Chapter 7
“Linney, dear, it’s so good to hear your voice. When are you coming home? ”
Linney’s brow furrowed. She seemed to have this same conversation with Gran every week now since she’d been home for Easter.
“Hi, Gran. Remember, I’m coming in a few weeks when Derek and Olivia get married.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Linney could hear the disappointment in her voice. She knew that just like Mrs. Blake, Gran had always hoped that the boy next door would propose to her granddaughter, but that was just wishful thinking. Derek and Linney were friends. Good friends, but just friends. Sure, there had been that one spin-the-bottle game and an awkward kiss at a party when she was thirteen, but there’d been no spark, and they had never thought of each other that way.
“But first, Kirsten’s coming to London, remember? And Jake will be up to see you this weekend. Maybe he can help you get out the summer cushions for the porch furniture.”
“That would be lovely. Do you think he would help me plant the flower boxes?”
“I’m sure he will. I’ll call you in a few days.”
Linney had always been a bit disappointed none of her friends had visited her in London. Of course, they had good reasons. Anna and Danny were busy with their businesses and their family and Derek didn’t take much vacation to begin with. When Kirsten made good on her threat and finally booked a trip, Linney had planned a great holiday for them together.
But a few days before Kirsten arrived, Gemma popped by Linney’s desk with a file. Linney opened it and looked up at her boss with surprise. This was a big opportunity to show how much she’d grown as a reporter. Suddenly her face fell. Was she ready for this? Mac had plenty of criticism for her work these days.
“Are you sure, Gemma?” she asked.
Gemma’s forehead wrinkled. “Why would you even question it? You’re the best young reporter we have. You were ready for this months ago.” Linney bit her lip hesitantly and Gemma spoke sharply. “Linney, this is a tough business. Especially for women. I don’t know what’s going on, but you need to get your confidence back. You are a great reporter. Don’t second guess yourself.”
The smile returned to Linney’s face. “I’ll do my best. Promise.” As Gemma left, Linney started reading through the research, getting excited. It would eat into her time with Kirsten, but it would be so worth it.
* * *
Linney bouncedon her toes as she waited for Kirsten to come through the doors at Heathrow. It was her friend’s first international flight, other than family trips to Florida. Finally, she caught a glimpse of a tired and nervous Kirsten and shrieked. Kirsten’s head spun around and soon Linney caught her up in a hug.
“You’re here! How do you feel? That flight can be something.”
“I feel tired and grimy, but excited all at the same time!”
“Well, first things first then. Let’s get you back to Notting Hill. A hot shower and a nap will cure almost anything.
Linney had only been able to secure a few days off work and fortunately, Kirsten was happy to fill her days with sightseeing on her own. She gawked at the royal palaces, took in the parks and museums, and visited both St. Paul’s and Westminster cathedrals. She splurged on a matinee ticket to Les Misérables and rode the London Eye. On the weekend, Linney showed her the Portobello Road Market, sharing the secrets she’d learned to furnish her flat with vintage finds so close at hand.
Kirsten’s introduction to MJ took place at a favourite fish and chips shop. The petite Quebecer hugged her and then looked her up and down. “Wow, you have a great figure under there. But why do you hide it?” The stylish woman was genuinely confused.
Kirsten turned beet red and tugged at her oversized T-shirt. “I don’t—I mean, I’ve always—well, you know, guys–” She shrugged. “I just don’t like the attention,” she admitted.
“I can help you with that,” MJ said gently. “If you would like me to.”
The three women sat at their table and quickly ordered battered cod and thick-cut chips.
MJ’s a magician,” Linney added when the waitress disappeared. “You know how I look on air? And how I look better off air too than I used to?” She grinned, knowing that Kirsten had noticed the change in her wardrobe since she’d been in London. “That’s because MJ’s taught me how to dress properly.” Then she laughed. “Gran wasn’t a lot of help, and even though Anna and her sisters tried, I just don’t look like them.”
Kirsten smiled weakly, and Linney understood. Kirsten’s mother dressed like a stereotypical librarian, and what worked on willowy Anna wouldn’t suit Kirsten any better than it would suit Linney. She looked between the Londoners with a combination of fear and horror in her eyes. “You’re kind to offer,” she stammered. “But I don’t think so.” She lowered her eyes to her lap, willing the nervous flush in her cheeks to dissipate.
MJ looked quizzically at Linney, who shook her head almost imperceptibly. Kirsten wasn’t ready yet.
Their meal arrived and MJ acquiesced. “Okay, no problem. But if you change your mind, just ask.” She reached for the malt vinegar.
