‘How are you, Jess?’ Tom said. ‘I haven’t seen you around for a while. Jacob tells me all about your visits, though. Rhianna,’ he went on, turning to the blonde woman, ‘this is Jess. She works in the pet shop, and you know, I told you about how she helps the kids with their reading, with her dog?’
‘Oh yes! How nice to meet you, Jess.’ The smile was perfect. The gleaming shiny teeth so even, so white, the lipstick applied so faultlessly. Of course. And of course she would be called something like Rhianna.
‘Jess, I don’t think you’ve met Rhianna, my partner?’ Tom was continuing. I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to get away from there, to not have to look at her perfect smile ever again, to see how Jacob cuddled up against her, how she held his hand, how Tom smiled at her.
‘Nice to meet you too,’ I muttered, trying not to open my mouth widely enough to display my imperfect, uneven teeth and the probability of lettuce from my lunchtime sandwich being caught in them. ‘Sorry, I’ve got to dash. I’m supposed to be working on the pet stall, I’ve left my cousin—’
‘Where’s my bloody cup of tea?’ came a shout from across the room, and I raised my eyes and added:
‘And I need to get Vera a cup of tea. Bye. Bye, Jacob, see you on Wednesday.’
‘About time too,’ Vera complained when I finally put the tea down in front of her. ‘A person could die of thirst around here. I suppose you were too busy flirting with your fancy man. Even when he is here with his wife and son!’
‘I’m not flirting with anyone!’ I hissed at her, crossly. ‘Drink your tea, Vera, and mind your own damn business!’
I felt awful about it afterwards. I’d never spoken to her like that before – rarely spoken to anyone like that, to be honest. I’d always been the nice girl, meek and mild little Jess who never swore, never raised her voice or got into arguments. I’d have to apologise to Vera later, but for now I just needed to get back and do what I’d come here today to do.
‘We’re nearly sold out, look!’ Ruth exclaimed as I returned to the pet stall. ‘It’s been brilliant, Jess. And a couple more people have just picked up the Pets As Therapy leaflets.’
‘Great! That’s about ten leaflets taken altogether today,’ I said, trying to keep my voice level, trying to act as if everything was fine and normal. ‘Even if just one of those people reads it and decides to apply to volunteer, it’s a good result.’
‘Are you OK?’ Ruth said, giving me a strange look. ‘You sound a bit fraught. Is Vera all right? She didn’t break anything, did she?’
‘I’m fine. And no, I don’t think she’s done any real damage, just bruised her bum, by the sound of it.’
‘And what about Kevin? Is he back for good? Has he made up with Dan?’
‘Apparently not. Where is Dan, anyway? I haven’t seen him for ages.’
‘No idea,’ she said. ‘But your friend Edie’s here – she came to the stall to ask where you were. She’d seen Vera falling over but couldn’t get to her through the crowd. She was worried about her. She’s probably gone off to look for her.’
Only few minutes later I spotted Edie making her way back to us.
‘I’ve just been consoling one bruised and very cross Christmas elf!’ she said with a grin. ‘Poor Vera.’ She leaned on the stall, giving an exaggerated sigh. ‘When she’d finally finished complaining about her backside, she mentioned that she thinks she’s offended you, Jess. Something about telling you off for flirting with someone.’ Edie raised an eyebrow at me and grinned again. ‘What’s the goss, girlfriend?’
I blushed, aware that Ruth, too, was now looking at me with interest.
‘Oh, you know what Vera’s like,’ I said, trying to laugh it off. ‘She was just making something out of nothing. Trying to embarrass me. I shouldn’t have risen to it. I’m probably just a bit tired and wasn’t in the mood for being teased.’
‘Oh, dammit. I thought you were going to tell me there was a hot new man on the scene,’ Edie said, sounding disappointed.
‘Not as far as I know, unfortunately. Now then,’ I said to change the subject, ‘can I interest you in a nice Puppies and Kittens calendar for next year, Madam? Or how about a special Christmas-edition packet of flea powder?’
‘I haven’t even got any pets!’ she laughed.
