Chapter 13
Monday. End of day. Just another ordinary day.
Lili yawned and went up to the stockroom.
She hadn’t slept well last night, two days on from Halloween, lying awake, taking it in, the cold hard fact that Em really wouldn’t hit thirty after all.
Yet she still couldn’t quite bring herself to cancel the hotel in Vegas.
She hadn’t told Tommo and Meg about her Halloween meeting in Bodmin with Dylan, and now it was over she was glad she hadn’t.
Lili had been so wrong about Em coming back from the dead.
She looked around. Good old Tommo had done a brilliant job as always, leaving everything tidy before going downstairs to put out stock.
A new arrival, a mirror with a frame like sunflower petals, caught her eye, already priced up, along with a tall pile of Terry Pratchett novels.
Plus a T-Rex soft toy; little Jack would like that.
His dad, Callum, still hadn’t been back.
Footsteps sounded and Meg appeared. ‘I’m off,’ she said in a reluctant tone.
‘Everything okay?’ asked Lili.
‘Sure.’
‘Dating woes?’
Meg sighed. ‘No. For once.’ She managed a self-deprecating smile.
‘Gran ones. She messaged today; said could I be quieter getting in if I’m out late again as last night I woke her up and today she was getting up super-early for a swim.
’ Meg gave an even deeper sigh. ‘I can’t wait to move out, but she doesn’t know anything about it yet. She’ll be devastated.’
‘She might surprise you.’
‘I don’t think so. Gran’s talked about dipping into her savings to build an extension so that I can have my own workroom, with a sewing machine and racks for the clothes I make or old ones I upcycle.
She’s in it for the long run and I get it, I’m basically her whole family without my parents around.
And she’s mine. But it’s time for me to branch out on my own.
It’s not like I’ll go far. I was going to share a place with a mate, but that fell through.
Renting’s so expensive. I’m saving as hard as I can, but then I’ve got this year-long online business studies course to pay for that I’ve recently begun and…
I don’t want to upset her. I’ve hardly seen my parents over the years.
Last I heard they were squatting in Edinburgh.
We couldn’t even contact them for Granddad’s funeral.
I owe Gran so much.’ Being brought up by an older generation was probably why she got on so well with Lili and Tommo.
Lili nodded. ‘But you also owe it to yourself to live the life you’d never have had if your gran hadn’t been so amazing. When you know, you know, right? About moving out? Try to talk to your gran, sooner rather than later. She’s going to find out anyway.’
Meg shrugged and went downstairs.
After the divorce, neither Mum nor Dad’s place had felt like home as Lili was shuttled between them, but eventually the new norm felt easy.
And she didn’t miss the arguments. The new situation also made it easy for Lili to strike out on her own, being away from England for weeks on end with her travel.
Yet her big move to Cornwall had shocked them both, and in their own way they’d each sounded her out, made sure it was the right decision.
In fact, they’d actually agreed to pool resources and gift Lili enough money to cover her half of the deposit on the cottage.
Dad had hired a van and driven her and Em down.
And as if she were a teen again, Mum had taken Lili clothes shopping before she left, and out for lunch.
Footsteps sounded again and Meg hurried in once more, followed by Tommo.
‘Where have you been hiding him ?’ Meg hissed.
‘What? Oh, that big porcelain robin with a Santa hat on? Striking, isn’t it?’ said Lili. ‘It’s a bit early for Christmas stock but I couldn’t help putting it out. It’ll sell quickly, I reckon and?—’
‘Gal, we aren’t talking about a robin,’ said Tommo. ‘We’re talking about… Woah, if I were forty years younger…’
‘Or if I were into guys…’ Meg interrupted.
Lili frowned. ‘What are you two talking about?’
‘I think you mean who ,’ replied Meg. ‘I’d just flipped the open sign around when a man turned up, asking to come in.’
‘Black wavy hair and like a fishing boat master, who could ride the wildest seas with his eyes closed, the sun on his face, salt in his lungs. Looks like he knows what to do with a tiller between his hands.’
‘All right, Tommo, calm down,’ said Meg. ‘But yeah, a striking guy and pretty tall.’
‘Kind eyes,’ said Tommo. ‘They remind me of Joe’s. That was the first thing that attracted me to Joe, in fact – even though he was standing next to his new red Suzuki.’
No. It couldn’t be.
Tommo pretended to warm his hands against Lili’s cheeks, rubbing them together in the air. ‘I could have done with this fire on my beach walk at the weekend.’
Lili glared and the two others laughed.
‘It might be Dylan. He’s just an… acquaintance.’
