Chapter 11
She could see, behind his ready smile, the surprise written all over Oliver’s face. She was probably the last person he’d expected to see walking down the street in Aldeburgh.
Bridie felt ever so guilty that she had never got around to arranging to meet him after all the times her parents had given her his number.
But she knew what they were up to; just like Grandad, they never had liked Julian.
She knew what they were all thinking; she’d just got together with him because she was thinking of her career.
The trouble was that Julian had been like nobody else she’d ever met before.
It was a cliché, but she had been a young woman who just wanted to escape the small town where she’d grown up, and move to London, and he had swept her off his feet.
He was charming and sophisticated, and he mixed in theatre circles she could only dream of.
Becoming his partner had opened a lot of doors – doors which had slammed firmly shut in her face now they were no longer together.
Would it have made a difference if she hadn’t had a full-on meltdown on stage? Would she still have lost her job? Probably. After all, how could she have kept on performing in that show, in any London show, knowing her life with him was over?
Bridie looked up at Oliver. She knew what her parents’ game had been all along, giving her his mobile number, hoping she met up with him.
Oliver had an ordinary, normal, dependable job, and he was single.
They’d even had the audacity to ask her if he was gay.
He wasn’t; he just hadn’t met the right woman yet – a fact she’d been trying for years to impress on them.
‘Maybe that woman is you,’ her mum had said once, surprising her.
‘What do you mean?’ Bridie had replied. ‘He’s never shown the slightest interest in me.’
She remembered her mum’s reply. ‘Perhaps that’s because you were with Jack. And as Oliver was Jack’s best friend, and yours, he was just being loyal to you both. Why would he want to come between you, his best friends?’
Bridie didn’t believe a word of it. She knew what her parents were up to – trying to get her to leave Julian, leave her life in London, and settle down with someone in her hometown; someone who was dependable and reliable.
Bridie stared at Oliver in the café and suddenly narrowed her eyes. Why did it feel like a set-up? Bridie was thinking of her mum. After what had happened, she’d want to set her up with Oliver even more now.
Bridie felt like turning around and running away.
She glanced over her shoulder. Just a few doors down was the cut-through between two shops, down the little lane leading to Cobblers Yard.
She could disappear in under a minute and hide in Reggie’s music shop.
But Oliver was already rising from his chair. Was he leaving?
Bridie knew that didn’t matter either way.
He’d seen her, and she’d seen him. And she didn’t know how long she’d be back living with her parents.
She could not avoid Aldeburgh – or Oliver, forever.
And he’d soon find out that it wasn’t one of her usual flying visits; she was back.
No doubt he’d find out from her niece in the after-school drama classes he was running.
Bridie forced herself to step forward, crossing the road, all the while feeling Oliver’s searching gaze on her through the window as she headed for the shop. Bridie was not going to buy her parents any rolls.
Oliver was already heading down the little flight of stairs to greet her at the counter, no doubt making sure she wasn’t about to leave without at least speaking to him.
Bridie wouldn’t do that. She’d been rude enough, and she felt guilty enough that over the years she had not bothered to spare him a few moments of her precious time over a cup of coffee to catch up with him when she was back from her high-flying London stage career.
When she thought about it, she just felt embarrassed that she’d acted as though she couldn’t spare him any time.
But now she very much could. She shook her head, thinking, I don’t deserve to speak to him, and still have his friendship, after my behaviour over the years.
She couldn’t even really call herself his friend anymore.
They were just passing acquaintances who had known one another when they were teenagers.
But we didn’t just know one another, she reminded herself.
We were good friends – best friends. But she’d discarded him when she’d left for London.
Bridie sighed. She knew she had better just apologise for not meeting up with him sooner and get that out of the way. Then they could both go on their merry way, and it wouldn’t be awkward when they bumped into each other again. At least they could just exchange pleasantries next time.
Bridie took a deep breath. ‘Hi, Oliver.’
Oliver walked straight up to her and surprised her by giving her a bear hug. He smelled faintly of coffee.
A tall man, Oliver had always been slightly on the heavy side too.
They’d joked when they were teenage that it was puppy fat – or rather Jack had.
She remembered that Oliver had been sensitive about his weight.
She’d said he’d lose it as he got older, but evidently, he hadn’t. It was just his build.
Bridie hugged him back, feeling her emotions rising. Don’t break down, for god’s sake, in the middle of a café. She realised it wouldn’t take much. She wasn’t coping with what had happened as well as she’d thought.