‘But you never know when you might need flea powder,’ I said, pretending to scratch myself like a dog. Ruth joined in with the laughter and the awkward moment had passed. Edie bought the calendar, promised to try to free up an evening for a drink soon, and left us with a reminder to keep an eye on Vera – as if I needed reminding!
The crowds had thinned out now. A few people were still drifting past our stall, glancing idly at the items that were left, wandering on to the craft stalls, some of which were starting to pack up. There was only a short time to go until the market officially closed. Santa’s grotto had already closed for business, and Father Christmas was now coming out of the marquee, taking off his hat and stretching.
‘Are you OK, Santa?’ I called across to him, and he laughed and came over to join us.
‘Yes. It was great! I really enjoyed chatting to all the kids, and the time went so fast. What happened to Vera? One of the parents told me something about an elf sitting on the ground and crying.’
I filled him in about poor Vera’s sore bottom and, after congratulating Ruth and me on the success of the pet stall, he immediately went off in search of her.
‘Aw, it’s so cute – he’s definitely got a thing for Vera, hasn’t he,’ Ruth said as we watched him making his way across the square, his red cloak flapping in the breeze.
‘Mm. Sadly, I don’t think she feels the same way, though.’ I lifted a crate from under the stall and began to pack the few unsold goods into it, to take back to the shop the next day. ‘What do you want to do tonight, Ruth? You must be as tired as I am. Shall we get a takeaway, or—’
‘Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. Can you hear me?’ There was a crackle of static. We looked up, to see Dan standing in the middle of the square, holding a microphone. ‘It’s five o’clock, everybody; the Pennycombe Bay Christmas market is now closing. Thank you all for coming. We hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves today, please have a safe journey home and a very happy Christmas.’
‘Very officious,’ Ruth commented.
‘I still don’t know whether he actually knows Kevin’s here,’ I said quietly. ‘God, I hope Kev doesn’t just run off back to London without—’
‘Members of the events committee,’ Dan was going on, ‘stallholders, helpers, Father Christmas, or should I say Father Christmases …’
There was a ripple of laughter from around the square, and Ruth nudged me. ‘He’s seen him! He knows he’s here.’
‘… elves, shopkeepers and caterers: thank you, all of you, for all you’ve done to make today a resounding success. And I’d like to invite all of you to join me, after we’ve finished clearing up here, for a couple of drinks at the Smugglers’ Arms to warm you up and …’ There was a pause, another crackle from the microphone. Dan was looking down at his feet, and then looking up again. ‘And to share some good news with me. See you at the pub! Thanks, everyone.’
‘What’s all that about, then?’ Ruth asked.
‘I’ve no idea.’ I wanted to say that I hoped it meant he’d talked to Kevin, and that they were going to be reconciled. But it didn’t quite seem like Dan’s style to want to make their personal business so public. ‘Shall we go to the Smugglers’, then?’
‘Absolutely! I want to find out the gossip, don’t you?’ Ruth laughed, and I marvelled, again, at the huge change in her, the re-emergence of my happy, charming cousin. ‘Besides, I’m totally freezing my knickers off, and there’s normally a nice log fire in the pub. Come on, let’s get this stall dismantled and get ourselves down there.’
I hadn’t been in the Smugglers’ Arms since the fateful night with Nick. I suppose I’d been avoiding it. But as the dozens of us who’d been involved in the runnin
g of the Christmas market piled into the warmth and light of the main bar, I felt, along with everyone else, the relief of being out of the cold wind that hadn’t eased off during the entire day.
‘Have a mulled wine,’ Ruth suggested when we reached the bar. ‘It just has to be done, on a night like this.’
‘Oh! But—’ I began, in alarm, as she ordered the drink.
‘It’s all right,’ she smiled. ‘I’m having the alcohol-free version. It looks like a warm fruit punch. But there’s no reason why you should have to go without, Jess, just because you’re with me. I’ve got to be able to mix with drinkers without falling off the wagon, otherwise I’ll never be able to go out socially for the rest of my life.’
‘Thanks, Ruth.’ I raised my warming glass of spiced red wine and toasted her. ‘Here’s to the new you. You’ve got no idea how proud I am of you.’
‘Oh, get away with you. Hang on, here’s Dan. Oh God: it looks like he’s going to make another speech.’
