Chapter 24
24
The spa night, High Tides Hotel, St Aidan
Fake nails and limp lettuce
Tuesday
‘H ow are the curries working, Nell?’
As her due date came and went long ago, we’ve finally abandoned the diplomatic approach and as we laze on our enormous personal hotel hot tub terrace with the sound of waves lapping up the beach a little way below, we’re back to talking about her baby progress. So far, the spa night party consists of me, Plum, Sophie, Milla – who blagged a late entry from Kit thanks to being so helpful in the ice-cream van – Clemmie, who’s here with Arnie for the alcohol-free fizz but not the tub, Nell, and Mum who arrived and then disappeared just as quickly.
Nell lets out a snort. ‘Three vindaloos and a rogan gosht last weekend and I’m still here . Draw your own conclusions.’
High Tides have provided us all with fluffy white bath robes to go over our own swimsuits, as well as a stack of towels the height of the Empire State Building, and we’ve been away in twos for our complimentary massages and pedis. And now we’re resting our newly buffed toes on polished outdoor limestone tiles until we find enough energy to join Sophie and Milla in the barrel-sided tub.
Now we’re here, sipping our fizz, soaking up the luxurious surroundings and nibbling from dishes of deep-fried kale, it’s annoying that there’s very little to find fault with. Plum leans over from the next steamer chair and points at the green mass on the plate Nell’s holding. ‘So what’s that you’ve got there?’
Nell sighs. ‘Emergency room-service to keep my blood sugar up. Seaweed salad, with a balsamic dressing.’
Sophie frowns. ‘Was that the most appetising thing on the menu?’
‘By a million miles.’ Nell holds out her plate. ‘Anyone like to try some?’
Sophie pulls a face and waves away the offer.
Milla rolls her eyes. ‘Not being open to new things is why you’re getting so left behind, Mum.’
I give Milla a warning look. ‘You and your mum both promised – no arguing at the spa night!’
As Sophie flashes me a discreet thumbs-up, Plum joins in. ‘If you’re offering it around, I’ll give it a go.’ She helps herself to a sprig and lets out a shriek. ‘Jeez, Nell, that vinegar’s strong!’
Clemmie laughs. ‘Which reminds me, is Rye around tonight?’
We somehow assumed he would be, but so far it looks like the new bikini Plum’s hiding under her robe is going to go to waste.
Nell chews hard on another forkful then swallows. ‘So far, you’ve been very cagey about what went on with you and Rye the other night, Plum. You need to confirm for my records.’
Milla’s sniff is just like her mum’s as she turns to Plum. ‘Have you asked him what he does when he’s not at the fire station?’
Plum wrinkles her nose. ‘We didn’t talk about stuff like that.’
Nell punches the air. ‘Which answers my question about what happened on Sunday. If you weren’t discussing careers, did he do well enough in “other areas” to warrant arranging another date?’
Nell is very systems orientated and she awards her singles events a cupid if a couple has a subsequent date, which is why she’s pushing to get her facts straight.
Plum’s pretty skilled at dodging. ‘I was actually having a tour of the hotel grounds to assess the potential for outdoor sculpture commissions.’
Clemmie lets out a laugh. ‘I bet that went well in the dark.’
Plum ignores her. ‘So far there’s no date in the diary for further discussions , but while we’re waiting for that to happen, we need to talk about Floss’s new initiative.’ She turns to where I’m perched on the edge of Clemmie’s steamer chair footrest. ‘There must be masses of people we know who’d like to party at The Hideaway.’
I’d run this past Clemmie yesterday, before I met Kit, and by the time I got home our WhatsApp group was all over it.
Clemmie picks Plum up straightaway. ‘I’ll bring a group from Mums and Bumps along. With summer on the way, you could make that a regular slot.’ There’s a noise behind her and she turns to see Mum appearing from the room where we changed. ‘Suze, at last! Where have you been?’
Sophie doesn’t wait for a reply. ‘You know you’ve missed your pedi, Mum?’
Mum shakes off her robe, goes up the hot tub steps and slides down into the water. ‘Well, I’m here now.’ She puts on a towelling headband and tucks in her hair, but for someone in a spa she looks a lot more troubled than relaxed. ‘I was chatting to David Byron.’
Sophie’s eyebrows shoot upwards. ‘For an hour and a half ?’
I’m right about her unease then. ‘I didn’t realise you knew him.’
My mum shuffles her position. ‘If you go to over-sixties events, you know everyone by sight.’
