Wildflowers

by Debbie Howells

  ‘What was all that about?’ says Skye, shaking her head.

  ‘I haven’t a freaking clue – but the question now is…what are we going to do with all of these?’

  For all the frantic armfuls they’ve grabbed, it’s barely made a difference. There are masses of flowers here - too many for Briarwood, that’s quite clear – then I have a brainwave.

  ‘I need to make a call,’ I tell Skye. ‘Won’t be a minute…’ I dash to the door to keep a lookout for Honey.

  ‘Johnny? I need to see you – can you come to mine, about eight? Yes, I think she’s going out – but to tell you the truth, I’m really worried about her… Look, I’ll tell you everything later…’

  ‘Right,’ I say to Skye. ‘You and I are going to take this lot and turn my flat into the most magical setting on the planet – all before Honey gets back.’ I glance at my watch. ‘God, we don’t have long. Get those candles, can you…’ I point to some part-used ones left over from a wedding. ‘Right – let’s get this lot into the van.’

  It’s no mean feat just loading the van up, then unloading it again, all the while keeping an eye out for Honey. If she came back now, it would completely ruin the surprise.

  For once I’m glad my flat is so small, because it’s easy to turn it into the most romantic setting I’ve ever seen. In fact so much so, I wish someone would do this for me. The flowers, still in their buckets, are piled up to the ceiling, making what looks like a wall of flowers around my dining table, which Skye and I cover with petals and arrange candles on.

  ‘Looks really cool and all that, and I don’t mean to pick holes, but what about the food?’

  ‘Shit, Skye – I’ve got a bottle of champagne in the fridge, but…’

  ‘Chinese…’ she says impatiently. ‘From that posh place in All Hallows. They deliver – ‘ere – want me to order?’

  ‘Oh – would you? Here, use my card to pay and ask them to get it here for eight thirty…’

  While she does it, I fetch the new and improved posy Mrs Orange made and set it quietly on the side. Amongst the candles and flowers, it seems to take on a new potency. This can’t fail, I suddenly realise. I know it can’t. Once Honey and Johnny are encircled by those tendrils of magic, they’re fates will be sealed forever.

  Of course, I reckon without Honey being late. Really late. Apparently she’s gone for a drink with her course mates, she tells me when I text her.

  I text her back straight away. Dinner at 8 f x

  I might be l8 comes the reply.

  Don’t you dare, emergency, I need you here NOW

  I’m hoping that’s suitably frantic to get her hot-footing it back here pronto, then I’m forced to wait. She makes it back at a minute to eight and I hurry her into my room.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ she says breathlessly.

  ‘You’ll see. Now change,’ I order bossily, pointing at the clothes I’ve picked out for her. ‘Here. Into these. Hurry.’

  ‘Frankie, I don’t want to – I’m really tired and I just want a cup of tea. We did double triple leg mounts today by the way…’

  ‘I don’t care if you did double-triple-quadruple leg mounts,’ I tell her grimly. ‘Please, Honey – just for once, hurry…’

  Then the doorbell goes. ‘Stay here,’ I tell her, handing her a bottle. ‘Perfume. And do your hair – and not too neat.’

  I shut the door and go to let Johnny in.

  ‘Hi!’ He kisses me on the cheek. ‘Here – I thought we could have this.’ He hands me a bottle of red - Honey’s favourite, I note. A promising start to the evening.

  ‘Thank you. It’s lovely to see you! Do come through,’ I say and lead the way to my sitting room.

  What follows is like a scene from a movie. As I walk in, Honey’s already there, standing amongst the flowers and looking around in amazement. ‘Good God, Frankie… What is all this? Have you got a date or something?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ I tell her, suddenly nervous, then take a deep breath. Here goes… ‘But you have.’ And I stand back and let Johnny in.

  Against the flowers, she’s suddenly vulnerable and beautiful at the same time. I feel a lump in my throat. Johnny looks at her, then me, uncertainly. It’s time for me to go.

  ‘Before either of you say a word, there’s champagne in the fridge and dinner is arriving in twenty five minutes exactly. It was on the expensive side so please be good and don’t waste it or I shall really be quite upset. I’m going out and I won’t be back for ages, so you know, if you…’ My voice is getting squeakier. I talk fast so neither of them can interrupt.

