Saffy did make me laugh and I loved what a bundle of positive energy she was, but the situation with her parents made me so sad. I totally understood why she hadn’t wanted to show them the evidence of Kyle’s lies but I was glad Paulette had made her show her dad because hopefully it would help move things forward.
Once I was dressed, I had to concede that Saffy was right about the outfit. It was bolder than anything I usually wore but it did look good.
‘You look amazing!’ Saffy said, beaming at me. ‘How do you feel?’
‘Surprisingly good, actually. I really wasn’t sure about it.’
‘Get rid of all your doubts. You sparkle tonight. So, who’s the lucky man? Grandma said he’s someone you knew years ago.’
‘He is. His name’s Will and he came into the shop, which was very unexpected. He bought one of the pictures you made from my old sheet music. It’s probably more of a catch-up than a date but here’s hoping.’
‘Remember what I said when you were doing your journal? You’re never too old for love. I’m sure you’ll have an awesome time.’
‘Thank you, and thanks for being my stylist. I really appreciate this.’
* * *
Much as I’d have loved a drink or two to settle my nerves, I’d decided to drive and forfeit alcohol as I wanted to keep a clear head for what could be a difficult conversation.
The Olde Oak was a pub in central Keswick with a bar at the front and a restaurant at the back. It was a good choice because the bar area was a higgledy-piggledy mixture of small rooms and tables tucked behind pillars giving us privacy to talk. My heart was beating so fast as I approached the pub that I had to pause outside for a moment to catch my breath.
Inside, I spotted Will waiting by the bar. He turned round and smiled at me, melting my heart. A smile was a great start.
‘Perfect timing,’ he said. ‘I’ve just ordered a pint but they’re changing the barrel. What would you like to drink?’
‘A soda water and lime, please.’
After paying, Will led me to a small round table with a wraparound seat by the furthest window.
‘Thank you for being patient with me,’ he said once we sat down. ‘I really appreciate it but, as you might have gathered, Fen gave me a kick up the backside.’
‘I thought so, but I didn’t ask her to.’
‘I know. She told me it was all her. She also told me she’d blabbed about some of what’s been going on. She’s prone to oversharing with people she likes.’
‘She likes me?’
‘Of course! Who wouldn’t?’
‘You’d have every reason not to.’
‘Believe me, that’s never going to happen. We both know that we had something special between us. That wasn’t me imagining things, was it?’
‘Definitely not. Everything you were feeling, I was feeling too. I couldn’t wait for you to come back and for us to spend the afternoon together. Talking about a future with a man I’d only just met should probably have scared me but it didn’t. It felt right. But then I picked up a voicemail from the hospital…’
He’d already had the headlines when I chased him down the street, but I gave him the full details about how I’d panicked and sped to the hospital without even thinking about leaving a note or a message behind, terrified at the thought of losing Cliff. I shared how devastated I’d been when I realised that Will would have turned up and found me gone but that it was too late at that point to do anything about it.
‘I’m so sorry,’ I said. ‘It broke my heart imagining you waiting in the lobby for me and what you must have been thinking when you realised I wasn’t coming.’
‘I was absolutely gutted. I waited for maybe ten minutes before I asked at reception and, when they said you’d already checked out, I waited a bit longer hoping you were moving your car or that one of us had got the time wrong.’
‘How long did you wait?’
He hesitated, perhaps debating whether to tell me the truth. ‘Three hours.’
‘No! Oh, Will!’
‘Don’t feel bad. In your shoes, I’d have done exactly the same thing. I’d have needed to get to the hospital and it wouldn’t have entered my mind to leave a note either.’
