Their pleading looks were too much. Lola closed her eyes, feeling all her resolve crumble and fall away.
But what choice did she have? Her mum had sacrificed so much for her and Mandy. Lola couldn’t turn her back on her own family, could she?
She swallowed a sigh. ‘OK,’ she said, feeling a weight like concrete in her chest.
Her mum beamed. She turned to Mandy. ‘I told you we could depend on Lola.’
*
Lola put the phone down and immediately it started to ring again. It seemed Debbie had meddled further by spreading rumours that the salon had closed, so all day Lola had been fielding perplexed enquiries and reassuring customers that their appointments would not be cancelled. She tried to ignore the ringing while she dealt with the small queue of customers in the shop and the postman.
‘Lola! I have a special delivery for you. Can I have your signature?’
She scrawled her name, took the envelope, then scuttled off to prepare a foot spa for the next lady’s pedicure. The phone seemed to give up and finally fell silent, much to her relief. While the hot water ran, she wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. Her gaze drifted to the window and the hills which loomed over the valley. She’d been silly, on that journey back from Manchester, to raise her hopes, to believe her life could be different. This was home. She was needed here. That trip had felt like an escape, but immediately on her return she’d been sucked back into real life, swallowed up by her obligations. It was all well and good an old lady talking about chasing your dream, but Lola prided herself on being dependable, and right now her mum needed her. As she closed the tap, she had the sensation of a small flame being extinguished. Her shoulders sagged.
She carried the foot spa to the treatment room, and wiped her hands down over her tunic. The envelope fell out of her pocket. She bent to pick it up. The holiday company’s logo suggested it was more junk mail. But special delivery?
The phone’s shrill ringing started up again. She glanced over her shoulder, then tucked it back in her pocket to open later and hurried back to reception.
‘Lo, it’s me.’
‘Greg?’
‘I heard what happened – about your job.’
‘Yeah,’ she said, waving goodbye to a customer as they left.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Yeah, well.’ She didn’t know what to say, especially after the way they’d left things last time she’d seen him.
He cleared his throat. ‘I – ah – would you like to come for dinner? At my place.’
She blinked. ‘Dinner?’
In all the time they’d been dating, he’d never once made her dinner.
‘Are you free tonight? Say, seven-thirty?’
‘But it’s Friday. You always go to The Packhorse on Fridays.’
‘Yeah, well… you’ve had a tough time of it lately, what with losing your job and then all the stuff at your mum’s salon. I haven’t really been there for you like I should. I want to make it up to you.’
She frowned. This didn’t sound like him at all.
Don’t be so cynical, Lo. ‘Dinner would be lovely,’ she said. ‘Thanks.’
And as she hung up, her heart beat a little faster at the prospect. It would be just the two of them. They could make a fresh start. She smiled to herself. Perhaps there was hope for them after all.
*
‘Wow! This looks amazing!’
Wide-eyed, Lola turned full circle, taking in the table set for two, the candles, the fairy lights strung around the cabin. It was so unlike Greg to go to this much trouble that she couldn’t prevent the tiny suspicion a female hand had been involved in this.
She brushed the thought aside. He was making an effort to repair their relationship, and he deserved she do the same instead of being suspicious. Her thoughts turned to the letter in her bag, and she felt a secret lurch of excitement.
Greg smiled and went back to stirring a pan. ‘Nearly ready,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you open the wine?’
Lola followed his gaze to the bottle of Beaujolais and two glasses beside it. She’d never seen him drink anything but stout.
‘You don’t mind me having steak, do you?’ he asked as he brought the plates over.
The smell of meat wafted past her, making her feel queasy. ‘No, of course not.’
‘Don’t worry. Yours is veggie.’
Lola looked down. On her plate were roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, mash and a smattering of boiled carrots. ‘Potatoes – my favourite,’ she joked.
He smiled proudly. ‘Tuck in.’
He pushed a big piece of steak into his mouth.