  ‘Johnny – light the candles will you?’ Shell-shocked, he stumbles forward but does as I say.

  ‘Okay. I’m going now...’

  I completely scarper at that point, though I needn’t have worried because right at this moment, neither of them are capable of speaking. I think of the little posy on the side in there, crossing my fingers, wishing them all the luck in the world. This time it better work…

  29

  Leaving the lovebirds to it, I pop over to see Alice, who with Martha in bed, is throwing together supper for her and Dave. I tell her about my visit from Julia.

  ‘You might even be hearing from her yourself,’ I tell her.

  ‘God, I hope not,’ snorts Alice, sounding angry just at the idea of it. ‘I’d prefer to leave the past as it is. I’ve really nothing to say to her.’

  ‘Actually, you might be surprised. I mean, she’ll never be a mother in the sense that you are to Martha, but she’s interested in us. And I think she knows she got it wrong. I really think she’d like to get to know us.’

  ‘Sorry, but I really don’t want her waltzing back in and screwing us up again.’

  I understand why Alice feels like this, only for me it’s different. I’ve seen another side of Julia. A lost, vulnerable side, because she’s still looking for herself and until such time as she finds what she thinks she’s looking for, how can she be a mother?

  I leave Alice to her cooking and join Charlie and Nina at the pub. We’ve decided to get together to send powerful positive vibes in Honey and Johnny’s direction, just in case they need a little help.

  ‘So now we just have to wait,’ I tell them – and Will, when we meet in the pub. I’m still not used to the fact that one of my friends is now a couple. ‘But this time, I have a good feeling. Oh my God.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Ryan and Elise,’ I hiss. ‘Friends of Honey and Johnny, identikit smug marrieds – over there, in the corner. Matching outfits and drinks.’

  ‘Aren’t you going to go and say hello?’ Nina nudges me.

  ‘Of course. Only…’

  ‘What?’ says Charlie. ‘It doesn’t look like you’ll be interrupting anything…’

  It’s true. They’re sitting there, both of them staring into their drinks which are an innocuous lemonade colour, unless they’re half-pints of vodka which knowing Ryan and Elise, isn’t likely.

  ‘It’s just, every time I meet them, I’ve been pissed and behaved atrociously.’

  ‘Then you’ve absolutely nothing to lose…’ says Charlie, and she’s right.

  As I get to they’re table I notice that it’s matching t-shirts and jeans instead of the crisp linen they usually wear. Most noticeable of all is the silence – neither of them’s saying a word.

  ‘Hi guys,’ I say brightly. ‘I thought it was you. I just thought I’d pop over and say hello.’

  ‘Frankie!’ Is it my imagination, or is Elise actually pleased to see me? ‘Come and sit down. Have a drink with us!’

  ‘Actually, that’s very kind of you, but I’m with my friends. Over there…’ I nod towards Charlie, Nina and Will. ‘You’re very welcome to join us…’

  Not expecting for a moment that they’d want to, but to my amazement, Elise leaps up immediately. ‘We’d love to. Wouldn’t we, Ryan?’

  Looking far from pleased, Ryan mutters something I can’t make out.

  ‘Great!’ I say, as
tounded. ‘Come on, then…’

  They follow me over and as I introduce them all, it becomes abundantly clear that something’s wrong between them. Will tries to chat to Ryan, whose monosyllabic grunts verge on the point of rudeness. The smug marrieds are clearly anything but smug and when I go to get more drinks, I decide I need to investigate.

  ‘Elise? You wouldn’t give me a hand would you?’

  She leaps up, beaming at me, but at the bar, the beam fades somewhat.

  ‘Is everything okay?’ I ask. ‘Only – you and Ryan… well…’

  ‘No,’ she says. ‘No – it’s really not, as I’m sure you can tell. I’m trying extremely hard, Frankie, but…’

  ‘Look,’ I say kindly. ‘Would it help – to meet. Just you and me - and you can tell me all about it. I’m very good at listening, you know…’

  Elise sighs. ‘You know, I’d love that. All our friends think the world of Ryan… it would be great to talk to someone who doesn’t. Well, you don’t do you? To tell you the truth, I always thought you were laughing at us.’

