“I’m so proud of you.” Dean grins, hugging me to him.
I look over my shoulder at him, smiling giddily. “Everything looks perfect,” I tell him, looking around at all the open stalls.
We have a few children’s stalls that have face painting, arts and crafts and another stand where you can make your own dreamcatcher. We even got the cancer research charity shop involved, and they’ve opened up a few stalls outside their shop, filling it with random items. Everything looks amazing and it’s all thanks to Pagan.
She managed to get permission to close the street off so we could set up a stage at the end of the road. Sid and his students will be up later, showing off their incredible talent. A bucket will be placed at the side of the stage to raise funds for new music equipment.
“I can’t believe Pagan managed to get all this done and her own shop.”
He presses me tighter against him. “She’s a miracle worker, but you all did this together,” he says as he eyes where his sister shop is.
She has a few roller banners outside with pictures of previous events and a table between the two banners with leaflets, explaining what she offers.
Speaking of flyers, my eyes scan the crowd for Gill, a woman who has volunteered from the local church to help out. She’s handing out fliers and the way she’s chatting away, I can tell she’s enjoying it.
Dean’s phone rings and our blissful moment of peace is interrupted. I knew our solitary wouldn’t last long.
“Hello?” Dean answers and as he listens, I watch his body grow tight and his jaw clench. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Is everything okay?” I ask, worried about the exchange and how quickly it changed his mood.
“Yeah, but I have to go back to Cabin Lake. Dad just called saying there’s a problem he needs me to go see,” he tells me, and I narrow my eyes suspiciously. I feel like he’s just told me the truth as a lie, like he skirted around what’s really happening, but instead of questioning him, I just nod.
“Okay. It’s nothing serious, is it?”
“Shouldn’t be,” he says, forcing a tight-lipped smile.
“Okay, well I’ll see you later, then.” I smile, not wanting to come across whiny.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, baby, I promise,” he says, seeming to relax. He pulls me against his front and kisses me.
I moan against his lips, and I’m breathless by the time he pulls away, gazing down at me with hunger in his eyes.
“I’m proud of you,” he whispers. “Now go and have fun.”
“I do need to check on Jeremy and Lorelei.” I nod and kiss him once more before letting him go. He makes his way through the growing crowd, and I don’t move until I lose sight of him.
Sighing, I turn, making my way into the shop, shuffling through the line of people waiting to get a look at the store or a cup of coffee or tea.
My stomach coils the minute I smell coffee beans and fresh-baked goods. I place a hand on my belly and pause, waiting for the nausea to ease.
“Hey, you okay?” Jeremy asks. “Need me to sweep you off your feet?”
“I’ll tell Dean you said that.” I chuckle, breathing through my nose.
“Please don’t. The dude scares me a little.”
“A little?” I laugh, remembering the first time Dean and Jeremy met. Jeremy had been his normal, charming self and when he was flirting his way into getting the job, Dean had turned up and put him straight.
Although now that we know Jeremy is a natural flirt, Dean chooses to ignore him. Plus, it’s only harmless.
Something tells me if Jeremy were ever to really need to flirt with a girl he actually liked for more than a hookup, he wouldn’t know what to do.
“Okay, a lot.”
“How is everything going in here?” I eye the tables, a few cups and other things littering them, and I frown.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got it now. One of the volunteers from the church has come in to help with a few other people. The queue is endless so we got behind on the tables.”
“It’s okay. Did you need me to help?”
“No. No, we got this now,” he says, waving me off.
“If I knew it would get this busy I would have hired more people,” I murmur.
“Yeah, you’ll have to start looking soon. If it keeps up like this, you’ll need morning and afternoon staff. Just don’t forget who was here first.” He winks.
“I’ll make a note of it.” I chuckle and move to the counter to where Lorelei is running around ragged, the coffee machine steaming behind her.
It seemed like she actually slept last night, for the first time, she turned up without dark shadows under her eyes.
“Hey.” She waves, handing over a coffee to someone whilst another lady rings up some books next to her.
“You okay? Do you need…?” I pause, my stomach rolling again, and I cover my mouth with my hand.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Lorelei rushes out as she abandons the next customer.
I wave her off, unable to speak, and grab the bottle of water that’s offered to me. “Thank you.” I gulp it down, then take a smaller sip. “My stomach is in knots. It’s probably because I spent the whole night worrying if I had everything done.”
“Go get some fresh air. We have everything handled in here, and I’m sure Sid’s band and class start performing soon,” she reminds me, looking over at the bright coral clock on the wall.
“Yeah, maybe fresh air will do me some good,” I tell her absently, still feeling a little off.
“I’ll check on you in a little bit.”
I nod at Lorelei and make my way out of the store, finding an empty seat. Overhead, clouds start rolling in, and I pray it doesn’t start raining. It’s not something we planned since it was meant to stay dry all day, but with British weather, you never know what you’ll get.