Lola looked at the fairy lights strung up behind him. White and rose-shaped, they looked incongruous next to his bulky shoulders. ‘Those lights look familiar.’
‘They’re your sister’s.’
‘Mandy’s? Why –’ The penny dropped. Her eyes narrowed. ‘Was this her idea?’ she asked, gesturing at the candles, the wine, the food.
He shot her a sheepish grin and nodded.
Lola forced herself to smile. Her sister had only been trying to help, yet the gesture was much less meaningful now she knew Greg hadn’t thought of it himself.
‘So, what are you going to do about your job?’ he asked.
Lola looked up. For a fraction of a second she considered telling him about her trip to Manchester. Then she changed her mind. Making jewellery full-time felt like a pipe dream now she was back home. And the crisis at her mum’s salon had been a brutal reminder that she couldn’t just up sticks and leave.
‘I’ll look for something in town,’ she said. ‘Waitressing, something like that. When Mum doesn’t need me at the salon any more, that is.’
The prospect of looking for a new job would be postponed, however, thanks to the unexpected letter she’d received. Excitement bubbled up inside her. ‘Greg, I won a competition.’
‘Oh yeah? What did you win?’
‘Tickets to go round the world.’
He paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. ‘What?’
‘A trip – round the world.’
He put the fork down. ‘On a plane?’
‘Well it wouldn’t be much of a prize if you had to walk.’
He didn’t return her smile.
She added, ‘It’s a trip for two. We could go together.’
She’d thought about this long and hard. It would be a second chance for them, a test. If they didn’t get on, then she’d know marriage wasn’t right for them. And if they did – it would cement it.
Plus, she might feel differently about settling down after seeing the world.
‘I get travel sick,’ he said.
She waited for him to wink or laugh – but he was deadpan. ‘On planes?’
‘Trains, planes – the lot.’
‘I – I didn’t know that.’ How did she not know that? He’d never mentioned it before.
And yet he lived in a canal boat. Her eyes narrowed.
‘Apart from boats, obviously,’ he added quickly. He stabbed a potato. ‘This old girl is due a trip, actually. We could do that instead.’
It took her a moment to realise he was referring to the boat.
‘Instead?’ She made herself breathe. ‘The prize includes accommodation.’
He carried on chewing.
She smoothed out her sequinned top, playing for time while she regrouped because she hadn’t expected him to react like this. Her fingers touched her pendant and curled around the stone’s fiery heat. A month ago, what would she have done? She would have worried about getting permission for two months’ leave from Supersave, she would have felt guilty about leaving Greg. She would have timidly accepted his verdict.
Now, though, her chin went up.
‘Greg, I really want to do this. I want to see other continents, other ways of life.’ She pictured icy peaks and canyons, platinum beaches, caves, temples, ancient inscriptions. ‘This is a dream come true. The chance of a lifetime.’
A flash
of surprise crossed his face, then he scowled. ‘Don’t let me stop you,’ he said, but his eyes glinted like metal cutters.
‘Don’t be like that.’
‘How do you want me to be? You don’t want to marry me, you want to go to the other side of the world without me. What does that say about your feelings for me?’
The blood rushed to her face. ‘Perhaps it says more about your feelings that you don’t understand.’
‘I don’t understand?’
‘You expect me to marry you when you’ve never even taken the time to get to know me. We hardly see each other because you prefer to be out with your mates than spend time alone with me.’
‘We’re alone now, aren’t we?’
She shook her head and laughed. ‘Only because my sister suggested it.’
Why hadn’t she seen how selfish he was before? Wouldn’t a man who really loved her want her to be happy? Wouldn’t he be encouraging her to travel and get her job sorted before settling down? The pendant glowed warm against her chest. Well, she was all the more determined now to go, even if it meant travelling alone.
They cleared the plates in silence. When Greg grudgingly offered her dessert, Lola shook her head and looked at her watch. ‘I’ve got work in the morning. I’d better go.’
