CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘Oh my God, how exciting! What are you going to wear? Do you need to go shopping?’ asks Jaz, when she hears that Ethan is taking me out after the dress rehearsal on Friday night.
I grin at her. She seems almost as pumped up about it as I am. That’s one of the things I love about Jaz. No matter what’s going on in her own life – and it’s definitely not looking like love’s young dream with her and Harry at the moment – she’s still so genuinely pleased for her friends if things are going well.
‘I need a whole new outfit,’ I tell her. ‘I’ve got nothing even remotely suitable for a posh do like a wine-tasting in an upmarket art gallery.’
‘Right.’ Jaz pretends to look bored. ‘God, so does that mean we’ll have to go round the shops with you, looking at clothes?’
‘We could go for pizza afterwards,’ says Ellie, a spark of life appearing on her face for the first time in ages.
I smile at them. ‘That would be great. A girls’ outing.’
Jaz’s face falls. ‘Oh, hang on. I’ve got a loose arrangement with Harry to go to the cinema tonight and I can’t pass up an opportunity to spend time with him. Mainly because if we don’t meet up soon, we’re not going to be able to recognise each other.’
‘Have you talked to Harry about this?’ Ellie asks.
‘Yeah. Tell him how you feel,’ I add. ‘He might not even realise he’s being elusive.’
‘I’m rubbish at confrontation.’ Jaz shakes her head gloomily. ‘But listen, I could take over at the café in the afternoon, Ellie, so you two can have more shopping time.’
‘Really? That would be brilliant. If you don’t mind,’ says Ellie.
Jaz grins. ‘What’s not to like about working in a café full of Fen’s mouth-watering cakes?’
‘You’d better not snaffle all the profits,’ smiles Ellie, imitating a pig’s snort. Then she turns to me. ‘Looks like it’s just us on that shopping trip, Fen.’
I nod happily. That can’t be a bad thing. We haven’t had a good heart-to-heart for a while, probably because we’ve both been so busy. A chance to relax later over Italian food and a glass of wine or two will do us both good.
And I can also to chat to Ellie about my ideas for the café’s Christmas window she’s asked me to organise . . .
*****
The next day, Jaz comes over to the café at two, leaving Ellie and I free to head into town.
It’s Wednesday, only two days before my date with Ethan, so it’s vital our shopping trip is a success.
Ellie drives us into Guildford and we chat about the Snow Ball next week. I tell her all about Mum’s preparations but I miss out the bit about the snow-making machine. I’m longing to tell her but I’d like her to be just as surprised as everyone else so I manage to keep quiet about it.
She seems okay, if a little subdued.
‘Where’s Zak today?’ I ask as we drive into the car park.
‘He’s gone to the library to write. The change of scene seems to help. And we’re all going out to eat after we’ve picked Maisie up from school.’
‘Ooh, lovely.’ Maybe that’s why Ellie seems in a slightly better frame of mind. For once, Sophie isn’t swallowing up a large part of her family’s day . . .
We’re heading for the high street, chatting about my outfit and deciding which shops to visit when Ellie suddenly stops dead in her tracks.
I’m a few paces ahead, still talking about jump suits, by the time I realise – and when I turn, she’s staring ahead, along the little side street we’re on, towards the shops.
‘What is it, Ellie?’ My heart lurches at the shocked expression on her face.
She starts walking on, slowly at first then speeding up, her eyes fixed straight ahead.
And then I realise what she’s looking at. A tall, dark-haired man and a woman with a dark pixie cut are looking into an estate agent’s window. It could be anyone from this distance, but then the man swings a little girl onto his shoulders. And that little girl is wearing a red polka dot coat. Maisie.
‘But I thought you said Zak was at the library,’ I murmur, then immediately wish I could take the words back because Ellie’s eyes well up with tears. She dashes them away angrily.
‘So he’s lying to me now to cover up the fact that he wants to be with Sophie!’ She marches on, drawing ever closer to a confrontation right there on the high street, while I hurry to keep up, wondering what the hell to do. Perhaps she needs to have it out with them? There could be a perfectly simple explanation for why her boyfriend is laughing with Sophie and Maisie and pointing at properties in the window – and then, even as we watch, going into the shop . . .
