Epilogue
EPILOGUE
FOUR MONTHS LATER — SCOTT
M y phone buzzes and I pull it out of my shorts to find a video call from Nate lighting up the screen.
I sit up, toeing sand off the beach towel as I answer it.
‘Hey, dude.’ My brother’s dimpled smile fills the screen. ‘Thanks for letting me keep hosting the charity pub quiz while you’re away. Thought I’d give you a ring before it kicks off.’
‘Of course.’ I slide my sunglasses up onto my head. ‘Wednesdays wouldn’t be the same without it.’
Josie stirs from her post-orgasm siesta next to me, and sits up, wrapping her shemagh-turned-sarong around her shoulders against the breeze from the sea.
‘Say hi, Chunk.’ Nate shoves the screen under Chunk’s nose.
Chunk waves at us. ‘Hi, Chunk,’ he laughs.
Nate spins away and continues chattering over the hubbub of the noisy pub, moving the camera so we can see around The Bull.
‘It’s packed tonight. Enzo’s been great. It’s worked well, having the restaurant here on the same night, people are staying on from their meals to do the quiz, and quizzers are finding out about the pop-up.’
The “pop-up”. Lucia’s baby. Unbeknownst to me, Josie encouraged her to put together a business plan with the help of Ella, and the three of them took it to Enzo, who agreed to give a trial to a temporary Portuguese tapas restaurant in the pub on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. So now my sleepy village pub hosts a cafe, a pop-up restaurant and keeps the regulars in beer every night. I couldn’t be happier that it’s going from strength to strength. And being a silent partner in The Bull is exactly what I needed.
‘Speaking of which …’ Nate pans the screen around to Lucia.
‘Hi.’ She waves.
‘Put me on with Lu.’ Josie suddenly grabs the phone from my grasp and climbs onto me, settling in my lap.
My hands weave under the shemagh, surrounding her stomach, and smoothing over her soft, sun-kissed skin.
‘Hey, you!’ she sings. ‘I love your recent posts on Insta. I’m following your account like it’s my favourite TV series.’
‘You like the Cock and Bull Story page?’ Lucia grins and giggles.
‘Inspired,’ Josie calls out to her, loud enough that Lucia could probably hear across the Atlantic without the phone.
Officially, the pop-up is called The Cock At The Bull . Enzo had told us the story of the Barcelos Rooster and how a black cockerel was an emblem of Portugal, and we thought it was a fitting name. But Lucia and Josie had joked about the recent history of the pub being a cock and bull story, and that name has stuck around.
‘I thought the locals — the regulars — might like to see how we put the pop-up together, and then I can keep them updated with the menu and new dishes.’
‘It’s so good. I’ve made something for you.’ Josie bungs the phone at me and then reaches across the towel to grab hers, fiddles for a moment, before grabbing my phone back.
I watch Lucia pull her own phone from her pocket and frown at the screen, peering closely. ‘You made me a picture?’
‘A logo.’ Josie turns and grins at me for a second. ‘For your Insta profile.’
‘I love it,’ Lucia chimes after a moment, her long brown hair sways as she gives a happy jiggle.
While Josie and Lucia continue to chat on my phone, Josie taps at her screen and shows me the image she sent to Lucia. It looks like Josie has taken the original half Bull’s head logo she’d done for me and added half a cockerel’s crown on the other, previously blank, side. A Cock and Bull Story, written in clear modern print underneath. My Angel is fucking remarkable.
With Josie on my lap, I shut my eyes, listening to the sea lapping on the shore and the women’s voices wash over me for a long moment while they catch up. I blink my eyes open when I hear Enzo chuckle, ‘Give the man his phone back, Lulu.’
‘No worries,’ Nate replies.
I bring my face close to Josie’s, resting my chin on her shoulder, enjoying the way her coconut fragrance mingles with the salty sea air.
Lucia calls out, ‘Até logo,’ and Nate comes back on to the screen.
‘So, are you guys having a good time?’
‘We’re having the best time,’ Josie sighs.
I can see our image on the phone screen. Sun-drenched, relaxed. Happy. I kiss Josie’s cheek and breathe in contentedly.
‘Hey, Lovebirds, you ready for the trek next week?’ asks Nate.
‘Yep,’ I say and go back to nuzzling Josie’s neck.
‘We’re in Costa Rica right now, heading to Lima in a couple of days to acclimatise. I’ve worn my boots in and I’ve been doing those exercises you and Chunk suggested,’ Josie replies.
‘Yeah, thanks for those,’ I look back to Nate with a smug grin. It’s been absolutely no hardship helping Josie work out.
‘Speaking of Chunk,’ Nate says, panning the camera round.
The image blurs and, suddenly, a huge figure fills the screen.
‘Dude, what’s wrong,’ Nate gasps in the background.
The jerky image unpixelates to show Chunk’s face like thunder, eyes flashing. ‘Something’s happened at the Wreck, I’ve gotta go.’
‘Fuck.’ Nate turns the camera back to him, his expression grave. ‘I’ve gotta … I never seen him like this … fuck.’
The screen goes blank.
To be continued…
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