I sidle up to Sophie. ‘Don’t worry, there are lots of less dramatic dresses in the pile I have for you.’ I laugh. ‘I could even let you borrow your Leeds 2010 T-shirt back again.’
She flops down into the cutting chair, spins it round to face everyone. She’s knocking back the glass of fizz Plum hands her when the bell on the shop door dings again.
A second later Mum hurries straight over to Sophie’s chair. ‘I’m so sorry I missed this, Floss. I’ve been saying for years that layers would suit you. I’ll take you shopping in Falmouth next week to make up for being late and you can give me some advice on what to buy in the French Connection shop.’
Milla gives a cough. ‘You might need to put your glasses on, Granny Suze.’
Mum blinks at her. ‘Why, Muffin?’
Sophie shakes her head. ‘Because I’m Sophie not Floss.’
Milla laughs. ‘Don’t worry, you’re only getting confused because your brain is full of new-love hormones.’
‘I don’t know about that.’ Mum is tutting.
Milla leans forward and smiles at me. ‘The High Tides gardeners mentioned you have a new love interest too?’
Plums eyebrows shoot upwards, but it’s Clemmie who jumps in. ‘Don’t believe everything you hear, Milla. Aunty Floss is the last person in St Aidan who’d want a boyfriend.’
Sophie rolls her eyes. ‘Catch up, Milla! Aunty Floss can’t go on dates when I’ve got all her clothes.’ She stares at the huddle of girls on the sofa. ‘I’ll settle up with Nikki, then how about Plum and I take you all to the Surf Shack for ice-cream sundaes?’
Milla lets out a wail. ‘But we’d promised to do your make-up?’
Sophie’s already shepherding them off the sofas. ‘We’ll fit that in at home after ice cream, Milla.’
Mum is on her way before them. ‘I’d better go too. I want to catch the paint shop before it closes.’ Loved-up mistake number two. Even I know the paint shop isn’t open on Saturday afternoons.
I call to Sophie over the clatter of feet on the wooden floor heading for the door. ‘I’ll collect your old clothes from the cloakroom.’ Not that she’ll be needing them.
She calls back. ‘You’ll have to come to mine for a bird’s-eye glimpse of the sea pool too. Siren House is the best place in the village to see it from.’
As Clemmie and I fold Sophie’s things I murmur to her, ‘Thanks for saving me back there.’ I screw up my courage to say what I sense she already knows. ‘You saw Kit kiss me at The Hideaway the other morning, didn’t you?’
She nods. ‘I won’t tell anyone.’
‘It’s completely insignificant to either of us. We haven’t even … you know … yet. Just … done other things.’
The corners of her mouth turn upwards. ‘How is it?
I drop my voice. ‘No one’s ever made me scream like that before.’
She grins. ‘Iknewyou looked happy!’
‘It’s good for me to tick the moving-on box, that’s all.’ It’s nothing more than that. It’ll fizzle in no time. I think of a better way to put it. ‘What Kit and I have is like a shooting star. Pretty while it happens, but we’ll be over in a nanosecond.’
She nods. ‘Blink and you miss it?’
‘That’s the one. All stars die in the end, you know.’
She raises her eyebrows. ‘Some will turn into a supernova first and that’s pretty spectacular.’
I hold up my finger. ‘Before we get onto that I need to read more of the book.’
‘And while you’re doing your research, google harbourside festivals. How huge did that sound?’ She laughs. ‘Don’t worry, Flossie. We mermaids will have your back.’
I truly hope they do.
38
