✉︎ From Curtis
Nothing’s wrong with you. Except your timing. Chin up xx
I put my mobile down on the worktop and returned to the task of washing up the breakfast pots. Curtis was right. It had been a great weekend and, other than the incident with Stevie, it had been exactly what I needed. Waking up late on Saturday morning, my head had felt like it may spontaneously combust. Thankfully a walk round The Headland, a bottle of Lucozade, and a bag of hot sugared doughnuts from the seafront returned me to the land of the living. Curtis promised to be gentler with me the following evening so, after a quick trip into town to buy him some fresh clothes, we had a Chinese followed by a walk along the beach.
He wouldn’t accept my story that I’d left Stardust because I felt sick. Eventually I confessed, cringing as I re-lived my failed attempt at seducing poor Stevie. I still had no idea why I’d done it. I could only plead drink-induced temporary loss of sanity. It wasn’t like I fancied the guy. He was just a friend. Although he did have cute dimples, very sexy eyes and gave the best hugs ever.
My mobile beeped again. I wiped my hands on a tea towel and checked my texts:
✉︎ From Sarah
Can you meet me at The Chocolate Pot at 2pm today? Got some exciting news!
My stomach churned. It had to be wedding news. Perhaps they’d found a venue and set the date. Feeling very guilty after her comments in Minty’s at the weekend, I’d dropped by Seaside Blooms after school on Wednesday like I used to and had asked how the plans were going. Sarah had refused to talk about it at first, but after I managed to convince her that I wasn’t about to collapse in hysterical sobs at the mention of anything wedding-related, she’d admitted that there was very little news. Sherrington Hall was fully booked for the next eighteen months, as expected, so she needed to get over that disappointment before she started looking for alternative venues. She didn’t want to go dress-shopping or plan anything else until she had a venue and date.
I read her text again. It had to be wedding news. Something had obviously changed and, as I’d recently experienced, a heck of a lot could change in the space of a few days. I replied to say I was free and, after a light lunch, took a slow meander towards town.
I’d just reached the top of The Old Town when my phone beeped. Gary. Which meant one thing: the final valuation on the house was complete and he’d made a decision as to who would sell 9 Abbey Drive. This was it; the next key step in our separation:
✉︎ From Gary
Lawtons have just gone. The agent from there seemed most switched on so I’ve instructed him to put the house on the market. He took the measurements and photos while he was here. Don’t panic – I got my act together and cleared up after you came round! I’ll get the details to approve by the end of Tuesday so the house could be on the market by Thursday at the latest. Are you sure you want this?
✉︎ To Gary
I’m sure. Thank you. Keep me posted on viewings. This is it then
✉︎ From Gary
Looks like it. Feels strange
✉︎ To Gary
I know
I put the phone back in my bag and sat down on a bench overlooking The Old Town and the harbour. Above me, fluffy white clouds floated across the blue sky and seabirds squawked as they caught the thermals and soared into the air. Below me to the left was the River Abbleby, where sailing boats jostled for space with small powerboats and canoeists. In front of me, the tide was in on South Bay beach and the remaining stretch of sand was packed. The Ferris wheel turned in Pleasureland and one of the jet boats bounced across the waves beyond the harbour. I couldn’t hear them, I couldn’t properly see them, but I knew that everyone would be having fun in the sun while I struggled with another key milestone in the collapse of my marriage while on my way to meet my best friend to no doubt talk about the start of hers. Could the timing be any worse?
‘Thank you for all for coming,’ said Sarah.
As soon as I spotted Clare, and Nick’s sister, Callie, at a table with Sarah, my suspicions about it being wedding news were confirmed. My heart sank and I admonished myself immediately. Don’t be so selfish. You know how much she’s longed for this day. Be happy for her. You’ve managed to be supportive for Jess. You can do the same for Sarah.
I plastered a smile on my face. ‘You’re welcome. I take it you have wedding news.’
‘I do,’ Sarah said, giggling at the wedding pun. ‘We’ve set a date.’
Callie squealed and clapped her hands together. ‘Please tell me it’s next year. I can’t bear to wait until the one after.’
Sarah grinned. ‘As you all know, Nick and I have been venue-hunting over the past few weeks and we’d set our hearts on Sherrington Hall, but they were fully booked. However, they phoned on Friday with a cancellation, which nobody seems to want. It’s quite a bit sooner. We’re not having a spring wedding anymore. We’re having a winter one. We’re getting married on the twenty-first of December. This year. Can you believe that?’
Callie squealed again and hugged Sarah. Clare offered her congratulations and all I managed to say was, ‘That’s a bit close to Christmas, isn’t it? People might not come.’ I looked at three shocked pairs of eyes. Did I really just say that out loud? ‘That came out wrong. I meant that’s probably why nobody wanted it. I’m sure all your guests will come. I’m delighted for you.’
‘Thank you.’ Sarah smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, just like Gary’s smile on all those photos at home. I’d hurt her. Again.
‘I’m so excited,’ Callie said. ‘Have you booked the church too?’
‘Yes. All done…’
Sarah gushed about the church she’d booked, what time the service would be, what time the reception would be, their thoughts about going to Canada for their honeymoon. I felt as though I was having an out-of-body experience throughout the discussion, as if my usual ‘nice Elise’ persona was floating above me and this nasty, bitter individual was left in her place, pretending to be delighted for her best friend. I hoped desperately that the feeling wouldn’t continue for five months of planning because if it did, I knew I would screw up my friendship with Sarah forever. This was a woman who’d dreamed of her wedding day since she was a little girl – a woman who, after finding her single uncle dead when she was only thirteen, had made it her mission to find her soulmate so she didn’t end up all alone like him. How could I begrudge her a perfect day, especially when I’d enjoyed twelve years of happy marriage myself? Or so I’d believed. No, they were happy. Or ten of them were. Even Gary admitted that. I had to stop thinking about the whole thing as a disaster.
‘I have a little surprise if you’re all free for another hour or so,’ Sarah said when we’d finished our drinks.
We settled the bill, headed out of the café, and turned left along Castle Street. Sarah stopped a few paces later outside The Wedding Emporium, a wedding dress shop that had opened earlier that year next-door to The Chocolate Pot. She knocked on the door.