Effie laughed. It felt good. She felt . . . safe. Jake wasn’t judging her.
‘Just remember it’s a ninetieth birthday party in a church hall. You don’t have to stay for more than half an hour if you don’t want. You can leave at any time. I’ll bring you home. You don’t even need to make an excuse.’
‘Are you sure?’
Jake nodded firmly. ‘I’m sure and I promise, if you feel like you’ve had enough, I’ll walk you home. I’ve got you, Effie. You’ve got this.’
Effie thought her reaction would be to not believe him, but as she stood in her living room, Jake’s firm hands on her shoulders, holding her in place, she realised he really did have her back.
‘You ready?’ he asked gently.
Effie nodded. When he removed his hands, she felt as if she’d float away. ‘Let me grab my cardigan.’ Effie picked it up from the sofa. It was oversized, blue with daisies on it.
‘Very cute.’
‘I made it myself,’ she said proudly, giving him a twirl. When she stopped, he was looking at her as if trying to process something.
‘You look lovely,’ he managed, his voice thick as he shifted from foot to foot, his eyes suddenly darting around the room before falling back on her.
‘Thank you.’ A smile spread across her face. A true smile because Jake had really seen her, in a way no one else had for a long time. Jeans and a nice blouse, her social anxiety, he’d taken all this in and was still there, holding open the flat door for her. A little bit of trust began to creep in. Jake was a good guy. Maybe Maddie was right and there were some complicated, but also, extremely simple, feelings swirling around inside her for Jake.
Effie exhaled as she locked the door behind her. Once they’d made their way down the steps, Jake paused and offered Effie his arm, like a gentleman in a Regency romance. She tried not to swoon as she took it. Their eyes met. Next to Jake, Effie felt safe, special. It was unusual, something that would take getting used to, but also, she knew not to get carried away. Maybe he was just being friendly. She still had that question mark drawn over Tara after the call. Was she really just an ex?
‘You really made this yourself?’ He gave her sleeve a little tug as they walked along beside the beach.
‘Yes, knitting and books, it’s like I’m an old granny,’ she joked.
‘Not at all! It’s comforting to meet someone who knows what they enjoy. Most of the women I’ve met, well, for starters, they’re nothing like you. They want the flashy lifestyle. You’re gentler,’ Jake said, ‘it’s refreshing. I like it.’
His praise warmed her. ‘Thank you. When I was younger I always thought I was a bit boring. Old fashioned. It’s been easier to accept myself as I’ve got older and people have got more into crafting and quiet pursuits, but I always expect people to be judgy.’
‘You’re clearly not meeting the right people,’ Jake said. ‘I really don’t think anyone who plunges into the freezing cold sea every morning could possibly be called boring. I tried dipping my toe in and nope! That was enough.’
‘It’s really not that bad once you get in,’ she said, ‘and then when you get out you feel like you could conquer the world. Did you not swim when you were a kid here?’
‘Of course! But not in the winter. I’ll go in in the summer when it’s warmer.’
‘Cold water is so invigorating though! Can’t I convince you to give it a go?
Jake gave it a few seconds thought. ‘Maybe. But only up to my knees. Start me off slowly.’
Effie shook her head. ‘Far better to take a full plunge, get it over with.’
Jake shuddered. ‘I’ll need some convincing on that. I admire you, Effie, not just the mad sea swimming but coming here alone, organising setting up the shop, which your boss should have done. You should give yourself more credit. Not everyone could do this.’
‘Thanks, it was my choice though. I could’ve said no. I’ve always wanted to run my own bookshop though, it was my childhood dream. Well, still is my dream. This was the best way of achieving it.’
‘That’s so cool, Eff!’
She beamed at him. ‘Thanks, that’s why I want to prove to myself I can do it. If it was my own shop, I wouldn’t have any help. Not that I’m not grateful for you, you’ve been a lifesaver.’
Jake shrugged this off. ‘It’s nothing, honestly. So, what was life back home like?’
‘Really cosy. I lived with my parents, but we got on really well. You know how hard it is with property prices. I’ve worked in the shop since I came home from uni. I loved it. I had no plans to leave but when Clive offered this to me, suddenly I was curious about what was over the horizon. I did go away to university. Hated it. Bad experience. I was so unhappy. Swore I’d never leave. But, Polcarrow isn’t far from home and it’s small and safe.’
‘There you go. Where did you go to uni?’
‘London. It was a big dream. I thought I’d be intellectually stimulated, that I’d find the place I’d thrive in, but no, if anything it crushed me so I was even smaller than I already felt. I never told my parents until after I graduated. How silly was I to think London was everything when I have this on my doorstep?’ Effie signalled to the sea.
