Secret Evenings in Pretty Beach

by Polly Babbington

  ‘That was a big sigh for such a tiny person,’ Connor remarked.

  ‘Ahh, yes. It just feels so, soooo good to relax. To be out here on the water with all the lovely fresh air. Watching the world go by and all the beautiful colours of nature. I love it. It was just what I needed,’ Lottie said as she stretched out her legs and helped herself to more of the brie savouring the lovely tastes exploding in her mouth. ‘It’s so nice not to be the one doing the cooking and the serving and the thinking.’

  ‘I bet it is,’ Connor replied as he drained the last of his bubbles. ‘Here’s to a great summer in Pretty Beach with your new business going gangbusters.’

  Lottie took another sip of her champagne as Janey swiftly replaced Connor’s bubbles with a beer and she felt the champagne loosening every part of her tense body. They sat in silence as the boat slowly drifted along, birds chirped overhead and the sounds of the water lapping up against the boat below them softened everything.

  ‘So, what do you get up to when you’re not talking to plants, Lottie?’

  Lottie found herself telling Connor all sorts. She relayed in detail all about the job from hell and Stephanie Beady, about how the dinner round had taken off and how, when she’d first moved to Strawberry Hill with Charlie, the garden had been her place of respite. And then, as Janey poured Lottie another glass of champagne, the cheese was replaced with a plate of olives, sourdough and olive oil and as Connor nursed his beer she found herself telling him about Charlie.

  What am I doing? Where is this coming from? It’s the first date. Wrap it up Lottie. Wrap. It. Up.

  Connor put his hand on Lottie’s leg. ‘Sounds like it was a really hard time for you.’

  Lottie nodded and looked out onto the water. ‘Mmm. Yes. I’m fine now though. It started to get better after a few years. Those early years at the beginning I floundered around from one thing to the next not knowing what day it was if I’m honest. And then it all seemed to start to fade away a bit. At first that made me scared, but then it sort of made it easier in a way.’

  ‘I don’t really know what to say. I haven’t lost anyone as close as that.’

  ‘You don’t have to say anything, because that’s enough of that, but it was nice that you listened. I don’t even know where that came from. It’s a bit weird, it sort of feels like I’ve known you my whole life, Connor.’

  Great. You’re really laying it on thick now. He’s going to bolt. Big time. How to lose a man on the first date by Lottie Cloudberry.

  Connor took Lottie’s hand. ‘I thought it was just me. I don’t want to get all soppy on you, Lottie. But when you emerged from under your car that night I wanted to just take you home and keep you safe - it was as if we’d been together somewhere before.’

  Lottie gripped onto the stem of her champagne glass as the gold glitter came down from above and slowly seeped into every one of her pores.

  The bubbles, the prettiness of the twilight, the gentle motion of the canal boat and Connor telling her he felt the same way as she did made Lottie feel as if she was in a dream. A golden dream.

  Just a few months earlier she’d sat in her greenhouse listening to a podcast about people who had lost a partner and never again succeeded in a relationship, and that that was okay. You just had to make peace with it. And now here she was sitting on the end of a boat with a man, a very easy on the eye man, who not only made her feel gilded but also felt like a comfy blanket at the same time.

  ‘So, what have you got planned for me at the bookshop then? Am I washing up pots or serving your delights to the people of Pretty Beach?’

  ‘I’ve got Luke in the kitchen. He was surprisingly adept at it last time. I was hoping you would be out on the floor as it were.’

  ‘Not a problem. I’ll brush up on my waiting skills this week.’ Connor chuckled.

  Just after the boat had been through a lock, Janey brought dinner to the table, Freddie bellowed from the back that he hoped they enjoyed it and they tucked into beef in red wine, broccoli, and creamy mashed potato.

  ‘Home grown veg on the side there, including the potatoes,’ Freddie shouted down the boat and Lottie laughed and poured herself another glass of champagne.

  Lottie and Connor sat chatting over the dinner, polishing off the food and the second helping Janey had brandished from the kitchen. As the meal came to an end, Lottie closed her eyes and shook her head. She felt more relaxed, more content and happier than she had for a long time as she looked around at the gorgeous boat, the beautiful lights twinkling in the now dark late evening light and the vision of Connor in front of her.

