie pushed a scrap of paper across the counter towards her sister. ‘That’s my number. I know you’ll probably chuck it in the bin as soon as I leave but … you know. Just in case. See you later.’ Laurie smiled and left the diner with her fingers secretly crossed in her pockets, hoping that Mia wouldn’t chuck it away and instead use the digits to call her and agree to a much-needed sisterly chat. And as for Cal? Despite having only just been introduced to him properly, they already weren’t the best friends. She hoped she hadn’t made too much of a bad impression. It seemed they both cared about Mia fiercely, although where Cal’s best intentions lay Laurie wasn’t quite sure of. And where exactly did his girlfriend fit into this picture?
***
It was over a week later when Laurie’s phone rang. The words ‘Unknown caller’ flashed on her screen and at first she was hesitant to answer it, but after a few seconds of the tone ringing out into the silence of her guest bedroom in the B&B, she snatched it up and quickly pressed the answer button.
‘Hello?’
There was a crackle and then, ‘Hi, Laurie. It’s Mia.’
Laurie’s heart performed the can-can in her chest, but she didn’t want to get too ahead of herself. Mia could have been calling to say she didn’t want anything to do with her, so Laurie forced herself to calm down before saying, ‘Hello, Mia. Nice to hear from you.’
‘You told me to call you if I wanted to talk, and I’ve decided that I’d like to talk. If you’re around. If you’re even still in Sunset Bay.’ She paused. ‘Are you? Still in Sunset Bay, I mean?’
Laurie’s throat constricted as she swallowed. It was stupid really, but she was suddenly overcome with emotion and it was swamping her completely. Her throat felt tight but she forced the words out regardless. ‘I’m still in Sunset Bay. I’ll probably be here for a while yet, but yes, I’d still like to talk. When are you free?’
They decided on a time and day. Sunday, at twelve, at the end of the pier, which was now open for summer business. ‘Great, Mia. Well, I guess I’ll see you then.’
‘Bye.’ Mia was the one to end the phone call, and Laurie sat down on the edge of her bed as she stared at her phone in her hand. Sunday was a whole two days away and even though she knew it wasn’t long at all, it still felt forever to her. She had no idea of what she’d do to pass the time until then, apart from think of how best to tell Mia what had recently unfolded in her once so tidy and well-planned life. She supposed the best way for her to tell Mia about it all was to start from the very beginning, or at least start at the part when the divide between them had originally begun to form. Yes. That was it. That seemed like the perfect way.
She knew Mia was angry with her, but it seemed there was something else creating such a strange tension between them, something much deeper rooted than just their lives taking separate courses. There had to be. Mia surely couldn’t be this angry with her just because she’d gone off to have a career, could she? No. Laurie reckoned there was something else hidden there, something else that was causing the bad blood between them and, hopefully, fingers crossed, she’d be able to get Mia to tell her what it was during their planned chat.
Chapter Nine
The sea breeze tugged lightly on Mia’s cardigan as she stood at the end of the pier, waiting for Laurie to arrive so that their ‘chat’ could commence.
As she’d known it would be, the pier was bustling with locals and out-of-towners alike, making their way down the weathered wooden boards, chatting amicably. Children rushed their parents onwards with sticks of candyfloss in their sticky hands, and partially open bags of chips were snug in many arms, as fingers dipped in and out, moistened by the copious lashings of salt and vinegar.
Mia gazed over the railing into the churning sea below and tried to imagine how today would pan out. The familiar scents and sounds of being on the pier surrounded her on all sides, the music from the few fair rides, the pungent scent of fried onions that would be slathered onto juicy hot dogs and thick, meaty burgers. It was a typical British ideal of a day at the seaside and, as always, Mia’s memories took hold and began to reel off what felt like movie stills from her time spent with Grandma Dolly in this very place. She missed her; she’d always been so full of wise words and sentiments that had helped Mia along in life. Oh, how she could do with some of those right now.
Despite having been the one who had initiated the upcoming talk with Laurie, she wasn’t entirely sure of why she’d done so. She was curious as to why her sister had suddenly popped up in her life. When the slip of paper with her sister’s number had been pushed across the counter towards her, Mia had left it there for some time. She’d watched Laurie leave and refused to even look at it. There’d been no point, though. Even once she’d slipped the number into the pocket of her dress, it had taunted and teased her from its hiding place. In the end, her curiosity had got the better of her and, after arguing with herself, she’d realised that if she didn’t ring Laurie and get some answers, she’d just be left wondering for however long Laurie remained in town, and probably long after she’d left, too, because there had to be a reason why she was there. And, Mia thought to herself with a slight frown, hopefully she’d find out that reason today.
Her grip tightened on the handrail. Just a couple more minutes to go until Laurie was due to arrive. Mia turned away from the sea and leant up against the railing instead, hugging her cardigan tighter around her. Hordes of people were making their way down the pier towards her but she saw Laurie’s face immediately in the crowds. Her sister smiled when she noticed Mia and began to hurry forward, apologising to people as she pushed past them to get ahead.
‘Hi, Mia.’ She was breathless when she finally arrived beside her. ‘God, it’s busy today.’ She shielded her eyes from the sun with a hand. Mia wasn’t sure of what to say.
‘Yeah, it usually
is around this time of year,’ she finally commented with a quick nod. Mia stared back at Laurie, as Laurie stared at her.
‘Shall we … walk, maybe?’ There was hesitancy in Laurie’s voice as she asked the question, followed by a nervous laugh. Laurie seemed vulnerable, and so much younger than her thirty years. Mia softened slightly.
She nodded and allowed Laurie to lead the way. They spotted a vacant table and perched themselves on the plastic chairs, beneath the brightly striped parasol.
‘Do you want a drink or anything?’ Laurie asked as she pulled her purse from out of her bag and began rummaging through it.
‘I’ll have whatever you’re having. Thanks.’
As Laurie joined the queue, Mia took a moment to really get a good look at her. Was she imagining things or had Laurie lost weight since Mia had last seen her in the diner? It was silly really; it had only been a couple of days ago. Or perhaps she hadn’t noticed back in the diner? Laurie had been huddled into the booth, the table partially hiding her frame. Mia continued to scrutinise her sister from afar, thankful that Laurie was paying no attention to her and studying the menu instead.
When she returned, Mia accepted the ice-cream that was held out towards her, complete with chocolate flake, gratefully. She scooped up a mound of the creamy goodness with the end of the flake and wondered whether Laurie would talk first but it seemed that she was just as engrossed in the ice-cream as Mia was.
They sat there and watched the people walking by for a while as they ate their ice-creams in silence. Once Mia had finished and wiped away the remains from around her mouth, she rubbed her hands down the front of her jeans and cleared her throat. ‘So …’ she began, hoping Laurie would pick up the thread and attempt to go somewhere with it.