We’re down to our last few flyers when a voice calls, “Ainsley! Hi!” Blair appears with Gus trotting beside her, his tail wagging enthusiastically.
“Hello, Gus.” I give him a pat. “And hi, Blair. This is my mum, Pauline. Mum, this is Blair.”
“Lovely to meet you,” Mum says warmly.
“You too.”
We fall into easy small talk, about the salon, Mum’s first impressions of Ardmara, the mischief Gus got up to this morning. Then Blair asks, “Have you had any luck figuring out childcare? For that drink we talked about?”
I open my mouth to make my excuses, but Mum jumps in before I can speak.
“Oh, I’ll babysit! Tonight, if you like. Lily and I can have a wee girls’ night. Paint our nails, watch some cartoons, drink hot chocolate.”
I bite back the urge to tell Mum to stay out of this. Blair, though, is already running with the idea.
“Really? That would be amazing. Eight o’clock at the Ferryman’s Rest?”
And just like that, I’m trapped. “Er... okay, sure. Eight o’clock.” I manage a smile, pretending I’m a normal woman with a normal past who knows how to make friends.
“Awesome! See you then.” She heads off with Gus, leaving me to give Mum a pointed look.
“Thanks, Mum. I’ve gotsomuch to do at the moment. Going out for drinks wasn’t on the agenda.”
“A night out will be good for you. And it’s a chance to meet new people, make new friends.”
“Hmm.” It’s one thing putting on a professional smile to drum up business. Quite another to sit in a pub with someone I barely know and let them see past the polished surface.
“Look,” Mum says, “I know how hard this has been for you, but you’ve got to see Ardmara as a fresh start. Not every man you meet will be like Danny. And not every woman will be like Rachel.”
Hearing their names is like pressing on a bruise that hasn’t healed. I’m saved from having to answer when a couple rounds the corner. I paste on a smile and hand them a flyer. “Hi! I’m opening a new hair salon on the seafront...”
CHAPTER EIGHT
AINSLEY
Blair sets two glasses of white wine on our tiny table, one of the last free ones, tucked against the old stone wall where the din dips from deafening to merely chaotic. The place is heaving: crowded but cosy, voices layered over one another, the whole pub buzzing with laughter, clinking glasses, and the kind of debates that sound fierce but are really just friendly noise.
“I’m so glad you came out.” Blair slips into her chair. “I mean, I’ve got a few friends here now, but I’m still fairly new myself. Figured us newbies should stick together.” She lifts her glass in a toast.
I clink mine against hers. “Aye, of course.”
It’s just a drink, I remind myself.No big deal.
The wine is cool and sharp on my tongue, exactly what I need after a long day of smiling at strangers and trying to look like I’ve got everything under control.
“You look amazing, by the way.” Blair gestures at my outfit. “That dress is gorgeous.”
I smooth a hand over the soft fabric, a deep plum wrap dress that sits just above my knees. “Thanks. I do like to dress up, but I don’t get many chances these days.”
Even though Mum basically volunteered me for this, I did enjoy getting ready. Same soft-glam make-up I always wear, just dialled up a notch. Dress instead of jeans. Ankle boots with a heel.
Maybe a bit fancy for the Ferryman’s Rest, but it feels like armour. Like I’m still the version of myself who had her shit together before everything fell apart.
“So,” I say, leaning forwards, “the other day you mentioned falling for your boss. Sounds like there’s a story there.”
Blair arches an eyebrow. “SparkNotes or novel version?”
“Novel. Definitely novel.”