  ‘Rightio! A few minutes until we’re back and then Janey and I will be off home. As per the email, I’ll just show you how to lock up and if you’re good we’ll leave you to it. Dessert is inside and there’s a fridge full of drinks in case you want more, and the best Fortnum and Mason hot chocolate should you want something cosy,’ Freddie bellowed at them while Janey put the last of the dishes away inside and took off her apron.

  Lottie raised her eyebrows at the thought of any more alcohol or food. She’d polished off quite a bit of the champagne and the idea of a hot chocolate and the cosy pillow-lined benches inside was much more appealing than another drink.

  As she slipped her phone out her bag to check for any messages from her boys, Lottie’s chin nearly dropped to the floor at the time. No wonder she was feeling tired and ready for some comfier chairs. The night had flown by. She’d clearly waffled on way too much. They had been eating and chatting for hours and it felt as if it had been five minutes.

  Once the canal boat was back at its mooring, Freddie had boomed out instructions on how to lock the doors, reminded them of the time for the last ferry, and Lottie and Connor retired to the inside of the boat where a huge chocolate cake, two plates, dessert forks, and a bottle of dessert wine sat ready for them. To the left, a small bench was covered with pillows and a tiny little potbelly stove flickered in the corner.

  ‘Ooh, this is delightful. I’m exhausted after all that fresh air and the meal. I won’t forget that in a hurry. It was really good. That was one amazing dinner and coming from me that’s a huge compliment. I’m hard to please in the cooking department,’ Lottie admitted and continued laughing. ‘I don’t know about you but I won't be having any of that wine. I’ve absolutely had enough food and drink to last me for a while.’

  ‘Hmm, yes I think we’ll give the dessert wine a miss, shall we?’

  ‘I think we will,’ Lottie said as she sat down on the beautiful pile of pillows lined up all the way along a sofa-bench running down the right hand side of the boat.

  Lottie felt amazing. Tucked up in the warm inside the cosy boat on the side of the canal, the hundreds of tea lights twinkling, away from worrying about keeping her house, running her businesses and worrying about her boys. Sitting on the snug pillows, her legs tucked up under her, she felt a universe away from hundred-miles-an-hour Lottie. The Lottie who was always thinking, always buzzing around cooking or gardening or cleaning was but a distant memory.

  ‘Well here we are. What a beautiful evening,’ Connor said as he picked up the jar of hot chocolate flakes and read the instructions on the back. ‘Can I interest you in a hot chocolate now all that’s gone down?’

  ‘I think you can,’ Lottie replied and watched as Connor took milk out of the small fridge poured in into a jug that had been left out by Janey and placed it in a tiny microwave cleverly camouflaged behind a shiny, timber cupboard door.

  A couple of minutes later Connor passed over a mug of hot chocolate and joined Lottie on the sofa.

  ‘What a funny old world, it is, eh?’

  ‘Indeed. Who would have thought there would be characters like Freddie and Janey and a boat like this?’

  ‘I was thinking more of other stuff. Like, funny how I ended up here sitting next to you, tucked up with a hot chocolate, wondering if you could get any more beautiful.’

  Oh! Goodness! I’m really pleased I wore the underwear. And
shaved my legs.

  Lottie didn’t know what to reply. She didn’t think that ‘I want to rip your clothes off and never let go’ was quite the done response for someone who’d barely even looked at a man for many years.

  But stirrings were happening everywhere. Connor’s golden glitter was doing magical things to every part of her body. Parts she’d known quite well in the past with Charlie but had been dormant for an exceedingly long time. All she knew was that she liked it very much and as she sat there with her hands clutched around the mug of hot chocolate, she decided that this beautiful man in front of her was what had been missing in her life for so very long.

  They sat there chatting about the way Freddie and Janey had worked like clockwork to provide them with a wonderful night as they finished off the hot chocolate and listened to the water gently lapping up against the side of the boat.

  Putting her mug down on the coffee table, Connor moved closer towards Lottie and laid his hand on her leg. Lottie felt as if she’d stopped breathing willing his hand to move further. The glitter swirled around in front of her eyes as Connor’s hand slowly moved up her leg and she felt as if time had stood still.