Kirsten shook her head emphatically and popped a hot chip in her mouth as if to put an end to the conversation. Linney worked hard to put the awkwardness behind them, and somehow, by the end of the meal, MJ had convinced Kirsten to at least get her hair cut.
Linney spent the next day toiling in the newsroom and when the women met up outside a Covent Garden pub for a before-dinner drink, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Kirsten had always been beautiful, but under MJ’s expert guidance, she’d been transformed.
Linney whistled. “You look amazing!” Her friend’s curly hair had been styled in a way that suited her round face and looked shinier and bouncier than usual. She was wearing makeup that accentuated her hazel eyes and made her look sophisticated. And while her clothes still hid her figure, Linney thought MJ was responsible for the colours that made Kirsten glow. Maybe there had been some shopping after all.
“You like it?” Kirsten’s voice was unsure, but the way she touched her hair showed Linney she was pleased.
“You look great! But how do you feel?”
“I love it,” Kirsten whispered, her eyes sparkling with delight. “I feel pretty.
“Now, let’s show London the new Kirsten.”
The three women found seats at the bar and were soon enjoying the attention of three handsome men. They sipped cocktails, flirting harmlessly. Taking their leave after an appropriate amount of time, the women headed to dinner, arm in arm.
“I’m embarrassed to admit how much I enjoyed that,” Linney said, helping herself to some calamari from the centre of the table.
MJ looked at her sharply. “I keep telling you, you can do better.”
“MJ,” Linney warned.
“What do you mean?” Kirsten asked. She hadn’t met Mac yet, despite being in London for close to a week.
“Let’s just say Mac is not always the kindest,” said MJ. “And he?—”
“Enough, MJ.” Linney snapped.
“Okay, okay.” MJ knew when to change the subject, and turned the conversation deftly to elicit stories of Silver Lake.
The next night, Mac joined Linney and Kirsten for dinner. To try and avoid criticism, Linney wore his favourite silky shirt with sleeves that fluttered in the breeze and black capri pants with heeled sandals that made her legs seem to go on for miles.
“Mac! Over here.” Linney waved when she saw him and he joined the women, kissing her almost proprietarily, which didn’t sit well with Kirsten. She immediately knew what MJ had meant.
She didn’t warm up to Mac over their main course. Despite his sexy Scottish brogue, he was dismissive and condescending. He drank a lot, and she bristled when he spoke to her. After his initial greeting, he treated her like he thought her intelligence was diminished by her small-town address and less than fashionable clothes.
“You never left,” he stated suddenly as they finished their main course, his words starting to slur. “Why?”
“I never wanted to,” she replied. “Silver Lake is my home.”
“But you could have. You didn’t want to work at a cutting-edge practice?”
“I love my work. And people in small towns deserve health care just as good as those in big cities.”
“But what is there to do after work is done? There are no museums, no art galleries, no lectures to go to. And you don’t have restaurants and pubs like we do. It must be so boring.”
“Leave her alone, Mac.” Linney jumped in to rescue her friend. “Small-town life isn’t so bad—and of course, Silver Lake has a restaurant! More than one in fact. And the landscape is our art.”
Mac caught a waiter’s arm and asked for another drink. “You ran away from it. You told me you hated it.”
“Yes, I did.” Linney had to give him that. “But that’s because I wanted to do something that I couldn’t do there. And I appreciate that Kirsten and Anna stayed. They’re part of a community that’s helping me take care of my grandmother. You know that.”
Mac knocked back his drink as the waiter came by with dessert menus. “I think we’ll have to agree to disagree.” He stood up. “Now ladies, I’m going to let you enjoy the rest of your evening.” Linney looked up at him with surprise. He wasn’t staying. “I have to go join my mates. Kirsten, good to meet you. MJ, Linney, I’ll see you at work tomorrow.” He leaned down and put his hand behind Linney’s head, kissing her roughly. It wasn’t a kiss she was used to getting in public and Kirsten was so embarrassed she had to look away.
Kirsten didn’t see Mac again until her last night when she and Linney met Mac and MJ for a late dessert. “This has been such a great trip,” Kirsten said, as she took another bite of the sticky toffee pudding that the table was sharing. She looked at Linney with gratitude. “Thank you for everything. I know you’ve been busy, but I’ve had such a good time. And it’s been great to meet the storied Marie-Josée, who is now a friend!” Kirsten then glanced at the man with them. “And you too, Mac. I had to meet the man who keeps Linney in London.” She smiled weakly.
“Don’t be fooled,” he replied a little too loudly. “She stays for the work. I’m just a bonus.” The table erupted into laughter.
“I don’t mind saying, though,” he began when they quieted, “I am looking forward to having her back to myself.”
Linney kicked him sharply under the table and did her best to repair the damage. “You are always welcome, Kirsten. Always.”
