And as much as Lois tried to shrug off how much it bothered her to see him with someone, she couldn’t. And that bothered her just as much.
As soon as Amy arrived at the bar, Oliver gave her a quick peck on the cheek then excused himself and went to the bathroom. He stood, leaning on the edge of the sink looking at himself in the mirror, taking deep breaths. It had been overwhelming to see her again. Everything had flooded back suddenly, and he just needed a minute.
Because they’d split when he was so engrossed in the cinema project, he hadn’t had much time to think. With Amy driving the decision, he’d just gone along with it. Practical things like having to buy her out of the coffee house, he’d dealt with, with the help of Patsy, his business partner and he hadn’t allowed himself to think too hard about how he felt. The cinema was finished but there were still plenty of teething problems, as there were with any new business so there hadn’t seemed like a good time to try and resolve things with Amy. Tonight was the first time he’d seen her since the last bitter row they’d had months ago and all the reasons why he’d fallen for her in the first place had just floored him.
He exhaled, shook his hands to try and alleviate his stress, and then washed them because it felt wrong to leave the toilets without doing that. He looked himself hard in the eyes, willing himself to remember that Amy had turned into someone who didn’t trust him. She hadn’t wanted to be part of the cinema project, even though it had meant so much to him. It was going to be important to remember that tonight when she was right in front of him looking like the woman he fell in love with, none of the bitterness in her face. At least not yet.
He walked back into the bar and saw Lois sat alone at a table, looking as if she was sucking an orange slice, the rind giving her an orangey smile. Having a quick chat with her and then her friend relaxed him. He could do this. It was just Amy. After all, he had pulled off a one-minute conversation with Lois and he thought – hoped - he’d come across as charming and witty. That was easily more nerve-wracking than talking to his ex.
‘I got us a couple of cocktails to start with, I hope that’s okay,’ said Amy when he went back to her.
‘Fine, thank you.’
‘Cheers.’
‘Cheers.’ She looked the same. Maybe more sparkly somehow but pretty much the same.
‘Who was that you were talking to?’ She nodded to where Lois and her friend were sitting.
‘She’s the new librarian at Croftwood Library. She’s been into the coffee house a couple of times.’
‘Oh right. The one that’s taken over from Rosemary?’
‘Yes, you heard about that did you?’ He smiled. They were on safe ground.
‘God yes. I don’t know who I feel sorrier for, her or Rosemary. I know she’s a nightmare but it’s such a shame she couldn’t delay her retirement to coincide with the library closing.’
‘Well, maybe it won’t close.’
Amy looked at him as if she thought that was unlikely, then in an out of character move when there was conflict on the horizon, she changed the subject. ‘So how are you? It’s great to hear that the coffee house is busy.’
‘Yes, thanks, really busy. And how are things with you?’ Even though he felt more at ease, he wasn’t sure whether he was ready to hear about how things really were with her, but it was only right to ask. And it hadn’t gone unnoticed that she’d avoided asking about the cinema.
‘It’s been a tough year.’ She looked at him with an expression on her face that transported him back to the last time he’d seen her when they’d decided it would be for the best to end things.
‘Yes,’ he said quietly.
‘But I’m ready to think about working again…’
They’d started the coffee house together but gradually she had lost interest and stopped being involved, relying on Oliver to run the place even though she wasn’t working elsewhere instead. It had been another bone of contention.
‘That’s great, Amy.’ He meant it. She needed to feel able to move on just as he had.
‘And I suppose, now that things are… more normal, well I just wanted to see you. It was bad for both of us, and I just wanted to make sure we could be friends.’
‘Of course.’
She smiled and rested her hand on his. ‘Thanks, Oliver. It means a lot to me.’
It meant a lot to him too, he realised then. You couldn’t end something so suddenly without feeling like there was some closure to be had. Meeting up had been a good idea from that point of view.
The rest of the hour or so they spent in the bar was a careful reminiscence of the good old days. When Amy said she had a taxi booked at nine o’clock, Oliver was part relieved that he had made it through the evening and part sorry it was over.
He glanced behind as he ushered Amy out of the bar, but he couldn’t see Lois. She must have already left.
They walked along the pavement to where Amy’s taxi was waiting. He pecked her on the cheek then wrapped her in a brief hug.
‘It’s been great to catch up, Ames,’ he said, falling into using his pet name for her before he could stop himself.