The music behind the bar had been turned down low and Dan was, indeed, standing up in the middle of our group, holding up his hands for silence.
‘Thanks for coming, everyone! Have you all got your drinks? Good. Well, I’m not going to beat about the bush. I’ve got an announcement to make. Kev, where are you, love? Come on, come over here, we’re supposed to be doing this together, don’t be shy!’
‘Ooh, they have made up!’ Ruth whispered to me as Kevin appeared from the back of the crowd and Dan pulled him close, throwing his arm around him.
‘As some of you know, Kevin and I have been together for a long time now. Ten years, in fact – yes, it’s a long time, isn’t it? And we’ve had … a brief little break from each other recently. That was my fault. I was keeping a secret from him, you see.’
He gave Kevin another hug and they exchanged a smile.
‘Big meanie,’ Kevin teased him. ‘You were lucky. I might never have come back.’
‘Of course you would,’ Dan countered, still smiling. ‘Well, the thing is, I’m happy – we’re happy – to tell you: yes, we’re getting married.’
There were gasps, and cheers, from the crowd but Dan held his hand up again.
‘We’re getting married on Christmas Eve.’
Another cheer, the beginnings of applause, but his hand was still raised.
‘On Christmas Eve, in Australia!’
By now, the excitement around us was irrepressible. We crowded around the happy couple as they hugged, pink with the joy of their good news, all of us desperate to congratulate them, kiss them and wish them all the best.
‘How on earth did you manage to keep it secret?’ I demanded of the grinning Dan. ‘Kevin was so upset with you for refusing to discuss getting married. You’re lucky he hasn’t left you for good!’
‘Oh, I knew he wouldn’t do that,’ he replied, laughing.
‘But you were complaining so much about him going off to stay with his sister! Leaving you in the lurch, you said.’
‘Only because I’d finally realised how upset he’d got about me ignoring all his marriage talk – and I was beginning to wonder whether I ought to just phone him up and tell him. It would’ve spoilt the whole surprise, and I know how much he loves surprises. If I’d called him, I know I’d have blurted it out: I wanted him to come back! If he hadn’t come back for the Christmas market, I was going to have to go up to London and drag him back. I didn’t like upsetting him, obviously, but I wanted to show him I can be romantic, if I try. I’d already booked it all, you see. Flights, hotel, everything. It had to be at this time of year, while the café isn’t too busy, and I wanted to keep it as a surprise for as long as possible. I’d always hoped to propose to him today, while he was in his Father Christmas outfit.’
I really didn’t want to ask why.
‘And it almost backfired, you bad boy,’ Kevin said, giving him a playful punch. ‘Jim had stepped into the breach and I wasn’t really needed in the grotto. If you hadn’t grabbed me just as I was going to change out of my Santa gear—’
‘I think we’re getting into the realms of Too Much Information, thank you, guys!’ Ruth protested, and everyone laughed.
I was so relieved, so happy for my two friends, but I had to admit Dan had taken a bit of a chance, letting Kevin think he was ignoring his misery and feelings of neglect.
‘Who’d have guessed?’ I said as we finally walked home. ‘I’d never have put Dan down as a romantic.’
‘Aw, lovely, though, isn’t it?’ Ruth said, sighing. ‘Imagine, flying off to Australia for a Christmas wedding.’
‘I can’t. I can’t imagine it.’ I gave her a sideways look. ‘I bet you can, though.’
She shook her head. ‘Too soon to be thinking like that, Jess. I told you, I don’t want to rush things with Ollie.’
I smiled. She’d looked suspiciously gooey when the happy couple had been telling us their news. And she wasn’t alone. I’d caught sight of Jim, staring across the bar at Vera with a faraway look in his eyes. Vera had caught sight of it too, unfortunately, and had snapped at him to stop bloody gawping. He’d offered to walk her home, too, and had received a hostile retort about the pain in her backside making it hard enough to walk without having him hanging on her arm, hustling her along.
Poor Jim. It must be painful, I thought to myself, to be suffering from unrequited love at his age. Or any age, I supposed.
‘I’m glad I’ve given up on all that,’ I told Pru quietly as I dished up her evening meal.
But to my surprise, for once, she didn’t even answer me.
