Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
It had been snowing on and off all day, but it didn’t stop the regulars from turning out at the Jolly on a Friday evening. Though it was only seven thirty, it was already busy.
Lark was the first to arrive, which was hardly surprising considering she lived just around the corner. She’d organised the wine and five glasses and was busy checking her phone when Maggie arrived.
‘Now then, flower. I’m glad I’ve caught you before the others arrive.
How’ve you been doing since our chat? I know we’ve been texting, but to be honest, you don’t reveal much about how you’re really feeling.
’ Maggie’s words tumbled out in a torrent, presumably so she could get the conversation over with quickly in case Lark hadn’t shared any of it with the others.
Before she had a chance to answer, Jasmine arrived along with Florrie, Stella a few minutes after.
With them all settled in their seats, glasses of wine in hand, Stella said, ‘So, lasses, have we all had a good week?’
Maggie’s eyes flicked to Lark. Lark lowered her gaze to the table and cleared her throat.
‘Ey up, do I detect something’s been going on that you two know about?’ Stella was regularly described as having eyes like a hawk and a nose like a bloodhound. ‘Come on, share what you know.’
Maggie raised her palms. ‘I’m saying nowt.’
All eyes turned to Lark.
‘So that leaves you, missus,’ said Jasmine, her copper eyebrows raised in interest.
Lark closed her eyes and drew in a fortifying breath. She wasn’t so sure sharing what she’d done with Nate was going to be such a good idea, especially with the way her friends were all looking at her and holding their breath in expectation.
‘I’ve donated Betty’s suitcase to the heritage centre.’
There was a collective sagging of shoulders and exhaling of breath.
Maggie’s eyebrows twitched.
Lark felt the weight of four pairs of eyes scrutinising her.
‘Talk about an anticlimax,’ said Jasmine. ‘Not that I mean it’s not a good thing about you donating the clothes, but—’
‘But, with respect, we thought you were going to give us something a little juicier than that,’ Stella interjected.
‘Yeah, way juicier,’ said Maggie, sotto voce, but apparently not “sotto voce” enough.
‘What was that, Mags?’ Stella’s head whipped round.
Lark shot Maggie a pointed look.
‘What’s been going on?’ asked Florrie, looking totally baffled.
‘Come on, spill the tea,’ said Stella in an authoritative tone Lark didn’t like to ignore.
What made me think this would be a good idea?
She inhaled slowly once more, her hand reaching for the amethyst pendant at her neck.
Just say it. Just rip the plaster off and get the words out.
‘I kissed Nate.’ She spoke as quietly as she could, keeping her eyes trained firmly on the table, bracing herself for the wave of reactions.
‘What did Lark just say?’ Jasmine looked at Stella who had a smile inching across her face.
Florrie nudged her glasses up her nose and blinked in apparent disbelief.
‘Oh, this calls for a celebration,’ said Stella, before leaning in to Jasmine. ‘She’s just fessed up to having a snog with Nate. Praise the Lord.’
‘Woohoo! About bloomin’ time, woman!’ Jasmine danced a jig in her seat, causing heads to turn at nearby tables.
Lark willed the ground to open up and gulp her down in one.
‘This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you. I knew you’d all get carried away with yourselves.’
‘I’ll bet Nate’s floating around on cloud nine now.’ Stella started easing herself out of the settle. ‘Don’t say another word till I get back. I’m just going to grab us a bottle of fizz.’
‘Fizz?’ Lark clapped her hands to her face. ‘Why fizz?’
‘To mark the occasion, that’s why. It needs to be celebrated.’
‘Have you any idea how bonkers that sounds, Stells? Please don’t,’ Lark pleaded.
‘Leave it, Stells,’ said Maggie. Lark sent a grateful look her way.
Stella gave a throaty giggle. ‘Don’t get your knickers in a knot, I’m only teasing. I’d never do anything like that.’
Relief washed over Lark as she watched Stella sit back down.
‘Am I right in thinking the reason you’ve shared this with us is because what you feared would happen if you got closer to Nate has actually happened, and you realise you like him more than as a friend?’ asked Florrie.
Lark nodded. ‘It has, and it’s my fault.’