MJ jumped in. “Now that I know two people from Silver Lake, I might just have to stop in the next time I’m home.”
Mac rolled his eyes. “Silver Lake. Always Silver Lake.” He caught the waiter’s attention. “I’ll leave you to one last evening together.” He paid the bill, and they all stood up for parting hugs. Mac whispered in Linney’s ear. “Tomorrow night you’re all mine. I’ve missed you.” Linney’s knees almost gave way.
* * *
Even Kirsten couldn’t helpbut notice the attention her new hair and makeup were getting. It was ridiculous, she thought. She was still the same person underneath, but she’d noticed some admiring glances, which felt very different from the leering she was sadly used to. She mentioned it to Anna when she visited shortly after getting home.
“You look amazing,” Anna told her. “You should be getting looks.”
Kirsten took a sip of her coffee. “It’s a bit unnerving,” she admitted. “I’m used to stares, but this time people are looking at me, not my—” She gestured to her chest, always feeling awkward.
Anna rolled her eyes. “You’re a beautiful woman, with a figure most would die for. I’d love to have a few more curves.”
“You already have your guy. And he loves you just the way you are.”
“Yeah,” Anna said, a faint blush coming over her cheeks as she smiled. “I got lucky.”
Danny’s truck rolled into the driveway. When he came to a stop, their daughters tumbled out of the back seat.
“Go put your wet things in the dryer,” Danny called out to them as they ran into the house. He’d picked them up from a pool party.
“Wow!” he said admiringly, as Kirsten stood up to give him a friendly hug. “What happened to you over there?”
Kirsten blushed at the compliment and explained about MJ’s magic. “It’s just a haircut and some new makeup,” she said.
“Well, whatever it is, you look great.” Danny sheepishly looked over at his wife. “And so do you, dear.”
Anna shooed him away and asked Kirsten more about her trip.
“You’d like MJ, but I have to admit, I don’t know what Linney sees in Mac—I mean, he’s handsome, and there’s the accent and all—but he’s a bit of a bully, and he drinks an awful lot. She seems happy with him, but I just wonder …” Kirsten trailed off, not sure how to explain what she was thinking.
“Do we need to be worried about her?” Anna’s brow was furrowed, and she stirred her coffee aggressively.
“No, I don’t think so. He’s just not the kind of guy I would have pictured her with. I always thought she’d be with someone more like Derek.
Anna laughed and Kirsten playfully tossed a throw pillow at her friend. “Not our Derek of course,” she explained. “They’ve been friends for too long for that. But with someone like him.”
“Well, she’ll have to take care of herself over there,” Anna said. “Maybe MJ can help her. But back here, this new look of yours will surely help your dating life. I think I know a few good options!”
Another throw pillow came her way, and the women giggled like schoolgirls.
* * *
Derek rushedto the tailor before they closed. His wedding suit was ready, and he had to ensure it didn’t need last-minute alterations. It was a pain in the neck, but at least it wasn’t like Olivia’s gown. His fiancée seemed to have had endless fittings, probably because her schedule was keeping her from eating properly. Olivia had lost several pounds she couldn’t afford to lose in the run-up to the nuptials.
As the tailor tugged on the jacket and smoothed its lapels, Derek thought once again about how much he wanted this wedding to be over. It was just two weeks away but had become a huge source of stress for both of them. They simply had too much going on and he was frightened something was going to break. They’d bickered about it, Derek trying to get Olivia to slow down just a little bit. He hadn’t been successful.
The old tailor nodded his approval. The groom would look perfect. As he headed back into the dressing room to change, Derek admitted he wasn’t taking his own advice. He was deep in a domestic violence case and was bound and determined to get it tied up before the honeymoon. His client, impoverished since birth, had chosen the wrong man. She’d been routinely beaten by her husband and Derek was going to get results for her and her children.
Heading home, Derek stopped at the local market. It had been ages since either of them had cooked. Maybe, if he planned a nice meal tonight, they could have a quiet evening with no talk about their cases or the wedding. He had a basket full of food when his phone rang.
“Hi, Derek. I’m going to be late for the charity event tonight,” Olivia said in a rush.
Derek felt deflated. He’d forgotten about this one. He turned and started putting things back on the shelf. “Why don’t I come and get you from the office when you’re ready and we’ll go together?” he suggested.
“No, this event is important,” she said. “You should be there for the whole thing. I’ll come as soon as I can. Promise.”
“We need a vacation.”
“Honeymoon’s coming. Just two more weeks.”
Derek smiled. “I love you, Olivia.”
“Love you too! Now I have to run so I can finish. See you soon!”
Derek walked home slowly. Yes, this wedding couldn’t be over soon enough.