The Heartbreak Cafe

by Melissa Hill

  He ran his hands gently across her body, faintly brushing her breasts through the thin material of her dress before moving them back down the small of her back and playing with the hem of her dress. His tongue was hot and eager as he explored her lips and her mouth and she pressed herself against him, her head swimming with a heady combination of alcohol and lust.

  She couldn’t believe that she was in the arms of Troy Valentine and he was kissing her, really kissing her!

  ‘You are so beautiful Ruth – did I tell you I’ve wanted to do this since the first time I saw you?’ He littered her neck with kisses and his lips eventually made their way to her cleavage, just stopping where the fabric began. As he went lower; she could feel his breath on her skin through the fabric and knew he was just as excited as she was.

  Well what took you so long then? she wanted to say, hardly unable to believe how incredible this night was turning out to be. It was the ultimate Hollywood fairytale – so much better than she could have possibly dreamed and she really didn’t want it to end.

  Eventually Troy moved his mouth away, and looked into her eyes. She could feel his chest rising and falling against her. ‘Ruth, let’s get the hell out of here.’

  The morning light streamed in through the windows. Ruth tentatively opened her eyes, only to be hit with a major headache. Slowly moving her head off the pillow she turned to confirm what she now really hoped was just a dream. Oh hell…

  Her co-star was lying on his back next to her, and while he was still unmistakably handsome, the raw magnetism that was so much in evidence last night was no longer apparent. What the hell had she done? Troy moved in his sleep and began snoring heavily, and Ruth suspected that when he woke up his headache would be just as bad as hers.

  She sat up slowly and looked around. Where on earth were they? Trying to recall the events of the previous evening, she vaguely remembered her and Troy deciding to leave the party separately, so as to not get anyone suspicious. They had decided that they would go to the Chateau Marmont, not the most inconspicuous place for celebrities, but quite obviously, neither of them were thinking clearly.

  Troy must have called ahead, or certainly someone did, because she didn’t remember checking in, and hazily recalled the concierge meeting her upon arrival and ushering her to a room. This room.

  Somehow Troy had made it here first, because he was already waiting with more Cristal. Ugh, she groaned, her stomach turning at the thought of alcohol. She looked at the floor to see her glorious silver dress lying in a heap on the ground beside the bed and her thirteen hundred dollar (albeit free) shoes were thrown haphazardly on opposite sides of the room. What the hell was she going to do? She couldn’t leave in last nights’ clothes, not if the paparazzi had been tipped off and were waiting; she would have to get Chloe to bring her some.

  All becoming too much to handle, she rested her head back on the pillows and closed her eyes.

  More from last night began to come back, although really it was probably only a couple of hours since they’d settled down to sleep. Troy’s playboy reputation sure was deserved and whatever about his brains, he certainly had star power where it counted. He’d been pretty incredible, so much so she recalled –slightly embarrassed now – that it was a wonder security weren’t called they were so loud. Or perhaps they were? Either way, they were celebrities and the hotel was probably used to that kind of thing, Ruth reassured herself, feeling somewhat shamefaced but at the same time, oddly satisfied.

  Yet something was niggling at her, something at the very edge of her consciousness. But what? OK, so she didn’t make a habit of sleeping with other actors, and certainly not guys like Troy. But it had been a surreal and excitingly intoxicating night. It almost felt …right. Anyway it wasn’t as if –

  Suddenly, the niggly feeling that had been bothering her came sharply into focus. And just like that, the pleasant reveries she’d been experiencing a moment ago deserted her. Ruth started to breathe heavy, oh …oh no.

  She jumped out of the bed and started to survey the remains of the night before, clothes, champagne bottles, sheets, her purse, his phone … and the condom.

  Oh no, oh no, they must have done it a hundred times. Suddenly all the details came rushing back to her in Technicolor; him moving on top of her, her laughing and wrapping her legs tightly around him like she couldn’t get enough of him. The condom splitting … the two of them pausing for a second but then continuing on anyway….

  Oh no….

