‘Are you done? I need to get back to work.’
‘Yes, sure.’
Felix left the kitchen, and Sarah held her forehead in her hands. ‘He’s never going to forgive me.’
‘Give him time, love. Give him time. Now, have you ever made cheese scones before?’
*
Sarah saw nothing of Felix for the rest of her shift. In fact, she was sure he was avoiding her. She waited in her tipi until she heard his guitar start up, then bit the bullet and went to find him.
‘Knock knock,’ she said, hovering outside Felix’s tipi. The guitar continued its strumming. ‘Felix? It’s Sarah. Can we have a chat?’
From inside the tipi, Sarah heard a loud sigh, and the guitar being laid on the ground. Felix came out of his tipi, his brow furrowed, his lips turned down at the corners.
‘If you’re here to apologise again, please don’t. You’ve said it enough and I accept your apology. I’d like to leave it at that.’
‘OK. I just wanted to clear the air, seeing as we’re neighbours and colleagues.’
‘Consider it cleared. But Sarah?’
‘Yes?’
‘We may be neighbours and we may be colleagues, but we’re not friends. I’ll be civil to you at work, and if I see you around, but what you did today was toxic. I’ve come too far in my life to get dragged down again. I hope you understand.’
‘Yes,’ said Sarah in a small voice as Felix disappeared back inside.
Back between her own canvas walls, Sarah climbed up onto her bed and pulled her knees up around her chin. A hollow sadness filled her, colouring the world around her grey despite the orange glow of the paraffin lamp.
Sarah thought back over her life and the few friends she had made. School had been a lonely experience. After years of being bullied, she’d collected a couple of odd-bods to hang around with when she started high school, but no genuine friends. There had once been a girl at work she got on OK with. What was her name? Susan, that was it. Sarah and Susan. It had a nice ring to it, but their friendship only lasted a few months. When Susan got a better paid job in a different town, the friendship fizzled out as quickly as it had started. Mark had been her friend. But he was living a different life now.
You’re on your own, Sarah, she told herself.It’s about time you got used to it. Kicking off her shoes, Sarah climbed into bed, pulling the covers up over her head. It was stupid feeling so sad about a friendship she’d never had. She didn’t even like Felix. His retreat from her was no great loss. And yet, she wished he’d appear at her tipi door to annoy her. She couldn’t even hear the guitar anymore. Was this the way her life would be from now on? All alone, with only trees for company?
Chapter 23
Sarahwaselbow-deepinpastry dough when Hattie appeared in the kitchen. After telling Fran about the buffet she’d prepared for her parent’s ill-fated anniversary party, making quiche had become a daily task.
‘Sorry, I know you’re busy, but someone is here to see you. It’s about time you took a break, anyway.’
‘Someone’s here to see me? But I don’t know anyone.’
‘Well, this lady says she knows you.’
A flutter of fear tickled Sarah’s insides. ‘How old is the lady?’
‘Dunno, late twenties, early thirties, something like that.’
Thank God, not Cynthia then. ‘OK, give me a minute to clean myself up and I’ll come through.’
‘Great. I’ll give your friend the sofa by the fire. It’s so quiet out there you’ll have plenty of time to chat. Don’t feel you need to rush your break today.’
‘Thanks.’ Friend? Hattie said friend, but Sarah didn’t have any of those. She washed her hands and arms, intrigued to find out who the mystery caller was.
Sarah found Kate sitting by the fire, reading a trashy magazine. She hadn’t picked her out as someone who enjoyed celebrity gossip.
‘Kate? What are you doing here?’
‘Good to see you too,’ laughed Kate, standing up and pulling a reluctant Sarah into a hug. ‘I wanted to see how you’re getting on, but thought I’d give you enough time to settle in before I pitched up.’
