‘Rolls? No, never seen them buy bread rolls. Normally it’s a couple of slices of cake and coffee. We often sit together and catch up.’
‘I see.’
‘Whenever I see them, they invite me round. They make a point of inviting me when you’re visiting.’
‘I bet they do,’ Bridie said, raising her eyebrows and wondering why Oliver had never popped round.
‘But I don’t want to intrude on family get-togethers. You don’t get down much from London to see your family, I expect.’
‘No.’
‘Last time I saw them, your dad said he was retiring. When he nipped to the loo, your mum said you and your brother and sister are organising a surprise retirement party. They invited me.’
Bridie was not surprised. She and Julian hadn’t even split up and they’d invited him. They were probably aware that Julian wouldn’t turn up to the party. Now she and Julian had split, they’d pull out all the stops to try and get her and Oliver together. She knew their motives – if she settled down with someone local, that would finally put an end to her life on stage, and perhaps she’d finally get a proper job – a proper life.
It was Sunday morning, Oliver was sitting having coffee alone, and Bridie knew that her parents were aware he would be here. She’d definitely been set up. The fact that her mum didn’t normally buy rolls from the bakery, according to Oliver, just confirmed her suspicions. She had been sent there to ‘bump into’ her childhood friend.
Bridie frowned.
Unfortunately, Oliver caught her expression. ‘Oh dear, did I say something wrong?’
A short time earlier, Reggie had said the same thing.
Bridie shook her head. ‘No, not at all. You just reminded me why it’s really not going to work out living back with my parents.’ Bridie spoke her mind before she realised what she was saying.
Oliver lowered his coffee cup. ‘You’re back?’
Bridie saw his eyebrows rise, his eyes light up. Now she had no choice but to tell him what had happened – or some of it at least. He clearly hadn’t caught the whole sorry affair on social media – yet. At least that was something. Just then, Bridie felt too fragile to go into everything. But perhaps it was for the best that he knew. They were probably going to see a lot more of each other now that she was back. It was a small town. And although it wasn’t the closest place to her parents’ house in Pettistree, it was the closest town on the coast, and she loved the bracing walks along the beach.
How could she live back in Suffolk and not go there? She and Oliver were bound to bump into each other even without hermother’s interference – and besides, she’d rather he didn’t find out from someone else that she was back, before she told him herself.
There was something else, too. She could do with a friend. After rarely getting in contact over the years, she knew that she really, really didn’t deserve his friendship – especially now she wanted it because her life in London had fallen to pieces.
Chapter 12
Bridie breathed a sigh and decided he deserved to know the truth. ‘I left my fiancé.’
‘The guy you’ve been with for the last ten years?’
‘Yeah – I found out he was cheating on me.’
‘What a bastard.’
There were some sideways glances from the other customers seated nearby.
Bridie wasn’t surprised by his reaction. He’d always been very protective of her when they were teenage friends. Clearly, things hadn’t changed. She could see his hand curling into a fist.
It took her back to the times she and Jack had fallen out. They’d always made up quickly, but if she’d been upset, Oliver had always taken her side even though he was meant to be both their friends, and there had been times it had been her fault.
‘So, you’ve returned for a bit to stay with your parents.’
‘Yeah. I obviously couldn’t stay in our flat, and I haven’t got the money to rent on my own.’ Bridie didn’t add that even if her income could have supported her to remain in London – she might have been lucky enough to find a room to rent in a flat or house share – she now didn’t have an income, and she’d just eaten into her last pay packet to buy treats for her dad’s newpuppy. She had the carrier bag by her feet and made a mental note not to forget it when she left.
She avoided eye contact with Oliver, feeling embarrassed that her life in London had imploded so dramatically, even though he didn’t appear to know all the details.
His hands fidgeted with the sugar sachets. Oliver must have sensed that she didn’t want to talk about it. He kindly filled the silence with light talk – things about Aldeburgh, shops that had opened on the high street, and those that had closed down, and local complaints about the council’s endless roadworks. He told her he was still teaching at the secondary school.
‘I know. My niece mentioned recently that she wanted to join your drama club.’ Bridie suddenly put her hand to her mouth.