  Ruth felt bile rising in her throat. She raced into the bathroom and stared in horror at herself in the mirror. The glossy goddess from last night was long gone. Her mascara was smeared on her face, her hair was dull and shag-tangled and she could feel sticky sweaty residue on her skin. She leaned heavily on the bathroom’s marble counter and turned on the water, splashing it on her face while she repeated a mantra to herself over and over.

  This couldn’t be happening…it wasn’t happening… it wouldn’t happen. Not now, not after last night, not with him. Not when everything was falling into place, when her life was exactly how she wanted it to be, when she was living the dream.

  Ruth stifled a sob. She had to get out of here, and fast.

  She crept back into the bedroom and helped herself to one of the rich, white, terrycloth robes the hotel provided. Troy was still sleeping heavily and careful not to wake him, she took her phone out of her purse, and made her way outside onto the balcony.

  Chloe answered on the first ring. ‘Chloe, it’s Ruth, I need you to bring me some clothes to Chateau Marmont, as fast as possible, please.’

  ‘Are you OK? I’ve been so worried, I never heard from you after the party and well, your flight is today and I….’ the concern in her assistant’s voice was palpable. Ruth looked at her watch and wanted to cry; she was supposed to be on a plane to Dublin in a few hours.

  Damn, damn, damn.

  ‘I know, please just hurry, OK?’

  ‘Sure, but what on earth are you doing in the Chateau Marmont?’

  Ruth bit her lip. ‘I kind of … met someone.’

  ‘Oh – anyone I know?’ Chloe teased gently, and for some reason her playful tone made Ruth feel better – as if real Hollywood stars got up to this kind of thing all the time.

  ‘Well …Troy Valentine, actually,’ she admitted wincing, yet at the same time she couldn’t help but feel sort of …proud.

  As expected, Chloe was seriously impressed. ‘Troy Valentine? Wow! Sounds like one hell of a night.’

  Ruth forced a smile. It would have been, apart from … ‘It was but look, I really need to get out of here soon in order to make my flight, so if you could –’

  ‘Got it. I’ll be there soon, don’t worry, you’re all packed, we’ll get you to the airport on time. And don’t forget to slip in the Manolos.’

  Ruth swallowed back tears, realising she never wanted to see those shoes again.

  ‘Chloe, there’s one other thing … something else I need.’

  ‘Sure, what is it, what can I do?’

  Ruth thought about it. She could trust Chloe, couldn’t she? Of course, she could, this kind of thing happened all the time in this town, and her worldly-wise assistant probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Either way, she didn’t have much of a choice, as she could hardly saunter out in public for it – either here or back home, could she?

  ‘I need you to buy me something and put it in my suitcase before you get here,’ she said, her voice shaking. ‘Something private.’

  ‘Of course. What do you need?’

  ‘This has to be just between us, OK?’

  ‘Goes without saying. Name it.’

  Ruth swallowed hard and closed her eyes.

  ‘The morning after pill.’

  Chapter 4

  Nina had spent her first night in Lakeview tossing and turning, thinking over all of her problems. She knew that the quiet of the countryside and the travelling that she did that day should have knocked her out, but instead she lay awake starin
g at the ceiling.

  She was bothered by many things; to start with, the break-up with Steve. This time last month she had been as happy as she’d ever been, with no clue of what was to come and certainly no reason to suspect that anything was amiss.

  How could I have been so stupid? she wondered bitterly. Still, no matter how much she loved him, or how much he’d hurt her, she knew she’d made the right decision in ending the relationship. But as if breaking up with him wasn’t bad enough, they’d worked together in the same company and Nina knew she couldn’t bear having to face him every day – especially now – which was why she’d decided to pack up her entire life in Galway and come back East. As things stood, she had no relationship, no job, and a whole lot of other problems.

  She rolled over in bed, wishing more than ever that her mother was here. Cathy would travel back in a shot if she realised the full extent of Nina’s situation, she knew that, but this was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime for her and Tony and she didn’t want to ruin it for her. Heaven knows her mother had sacrificed enough for her over the years, raising her by herself until meeting and falling and love with Tony when Nina was in her late teens. . He was a wonderful man, kind, gentle and an absolute rock for Cathy – for them both really.