‘And how d’you work that one out?’ asked Jasmine, scratching her head in puzzlement.
Four eager faces looked back at Lark as she raked her hair off her face and filled them in on the details and how Nate wasn’t speaking to her.
When she’d finished, they all sat looking at her wearing crestfallen expressions. She felt the weight of their disappointment sitting on her shoulders.
‘I always told you it would be a bad idea, that I’d end up losing his friendship, which is exactly what’s happened,’ she said with a shrug. ‘And, like I’ve said, now he’s ignoring me.’
‘But what I don’t get is why you thought it was a mistake?’ Stella was looking at her as if she was crazy.
‘Pot, kettle and all that,’ Florrie chipped in. ‘Sorry, Stells, but you were finding all sorts of excuses to keep Alex at arm’s length.’
‘That’s different. I hadn’t known Alex for long, whereas Lark’s known Nate for years. He knows they’re meant to be together, and we know they’re meant to be together. It’s only Miss Fussy-Pants here who keeps telling herself they’re not.’
‘And you’re absolutely sure it’s a mistake, Lark?’ Florrie asked.
Lark nodded. ‘It’s this feeling I keep getting and can’t shake off. It’s odd and I’ve never experienced anything like it before, but I get this really strong sense of something about him.’ It made her feel sad to put these feelings about Nate into words.
‘But you clearly didn’t feel them for however long it took to play tonsil tennis with him on Saturday night. How did that happen, then?’ asked Jasmine.
‘I honestly don’t know. I guess I must’ve pushed them to one side or ignored them.
I have no explanation for it.’ She wasn’t going to say all she was conscious of then was the way Nate’s kiss had made her feel.
‘I’ve always followed my gut, my senses, whatever you want to call them, and they’ve never let me down. It’s why I can’t ignore this.’
‘Oh, flower, that must be hard.’ Florrie pulled a sympathetic face.
‘Well, it’s actually worse than you think.
’ She swallowed down the lump of emotion that had formed in her throat.
‘And the reason it’s worse is because…’ Oh jeez, this is hard.
‘It’s because I love him.’ A sob escaped her mouth and her friends all reached for her, squeezing her hands or wrapping their arms around her.
Lark fought the tears that were threatening to spill over.
‘I’m sorry I made fun of you,’ said Stella. ‘I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known how you felt.’
‘I know, Stells, it’s okay.’ Lark sniffed.
‘So what happens now?’ asked Florrie as they all sat back in their seats.
‘I’ve been thinking about Thailand.’
‘Thailand?’ they all chorused in disbelief.
Before she had a chance to explain, Lobster Harry cleared his throat and burst into song, filling the pub with a tuneless rendition of a local sea shanty.
It wasn’t just the notes that sounded dodgy, some of the lyrics did, too.
Everyone looked on in morbid fascination as the old fisherman belted the song out at the top of his lungs, one hand over his ear as if he were a seasoned folk singer, the other clutching a half-full pint of Micklewick Mischief that sloshed around precariously as he waved his arm.
A lively round of applause broke out when he was done, but it was more an acknowledgement of the entertainment value than any talent he’d displayed.
‘Thank you very much.’ Lobster Harry gave a gap-toothed smile.
‘If any of you would like to show your appreciation, I’ll be taking pints at the bar.
’ He cleared his throat once more then opened his mouth, where he proceeded to produce a painfully long, whining note.
Snorts of laughter followed before a springer spaniel threw its head back and started howling.
Everyone in the pub collapsed into fits of laughter.
The fisherman was quickly guided back to the bar by Mandy the landlady.
Moments later, the local folk band struck up, filling the air with a jaunty tune, much to everyone’s relief.
Though Lark was laughing too, she was glad of the unexpected interlude, glad the heat and attention was being directed elsewhere for a while.
But it wasn’t long before it was back on her and she was forced to explain why going to stay with her mum and Elfie in Thailand was a good idea and not the hare-brained plan they seemed to think it was.
By the end of the night, her friends had helped her see sense and talked her out of leaving Micklewick Bay for Thailand, telling her that she wouldn’t be going for the right reasons. It was something she’d had to agree with, even though she still hadn’t heard from Nate.