‘Are you going to?’ he asks.
‘I think so. She put up a good argument.’
He doesn’t say anything, nor does he meet my eyes. After a few moments he says, ‘I’d better crack on,’ and there’s an edge to his voice that makes me feel a little queasy.
‘Sure,’ I reply.
His disappointment plagues me that night as I write about Beau atHermie’s bright yellow table. I try to put Charlie out of my mind and focus on the job at hand, but it’s easier said than done.
I seem to be doing quite a bit of that at the moment where Charlie’s concerned.
Chapter 29
‘I’m a-coming to Cornwall!’ Marty exclaims, laughing down the phone on Tuesday night.
‘Really?’ I ask with excitement. ‘When?’
‘This Friday, baby! Ted’s got a stag party and I am so there.Sothere.’
I have a feeling she’s been watching a lot of American TV recently. She used to be obsessed with US high school dramas when we lived together in our early twenties.
‘I can’twaitto see you!’ she cries.
I would like to say thank you here to Ted’s friend for being so accommodating. Yay, marriage.
‘Will you drive down?’ I ask.
‘Yep, I’ll set off straight after work.’
‘Friday rush hour? It’ll take you forever!’ I say with alarm. ‘Can’t you come earlier?’
‘No, we’re going away for a long weekend in early September so I can’t really afford to take more time off.’
‘Okay.’ That’s a bit of an anti-climax. ‘We’d better make Saturday a big one, then.’
‘Hell yeah!’
I bump into Jocelyn on my way to Charlie’s on Wednesday morning. She’s just leaving her house.
‘Off anywhere nice?’ I ask her, smiling at Thomas, who’s in the process of trying to kick his shoes off from the looks of it.
‘Music group,’ she replies brightly. ‘Thomaslovesit. I’ve been trying to get Charlie to bring April along.’
‘Oh, sheadoresmusic,’ I say, wondering why Charlie would resist. ‘Are you heading there right now?’
‘Yep.’ Her eyes light up. ‘Do you think you could persuade him?’
‘I doubt it. Where is it?’ I ask as an afterthought.
Charlie is clearing up the breakfast things when I walk into the house. I tell him about my conversation with Jocelyn.
‘April would love it,’ I say confidently.
He shrugs, less enthused. ‘Yeah, probably.’
‘Why won’t you go? The time would work well with her naps, wouldn’t it?’
‘Mmm. I guess so.’
