‘To be fair, it’s the only food I’ve got, aside eggs. Oh, and crisps and biscuits from the welcome pack. I must go out and get some healthy stuff.’
‘Just eat what you want. You’ve got enough going on without having to worry about your weight. Is that the sea I can hear?’
‘Your ears are good. Yes. I’m sitting on the bench seat at the top of the back garden. Apparently I can get guaranteed signal up here.’
‘I know you’re hurting, but just try and look at this as a proper holiday, Rini. You need to relax. You’ve not only been working flat out but getting ready for the wedding has been like a military operation.’
Sabrina harrumphed. ‘And what a waste of effort all of that was.’ She sighed. ‘I’ll have to go back to work, you know. If they want me back, that is. I’m not sure I can face it, though.’
‘It’s OK, you’ve got time. And, well, maybe it’s time to have a rethink about changing from a pointy faced soap villain to a soft middle-aged woman with curves. We all need to take a leaf out of Kate Winslet’s healthy body image book in my opinion. Plus, we could then borrow each other’s clothes.’
Sabrina tutted. ‘Middle aged! You cheeky mare.’
‘You know what I mean– and I’m the same age as you if you remember.’
‘And as you know, I want to be a Disney princess forever.’ The women laughed. ‘And it’s alright for you to say, “just get another job”, but a soap is guaranteed money and, joking aside, we’re not getting any younger.’ Sabrina sighed. ‘Caroline called.’
‘Oh, God.’
‘I know.’
‘Did you tell her where you were?’
‘Definitely not. She’d be straight in the car and driving down here. At least on the phone I can cut her off.’ Delilah laughed as her friend continued. ‘She’s on about me signing up forPrancing on Ice. Need to let her know by Friday. Reckons the scandal will up the fee. I can’t do it Dee. I’m too fragile.’
‘Maybe a whole change of scene and new people would help? There’s usually a fit boy band member in it, too.’
‘I’m not going on it just for you to live vicariously through a fantasised love affair with some probably gay toy boy.’
They laughed again.
‘What Isaac did mention was that he had been in the newspapers for the wrong reasons, too.’
‘Aw, sounds like you’ve got a real man there. He was clearly being emotionally vulnerable to make you feel better.’
‘You’re such a softie, but yeah, I guess you’re right. One moment he was telling me how private he was, then the next he let all of that out.’
‘It sounds like he’s one of life’s good’uns, Rini. There’s not someone out to get you on every street corner you know.’
‘You’ve confirmed my gut feeling about him.’
‘And that is the one feeling you must trust.’
Sabrina dragged her finger around the buttery plate and licked it.
‘He’s a well-known artist from down here, apparently. Exhibits at the Tate in London and everything. Proper famous, so it seems.
‘You’ve lost me, Rini.’
‘Isaac is. I don’t know why Dom wouldn’t have mentioned that.’
‘Because nothing impresses that man, much. You know that.’
‘I wanted to be nosey to see what he had been in the papers for.’
‘And?’
I found some press coverage about a disgruntled ex, outing him as asexual and then him having a fling with Glanna Pascoe, a local artist to prove otherwise. Anyway, of all people, who am I to believe what we read?’ Sabrina tutted.