Sid’s band is introduced on stage by Pagan, her smile wide and full of fondness for her dear twin brother. You can tell how proud she is by the tone in her voice.
Then he steps up to the mike, the first beat to the melody booming through the speakers before his voice soars through and I’m lost. It’s hypnotising, smooth and the song is an original, one of their own. It’s soft like a lullaby, right up until the rest of the band joins in, and the beat picks up.
“They’re good, aren’t they?” Pagan beams from beside me, causing me to jump.
“They’re brilliant,” I answer honestly, my head swaying side to side with the beat.
“How is everything going? Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“I’m good. I think I’m just sick with nerves. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today. I think all the excitement has overwhelmed me a little,” I admit.
“I know the feeling. I can’t believe how many people turned up. I think the adults are having as much fun as the kids.” She giggles and we both eye a group of moms getting their faces painted.
“It’s been successful. You should be proud. You’ve done a great job,” I tell her, squeezing her hand.
“We did a great job,” she corrects, and I roll my eyes. The woman has done most of the work. She deserves more than I could ever give her. Secretly, I think she just likes bossing everyone around.
“Yeah, yeah.”
She opens her mouth to say something when someone calls her name. She huffs out a breath and rolls her eyes.
“I’m being summoned,” she mutters. “I’ll check in soon.”
“Have fun,” I call out, waving. Once she’s gone, I slump into the chair, feeling my stomach tighten.
*** *** ***
A few hours pass and I’m sitting back down after running round helping to keep things flowing smoothly. Sid and his class are singing B.O.B’s ‘Airplanes’. Everyone is transfixed, listening to their harmony, the song much slower than the original. Sid is an amazing teacher and the kids clearly love him. Not one has been rude, stuck-up or tried to sabotage the show. They’ve all looked up to him, hanging on his every word.
My stomach isn’t any better, and I’m starting to feel a little light-headed. It started to become worse once the crowd picked up; every step I take, I’m bumping into someone. I’m just glad I’ve managed this long without having a panic attack. I don’t do crowds at all, but large ones like this? Well, my sickness says it all.
I look down at my phone to see if Dean has got back to me, but there’s still no word. I’ve tried calling Lily and Mark but both their phones just ring out.
Needing to call Dean before I lose my mind, I unlock my phone, but before I can dial his number, a light tap on my shoulder distracts me.
Turning around, I see a young boy of around fourteen shifting nervously, his cheeks red.
“Hey there, can I help you?” I ask.
“Are you Miss Lola?” he asks, and I smile wide. He’s so adorable, with sandy blonde hair and dark hazel eyes. He’s a few inches smaller than I am, wearing the music T-shirt with the school logo and plain denim jeans.
“Yes, that’s me. Is everything okay?”
“Miss Pagan, Mr Salvatore’s sister said to come and ask you if you could grab the box of leaflets out of her car. She said she would go herself but she’s in the middle of talking to some potential clients. But if you’d like, I can go and get them from her car. You can trust me. I’m here with Mr Salvatore. I’m one of his students. My name’s Alec. I guess I should have said that first, huh? He said we have to stay and help,” he rambles, his face becoming redder. He looks so embarrassed to talk to me, and it’s kind of cute.
“Hi Alec.” I smile. “If you wait here, I’ll grab the keys from my office and then we’ll walk round and get them. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Don’t move. I’ll be five minutes tops,” I warn him, not wanting to get one of Sid’s students lost.
“I promise, Miss Lola.”
I nod, and walk off, smiling wide as I think what a gentleman he is. Most kids his age would have gone off and done their own thing, no matter what their teacher said, so for him to help and actually look like he wants to be there is respectable.
Outside the store, I try to get through the line of people, but the place seems too crowded. Looking through the window, I notice Lorelei, Jeremy, and a few more volunteers than there were there earlier are all busy serving and clearing up.
Hiring a few more staff members will be the first thing I do tomorrow.
Taking one last look at the crowd of people, I sigh and head around back.
The alley is colder in the shade, and a chill runs up my spine. The darkened sky and brick overhead leaves little light in the small area.
There’s a tingle at the back of my neck I sense someone watching me. My stomach twists and the impulse to run is strong. Unlike the other times, I actually feel someone nearby, and it makes my skin crawl.
The nausea I’ve had on and off all day has returned, but this time, there’s an uneasy feeling churning inside my stomach.
Feeling compelled, I look back down the alley and find it empty. That sense of dread hits me hard, and I quicken my pace to the back. My eyes only do a quick scan of the car park since my heart is racing and my mind is screaming at me to run, that danger is lurking.
Rushing over to the back door, I nearly sigh with relief. Grabbing the handle, the voices on the other side give me a sense of safety, and I go to push open the door.
But a sharp pain in the back of my head knocks me to my knees. Before I can register what’s happening, a shooting pain in my right arm has me blacking out.
The last thing I remember is reaching out in front of me, trying to beg for help, but no sound coming out.