‘What are these?’ she asked.
‘Try one, they’re delicious!’ Gerald enthused. Evelyn regarded them like a child eyeing a Brussels sprout. She slowly picked one up and took a bite.
A small group of schoolchildren had come into the café and spotted the brownies, buying a couple each with delighted cries. ‘Better than those scones yer have,’ the tallest lad in the group shouted.
‘Yeah, they’re disgusting,’ said a short girl with a fat tie.
Evelyn stormed out, taking the brownie with her.
‘Sorry,’ I mouthed to Gerald. He smiled and shrugged as a young mum came in and bought a tea and another brownie. I dipped further behind the computer and sent out an email asking about glass hire.
Now Evelyn is glaring at me across the pub. It doesn’t help that I feel like I’ve got a neon sign above my head saying, ‘Dog’s dinner!’
I look down at the red high heels I’m wearing and wish I could click them and just go home.
‘Hey!’ Dan arrives just in time to help Margaret over with the drinks.
‘Wow!’ He stops right in front of me and stares, his mouth open and his eyes wide.
I shift around uncomfortably, pulling at the hem of my shorts. I think it’s best Dan just gets this over and done with and we can have a few drinks to drown our sorrows.
‘You should dress up more often. You look amazing,’ he says enthusiastically in his usual loudvoice. He puts the wine down in front of me and then comes and sits next to me on the bench seat, making Evelyn budge up with a tut. Margaret sits on the stool opposite. She’s wearing a similar style outfit, with a tight-fitting top. I feel like a younger sister trying to imitate her older, cooler sibling.
‘So, how’s it all been going?’ Dan pulls off his jacket and I shuffle up, trying to avoid the arm that’s now resting along the back of the seat behind me. He pours the wine and I take a big sip to soothe my unease. A few more of these and I won’t feel like a dressed-up clown at all.
‘How’s Grumpy Sean?’ Dan leans into me and gives me a friendly nudge. I laugh, trying to swallow at the same time and nearly choking. A dark shadow falls over the table.
‘He’s just fine, thank you for asking,’ says Sean, and at that point I do choke and Margaret has to pat me on the back.
‘Sean!’ Dan doesn’t miss a beat. ‘Come and join us.’ He stands up. ‘What are you drinking?’ He pulls out his wallet but Sean shakes his head, lifting the pint he’s already bought to show Dan.
‘Sean? What are you doing here?’ Margaret’s face lights up.
‘Wanted to hear all the festival news.’ He looks straight at me. ‘After all, I probably should show more of an interest,’ he says, and takes a sip from his pint. And then he slowly frowns, looking at my top, the shorts and leggings and shoes. I find myself tugging at the tight T-shirt, feeling more ridiculous than ever.
‘He practically insisted. I had a table booked at Bar Eight, but there was no budging him tonight.’ Nancy appears behind Sean. My nostrils are filled with thick, spicy perfume. I rub my nose to make sure I don’t sneeze.
‘Hi, Nancy, good timing.’ Dan smiles even wider, if that were possible. ‘I didn’t know you were in town.’
‘No, well, trying to get himself away from this placeisn’t always easy.’ She rolls her eyes at Sean, pointing her gin and slimline at him.
‘We were just about to discuss the festival as it happens.’ Dan picks up his pint.
Nancy turns to me and takes in my appearance, as if she hadn’t recognised me to start with. She raises her eyebrows and then sips her drink to hide her smirk.
‘Here, come and sit down. There’s plenty of room,’ Dan says, making us all budge up to make room for Nancy. His large thigh is now resting against mine and I can’t move along any further. Dan picks up his drink and raises it to me before sipping. Sean is scowling. I take another big mouthful of my wine and feel the large flower clip in my hair slip and flop over. Margaret stands up next to Sean.
‘So, how are things going with you girls?’ Nancy asks, despite me being the same age as her. She pours the last of the tonic from its bottle into her drink.
Sean moves back to lean against the bar. Margaret follows him. Sean is staring at me. He’s still frowning, but I suppose I should be grateful he’s come and shown an interest, even if it is too late. If Dan pulls out, it will all be over.
‘I have a marquee sorted,’ I say, distracting myself from his stares. Maybe we could still make this happen without Dan, I think optimistically, but I know that’s not really possible.
Nancy nods.
‘What about seating, chairs, tables?’
‘Actually, Sean has a load of them in the old barn.’ I’d seen them when I was painting the window sills before the inspection. ‘I thought we could give them a good wash down, and decorate them, like in the old festival pictures. We could cover the tables in white rolls of paper and put oyster shells out with salt and pepper in. And have largestones from the shore for table numbers. And put gorse in pots for flowers.’