  Lottie didn’t move an inch as this huge, glorious man stroked her waist, and then moved in to kiss her tenderly on the lips. Lottie kissed him back and then Connor pressed more urgently into her, and stroked the back of her spine as Lottie absorbed every single bit of him.

  Lottie was in a place she could only describe as heaven. There was no voice of caution, no worrying about underwear, no thoughts of whether or not she was doing the right thing or going too fast, no concern about what anyone would think. Because as Connor pulled Lottie further into his arms and she felt very clearly that he was liking it too, Lottie Cloudberry felt like she had come home.

  Come home to a pool of dazzling gold where she shimmered and sparkled, and the Lottie she’d once known, who had been gone for a very long time, opened the curtain and walked straight back into the ring.

  Chapter 52

  A few days after the out-of-body experience on the canal boat, Lottie tied her jacket around her waist and emerged from the sand dunes, the wind in her hair and handfuls of shells in her pockets. She checked her phone, closed the cover and made her way over to the bakery to get a bag of cinnamon buns and some orange juice on her way home.

  ‘Hi Lottie. How are you? All organised for the weekend?’ Holly asked in an unusually empty shop.

  ‘Yup. I’ve been prepping all week. I’m on a roll now.’

  ‘Great. Have you got time for a cup of tea? The morning rush has just eased off in here.’

  ‘I certainly have,’ Lottie said just as Sallie walked through the door.

  ‘Perfect timing!’ Holly said. ‘Would you like to join us for a cup of tea?’ Holly asked and after checking her phone Sallie smiled and nodded her head.

  They walked around the counter, past the shelves groaning with loaves of bread and through to the back of Holly’s shop. Holly took the lid off the kettle, filled it up with water and bustled around getting the mugs and tea bags ready as Sallie and Lottie sat down.

  ‘Anyone exciting booked in for the bookshop?’ Holly asked.

  ‘Not that I can tell by the names on the bookings list. There wasn’t anyone I really knew on there. Oh, there is a Sylvia Daylon table. Six of them,’ Lottie said her pretty green eyes wide.

  Holly spun around from the sink. ‘What? Wow! You’ve got the WI in. Good luck with that.’

  Lottie giggled. ‘I thought the same. It’s a good job I’m not making cakes. I’d be annihilated. They’d take me down at the first bite.’

  ‘You absolutely would. They take no prisoners that lot. Getting a repeat booking from them though. It’s like the Pretty Beach seal of approval.’ Sallie chuckled. ‘Sylvia Daylon was at one of my first weddings in the marquee. I was a nervous wreck!’

  ‘I know what you mean, Sallie. All I need now is Roy Johnson from the council and Secret Evenings will be thoroughly vetted and approved,’ Lottie replied.

  ‘You will. No pressure there then, Lottie. Blimey, when mum and I first opened up the bakery all those years ago Sylvia Daylon actually asked to do a taste test in the shop before she would buy a loaf of bread. I remember that as clear as day. She stood in front of the counter with six little pieces of bread and stood there and chewed as if her life depended on it.’ Holly said as she placed mugs of tea down in front of Lottie and Sallie.

  Holly examined the backs of her hands and continued chatting. ‘By the way. I heard you dropped into Leza for a little, umm, visit.’

  ‘Ooh, did you? Very nice.’ Sallie laughed.

  ‘I did. What do you think? I’d never be able to afford to go there and I was a bit apprehensive, but in the end, I thought I’d take a chance. I decided that I had nothing to lose.’

  ‘First thing I thought as soon as you walked through the door. That woman works wonders,’ Holly replied.

  ‘I’m certainly looking a lot perkier. Juliette was fabulous - she also took me to M & S. I got a new top and on the way there received a brightened up face, eyelashes and a manicure. I can’t even tell you how long it’s been since I’ve taken any care of myself.’

  Holly chuckled.‘I can’t say the same. I think I keep Dr Leza in business. I’m in there at least once a week. Love it.’

  ‘Ha! I can’t afford that but it has taught me a bit of a lesson.’

  ‘Oh, really? What sort of a lesson?’ Sallie asked.

  ‘Nothing huge or life-changing. Just that since Charlie passed away it’s been the boys, the house, the car, their education, the dinner round, everything except Lottie really. Lottie and what she wanted got left behind furiously paddling away trying to keep everything together for everyone else.’