CHAPTER 28
It really didn’t help my state of mind that, the very next morning at the shop, our first customer was Tom Sanders. At least, I presumed he was coming into the shop as a customer, but I soon found out, in quite an alarming way, that I was wrong.
‘Jim, Jess, I’ve got to tell you—’ he burst out as soon as he was through the door.
‘What’s wrong?’ we said in unison.
‘It’s Vera. She can’t get out of bed. I’ve called the doctor.’ He paused for breath, and I realised he’d been running. ‘I knew you’d want to know about it straight away. You’re probably her best friends around here.’
‘What’s happened?’ I asked. Jim hadn’t even stopped to ask questions: he had his coat on already. ‘Oh no, was it the fall yesterday? I did wonder whether she’d jarred her back.’
‘No. I think … well, obviously I’m not a doctor, but I think she’s got the flu. She’s shivering and shaking and looks awful. I wouldn’t have known, obviously, if it wasn’t for Doc.’
‘Doc? What do you mean?’
Even Jim had paused now, halfway to the door, frowning at Tom in surprise.
‘Well, I came out of my house this morning to get into my car to go to work, and there was Doc, walking up and down the street, between Vera’s house and mine, tail up in the air, meowing his head off. He seemed really distressed, so I went over to give him a stroke and he started running off, back towards Vera’s house, looking back at me and meowing until I followed him, then he just sat there on the front step, crying. I knew something was wrong. He’d have used the cat flap if he just wanted to go in.’
‘So what did you do? Ring the bell?’ Jim said.
‘I tried, obviously, but there was no reply, and the way Doc was crying, I didn’t want to leave it any longer so I let myself in. She’s told me her key safe number,’ he added quickly by way of explanation. ‘She wanted a neighbour to be able to get in, in an emergency, and the house in between us is a holiday let, so it’s empty this time of year.’
‘Thank God she did,’ I said. ‘And thank God for Doc. What a clever cat he’s turned out to be. But will the doctor be able to get in?’ I thought suddenly.
‘Yes, the receptionist said they have her key safe number on record at the surgery too. But I’m going straight back there anyway. I just wanted you to know.’
‘You’ve no need to go back,’ Jim said firmly. ‘I’m going.
She needs someone there, looking after her, and you’ve got to get yourself off to work. It was good of you to come and tell us, though.’
‘Let me go,’ I said. ‘If it’s the flu, Jim, you don’t want to be catching it yourself.’ I didn’t like to spell it out, but Jim was a lot older than me.
‘I’ll be all right, I’ve had my flu jab,’ he said, buttoning up his coat. ‘And I tried my damndest to get that infuriating woman to do the same, but … well, you know how stubborn she is, Jess.’ He shook his head. ‘She refuses point-blank to have needles, as she puts it. No, you stay here and look after the shop, if you don’t mind? It’s about time Vera understood that I want to look after her, and while she’s ill, she’s got no choice.’
‘I’ll walk back with you,’ Tom said. ‘I’ve got to go back and get the car; it was quicker to run up here than to drive.’ I could see his point. Fish Row was the other side of the pedestrian precinct from us. Even taking the cobblestones into account it was quicker cutting through there on foot, than driving all the way around the outside of the town. ‘I did try to call the shop,’ he added, ‘but the phone number on the website didn’t seem to work.’
‘Oh.’ Jim stopped, looking a little sheepish. ‘I meant to report that this morning. We noticed last thing on Friday that the line seemed to be out of order, didn’t we.’
‘I’ll do it straight away, while you’re gone,’ I said, and he nodded his thanks.
‘Sorry, but could you pay the electricity and council tax bills too, Jess, in case I don’t get back? I was planning to do that today too.’
‘Of course. Don’t worry.’
‘Bye, Jess,’ Tom said. ‘It was good to see you yesterday.’
‘You too,’ I said, a little weakly.
And I was left alone in the shop, flustered, and anxious about Vera, with a pet food order due to arrive and the bills to pay. I’d do that as soon as I’d got onto BT about the phone line. I wished Jim had asked me to do it in the first place. He often admitted that he was getting forgetful these days, and I was always happy to take on little jobs like this to save him worrying about them.
The Pet Shop at Pennycombe Bay Page 24