We all know she wouldn’t be seen dead there, but Mum brushes away our stares. ‘He offered to show me around and it seemed rude to refuse.’
This isn’t like Mum at all. She’s renowned for speaking her mind and pleasing herself. She’s also shut down most men in the southwest, so there’s definitely something odd going on. There’s a very long pause and when she continues her voice sounds almost hoarse. ‘He’s actually asked me to have dinner with him, next week.’
‘Yes!’ Nell’s shout breaks through the horrified silence. ‘That’s a date! You were both at the singles event, so it has got a cupid after all!’
Sophie’s shaking her head. ‘But they didn’t coincide. By the time David came Mum had gone.’
Milla frowns. ‘Are we sure about that?’
Sophie’s snapping. ‘Yes, we are! Aren’t we, Mum?’
Mum winces for a second, then she firms up. ‘There’s no point asking me if I wasn’t there.’
Nell splutters on a mouthful of wakame. ‘Bugger technicalities, a date’s a date! The cupid’s in the bag.’
I was too appalled to say anything at first, but I have to challenge Mum on this. ‘So – this date with Mr Byron.’ I may as well parade it for what it is. ‘Will you go?’
Mum takes such a deep breath her chest heaves out of the water. ‘I think I may.’
I can overlook Plum throwing herself at Rye because her hormones are ruling her head, but I thought I could count on Mum. I let out a shout. ‘What about your sense of loyalty? Or does the offer of a fancy meal with the local billionaire mean family solidarity goes out the window?’
My mum looks wounded and when she finally speaks her voice is quiet. ‘I was hoping it might help.’
That’s so unbelievable, I’m bemused. ‘Help – how ?’ Anything with David Byron is bad. Accepting his dinner invitation feels like the betrayal couldn’t be any bigger.
Clemmie’s stroking Arnie’s head. ‘A view from the inside is always useful, Flossie Flapjack-face.’
Plum nods. ‘It’s only an extension of what we’re doing now.’
‘Which, for the record, I was a hundred per cent against.’ I may as well remind them.
My mum purses her lips and looks at me. ‘That’s why working with Kit is such a great opportunity for you .’
It’s as if Clemmie’s peering inside my head and picking up on my secret thoughts. ‘You are going to accept the Latitude job, Floss?’
I came here tonight determined to refuse it, but if what they’re implying is keep your friends close and your enemies closer , I might have to think again.
Clemmie’s tugging at the hem of my bathrobe. ‘Word on the street says Kit was like a puppy dog in the ice-cream van. If you’re holding off working with him because he’s really into you, that’s a valid consideration.’
‘ Excuse me? ’
Milla calls from the hot tub. ‘I’ve told you this all along, Aunty Flo.’
Clemmie grins. ‘Whenever you’re together it’s obvious how much he likes you. But you finding that hard to cope with in a work situation would be a good reason to turn down his offer.’
My chest is imploding that she’s got this completely back to front. I might have to take the job, if only to prove to everyone it’s not true.
I’m desperately struggling to come up with a denial, then I realise Plum is looking at me. ‘You do know Dillon’s planning a trip here later in the summer?’
I didn’t, but if she’s bringing this up because of what Clemmie’s said about Kit, it’s bad news all round. ‘That’ll be nice for Dillon. That surely wouldn’t affect my working at Kit’s though?’
As she sees I’m not being drawn on this, she looks away. ‘Kit’s coming into view now, walking up from the beach, so we might want to stop talking about him.’ Plum’s gazing at the distant pools of light, two tiers down on the Teletubby lawn. Then her voice shoots up an octave. ‘And Rye is with him too.’
If Kit and Rye are on their way, even though I’m in a one-piece under my robe, I’d still rather be submerged in the tub before they arrive. I’d also like to stop Plum from launching into her full seduction routine with Rye.
As Clemmie catches my eye, it’s obvious she’s thinking the same. ‘Why don’t you all get into the water, and I’ll take some photos before it gets too late for Arnie.’
I skirt behind Plum. ‘After you!’ As she tosses away her robe, and I follow her into the tub I’m thanking my lucky stars that we’ve saved Rye from those barely-there bottoms.
As we take our places, our arms hooked around the tub edge, Sophie kicks my foot. ‘So what about the job at Kit’s? Are you going to think about it?’
‘Absolutely!’ It’s out before I can stop it, and I avoid catching Milla’s eye. ‘You lot are right. It’s solid gold, I have to take it.’
And just like that I’ve committed myself.