Carly laughed. ‘Joking aside though, how do you feel – about splitting up, I mean?’
Lucas took in the pretty, sweet young woman in front of him and he felt his heart do a little jump. ‘I was never in love with her. We’ve been on a downhill slope for a while.’
‘Good. I mean, good that you’re OK. Oh heck, you know what I mean.’ Carly sounded flustered, blinking her eyes and rubbing her face nervously, causing Lucas to like her just that little bit more.
‘And you’re not missing your ex, no?’ he asked her.
‘God no.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I’m single and ready to mingle.’ Her dancing eyes looked right into Luke’s. Then, looking away: ‘OK, we are here to talk about the website and spring bookings, aren’t we?’ she said efficiently, jumping into work mode and pulling a folder from her bag. As she placed it down in front of her, Lucas put both of his hands on top of hers.
‘Actually, no. I’m here to talk about something else.’ He smiled at her awkwardly. ‘You know how we discussed our imminent wedding?’ Feeling this wasn’t the moment to burst into laughter, Carly bit her lip and cocked her head to the side as the handsome man in front of her continued: ‘Well, if it’s not too forward I would like to propose…’ he paused for dramatic effect ‘…that I take you out for dinner tomorrow night – if you are free, of course.’
Carly squeezed his hands tight. ‘Hmm. I need to think about this.’ She made him wait, and then her whole face lit up in a huge grin. Raising her cup, she chinked it against his. ‘And I would very much like to accept your proposal, kind sir.’
CHAPTER 55
Felix Carlisle flounced into the church hall wearing a cream fur full-length coat and his usual brown felt Fedora. Rosa was busy with Josh, setting the stage ready for tonight’s Christmas in Cockleberry Bay Carol-oke Concert extravaganza.
‘If I have to talk to, or even set eyes on, one more noisy, smelly, spoiled, ungrateful little brat this side of Christmas I will explode. Explode, I tell you!’ Felix threw his hat, which landed directly onto a coat hook.
Rosa couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Ho, ho, ho! Good shot, Santa.’
‘Not even remotely funny, dear.’
‘And look at you with your fur on.’ Rosa carried on placing tinsel around the main lectern. ‘You will so look the part later. You do realise everyone else in our group is wearing Christmas jumpers though?’
‘Faux, darling, it’s faux fur and I obviously ignored the memo.’ Felix stroked his coat. ‘I always dig this out on Christmas Eve, since one can get away with it without too much of a scene. And with this belly, jumpers make me look like a Christmas pudding anyway.’
‘Joking aside, Felix, I am so grateful you stepped up and agreed to help Lucas out. And to give me credit, I did negotiate a decent wage for you.’
‘I know, I know – and as I had cancelled all my London gigs, it really was marvellous. Day work too, so no having to go out in the cold evenings to events, so I shouldn’t complain really, darling. But note to self: I am never – and I repeat never – doing it again.’
‘Hello Josh, darling, a vision as usual.’ Felix sashayed past them both and went into the kitchen to find glasses for the bottle of fizz he had brought in with him. ‘So what time is it all kicking off later?’ he shouted through the hatch.
‘Four o’clock.’
‘Heck.’ Josh checked his watch. ‘We haven’t got all that long.’ He stood on a chair and began fixing the Carol-oke banner across the top of the staging. ‘The Seaside Stars are going to be announced later too, aren’t they?’
‘Yes,’ Rosa replied. ‘The Gazette did a feature on it this week, as well. Poor Lucas – the anticipation of it all – and then to be shot down in flames like he’s surely bound to be after what happened. He thought nobody would know about the awards but evidently somebody from the Seaside Star company thought it would be great publicity for them and the two venues – the Lobster Pot and the Ship Hotel – so it’s being announced live on the radio, sometime after the Carol-oke winner is declared and before the raffle, I believe.’
‘Tell me if I’m being stupid here, wifey, but why a judging panel, if there are going to be phone votes anyway?’ Josh started noisily erecting the folding tables.
‘It’s just to add another layer of fun after each act really. Carly has designed some paddles with 1 to 10 on them, like they have on Strictly. The judges can just waggle them about for added drama.’
Nate poked his head around the door. ‘OK to start unpacking my stuff?’
Felix rushed out to the front. ‘I’m free.’ He waved his arm in the air at Nate.
The young man replied, smiling, ‘Erring on the side of cheap, I’d say. Come on, give me a hand then.’
‘Bubbles, anyone?’ Felix then offered, stealing a glance at the young café owner and receiving a cheeky wink in return.
‘It’s reindeer men, Hallelujah, it’s reindeer men!’ The women from the St Michael’s and All Angels choir, who had named themselves ‘Angels’ Delight’, belted out their tune with gusto. With no thought of age or dress size, they were all wearing extremely short Santa’s Little Helper outfits, red in colour, with a white fur trim. Their number finishing caused such a crescendo of applause and stamping of feet on the wooden floor of the church hall that Little Ned and baby Lizzy both started screaming, and the verger, after waving his 10 paddle around far too vigorously, had to take off his glasses to wipe the steam from them.
Jacob turned to Raff, lips pursed. ‘There’s more flesh on show up there than on Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour, New York, twenty fifteen. I mean, really!’
‘The ladies are obviously in it for the win,’ Josh said to Ritchie, as they did their best to pacify the babies and stop Theo from running up on the stage. Stuart Cliss had already had to leave the festivities and take his two boisterous boys outside to kick a ball around in the lit car park, while his wife Vicki pushed a double buggy to and fro; the twins inside it were, amazingly, sleeping soundly through the concert.
‘Jesus, you wouldn’t get many of them to the pound,’ Danny noticed as, while bowing, the lead vocalist’s mature breasts nearly heaved out over her bodice.
‘You can’t say things like that in this day and age,’ Tina Green scolded him, looking around for Alfie, who had made his way under the food table and was shoving in a slice of chocolate log while no one was looking.
‘I just did, but no offence meant, Ma. There’s nothing wrong with appreciating the female form.’
‘And you can remove your eyes off those stalks right this minute, Frank Moore.’ Gladys Moore swiped her husband’s arm.
‘They stole my idea, Rose,’ Titch said grumpily. ‘I think we are mince-pie meat here. They sounded bloody brilliant too.’
The producer of South Cliffs Today at that point beckoned Mr Gunter, the Cockleberry Bay verger, up to the microphone. His voice when he spoke was still slightly shaky after watching the previous act. Geraldine Baker, the Polhampton vicar, was busy patting her group on their bare backs, encouraging them.