Chapter 12
12
There was no word from Dennis the next day. We hadn’t made plans but I suppose I must have been expecting him. I’d felt like we’d really connected the day before. His barriers definitely seemed to be lowering and it felt like where he normally tolerated me, that he’d trusted in me; opened up to me and shared his personal problems, like I was sharing my business issues with him.
It had been a quiet day in the shop and I felt a little discombobulated all day and couldn’t get him off my mind and how he’d gone as white as a sheet when he received the text. I was just cashing up when the bell went to signify I had company and I turned to the door.
‘Dennis.’ I was surprised to see him. His eyes were red and he looked like he’d been up all night. ‘Is everything OK?’
‘The text I had last night was to say that the man I was telling you about, Steve, was in hospital after he’d attempted to take his own life.’
My heart leapt into my stomach.
‘Oh, Dennis. I’m so sorry.’ I flew across the room and put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him towards me.
‘He’s not in danger any more but to think that something I did caused the ripple effect for this to happen is really getting to me.’
‘Come and sit down.’ I led him over to the bay window where we sat. After a while of him staring out to sea, I felt like it was OK to interrupt his thoughts.
‘It wasn’t your fault.’
He looked up. ‘It wasn’t? It sure feels like it.’
‘He’s a grown man, Dennis. You gave him information and he took that and did what he chose to do with it. You are not responsible for any of his actions.’
‘Others have said the same but it all just feels quite raw at the moment. What a shocker it was. Honestly, Nancy, if he’d died, I don’t know what I’d have done.’
‘He didn’t though, did he, Dennis? He was clearly desperate and that’s really sad, but now hopefully he’ll get the help he needs. Look at me.’ I reached across and put my fingers under his chin guiding his face upwards until his eyes met mine. ‘It’s. Not. Your. Fault. OK?’
His eyes filled with tears and he put his hand on my arm.
‘Thank you, Nancy. You don’t know what this means to me.’
We held each other’s gaze, sharing a moment that felt really quite special.
I dithered over my next question but decided to go ahead with it anyway. I really needed to eat.
‘Don’t know about you, Dennis, but I’m starving. Fancy grabbing some food?’
‘I’d love to. I’ve not eaten all day. I just couldn’t until I’d heard that Steve was in the clear. Also, Nan was cooking liver and lime, and while she said it would be good for me, the god-awful smell was making me heave and I was pleased to get out of the house.’
I laughed and the mood lightened, which felt good. Vi was well known in the village for her random concoctions, sometimes bringing along things like carrot and coriander cake, or banana and Bovril, and while people wanted to avoid these like the plague, because she was such a lovely little old lady, no one had the heart to reject her offerings. It was, however, lovely to hear that she was cooking again after a recent spell Mum had been telling me about. Apparently, her house had been in such a state, she couldn’t even think about cooking and that if she’d put something in her cooker, she would have died from salmonella.
It was nice to know that now the house had been sorted, and Mum was Vi’s regular cleaner, Dennis was staying close by. I liked the feeling that he wasn’t far away.
I jumped up. ‘It’s Wednesday!’
‘Well done, Nance. Yes, it is. Do you want a medal?’
Aha. And just like that, he was back.
‘Don’t be a smartass, Dennie. It doesn’t become you.’
‘Dennie?’
He stopped still in his tracks and then repeated the name that for some reason had, without thinking, popped out of my mouth.
‘Sorry, I don’t know why I said that.’
‘Don’t be sorry. I like it. I’ve always thought Dennis makes me sound like a right old fart.’
I giggled, remembering that when someone first told me that Vi’s grandson called Dennis was visiting, I thought he was going to be quite old and past it. I got a very pleasant surprise when I first met him and realised he was very much far from it. You know what they say, never make assumptions.
‘Anyway,’ he continued, ‘what’s with it being Wednesday?’
‘Gemma from the bistro sells fish and chips from the catering van. We could sit outside if you fancy it and have some tea.’
Dennis’s stomach rumbled loudly. We laughed.
‘I take it that’s a yes then?’
‘It’s a big yes from me. I could eat a whale.’
‘Well, it’s normally cod or haddock but we can always see if they have a really big one.’
Fifteen minutes later, we were sat on a bench in the harbour, scoffing the most divine fish and chips and drinking beer. Gemma’s idea of extending the bistro’s offering and starting up a fish and chip shop in her catering van was genius. She’d drive around the village, honking her horn when she arrived and then when she’d done the rounds, she’d park up at the harbour and sell from there. She didn’t know if it would be as successful in the winter, when the holidaymakers were no longer around, but it was thriving so far and not many people in Driftwood Bay cooked on a Monday night. Her licence at the bistro meant that she could serve alcohol too, so a bottle of Becks was going down particularly well with the food.
We’d argued over who was going to pay. I insisted on it as a little way of saying thank you to Dennis for all his help at the shop. I felt it was the least I could do when he wouldn’t take any money from me. Though he said he was still being paid, very handsomely, from his job, so he wouldn’t think of accepting my money and that I needed every penny I had.
Dennis took the empty wrappers from me and took them over to the bin where about twenty seagulls swooped down and started to peck at the paper. I had to pull my eyes away from him to stop myself staring. Seeing him being more vulnerable over the last few days had made me feel differently about him and I couldn’t get that moment when I thought he was going to kiss me out of my head.
I knew I was being ridiculous, as he clearly hadn’t intended that at all, so I was trying hard to ignore the vision that I’d had in my head.
‘Thanks, Nance.’ He reached out and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
‘Yeah, it was delish, wasn’t it? Told you Gemma’s chip supper was a winner.’
‘I don’t mean for the food. I mean for listening earlier.’
‘You’re welcome.’
As I searched his face, his eyes softened before closing. He tipped his head back and looked up at the sky and gave a deep sigh. I hoped that chatting had helped to lighten his burden a little. Talking is really good therapy when you are stuck in your head.
‘I don’t have many close friends. Yes, I have the lads at work that I sometimes go away with, but not anyone who I can pour my troubles out to. I appreciate you very much.’
I nudged him with my shoulder.
‘Are you saying that we are friends, Dennie?’
‘I think I am. Oh wait.’ He put his bottle down on the bench and lifted his hand to my face. I held my breath as he brushed my cheek with his thumb.
Oh blimey. Was he going to kiss me this time?
‘Bit of mayonnaise there, Nance. S’OK, I got it for you.’
I let out a huge intake of breath. All these moments were playing havoc with my emotions. One minute I didn’t know if he liked me, or me him for that matter, and the next minute, I was willing him to kiss me, throw me down and roger me senseless. I needed to get out more. There was clearly of a lack of male company in my life, so when a newbie did arrive in Driftwood Bay, particularly when he was a dead ringer for the Gozzer, I lost my senses. We were just friends and I had to remind myself of that.
He held his bottle up to mine.
‘To friendship, Nancy.’
‘To friendship, Dennie.’