Page 14 of Matilda’s Summer of New Beginnings

‘So you do your exclusive for Darling! and I’ll do my one-woman show at Julio’s, and we will be unbeatable.’

‘We already are!’ We laughed.

‘Julio’s? Who’s that?’ asked Mr Rivers. ‘Or what is that, maybe?’

‘Ah, it’s like this, you see,’ I began. I spent a few minutes bringing them up to speed on Edie’s suggestion, and they did look quite impressed.

‘I’m going with her,’ added Jay. ‘I don’t think she really needs moral support, but I have to be in town on Wednesday anyway.’

‘Wednesday?’ Mrs Rivers looked confused. ‘Isn’t that the day you teach that dreadful little girl from the village? Aurelia, isn’t it? Her mother runs the drama club and puts Aurelia in all the starring roles.’

‘Usually,’ said Jay. ‘But not this week. Her mum threatened me that she was going to try a different teacher as she didn’t feel I was developing Aurelia’s full potential quickly enough.’ He shrugged, unconcerned. ‘So I told her to go for it. I know I’ll be back after a couple of weeks. Nobody else will put up with Aurelia’s tantrums. And actually,’ he grinned, ‘we get on like a house on fire to be fair. The kid just needs some boundaries and some guidance. She’s not as bad as you think.’

‘That surprises me!’ Mrs Rivers sniffed disparagingly. ‘I only ever see the over-indulged brat. She’s like Violet Beauregard from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’

‘Oh I loved that book growing up!’ I exclaimed. ‘Rightly or wrongly, I wanted to swim in a river of chocolate like Augustus Gloop did.’ And thus the conversation moved on easily and happily as it always did with Rosie and her family. I was having, I realized, a very pleasant little morning.

And then a storm cloud descended.

‘You finished?’

I looked up, startled at the sharp tone. This pale, red-haired, extremely pretty young woman must have been Polly, Cerys’ new assistant. She had loomed up out of nowhere and was holding an empty tray. It seemed that we had outstayed our welcome at the tea room, and she wanted us gone. I glanced at the counter, hoping a cheerful Cerys would be there to intervene, but no such luck.

‘Um. Yes. I think so,’ I said, answering for everyone, which maybe I shouldn’t have done, but nobody contradicted me. And we were surrounded by empty mugs and abandoned breakfast plates.

‘I’ll just take these then.’ Polly squished herself in between Jay and Rosie, and I didn’t miss the small, secret smile she gave Jay whilst her back was turned towards Rosie. Aha! Was that what this was all about? Polly liked Jay? And did he like her? Was she the person he was hung up on, the person that perhaps was the reason Charlotte had broken up with him?

I wouldn’t be at all surprised. Polly was extremely attractive — tall and slim with long, copper-coloured curly hair to rival a Pre-Raphaelite muse.

Rosie had said she was intimidated by her, and I could see why. My heart sunk a little. Well, if Rosie felt like that about Polly, what hope was there for me? There was no way I could compete. No matter how well Jay and I got on as friends, I didn’t think we’d ever make it to the next level if he was in love with the gorgeous Polly.

Jay smiled back at her, and she flushed. ‘Thanks Polly,’ he said.

Polly didn’t respond. Surprisingly, she just turned even redder and scurried away.

‘Oh well, that’s our cue to leave then,’ said Mrs Rivers with a smile. ‘Go on. Go and pay.’ She nodded first to Rosie’s dad, then to the counter, where Polly was watching us guardedly.

‘It’s okay, I’ll take it over,’ said Jay easily, holding his hand out for the cash his father was currently liberating from his wallet.

Nobody argued with him, and he stood up and headed over to the counter. Polly brightened considerably and stood up straighter as Jay approached. His back was to me, but as he handed the cash over, he leaned over to Polly and whispered something to her that made her turn beetroot red and smile properly. Then they had a bit more of a whispered conversation.

Yes. It very much seemed as if Jay liked her in return then. I sat up straighter. That was it then. I was fated to be in the friend-zone forever.

I pretended I needed to look very closely at something for sale in the craft area and dawdled over to it, telling Rosie and her parents I’d catch up with them outside. I dawdled very closely to the counter and I swear I heard Jay say, ‘See you tonight,’ causing Polly to giggle and nod.

‘Can’t wait,’ she responded.

Wow. Well, he had stuck up for her when Rosie had said something disparaging about her yesterday — so was he finally asking her out? It certainly seemed like it. He was single now, after all.

He said nothing to us afterwards, though I suppose, really, why would he?

But it did jar a little bit.

The fact that he could go off with a woman so quickly after Charlotte — and was maybe setting his cap at pale, pretty Polly who Rosie had declared she could never work with — actually discombobulated me more than I thought it would.

It was a very weird thought indeed. I mean, I still felt a little bruised by Glen’s actions, and I didn’t think I would be happy to enter another relationship quite so quickly.

Having said that, if Jay was to offer a rebound relationship to me — I could very well be persuaded to change my mind on that one.