  ‘You what?’ I’m outraged. ‘You’ve got it all wrong, Elise. You two were laughing at me, for being the badly behaved single friend who always drank too much…’

  ‘But you have fun, don’t you?’ When her eyes meet mine, they’re serious.

  People really are full of surprises, I decide that evening. Who’d have imagined that Ryan and Elise weren’t a match made in heaven. Honey and Johnny too, come to that – what is the world coming to?

  But when I get home, there’s a soft light in the window – from the candles, I’m presuming, which, crossing my fingers I take to be a good sign. Even better, when I go inside, the remains of the Chinese are still on the table along with an empty champagne bottle and only the dregs of Johnny’s red wine. Then I hear it - a muffled giggle, coming from Honey’s room. Then the bed creaks. Deciding I’ve heard enough, I tiptoe into my own room and close the door.

  When I get up the next morning, the flat is clean and tidy and Honey’s looking chipper.

  ‘Has Johnny gone?’ I ask her, noting a hint of red in her cheeks. ‘So? How was it? Tell me, Honey…’

  ‘Amazing,’ she says, smiling properly with a faraway look in her eyes. ‘Oh thank you, Frankie… I really think we’re back on track again – all because of you. Johnny says I’m a changed person…’ she giggles slightly. ‘Let’s say, I really surprised him. You know, when we went to bed we…’

  But I hold up a hand.

  ‘Too much information, Honey,’ I say, shocked at her sudden lack of inhibitions and thinking I must tell Mrs Orange so she can modify her formula for the next posy. ‘But I’m so thrilled for you! You deserve it, both of you, you really do. So what happens now?’

  ‘He’s coming over tonight to help me pack all my stuff,’ she says, slightly subdued all of a sudden. ‘You don’t mind, do you? Only you’ve been the best friend in the world…’

  ‘I’m just glad you and Johnny have sorted things out, silly,’ I tell her, realising that actually, I’ll really miss her. ‘It’ll be strange though – we’ve been living together, working together… and all of a sudden, you’re disappearing.’

  She looks at me, aghast. ‘Oh no. That’s the thing. I’m really not. I’ve talked it through with Johnny and he agrees, Frankie. That I should finish my floristry course and work with you – at least for now, if that’s okay still?’

  ‘Okay?’ I cry, flinging my arms round her. ‘You bet it is! You mean you’re really going to leave the legal profession?’

  ‘Yes! I can always go back part time if I miss it, but to be honest, I just want to get my marriage back on track. I’ll worry about the rest later.’

  Suddenly I remember. ‘Honey! I saw Ryan and Elise last night!’

  ‘Oh bloody hell, aren’t they just the most nauseatingly happy couple you could ever meet?’ she says, astounding me.

  ‘Honey! Don’t you dare say that - they’re your friends. And actually, they’re not. Not any more. In fact, I’m meeting Elise later to talk about it.’

  ‘You and Elise? That’s ridiculous,’ says Honey.

  ‘No more ridiculous than you and Charlie,’ I remind her. ‘Anyway, you’ll be safely ensconced in the arms of lover boy by then. I need someone to keep me company.’

  Now that the unwanted wedding flowers have done their trick for Honey, we take them over to Briarwood, filling every vase they can find for us and taking the rest back to the shop where Skye suggests we tie them in bunches and sell them off ridiculously cheaply, again in aid of the hospice. After bribing Mr Crowley with a large bouquet for his missis, we set a table up outside Demelza’s, where Skye flogs every last one to all the passers-by and collects a few hundred pounds in donations. Result!

  That evening, Johnny turns up and helps Honey load her car. And everything’s like it always was between them – the affection, the banter – only Honey’s still softer, gentler than she used to be. Then suddenly, they’re gone and my little flat feels strangely empty. And with an unexpectedly quiet end to the week, I go for a long run before I go to meet Elise.

  30

  ‘I can’t tell you what a relief it is, just to get out without him,’ says Elise, taking a large gulp of her wine. I suggested we share a bottle, because at a time like this, we’ll need at least that.

  ‘I still don’t understand,’ I say to her. ‘I always thought you two were what us lesser mortals could only dream of – you know, so in love and always dressed so…’ I break off, not wanting to sound rude.