  Nina sighed thinking about how different Patrick – her real father – was. She wasn’t sure why she’d thought he might have changed, change was anathema to a country man like Patrick. She wasn’t sure if her father had ever even travelled outside the country, or even outside Lakeview. Although he must have to get all those bits and parts he needed for his TV repairs and suchlike.

  Nope, they had nothing in common really, nothing except genetics. How long could she put up with him? Enough until she got her head together at least, Nina thought. That was the plan after all.

  In the meantime, she needed to focus on trying to get to sleep. Deciding on the age-old solution of counting sheep, she was about to doze off when she heard a loud snore from across the hallway. Typical she thought, that the only time her father chose to be involved in something she was doing was when she didn’t want him to be.

  Somewhere in the middle of all of her frustration, she drifted off, only to be awoken a few hours later by Patrick knocking on her door, telling her to ‘Rise and shine.’

  Nina looked at the bedside clock. Of course; her father would have to wake her up at the same time he got out of bed, wouldn’t he?

  Knowing it was seven a.m. and not enjoying the idea of having to spend another silent meal with Patrick so soon after last night, Nina decided to get out of bed, throw on some casual clothes and head down town for a coffee or something. Her father had always been a tea drinker and Nina knew he didn’t even possess a jar of instant, let alone a cafetière.

  She went downstairs to find Patrick in the kitchen, making his usual breakfast.

  ‘Morning Dad,’ she said blearily.

  Patrick turned around, as if he’d just remembered that she was in fact there. ‘Oh good morning, Nina. Would you like some breakfast?’

  ‘No thanks, it’s a beautiful day so I thought I might go out for a walk, get some exercise maybe. I’ll probably just grab something while I’m out.’

  ‘Hmm,’ he said, turning back to the frying pan.

  She stood there for a second longer, trying to figure out if this reply was meant as some kind of acknowledgement. When she realised that it was in fact a dismissal, she turned on her heel and walked from the house. Goodness, she thought, how does anyone put up with him? Then almost immediately, she was met by a wave of compassion, remembering the fact that her father was a loner, and that her mother in fact had left him. She said a silent apology and vowed to not think about it. She had bigger problems than her father.

  She walked briskly following the path along the side of the lake in the direction of the village, not really thinking about where she was headed, but allowing her feet to propel her naturally. She’d forgotten how familiar she was with Lakeview, regardless of the fact that she’d never done anything to endear herself to it, and had in fact, worked eagerly to distance herself. Yet somehow, she still had an innate sense of the place.

  Following her feet to the end of the lakeside path, she reached the corner where Ella’s Heartbreak Café was situated. It was a small two-storey building with an enviable position right at the edge of the lake and on the corner where Main Street began. Until she reached it, Nina was barely aware of the fact she had been walking, her mind was so intently focused, and before she knew it she was at the door and stepping through the entrance.

  She was met by the familiar scent of the place, the combination of grease and the warm, fresh smell associated with baked goods. The interior hadn’t changed much over the years – it was still the warm cosy room she remembered, with its parquet oak flooring, shelves full of dried flowers and old country-style knick-knacks, along with haphazard seating and mismatched tables, one of which was an antique Singer sewing table.

  In front of the kitchen and serving area was a long granite countertop, where various solo customers nursed their coffees and pastries atop a row of stools. Alongside this was a glass display case filled with a selection of the most delicious-looking baked goods imaginable; muffins, doughnuts, carrot cake, brownies and cream puffs for the sweet-toothed, and pies, sausage rolls and Italian breads for the more savoury-orientated. The chalkboard menu overhead listed a selection of breakfast choices ranging from yoghurt, muesli and bagels, to the Full Irish heart attack complete with locally produced black pudding.

  If Nina wasn’t hungry when she’d set out, a single whiff of Ella’s famous home cooking now suddenly had her feeling ravenous. She looked around expectantly at the faces inside, wondering whom she would recognize, if anyone, behind the changes of the years.

