Opal thought back to the bravado of the young man who had turned up on her doorstep six weeks earlier, and sweet-talked his way into her house. The Noah who sat in front of her now was quieter, a little shyer but also … more himself. It was as though Adam’s self-possessed assuredness had begun to rub off on him, but he was still getting used to being his true self in the world – the newly exposed outer shell of him, still in the process of calcifying.
He cleared his throat. ‘I don’t think we should do the final showcase without all five of us here. It doesn’t feel right.’
‘Noah’s right,’ Gareth added. It was heartening to see Gareth soften towards Noah. Ironic that it was probably the truth ofJohan’sdeception that had caused it.
‘Thank you, Gareth,’ Adam said quietly, and the three men exchanged subtle but meaningful looks.
‘So what? After all of that we just fuck off home? No one gets the money but at least we’re all happy families?’ Johan’s arms were crossed and he didn’t try to keep the disdain from his voice. ‘Come on, Gareth, you can’t seriously be telling me that you’re going to break your promise that one of us would win?’
‘Mebreak my promise? Don’t get me started, Johan. I notice that your distinctive cockney twang has really faded during your time here,’ Gareth shot back.
Opal watched an unfamiliar sight before her: Johan looking embarrassed, contrite even. It was almost unsettling, but it did finally shut Johan up.
‘So that’s settled then? No showcase today?’ Opal asked the table and all but Johan nodded.
‘But, Johan, I do hear you about the prize. Let me have a think about it and I’ll let you know what happens next. For now, why don’t we enjoy the last of our time together. Despite … everything, it really has been a transformative summer.’ Opal raised her glass.
Everyone followed suit. And then Noah stood.
‘I wanted to say thank you, all, even you, Johan, maybe especially.’ Johan rolled his eyes in response, but Noah carried on in all earnestness, looking down at Adam as he spoke. ‘For teaching me how to stop hiding, and how exhilarating it is to just … be myself, and to belong, cheers!’
Just as they all raised a toast again, Adam was on his feet. ‘It’s been a pleasure to get to know you all, and Heather and Ruby, in absentia.’ Adam turned to Opal then, and the depth of his stare made a shiver run down her spine. ‘And Opal, thank you for trusting us with your home, and with your dreams. I hope we made you proud.’
Opal swallowed a lump in her throat as Adam turned to Noah finally. ‘And Noah, what can I say? I’ve never met anyone like you. You’ve made my heart sing for the first time …’ Adam shot a knowing look down at Gareth ‘… for the first time since it was broken.’
‘Cheers!’ Gareth called, and again there was a shimmering of tears in his eyes. Glasses clinked, and then everyone turned to Johan.
‘You want me to make a little speech?’ He sneered, but stood nonetheless. ‘Thank you to our wonderful hostess and the lady of the manor, Opal. Your body is magnificent inside and out.’
Opal felt the burn of blush in her cheeks but didn’t look away fast enough to miss the collection of raised eyebrows turning towards her.
‘Yes well, thanks, everyone, and cheers.’ She stuttered and was grateful when the final tinkle of glasses melted into chatter between Gareth, Adam and Noah across the table.
Johan, exiled to the other end of the table, took a sip of wine and as he lowered his glass, Opal caught him wink at her. Despite herself, she winked back.
For too long she had thought scandal was the worst thing that could beset a person, but in his final act of arseholery he had freed her of that notion too, and how could she not be at least a little grateful for that?
Chapter 50
Two months later
So much had changed over the summer that it felt strange to drive up to Toad and try to remember who she had been the last time she’d set foot in Gareth’s gallery. It had been in thebefore times, before the affair. And Opal had been in a rush to get home to start the prep for the tennis club’s annual social, so she had rushed around the exhibition impatiently, with thoughts of vol au vents and cocktail sausages on her mind.
That person felt like a stranger to her now. Opal parked her trusty Datsun Cherry on the road and took a deep breath, checking her reflection in the rear-view mirror. She had taken to often wearing a deep red lip these days. She adjusted the shoulder pads in the long black satin dress she was wearing, and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
From her seat in the car she spotted two figures she recognised step off the bus. It was Ruby and Heather. They were laughing at something, and Opal felt something like pride in her chest. She grabbed her bag and got out of the car, catching them just as they reached the door.
They seemed a little startled when they saw her. ‘Hi, Opal, um it’s nice to see you. You look great. I’m sorry for …’ Heather started and Opal held up her hand to stop her.
‘Please don’t apologise. It’s me who should apologise. Ruby wrote to me to explain what happened. I’m absolutely mortified that I …’ Opal fought through her embarrassment ‘… that I was part of the mix-up and you mistook my … liaison with Johan for Ruby’s …’
There was embarrassment all round.
‘Don’t worry, Opal … I … it was just a misunderstanding, and as for Johan, I hope you don’t feel like I might be angry or …’ Ruby too seemed to be finding the exchange excruciating.
Opal decided it had to end. ‘Shall we just let bygones be bygones and head inside?’ she interjected.
‘Yes!’ Heather and Ruby said in unison. The three of them laughed together, if a little self-consciously.
