‘I know that would make it easier for you, but no, that’s not why I left you. I’m not sure I’d even label myself as gay. It’s too black and white. There was no sudden revelation about my sexuality. I just fell in love. I fell in love with a man.’
Sarah picked at a piece of loose lino with the toe of her boot. She’d spent two years hating the man in front of her, but as much as she tried to pull those feelings to the surface, she couldn’t. Standing in front of her was an old friend, his calm, genuine way of speaking reminding her of all she’d liked about him when they first met.
‘You’d better let them in,’ said Sarah, as the doorbell rang again. She stepped aside. As Mark passed her, he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. ‘I’m pleased we got the chance to talk, even if the circumstances aren’t ideal. And I mean it, if you need help to find a new place, just ask.’
Sarah walked to the sink and stared out into the garden. She heard Mark greeting the young couple coming to snoop around her home. Why was everyone’s life moving forward but hers? No doubt the young couple would pop out babies before they’d even wiped their feet on the mat. Mark was happy with his new love. Even Cynthia was having a wild old time of it reliving her youth.
‘This is the kitchen. As you can see, there’d be an opportunity to knock through and create one large open-plan living-dining space.’
The young couple nodded at Sarah, and she gave them a curt smile. For the next ten minutes, she did her best to stay out of their way. The last thing she wanted to see was them knocking on walls, talking about interior decor, or assigning bedrooms to their future children.
Sarah checked her watch. If she didn’t leave soon, she’d be late for her first shift. She ran up the stairs and found Mark and his clients squished into the small family bathroom.
‘Hi, um, I’m sorry, Mark, but I have to get to work.’
‘Oh, right, OK.’ Mark looked at his watch. ‘We’ve still got a few rooms to view…’
‘No worries. Look, why don’t you take your time? Put the keys through the letter box when you’re done. I’ll take my spare set.’
‘If you’re sure, that would be very helpful.’
Sarah forced a smile onto her face and said her goodbyes to Mark and the couple. As she left the house and closed the door behind her, sadness flooded through her, followed by anger. How dare her parents sell the house from under her? How dare the couple talk about knocking down walls and changing the colour of her bedroom? How dare Mark rub his lovey-dovey new life in her face?
Sarah strode towards her new job, her legs powered by anger and resentment and a creeping feeling that she was standing still while the world kept turning. She was being left behind and could do nothing about it.
Chapter 9
Thedrinksmachinespurtedinto life and Sarah filled a cup with sickly sweet brown liquid. She moved to the kitchen, grabbed an ageing burger from the stand and scooped fries into a cone.
‘Here you go,’ she said, dumping the tray of poor-quality food in front of the customer.
‘Got any mayo?’
‘That will be an extra fifty pence.’
The man in front of her scowled, shook his head, and carried his tray to a table.
‘Getting the hang of it, aren’t you?’ The greasy boy known to all the staff as Nuts appeared by her side.
‘It’s hardly rocket science.’
Nuts sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. ‘How you finding it?’
‘What?’
‘Working here. Almost two weeks, isn’t it?’
Two long weeks of serving oily customers oily food, going home stinking of oil. What a waste of a life. ‘It’s wonderful, just the opportunity I’d been looking for.’
Nuts missed the sarcasm in Sarah’s voice and held out his hand for a fist bump. Sarah stared at him in confusion until he sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
‘Well, just shout if you need a hand with anything.’
‘I have a question. Why are you called Nuts?’
The boy in front of her howled with laughter. ‘You don’t wanna know, babe. You don’t wanna know.’ He walked away laughing and shaking his head. Sarah looked around her and sighed. She must have done something awful in a past life to end up here.
By lunchtime the restaurant was filling up and Sarah faced a snaking queue as she tried to keep up with orders. It amazed her that so many people would come to the restaurant by choice. She ate the food, but only because she got it for free. No way would she pay good money for it, especially after seeing how they made it. Nuts was still outside on a cigarette break, but despite needing help, Sarah refused to humiliate herself by calling his name out loud.