  Her eyes scanned the room and then settled on the one person she would know anywhere, Ella, the owner. Nina observed her for a moment, rushing from table to table, cleaning surfaces, pouring coffee, saying a kind word to everyone she met. It was perhaps no accident that she’d ended up here; Ella was such a pleasant woman and a warm soul, that often as a teenager, Nina had felt more at home in this busy café than she did at her father’s house.

  Ella must have felt Nina watching her, because suddenly she looked up. Then the older woman studied her for a moment before recognition blossomed. She set down the pot of coffee she had been circulating and rushed forward. Nina had barely moved a foot before Ella had embraced her in a warm bear-hug.

  ‘Nina love, how wonderful to see you. I must admit I wasn’t sure at first, you’ve grown up so much but then I realised I would have known those green eyes anywhere!’ she exclaimed. ‘How long are you home? Is your mother with you? I haven’t seen you both in ages.’

  ‘No, it’s just myself – on a short visit,’ Nina replied quickly, wondering why she felt the need to be evasive over how long she would be staying in Lakeview.

  Ella looked at her and Nina glanced away, worried that she could read her mind and would guess all her secrets if she allowed her to look at her for too long. ‘Are you feeling alright honey?’ Ella asked. ‘You look a bit pale and you’ve lost so much weight since the last time I’ve seen you – I hope you’re not on some silly diet or something.’

  ‘Of course not. Actually I’m really hungry.’ Better to get Ella started on something other than her looks and her health, Nina thought, and sure enough, that did the trick.

  ‘Of course you are. Take a seat there at the counter and I’ll make you some breakfast. Then you can tell me all about what you’ve been up since the last time you were here.’

  Nina was oddly touched that Ella should be so interested in her life and happy to talk to her. It made a nice change from her father’s non-existent welcome.

  The two of them chatted on and off for a while, and Ella introduced Nina to the waitress, Alice, a friendly girl in her early twenties, with large blue eyes and freckles, whom Nina warmed to right away.

  In between all the hustle
and bustle, Ella wanted to know everything about what Nina had been doing for the last few years in Galway, where she’d been living, working or if she was seeing anyone. Nina was creatively editing the parts that she didn’t feel like talking about, namely, everything that had happened after Steve arrived the scene.

  ‘And what brings you back to Lakeview?’ Ella asked finally.

  ‘Well, I just hadn’t been back in so long and really, I … I just felt that I wanted to see Patrick, I mean, Dad.’ If that wasn’t a lie, she didn’t know what was. She had spoken so haltingly that she suspected Ella guessed there was something off, but the woman just nodded her head and poured more orange juice. ‘So what has been happening around here?’ she asked then, deciding to change the subject.

  ‘Well you know yourself, Lakeview is still Lakeview. Of course, as you’ve probably seen on your way in, it’s a lot bigger than it was before and we have lots of city people who escape to the country only to spend all their time in the city,’ she said and Nina smiled. Ella had echoed her own thoughts on the subject completely.

  ‘And how are the kids?’ If Nina remembered correctly, Ella was the mother of three, but hadn’t she fostered a couple of children over the years too? Along with every bedraggled cat/dog/rabbit that happened to cross her path. Kind-hearted to the core, Ella Harris liked to look after people, which was why her little café had always been a hugely popular gathering place for the Lakeview locals. Here, there was no need to specify ‘tall’ or ‘grande’ as someone like Ella could guess a customer’s preference almost on sight.

  ‘Fine, fine – all keeping well thank goodness,’ she replied, her face lighting up at the mention of her children. ‘Dan my oldest helps out here from time to time, Carly works as a special needs assistant, and Lily’s still at uni,’ she said smiling fondly, ‘I see them all from to time but they tend to do their own thing, you know yourself ’

  ‘I can imagine,’ Nina said politely. She smiled; unsure what to say next, but soon found that she didn’t have to, because right at that moment, the door of the café burst open and something like a tornado blew in.