Chapter 10
‘Are you all right?’ Andreas asked, two days later, with a crease of concern across his brow. ‘It’s just, you’re walking a bit funny.’
Cath had just arrived in the shop. The short walk over had indeed been testing. ‘Oh yes, and don’t I know it.’
‘Well, I knew things were ramping up with Will, but really, I didn’t think you’d leap in quite that quickly.’ He gave the cheekiest of winks.
Cath blushed like a beacon as his comment was so near the mark in a sadly ironic way.
She darned well wished she had been given a good rogering by Will.
‘Pilates – had my first ever class last night,’ she explained.
‘Feel like I’ve been kicked all over by a donkey.
I think I may have found my waist muscles for the first time in twenty-two years.
’ She chuckled, then winced as even laughing made her a little sore.
‘They weren’t up to the task.’ The class had at least been a good diversion from her dilemma with Will.
The timing now a bit out, however. After chatting with her sister, who was a Pilates fanatic, and wondering if things might soon ramp up with Will, Cath’d booked herself in for a batch of lessons.
The thought of revealing her flesh for the first time in years had filled her with dread.
Her new slimmer and hopefully toned body in a few weeks’ time, sadly now likely wasted.
Andreas smiled. ‘Well, no baklava for you then, young lady. If you’re on some kind of a health kick.’
‘Hey, I wouldn’t go that far. I need some pleasures in life.’ Cath tried to smile.
It was hoping for some pleasures in life, or more precisely, what she hoped might develop pleasure-wise between her and Will, that had got her signed up for this batch of exercise classes in the first place.
But hey, all that had changed. She’d be back in her comfy undies and cover-all loungewear, and her suppers for one.
Oh well, she rallied, it’d do her good to be a bit healthier. Cling on to that silver lining, Cath.
Andreas was standing, smiling at her. Oh, she must have gone off into a little world of her own.
‘OMG,’ she continued, ‘that class: the “hundred” – that’s a killer – felt like a bloody thousand to me. Then there was “downward dog”, and the “saw” – the name alone should have been a clue – and she had us doing “bridges” and “bananas”. It was enough to send you bloody bananas.’
‘Hah, sounds like you’ve done some monkeying around,’ Dan quipped, from across the stores, having finished stacking a shelf with boxes of tea and biscuits, whilst listening in on the conversation.
‘Pilates, so she says,’ Andreas jibed. ‘Sounds fun.’ He gave a wink.
‘Well, if it shifts my spare tyre, it’ll be worth it.
And I really do need to get fitter.’ She was well aware that middle age was creeping up on her, her body drifting south and getting creakier by the day.
She needed to use it or lose it. But bloody hell, she’d been hoping to use it in a far more exciting way than by striking painful poses, on repeat, in a hall full of gym-kit-clad middle-agers.
Andreas was chuckling. ‘So, are you going back? For more torture?’
‘Well, I’ve signed up and paid for a six-week block, so I may as well get my money’s worth.’
‘Eeh, you’ll be sporting abs of steel by then,’ said Dan.
‘Or I’ll not be able to walk.’ She laughed.
‘It is meant to be good for your core, and supporting your back,’ he added more seriously.
‘I’ll keep you posted on that. But yes, I’m sure it’ll do me some good at some point.
In the meantime, I’ll try and be healthy and stock up on some fruit, veg, a couple of slices of your delicious ham, and a loaf of wholemeal bread.
And I will, in fact, forgo your baklava for this week,’ she announced.
‘Though I can’t promise to hold back for any longer than that. ’
‘Shame. A little of what you fancy and all that,’ said Andreas. ‘You know you want to.’
‘Don’t even try and tempt me.’
Another distraction for Cath over these past two days had, in fact, been this community event.
She’d been feeling a little lost sitting alone in her living room of an evening, and wondered about others locally who might well be in the same boat.
It wasn’t only the elderly of the village who might feel a touch lonely, especially on these long, darker nights.
She’d come up with a couple of ideas, which she was quite excited about, tying in with Christmas festivities, but she’d love some feedback from her fellow supper clubbers on this, and hopefully some practical support.
It was time to reach out. ‘Lads, with you talking about Maria the other night, and her loving Christmas …’ She glanced at Andreas, not wanting to upset him.
