The Cornish Beach Hut Café

Chapter 49

49

The Harbour Splash Day, The Harbourside, St Aidan

High stakes and high flyers

Saturday

I t’s amazing what a non-organisational person like me can pull off with a whole community behind me. Thanks to so many willing helpers what is now known as the Harbour Splash fundraiser comes together, and three short weeks after the Barbie day, Kit, the mermaids and I are out on St Aidan’s cobbled quayside, leaning on the stacks of lobster pots outside George’s office, watching a throng of people in front of us.

Clemmie is gazing around. ‘I can’t believe there are so many stalls!’

‘All thanks to Nell pulling in Dakota from the singles club.’ She’s a high-energy gym-princess who aced the marketing and publicity, and the stalls aren’t all she’s scored a hit with. ‘There are roving reporters with TV cameras and live broadcasts for Pirate Radio too, although she insists the sea pool is a very easy sell.’

Clemmie steers the pushchair into position, and slides onto a bench with Diesel beside her. ‘From the very large banners by the jumping area, I’m guessing the High Tides Hotel are committed to the sea pool, rather than wanting their own?’

I nod. ‘David must be trying really hard with Mum. He offered such a huge donation we couldn’t refuse.’

Plum’s nodding as she comes across. ‘Look out for the High Tides stalls too, the beauticians are doing pedis and hand massages with advice on spa treatments, and they’re giving out gorgeous samples in return for an addition to their email list.’

Sophie gives a cough. ‘We’ve recently agreed with the hotel to feature our product ranges, so the goodie boxes on their stalls are bursting with Sophie May miniatures.’

Plum carries on. ‘The splash will run nicely into the eating, drinking and – most importantly – the dancing.’ She wiggles her eyebrows. ‘I guarantee you an evening of first-class party bangers.’

Rye took charge of the sound system, and thanks to Plum doing the playlist, and insisting on playing every track to him before she added it, the gap between those two is now imperceptible. Obviously there are also other establishments in St Aidan, so the Hungry Shark are running the main bar, and there are lots of local businesses with food stalls and vans, but Dakota negotiated very favourable profit-sharing rates with all of them.

I’m looking up at the coloured bunting criss-crossing over our heads and listening to the cries of seagulls and the ring of the rigging on the masts of the brightly coloured boats moored along the floating pontoons. There are explosive splashes every couple of minutes as the participants hit the water, and cheers of the people watching them are echoing around the harbourside.

Nell appears in the doorway of the office where she nipped to change baby George, and points at the long line of people in board shorts and wet suits snaking along the far end of the quayside, all waiting to hurl themselves off the harbour wall. ‘Have you seen the queue? With that many sponsored jumpers we’ll raise a bomb!’

I give her checked shirt a tug. ‘Out in your real clothes and focusing on the bottom line – you are back in the game, Nelly-melon!’

She gives me a push. ‘I’m not the only one! Truly, I’m over the moon for you and Kit.’

Kit hears her comment and leans in to kiss me. ‘We’re pretty happy too, Nell.’

Mum wanders over and joins straight in the conversation. ‘Did you hear they went skinny-dipping, Nell?’

I let out a shout of protest. ‘Mum, we didn’t – that was you! ’

She shakes her head. ‘Well, whatever, sweetheart, we’re all very happy for you both. Aren’t we, David?’

David’s looking down at her, his face full of love. ‘We are. And we’re looking forward to an afternoon full of surprises.’

I can’t help but laugh. ‘It might not be that thrilling – this is pretty much as good as it gets.’

Mum taps my arm. ‘Take no notice, sweetheart, he’s only excited because his High Tides banners are everywhere in town.’

Clemmie wipes the chocolate off Bud’s hands. ‘Don’t undersell yourself, Flossie, it’s a fabulous event, and it’s all down to you.’

I can’t take all the credit. ‘It was my idea, but everyone else helped make it happen.’

Sophie gave me back my wig last week once Nikki at Force10 Hair had toned down her blonde, but she’s still hung onto a few favourite playsuits of mine. She leans across to me. ‘Your once-they’re-gone-they’re-gone cakes are going down a storm, Floss.’

I can’t take all the credit for that either. ‘I did the baking, but Milla and the gang are doing a fabulous job manning the stall. It was a great idea of theirs to bring out a different kind of cake every half-hour and push it out on socials with a running total of how much they’re making.’ I look around for Rye. ‘Mars bar brownies are up next, if you’re interested.’

He waves his ice cream and holds out his other hand to Plum. ‘If you’re coming, I’ll finish this on the way, check on the staff and be first in the queue.’

David calls after them as they weave their way through the crowd. ‘Don’t be too long.’ He gives a cough. ‘Just saying!’

Mum rolls her eyes. ‘What is he like?’

When I stand close to Kit, my shoulder tucks neatly under his armpit. I whisper into his ear, ‘What’s going on?’