Oliver released her and said, ‘You will come and join me – won’t you?’
Bridie swallowed and nodded. She hadn’t expected such a warm greeting.
‘Can I get you a coffee – a cake? Some lunch?’
Bridie replied, ‘Just a coffee, thanks.’ She passed the counter where people were serving and walked up the steps, taking a seat at the table for two in the window.
She watched Oliver ordering her coffee. He hadn’t changed much – apart from some fine lines she’d noticed around his large blue eyes, and a bit of extra weight – his round face was plumper, framed by his curly black hair.
A large man with a deep voice and charisma, he would have made a good stage actor.
He had presence. Like her, he had a passion for the theatre, but unlike her, he hadn’t followed his dream.
He had played it safe and become a teacher instead.
It wasn’t for lack of courage or belief in himself; it was because his single mum had health issues, and with younger half-siblings who had depended on him after their dad had left, Oliver had chosen to get a well-paid job and look after his family.
He had channelled his passion for drama into teaching English and drama at school and running a drama club, unpaid, out of school hours to give his students the opportunity to act, sing, dance on stage. Bridie knew from Layla that he organised school trips to see London stage productions too.
She watched him carry two cups up the steps and join her at the table. He was shaking his head. ‘I can’t believe it. Fancy bumping into you like this,’ he said.
Bridie managed a smile, wondering if he knew about what had happened on stage in London the previous day.
She glanced around the busy café, avoiding his gaze, imaging everyone there knew.
But nobody was looking her way – nobody but Oliver.
She realised she was getting paranoid. ‘I don’t remember this place,’ she said, trying to sound chatty.
‘I like it. I always come here for coffee at the weekend. They do really nice cakes. Funny thing, seeing you here. What a coincidence. I normally see your parents in here around this time.’
Bridie narrowed her eyes. It was obviously not a coincidence. ‘Is that a fact?’ Bridie said.
‘Oh, yes.’
‘Do they buy rolls?’
‘Rolls? No, never seen them buy bread rolls. Normally it’s a couple of slices of cake and coffee. We often sit together and catch up.’
‘I see.’
‘Whenever I see them, they invite me round. They make a point of inviting me when you’re visiting.’
‘I bet they do,’ Bridie said, raising her eyebrows and wondering why Oliver had never popped round.
‘But I don’t want to intrude on family get-togethers. You don’t get down much from London to see your family, I expect.’
‘No.’
‘Last time I saw them, your dad said he was retiring. When he nipped to the loo, your mum said you and your brother and sister are organising a surprise retirement party. They invited me.’
Bridie was not surprised. She and Julian hadn’t even split up and they’d invited him.
They were probably aware that Julian wouldn’t turn up to the party.
Now she and Julian had split, they’d pull out all the stops to try and get her and Oliver together.
She knew their motives – if she settled down with someone local, that would finally put an end to her life on stage, and perhaps she’d finally get a proper job – a proper life.
It was Sunday morning, Oliver was sitting having coffee alone, and Bridie knew that her parents were aware he would be here.
She’d definitely been set up. The fact that her mum didn’t normally buy rolls from the bakery, according to Oliver, just confirmed her suspicions.
She had been sent there to ‘bump into’ her childhood friend.
Bridie frowned.
Unfortunately, Oliver caught her expression. ‘Oh dear, did I say something wrong?’
A short time earlier, Reggie had said the same thing.
Bridie shook her head. ‘No, not at all. You just reminded me why it’s really not going to work out living back with my parents.’ Bridie spoke her mind before she realised what she was saying.
Oliver lowered his coffee cup. ‘You’re back?’
Bridie saw his eyebrows rise, his eyes light up.
Now she had no choice but to tell him what had happened – or some of it at least. He clearly hadn’t caught the whole sorry affair on social media – yet.
At least that was something. Just then, Bridie felt too fragile to go into everything.
But perhaps it was for the best that he knew.
They were probably going to see a lot more of each other now that she was back.
It was a small town. And although it wasn’t the closest place to her parents’ house in Pettistree, it was the closest town on the coast, and she loved the bracing walks along the beach.
How could she live back in Suffolk and not go there? She and Oliver were bound to bump into each other even without her mother’s interference – and besides, she’d rather he didn’t find out from someone else that she was back, before she told him herself.
There was something else, too. She could do with a friend. After rarely getting in contact over the years, she knew that she really, really didn’t deserve his friendship – especially now she wanted it because her life in London had fallen to pieces.