He nodded. ‘I’ll walk you home.’
‘There’s no need –’
‘I’ll walk you home,’ he insisted.
Outside her front door, he turned to her and his eyes brimmed with regret. He dipped his head and kissed her. A light brush of the lips, which felt like an olive branch.
‘Thanks for tonight,’ she said, choosing her words carefully. ‘You went to a lot of trouble, and I appreciate it.’
He looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable in the shadows. The street was still and silent. On the other side of the road a cat darted past, its eyes shooting stars in the night.
‘I thought we were good together, Lo, but now…’ He sighed and shook his head.
She stiffened. ‘Now?’
‘It seems like you’re changing,’ he said finally. ‘You want different things.’
Lola blinked, but before she could respond he’d turned and left. She watched him stride away into the dark, shoulders hunched.
Had it lain dormant in her all along, this wish to do something with her life? Or had Greg’s proposal been a wake-up call making her question the path she’d taken? Her fingers squeezed the Angel Stone. Or had something else triggered the change in her?
*
The salon door opened and a lady came in.
She glanced at Lola and frowned. ‘Oh. I must have got the wrong place.’
‘The wrong place?’ asked Lola.
‘I was chatting to the lady in the emporium and she said you were looking for a receptionist after the last girl left at short notice. I’m looking for work, you see.’
‘Oh. Right. Yes, you’re in the right place. I’m just filling in until Mum finds a replacement. Can you just wait there a minute?’
Lola darted into the back room where Mum was laying out fresh towels for her next treatment. ‘There’s a lady at the front asking about the job.’
Her mum sighed. Lola knew what she was thinking. She’d been interviewing for three weeks now, but none of the candidates had been suitable. One had turned up wearing ripped jeans, another had been barely out of school with a mouth like a sewer, and the last one hadn’t even bothered to wash her hair. Lola had begun to despair that she’d have to stay on indefinitely and perhaps even miss out on her trip. Unless their luck had just changed.
‘She’s smartly dressed,’ said Lola, ‘and well spoken. Says she’s done reception work before and she can start straight away. She even smells of perfume.’
Ten minutes later, the lady emerged with Mum, the two of them laughing like old friends.
‘I’ll see you first thing tomorrow, Bridie,’ said Mum.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
The lady left, carefully closing the door behind her.
Mum smiled. ‘Can you believe Bridie and I knew each other in London?’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah. She sang too. Still does, apparently. She hasn’t changed a bit. She’ll be great to work with.’
‘You won’t need me any more, then?’ Lola’s spirits rose at the thought of being released. She could start making preparations for her trip.
Her phone rang. She glanced at the number, and hastily accepted the call.
‘Lola? It’s Scott Allen. Just calling about your jewellery.’
She braced herself for bad news. ‘Oh yes?’
‘It’s sold really well, mate.’
Her heart soared. ‘It has?’
‘Yeah. Listen, could you come over here again? I’d like to talk to you about having your own stall here, if you’re interested?’
Interested? ‘Sure. When were you thinking?’ she said breathlessly.
Her pulse sped like a runaway train and her cheeks, for some inexplicable reason, were burning.
Once they’d arranged a date and time, she asked; ‘I’m curious to know which items sold. The necklaces or the earrings, the colourful pieces or the plain…?’
There was a moment’s pause before he answered. ‘It all sold, Lola. Everything you left with me has gone.’
*
Lola willed the Manchester train to go faster. She was so excited she felt like the River Calder after heavy rain when it was brimming full and threatening to burst its banks. Her jewellery had sold: people wanted to buy it. For the first time in her life, it seemed possible she could do the thing that made her happy – and earn a living from it.
‘Lola!’ Scott’s deep voice hooked itself around her. ‘Good to see you again.’
His blue eyes lit as he smiled and he held his hand out. She shook it, and tried not to show how pleased she was to see him while her heart hammered against her ribs.