  Holly sighed. ‘Yes. We all do it. Not me any longer though. I worked all the hours to get where I am today and I’m lucky I didn’t get ill with it all when I look back on it. I should have started making time for me years, and I mean years, ago.’

  ‘Totally agree. Juliette said that she used to be the same too. I’m not saying I need to go to Leza ever again, but I will be taking care of myself from now on. Not buying any new underwear for years... ridiculous! Just that little act alone made me feel good.’

  ‘Same here! I was a mess when I first came to Pretty Beach. Now I make sure I take time for myself or it catches up in the end.’ Sallie nodded and sipped her cup of tea.

  ‘Yes. It’s all about how you feel. It affects what’s up top too,’ Holly said, tapping the side of her temple.

  ‘Indeed.’ Lottie agreed.

  Holly got up and refilled their mugs and slid a plate full of cinnamon buns over the small table tucked into the corner of the back room of the bakery.

  ‘What about the waitressing for the bookshop event? Have you got that sorted yet? Did you ask any of my girls?’ Holly said with a wry smile on her face.

  ‘Yes, it’s sorted. Actually, I have that under control. I didn’t end up asking any of your girls for now.’

  ‘You do have it all sorted, do you?’ Holly replied, smiling.

  ‘I do,’ Lottie said fiddling with her earring.

  ‘So, who do you have helping out, then?’

  ‘Connor is helping out for the evening. I saw him the other day. Apparently he used to work in restaurants while he was at uni so he offered to give us a hand.’

  ‘Ahh, I see. Yes. I bet he did.’ Holly nodded with wide eyes and took another sip of her tea.

  Sallie chuckled and popped in another piece of cinnamon bun. ‘The Pretty Beach grapevine will be very interested to hear about his kind gesture.’

  Chapter 53

  Lottie padded all the way down through the house, over the timber floorboards of the hallway, and opened the door to the kitchen. When she’d first had the handmade kitchen put in it had made her gasp every time she opened the door, she’d loved it that much. The pale creamy cupboards with the brass cup pulls, the whole of the far wall with its handcrafted
open shelving all the way up to the tall ceiling with the rolling ladder to get things stored at the top. The beautiful Aga tucked in its own little alcove filled with all her beautiful vintage utensils and the Sheila Maid hanging over the top. She sighed out in pleasure and relief as she took it all in. By the early indications of how Secret Evenings was going, it was looking as if she would be able to keep the house and the kitchen she adored.

  She opened the fridge where the food was prepped and stacked for the evening, took out some milk, took the loaf of bread which had been baking overnight out of the Aga, and grabbed the Marmite from the cupboard overhead.

  She was up and about early and way before Dimitri, ready to stroll down to the bookshop, let herself into the back, and check that everything was in order before they descended on it later with all their preparations.

  After finishing off her toast and Marmite, putting everything in the dishwasher Lottie got ready to go and stood in front of the mirror in the hallway. She pulled up her now-shiny caramel hair into a ponytail, put in her favourite, dangly diamond earrings Charlie had bought her when they’d first got together, and hastily rubbed on a layer of tinted moisturiser, a quick rub of cream blusher, and a hefty spray of sun lotion over the top.

  She put her soft trench coat over ripped boyfriend jeans, an old, soft grey t-shirt and white trainers, put her basket she’d filled with a few additional jugs from her vintage collection over her arm, and quietly opened the front door.

  Walking through Mermaids on the way to the laneway Lottie waved to Roy Johnson from the council who was watering hanging baskets brimming with trailing pink flowers and waved to Nel the bus driver who, by the looks of her uniform and lunch box under her arm, was on her way to work.

  As she got to the laneway, a road sweeper swirled along the road ahead of her. The driver, earpods in and singing along to herself, gave Lottie a cheery wave and the girls from White Cottage Flowers were brushing and hosing down the area in front of the shop. Jessica from Pretty Beach Fish and Chips was carrying stacks of white boxes through the front door of her shop and Deepa, owner of the curry house, was rolling down the awning at the front. Pretty Beach was up and about early, its workers getting prepared for one of the first days of the season ready for the onslaught of day-trippers and people down for the weekend on the fast train.