‘I’ve been thinking of the elderly, and those living alone, and been wondering about hosting some kind of community event. In the run-up to Christmas.’
‘Ooh, sounds interesting. What are you thinking?’ Andreas asked.
‘Well, I have one or two ideas I’m fine-tuning just now, but how do you fancy a supper club brainstorm on this?’
‘Oh, fabulous,’ launched in Dan. ‘Nibbles as we natter, perhaps.’
‘Perfect.’ Cath smiled. She was more than happy to host again.
They hadn’t registered the jingle of the bell, but turned towards the door as they heard a cheery voice add, ‘Prosecco as we ponder?’ Nikki was there, with a big smile. ‘Couldn’t help but overhear. Sounds fab. But what exactly are we brainstorming?’
‘A community Christmas event.’ Cath’s heart lifted with the thought. It was going to be lovely, full of all the festive feels, and she felt very much that after the warm welcome the village had given her, it was time to give something back.
‘Nibbles and Natter – now that sounds just my sort of thing. If I can sort the boys out for the evening, I’d love to hold it at ours,’ offered Nikki.
‘Ah, well, that’d be great. If you didn’t mind?’ said Cath.
‘Not at all. You had us all over last, and hey, nibbles don’t sound too daunting. And well, I love a get-together, me.’
And that’s exactly what this event was going to be about – getting people together.
‘Oh, that sounds lovely. Thank you.’ Cath smiled again, but then realised that this would also mean her seeing Will, who’d definitely been lying low since their rather mortifying evening. Another bridge to cross.
Jeez, why was getting to know someone so damned difficult?
And why couldn’t she have fallen for someone without the huge amounts of emotional baggage that Will was lugging around with him?
Or even simpler, not fallen at all? But this was Will, gorgeous, grieving, tousle-haired, sexy-eyed Will …
and she knew there was no way she could switch off her feelings for him.
‘I’ll help out with making some snacks, too,’ offered Andreas, knowing full well that Nikki had plenty on her plate with her busy family life and her cleaning work. ‘So, darling Cath, there’ll be no need to be calorie counting then.’
‘Okay, you can tempt me then, but not before.’ Her health kick wouldn’t last long at this rate. But perhaps a night off once in a while wouldn’t be the end of the world.
And of course, a little voice in her head rang out, with Will there, too: a little of what you fancy … Well, baklava and nibbles were the least of her temptations, or her concerns.
*
The invites had gone out. The following Friday it was to be.
And a full house of supper clubbers had answered back with a ‘yes’.
Oh, she and Will still hadn’t met in person since their stalled moment of passion, and Will’s words about needing more time were still ringing in her ears.
They had been messaging these past couple of days, with some ‘How are you doings?’ and ‘Hope you’re fines’.
The lines of communication were still thankfully open, but almost too polite.
With trepidation, half of her looking forward to a social evening with the chance to voice her event plans, the other half scared that Will would be cool with her and it was going to be awkward for them both, Cath made her way to Nikki’s place.
With greetings made and glasses filled, a few minutes in and they were all sat in Nikki’s comfy lounge.
The nibbles selection looked divine. Cath had no chance of holding back on those tasty delights.
Nikki had made sticky chipolata sausages in a honey-mustard drizzle, and had put out bowls of crunchy kettle chips.
There were delicious cheese straws made by Lily with strong Cuddy’s Cave local cheese, plus some sweet treats for later in the proceedings.
Andreas had brought along a gorgeous meze of warmed pitta breads, cumin-and-mint-spiced whipped feta, a charred aubergine and garlic dip, along with marinated olives and caramelised spiced nuts.
And Cath had brought her own offering of chocolate tiffin, which she’d made with a tipple of Baileys in, for a sweet calorie-laden surrender later.
The snacks were served around the wooden coffee table.
The lads and Will were on one velour navy sofa, the girls on the other, which was a bit of a relief for Cath.
With Will dashing off from her cottage that night, to be sat right next to him here would have felt very strange, and would surely have been difficult for them both.
Whilst trying to be understanding and reassuring all was fine, inside she felt anything but calm.
Especially as it had left her wanting more – so much more.
The room filled with noisy chatter, as the group sipped white wine and enjoyed the nibbles. Now it was time for the ‘natter’: getting down to business to brainstorm the best Christmas community event they could afford and manage to do well.