He smiles. ‘David’s full of ideas for hotel publicity. You’ll see very soon.’ As he comes in closer and I breathe in his scent it makes me dizzy, like it always does. ‘You look beautiful. I love those ripped denim shorts and that T-shirt.’

‘Thanks.’ I squeeze his hand and turn to Sophie. ‘Remember your Libertines vest? Kit saw it falling out of the drawer earlier and asked me to wear it. I actually caught Arnie in this!’

Clemmie laughs. ‘What an afternoon that was! He’s grown so much, you wouldn’t catch him in it now.’ She pulls me into a hug. ‘I’m so pleased you came back, and I’m ecstatic you and Kit are together. You look so well and happy.’

By the time we’ve reminisced about that, Rye and Plum are back, George has joined Nell, and Sophie, Nate, Milla and the kids are all tucking into whippy ice creams. As the distant sound of an engine cuts over the noise of the crowd, David points at the sky.

‘Look, it’s coming!’

As we all look up, a tiny aircraft comes into view over Comet Cove, and chugs its way towards us.

Nell calls out. ‘It’s pulling a banner! That’s brilliant! Let’s see what it says.’

David’s reading it out as the aeroplane flies across the bay in front of us, with the banner furling behind it. ‘HIGH TIDES HOTEL SUPPORTS ST AIDAN SEA POOL!’

Nell’s chortling. ‘I hope the TV crews get that!’

Kit’s shading his eyes as he watches. ‘Don’t worry, the camera guys have been primed.’ He looks down at me. ‘You don’t think it’s too much?’

As I shake my head, I realise I’ve actually got goosebumps. ‘No, it’s amazing.’

As the plane flies out to Oyster Point we all wave, then it circles back inland, and when it comes across the bay for a second time we’ve all got our phones out to film it. When it disappears again, we all stare at the sky and wait for the next circuit. This time it takes a bit longer to come, but as it finally arrives Kit’s hand tightens on mine. And then as the plane comes across the bay, Nell murmurs, ‘They’ve changed the sign.’

The crowd around us gasps as I read the words:

WILL YOU MARRY ME, FLOSSIE FLAPJACK-FACE?

It takes a while for me to take it in, and by the time I do there are tears running down my face.

I turn to find Kit’s down on one knee on the cobbles, looking up at me, his grey eyes soft against his dark lashes, and Shadow’s beside him, giving his cheek a lick. ‘So what do you think – would you like to marry me, Floss? I don’t want to rush you, but I love you so much, I don’t want to waste a day.’

I’m biting back the sobs, as I look around the sea of faces around us. Mum, David… Sophie is there, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth, Milla is jumping and down on the spot.

Then a lone voice nearby calls out, ‘Say yes, Flossie Flapjack-face!’ And the crowd around us takes up the cry too. Soon the whole of the harbourside is chanting, ‘Say yes, Flossie Flapjack-face! Say yes, Flossie Flapjack-face!’

Kit is shaking his head as he looks up at me. ‘Sorry, I didn’t plan for there to be this much pressure.’

Nell lets out a huge whoop. ‘It’s St Aidan, Kit, everyone likes to help!’

The crowd are clapping and stamping now, so I murmur to Kit, ‘Yes please. I’d love to marry you.’ Then I shout it louder to the people around. ‘Yes please! Of course I want to marry him! I can’t think of anything better!’

And as the plane disappears, there’s a general roar, and Kit hands me a ring.

‘This is for today, until you decide on a proper one.’

As he slides the ring onto my finger, I can see the words engraved around the outside.

Will you marry me, Floss? xx

Milla’s screaming. ‘Omigosh, a dedicated proposal ring! Grazia ’s never mentioned them!’

And then the plane comes round again, and this time it’s towing a new sign, saying:

FLOSSIE SAID YES!

The roar of the crowd ripples right around the bay as the plane passes.

Kit’s standing up, threading his arms around me, pulling me into a kiss. And by the time we break apart, the plane is passing another time, and it’s back to towing the High Tides banner.

David’s rubbing his hands. ‘Well, that went well! Congratulations, Floss and Kit, and a great moment for the hotel too!’

Rye’s holding up his phone. ‘It’s all captured on here!’

And then everyone rushes forward to hug us.

Nell’s punching the air. ‘The singles club have had proposals before, but this will go down in history as the most romantic one ever.’

Clemmie’s smiling at Kit. ‘I love how you knew what Floss was going to say, Kit.’

I laugh. ‘As if I’d have said anything else.’ As Sophie comes in for a hug I give her a huge squeeze and look at Mum. ‘David was right about the surprises, Mum.’

Mum shakes her head. ‘So what are we going to do now?’

I realise everyone is waiting for my reply, so I look at Kit. ‘How about we eat our body weight in doughnuts to celebrate, then dance the night away?’

He grins back at me. ‘This is St Aidan – what else would we do?’