‘Ellie, don’t do this.’ I catch her hand and she swings around, looking at me furiously.
‘Let me go.’ She yanks her hand away and marches on.
I spot a café up head. ‘Come and have a coffee and we’ll talk about it,’ I beg. ‘Come on, it’s on me!’
She shakes her head. ‘I need to know what’s going on.’
‘You can ask Zak later.’ I pause outside the coffee shop. ‘Please, Ellie. There’s probably a perfectly simple explanation and you’re in no state to talk logically to them. You might end up saying something you regret.’
‘You can drink coffee if you want to,’ she shouts from further along the street, and several passers-by turn and stare. ‘But I need to find out what’s going on in my life because you know what? I’ve actually no bloody idea at all!’
I run the few paces after her. ‘Ellie! No! You’re being paranoid about this whole situation. You’ve got to calm down.’
She stop and turns. And the fury on her face makes me catch my breath. ‘Oh, I’m being paranoid, am I? Well, that’s lovely to hear – especially from someone who’s supposed to be my friend!’
‘Okay, maybe not paranoid exactly,’ I say, desperately back-tracking. ‘But Ellie, you’re living in cloud cuckoo land if you think challenging them right here on the high street is going to make you feel better!’
She throws me a contemptuous look. ‘Well, you’re a fine one to talk about living in cloud cuckoo land, Fen!’
‘What do you mean?’ I stare at her, puzzled.
‘Well, that’s exactly what you’re doing at the moment, although you obviously don’t realise it. Christ, Fen, do you honestly imagine you’re going to walk off into the sunset with Ethan Fox and live happily ever after? This is real life, you know, not one of your stupid romance books!’
I swallow hard, her words piercing my heart. ‘I’m imagining nothing of the sort.’ My voice cracks with emotion. ‘I like Ethan and we’re friends. That’s all.’
‘Oh, pull the other one, Fen. You’re so deep in your dream of happy-ever-afters, you don’t even know what real life is! You need to wise up and realise that Ethan Fox is just taking you for a ride. Men like him don’t think beyond the next shag and it’s high time you realised that, for your own sake!’
I’m horrified at the words pouring out of her mouth.
‘But you don’t know Ethan like I do,’ I tell her, anxious to change her mind about him. ‘He’s lovely and sensitive and he told me just the other day that he feels like he’s ready to settle down . . .’
She laughs bitterly. ‘And you believe him?’
‘Yes, I do.’ A lump rises to my throat. ‘I trust him.’
‘Well, more fool you, then. Because men can’t be trusted.’ She nods at the estate agent’s and starts walking on again. ‘Case in point.’
‘That’s not true,’ I yell desperately.
‘I’m getting the train back,’ she calls, without turning around. ‘Enjoy your shopping trip.’
‘No, stop, Ellie! You’re just feeling horribly insecure with Sophie around.’
She swings round and yells, ‘Paranoid, you mean? How can you continue working with me when you so clearly think I’m losing my marbles?’ She places her hands on her hips and glares at me. ‘In fact, you know what, Fen? You’re fired!’
‘What?’ I stare at her in horror. ‘You don’t mean that.’
‘Yes, I do!’ she shouts. ‘I need friends right now. And a friend doesn’t tell you you’re paranoid and fail to carry out an important task she promised to do for you.’
Oh, shit! The café window. I promised to do it but I somehow forgot all about it . . .
‘I’ll do the window. I promise.’
‘Whatever,’ she says, turning away. ‘But I think it’s best that after Christmas, you leave the café.’
‘Fine.’
‘Good.’
She marches off and I stare after her in a state of shock. What the hell just happened?
I watch her striding along, her head down against the wind, hands stuffed into her pockets. I’m hoping against hope she won’t cross the road to the estate agent’s. But thankfully, when she reaches the high street, she turns left instead and disappears from view.