Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
Two months later
Teetering towards the bar, Charles scowls at Elsy’s fleer above the tray of empty glasses he volunteered to collect all around the North Haven. ‘It’s harder than it seems!’
‘Is it?’
She slides her palm underneath the tray, lifts it off Charles’ hands and whirls around while sipping her gin and tonic.
‘I could do that too. I just don’t want Patty to consider hiring me. Replacing Loris in her life stops at being her tenant.’
‘Sure, Chips, sure. But wasn’t his rent really cheap because he was helpful here?’
‘Shh! Let’s not remind her of that.’
Especially not tonight.
Patty is more irritable than ever, hosting Loris’ farewell drinks. Even the reckless spenders whom Charles has brought along aren’t cheering her up. When Elsy puts the tray onto the counter, she only gets a growl in acknowledgment.
‘Lovely…’
‘Patty grows on you.’
‘Happy to take your word for it. My god, he’s still at it. Should we jump to her rescue?’
At the end of the bar, Spencer has been monopolising Aliah for the past twenty minutes.
‘She would have ditched him if she minded. Or punched him.’
‘He’s bound to hit on her,’ Elsy says.
‘No, I’m certain he’s noticed the size of her boyfriend’s biceps.’
Charles looks at Andres, who doesn’t seem bothered at all by this lengthy tête-à-tête.
He’s chatting with Jack the illustrator, Loris and Alex in the middle of the room.
Behind them, Divya and Phil are trying to befriend Loris’ rugby colleagues – probably interested by the size of their biceps.
And secluded near the basement door, Phoebe and George are having a heated discussion.
Charles squints at them to assess the vibe. ‘That worries me more.’
‘I should ask Chris to swing by wearing his Chelsea jersey. That’d spice things up.’
‘Your boyfriend supports Chelsea?!’
‘Not my boyfriend, and yes. But don’t throw a fit, I’ll never wear that blue.’
‘I sure hope so!’
‘Unless… you don’t come back.’
‘Don’t come back from where?’ Charles frowns, confused by her sudden gravity. ‘When?’
‘Next week, to begin with.’
‘Of course I’ll come back. I have to work, I’ve only just started my therapy and—’
‘Don’t discount my concern as if it were uncalled for.
You’re about to try French wedding food.
I’d upend my entire life for that. And they’ll all adopt you in a minute there.
But most importantly, Loris will stay. So forgive me for fearing you’ll decide to settle with him.
Except you can’t do that! You gave me until September to prepare for not having you around anymore! ’
‘Els… I gave us until September to prepare for being apart. I’ll need that too. Regardless of how many mouth-watering dishes I discover over the weekend.’
‘Regardless of the naked arguments Loris uses to keep you?’
‘He won’t try to keep me. And you should trust me.’
‘I do… I’m just fishing for ego-boosting declarations.’
Charles smiles and takes her in his arms. ‘You’ve been… the sun and lodestar of my existence for years. I’m not ready to live beneath a sky that doesn’t have you in it.’
‘Perfect. Thank you.’
‘I want in!’
George crashes into Charles from behind. Elsy jumps and raises her drink above the counter after some of it splashed over the rim.
‘Nice job, Downes.’
‘I underestimated the power of my friendship.’
‘Oh, all good!’ Elsy simpers at Patty and resumes in a low voice, ‘I refuse to be remembered as a troublemaker.’
‘Didn’t you guys make a mess the first time you came?’
‘She wasn’t here to see it.’
‘Patty knows everything that happened and will happen,’ Charles retorts. ‘She’s a lot like George.’
‘Please never say that again.’
Cackling at his friend’s horrified grimace, Charles hands him a napkin to wipe the spill he’s responsible for. ‘How did your football feud with Phoebe go?’
‘We were arguing over the ending of Lost.’
‘Oh… Unexpected and somewhat disappointing.’
‘She thinks that too, but… You’re not talking about the ending of Lost. Speaking of unexpected yet guaranteed disappointment, have you finally told Alice to dream on?’
Elsy punches George’s arm. ‘Why would you bring this up here and now?’
‘If he doesn’t come back, this is my ultimate opportunity to talk some sense into him.’
‘Enough with the paranoia! I am coming back. Otherwise the Alice question wouldn’t even be one.’
‘True. Blimey, I’m not sharp tonight. Must be the vibe of this pub. So?’
‘I said I’ll let her know.’