He reached into a drawer and pulled out a wad of notes. ‘Your profits.’
Lola grinned. ‘Thanks.’
He showed her the stall which had become free, and her head began to spin when she realised it contained a small workshop. They sat down to discuss the cost, and made rough calculations of how much she could earn if she did this full-time. Even excluding the possibility of online sales, it was easily double what she’d been earning at Supersave.
‘So when can you start, Lola?’ Scott sat back in his chair.
She bit her lip. Should she ask? He’d told her he was keen to fill the stall as soon as possible.
Follow your heart.
She sucked in air. ‘I wondered… can you wait a month or two? It’s just I won a round-the-world ticket. It’s the chance of a lifetime. Something I’ve always dreamed of doing.’
His brows lifted. She held her breath.
Then his eyes creased and he smiled. ‘That’s how I ended up living here, you know? Took a gap year, went travelling, came here and decided I wanted to stay. You’re going to have the time of your life. I hope you take the opportunity to visit Australia.’
Relief cascaded through her. ‘It’s top of my list,’ she grinned. ‘Has been ever since I watched Crocodile Dundee.’
He laughed. The blood rushed to her ears. ‘You’ll find it really inspirational for your work. When you come back, I expect you’ll be bursting with ideas.’
*
Walking home from the station, she squeezed the stone. She still had to break the news to Mum.
‘So you’re going to work in Manchester?’
Lola nodded. ‘I’ll commute for a while, see how it goes, but it might be easier to live there.’
Mum nodded. ‘What about Greg? You haven’t had second thoughts?’
‘None at all. We agreed it was over and I gave him the ring back.’
‘Good.’
Lola stepped forward and touched her mum’s arm. ‘How do you feel about me leaving home?’
‘I’ll miss you, but this is you
r chance, love. I’m so excited for you.’
‘What about the bills? Will you manage? What if the salon goes through another quiet patch?’
‘The salon’s doing better than ever since Debbie left – and I don’t want you to worry about that, anyway. It’s my responsibility. I’m grateful for the help you’ve given me, Lo, but you need to think of yourself and your own life.’
She smiled with relief. ‘I’m glad you feel that way.’
‘I love you. I want you to be happy. It’s fantastic that your jewellery is selling so well. How about I nip out and get a bottle of cava to celebrate?’
Lola smiled.
Mum picked up her handbag. ‘By the way, I popped in to see that Miss Moonshine lady.’
‘Did you?’
‘Yeah. The postman delivered her mail to my shop – I don’t know how he got it mixed up when our address is nothing like hers. Anyway, I took it round in my lunch break and –’ Mum’s brow furrowed. ‘It was really strange.’
‘What was strange?’
‘It was almost as if she was expecting me. She welcomed me like an old friend, but I’m sure we’ve not met before.’ She looked pensive. ‘Then I spotted this…’
She reached into her bag and pulled out a glittery black band with a yellow feather attached.
Lola peered at it. ‘What is it?’
Mum slipped it onto her head. ‘I used to wear something like this in my singing days. It took me back…’ She smiled at the memory.
‘Right,’ Lola said carefully. It looked a bit tacky.
‘It got me thinking, maybe I could try a bit of singing again. Just for fun, you know? Bridie’s in a band and they sometimes need an extra singer.’
‘Mum, that’s a great idea!’
‘You don’t think it’s silly? I mean, I’m hardly the young girl I once was.’
Lola thought of how hard it must have been for Mum to lose her husband so young, to suddenly find herself alone with young children, and to be forced to give up her singing and take the first job she’d found in order to pay the bills. She’d been denied the chance to follow her dream back then. But now what was to stop her? Lola touched her pendant and smiled.
‘It’s not fanciful at all. You have a great voice.’
Mum smiled and her eyes took on that dreamy look again. It made her look ten years younger.
Miss Moonshine's Emporium of Happy Endings: A feel-good collection of heartwarming stories Page 22