That just about represented her feelings towards her newly engaged ex.
No response.
Oh well, she could wait. She pulled the rusty-red wool out of the bag and studied the knitting pattern she’d chosen – a long V-neck jumper with two narrow cables down front and back .?.?. quite complicated. But then, she reasoned, so was her life, so there was no point in trying to work it out by choosing something too simple.
Following the pattern closely and with a YouTube video for moral support – since her previous knitting experience consisted of a single dubious sock in primary school – Ally cast on the rib and was delighted with herself at completing two more rows. OK, it didn’t look much but it was a start. She didn’t feel that anything major had shifted in her life, but probably Evelyn hadn’t either in her first couple of rows.
Just then she was hit with a bout of wobbles about Wednesday. What if they ran out of things to say on the way? What if his mother wasn’t too pleased to see her, and it was awkward and mortifying? She whipped out the knitting again; OK, one more row to calm her nerves and a wish that tomorrow would be fun. It didn’t feel like magic, but by the end of the row she felt distinctly calmer.
Chapter 23
Pete had made an effort, that much was clear. He was clean-shaven and had got a haircut since the previous afternoon, which highlighted his square jaw; his T-shirt was ironed and, climbing in beside him, she was aware of some warm, woody, expensive-smelling aftershave. Well, whoever it was aimed at, she liked it.
‘Nice haircut, Pete.’ She smiled, although she missed the dishevelled mop.
He smiled at her. ‘Do you think so? I have to smarten up for Mam, don’t want her worrying about me.’
How much did his mother actually know about his circumstances? she wondered. How much was he hiding from everyone, herself included?
‘Right,’ he said. ‘An hour and twenty minutes, door to door, ETA 10 a.m. with a stop-off for coffee in Drogheda.’
Meanwhile, Ally was plugging in her phone. ‘So, what’s on your playlist, apart from ancient American rock anthems?’
He shrugged. ‘Elvis.’
‘You’re joking.’
‘Elvis is timeless, he counts as classical music.’
Ally laughed and pressed play on her phone. The intro of ‘Since U Been Gone’ by Kelly Clarkson, followed by ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ by Green Day.
‘Ally, these are so old I actually know them .?.?. Come on, act your age.’
‘Fine, Mr Fussy .?.?. my era.’ She played ‘Wake Me Up’ by Avicii, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ by Foster The People, and ‘Pompeii’ by Bastille, followed by ‘Perfect’ and ‘Photograph’ by Ed Sheeran.
‘Noooo, not Ed Sheeran .?.?.’
‘What are you talking about, Pete, have you no heart?’ she burst out dramatically.
‘Yes, but I’ve no ears left with this lot .?.?.’
‘Fine, Elvis it is .?.?. butonlybecause it’s your van.’ So much for long awkward silences or intense delving into the past. They sang along to ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, discovering that Pete actually had a pretty decent voice, and she spontaneously broke into harmony.
‘Go us! Where did you learn to sing like that? Were you a choirboy?’
He grinned, clearly chuffed. ‘I sang in a band once, but only for a summer.’
‘That’s a shame, you’re really good.’
‘Yeah, well, we broke up .?.?. I had to live in the real world.’ It was like he was pulling himself back to earth with a thump, as though that’s what he was used to. No wonder he’d been captivated by Tanya’s fantasy bubble, she thought, he’d been starved of dreams. They pulled into a big Circle K garage, alongside the delivery trucks and trailers.
‘Cappuccino?’
She gave him a thumbs up. It was so nice, she thought, spending time with a guy with a natural inclination to look out for her. Tanya’d been a lucky girl.
She watched him strolling back across the forecourt, towards the van – lean and unselfconscious, his long legs in his good jeans, his plaid shirt and aviator jacket – and suddenly felt arush of warmth through her body, which she quickly supressed.
Handing her the coffee, he did a double take. ‘That blue colour .?.?. really suits you. You know, you should wear it more.’