  ‘Like tweedle dum and tweedle dee?’ she says bluntly. ‘Nauseating, don’t you think? I tell you, Frankie – I’ve just about had enough. We were far too young…’

  ‘How young?’

  ‘Believe it or not, we met at school. Yes, I know,’ she adds, seeing the look on my face. ‘We were fourteen. Can you believe it? What was I thinking?’

  ‘It was awfully young,’ I say diplomatically.

  ‘We got married at nineteen – and to start with, it was all very exciting in a sweet way…’

  ‘So what’s gone wrong?’

  She pauses, then sighs. ‘The trouble is, it’s like shagging my brother. I’m very fond of him, but I’m not in love with him. And I only realised when I started having an affair…’

  I gasp and she looks up at me.

  ‘I met this guy six months ago. It’s nothing complicated - just sex. Are you shocked? Only I realise what we’ve been missing. I’ve decided, Frankie. I’m leaving him. Neither of us are happy and if I wait for Ryan to do something... Anyway, I’ve handed in my notice at work – I’ve just got to find the right way to tell him, that’s the hard bit.’ She bites her lip and fixes clear eyes on mine. ‘You’re not going to try and talk me out of it, are you?’

  ‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ I tell her. I wouldn’t dare. She’s clearly made her mind up. ‘If it’s that big a mistake, why waste any more time together? It sounds like you should never have married in the first place. You were too young. And we only get one life, after all… No, Elise – you go for it.’

  ‘Thank you…’ Her shoulders slump. ‘That’s what I think too. It’s just Ryan…’

  ‘Oh, he’ll find someone else to wear his matching t-shirts,’ I say, clapping my hand to my mouth and suddenly thinking I’ve overstepped the mark again.

  But Elise giggles. ‘It was faintly ridiculous, wasn’t it? Oh God… I hope you’re right.’

  ‘What will you do?’ I’m full of admiration for her – not for busting up her marriage but thinking it through and having the courage to do something about it, when it would clearly be easier to stay.

  ‘I’m going to start my new life with the travelling I should have done years ago,’ she says, her eyes lighting up. ‘Like one of those mid-life crisis gap years, only a bit early. I’ve already bought my air ticket to New York, and from there I’m going to hire a car and cross the States and just see what happens. I’m thinking LA, Hawaii, then Australia, but I can d
ecide when as I go along.’

  ‘Wow.’ Suddenly I’m truly envious. ‘That sounds awesome, Elise.’

  ‘I can’t wait… Sorry, I can’t believe I haven’t even asked you about Honey,’ she says apologetically.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry about them. I have a feeling they’ll be just fine,’ I tell her.

  ‘I hope so. Johnny needs a woman like her,’ says Elise. ‘You know – together and well…’ She glances at me.

  ‘Bossy?’

  She giggles.

  And so another hot summer turns to autumn. With all the running I’m doing, I’m fitter than I’ve ever been and have far more energy too. The most stressful of weddings suddenly seem more manageable, even when a bride calls me the night before her wedding to tell me she’s been to the church and I’ve got the wrong shade of pink. In the past, it would have thrown me into a panic, imagining doom and gloom and the end of everything I’ve worked for – but it doesn’t. Firstly, I have pictures and detailed descriptions, as I remind her. But also, they’re only wedding flowers. I know they look good, she’s got exactly what she ordered and honestly, in the grand scheme of things, she needs to get a life.

  I can’t help thinking I’m probably storing it up for Maria and Pete’s wedding, which is in two weeks’ time and that by then I’ll be in meltdown with nobs on. I’ve had another call from Josh, still digging for snippets of wedding info and I think I can safely say that after what I’ve divulged, while Maria and Pete say their vows, he’ll be the other side of the country. I shall so enjoy telling him all about it – when it’s over.

  Before then, however, is the charity dinner which Lulubelle’s organising. I don’t know how she does it, co-ordinating top-notch caterers, an MC, not to mention auction prizes and a fantastic band I’ve never heard of – all while looking after Cosmo. She’s persuaded a country house hotel to lend her their ballroom and it’s going to be a seriously grand occasion. I’m doing the flowers for her at cost, though there are a few little add-ons I haven’t told her about.