‘Really?’ George plants his fists on his hips, displaying a level of outrage that the situation doesn’t justify. ‘You definitely need me by your side a while longer!’
‘She’s trying.’ Charles shrugs. ‘That counts for something.’
Charles and Loris were driving back from Devon, comparing both their summer schedules to fit in a trip to Florence and Kaunas, when Charles slapped his forehead with the full force of his stupidity.
He had left his passport in his bedroom.
Worried that the waiting time to get a new one could prevent him from attending the wedding of Loris’ cousin, he resigned himself to texting his mother and asked whether it had already been reduced to ashes.
18:41 ALICE L. Your belongings are safe, Charles. And the locks won’t be changed. You can come home anytime. But unless you have gone back on some of your choices, it would be wiser to ensure with me beforehand that your father isn’t here.
The first few times Charles went – to collect more clothes and to see Sofia – he waited for moments when he was sure Alice was out with Milton.
But one day, he miscalculated his timing, and she walked in as he was climbing down the stairs.
More surprised than he was, Alice didn’t attempt to keep him.
She only asked if he was taking care of himself, spotting the signs of his annual season-change cold.
After that brief meeting that had washed over Charles’ mood and late thoughts, shunning his mother became optional.
The next encounter left him just as indifferent given that Alice still looked all but unsure about how to behave.
But three weeks later, as Charles was selecting airy shirts to store in Loris’ wardrobe, she came to his bedroom to give him the contact details of an old friend who runs an accounting firm in Rome.
Charles took the piece of paper, lacking the motivation to explain that finance isn’t on his Italian agenda.
At the time, he also refused to acknowledge her acceptance of his plan to move abroad, but he found himself appreciative when he mused on it later.
‘The bar is very low,’ Loris said between two supportive smiles.
‘Yes, she raised it from below ground. Let’s see what she does next.’
Next, she waylaid him in the driveway to waffle on about Clare quitting. Charles internally rejoiced at the news, but he spent five minutes struggling to grasp how Alice had concluded that they were back to having mundane conversations. Then she switched gears and Charles went slack-jawed.
‘I was at the Camden Art Centre yesterday, discussing their summer programme with Gemma. It is wonderful that they will include Loris’ artwork in their local artists exhibition!
She showed me a photograph, it is stunning.
Congratulations to Loris. And to you. Gemma found your presentation pitch impressive. ’
Charles’ shock had three points of origin.
His mother’s awareness of a project they hadn’t even shared with their friends yet.
Her successful attempt at appearing unbothered that the neighbourhood is going to see Charles in Loris’ erotically-charged glitch drawing.
And above all, the way she had pronounced ‘Loris’, both times.
It wasn’t totally natural, as if she had rehearsed too much, practised curving up her lips on the final syllable.
But she had learnt. From being labelled as a choice in her first message, Loris had become a person, accepted as part of her son’s life.
Alice now wants to take Charles to their favourite restaurant. It’s undoubtedly a stunt to show her tattling circle that their relationship is as good as ever, but for that reason, he’s convinced the lunch won’t be harmful. She wouldn’t risk setting him off in a public place.
Charles will weigh up the pros and cons after the wedding weekend in France.
‘You’re letting her off the hook too easily. Unless she dumps the git, no effort will—’
‘I don’t want her to do that, George. I’ll never give her enough of myself to compensate for what she’d lose if she did.’
Elsy nods to approve. ‘And if Alice breaks Milton’s heart, his lawyer arse will strip her of everything in the divorce, and he’ll be free to update the will. You’ll be left with nothing.’
‘I don’t care about that.’
‘You should,’ Patty mumbles when she shuffles by them. ‘How are you gonna buy me out of this place if you’re penniless?’
‘Sorry? I… I have no intention to…’
Charles trails off as Patty bends into the wine fridge. Safer to squash her hopes another day, when she will be back to cherishing him.
‘Don’t turn her down, Chartender! Think about it! We could make it a Spurs pub and—’
‘Guys!’
George’s frenzy is cut short by Phoebe, who’s standing on a chair, tapping a bar spoon against her glass.
‘Quiet, please! Oh, don’t give me that look, Loris, you knew I was going to.
Okay, for those who don’t really know me, and I’m sorry your lives are so dull, I’m Phoebe.
A few years back, I worked here for a couple of months, but I hated it.
Not this place!’ She glances at the bar with an uneasy smile.
‘This place is great, Patty… I meant the job in general… So I was gonna quit but I felt bad to—’
‘More like terrified.’