Meg gave her a long hard look. ‘You slept with him!’
‘Meg! We’re still at work. Show some respect,’ said Tommo, and he leant forwards. ‘Let’s go to the pub instead, and then all bets are off.’
‘Where did you meet him? How long ago?’ Meg demanded.
‘Don’t hold back,’ said Tommo. ‘I’ve lost my husband, Meg’s girlfriend is still haunting her…’
‘It’s ghosting,’ Meg whispered.
‘We need to live vicariously through our boss.’ Tommo gave a mischievous, irresistible grin that, Lili begrudgingly concluded, must have been the thing that had attracted Joe.
‘Okay, okay. Later.’ Lili hurried downstairs.
Meg and Tommo followed and busied themselves with tidying the shelves, even though it was gone clocking off time now, and in any case, everything was already perfectly symmetrical and alphabetical.
Tommo prided himself on making sure Ware & Care in Mevagissey was the tidiest charity shop in Cornwall.
Gosh.
There he was.
Apart from him, and her two colleagues, the shop was empty. With Dylan around, she had a feeling it would have seemed that way, even if there had been other customers.
This was… really annoying. Her plan had been to cut all ties.
‘Dylan, how are you? This is a surprise.’
He leant forwards and kissed her cheek. Was that a snigger from behind the clothes rail? He pulled a sock out of his pocket, like a magician revealing the answer to a puzzle.
‘Pairs shouldn’t be separated, be those from the animal kingdom or wardrobe,’ he said and pointed to a pair of salt and pepper shakers in the shape of avocados. ‘Or even from a charity shop.’
‘Like Mario and Luigi,’ she suggested.
He paused. ‘Yes, even Mario and Luigi. I was passing, a bit of business.’ He looked around the shop. ‘Nice place.’
‘I’m about to lock up,’ she said and turned to her friends who’d given up any pretence of working now. ‘Dylan, please meet my colleagues, Tommo and Meg.’
‘Great to meet you, pal,’ said Tommo, and he punched him on the arm before adjusting his glasses. ‘Wow. Feel those muscles. You’d have no problem steering a trawler.’ He gave a nervous laugh and swayed from side to side.
Meg pointed to Dylan’s wrist. ‘Love the friendship bracelet,’ she stuttered and stared at him, as if he were on the page of one of her celebrity magazines. Meg didn’t get lost for words. Not ever.
Lili had seen the bracelet last Friday but not given it much attention. Now she could see the beads on the front spelled out the word ‘twat’.
‘My brother gave it to me,’ he said. ‘Don’t think he believed I’d actually wear it.’
Tommo punched Dylan’s arm again and snorted.
‘Excuse me, Dylan, I won’t be a minute. Tommo, Meg, I’ve forgotten something about a new pricing policy and mustn’t forget to tell you. Could I have a minute?’ She jerked her head and the three of them went upstairs and stood in the stockroom.
‘What is wrong with you two?’ she hissed.
The pair of them looked sheepish.
‘Don’t often get a rockstar in Mevagissey,’ said Tommo. ‘Certainly not a Cornish one.’
‘Well, he is half Italian.’
Oh Jesus. Lili shouldn’t have let that slip. Due to the wonderstruck looks on their faces, she ordered them to stay put and she went downstairs again.
‘Sorry about that. I would say to stop in the staffroom for a coffee, but I’ve got something on after work.’ It’s for the best.
Dylan held up his hand. ‘Can’t stay in any event. I’ve got a video call arranged with Harry tonight – he’ll be telling me about amazing sunsets and exotic food, I’ll be sharing the latest figures from the business’s books.’
That was good. Absolutely. Exactly what she’d wanted.
‘But seeing as we spent Halloween together, do you fancy joining me for another important calendar date? A Bonfire Night display this Friday? My brother’s obviously not planning to come back any time soon.
So I’d appreciate the company. Lots of my mates are married now or have family stuff going on for fireworks night. ’
Dylan just said it how it was – she liked that. However, she bit her lip. ‘I don’t think… You see…’ As if she was breaking up with him before they’d even dated, she continued. ‘I’m not… looking for a relationship or anything long-term.’
‘Who said anything about that? See – I just friend-zoned you .’
‘I think I did that first,’ she said.
‘Whatever you say.’
Lili laughed before she could stop herself. Damn this man! Friends. Okay. This was good. They both wanted the same thing. One last meet-up wouldn’t hurt.
‘I’ll text you the details,’ he said and opened the door. ‘Oh. The sock.’ He put it over his hand. ‘ Arrivederci, amica ,’ he said, making the sock talk, like a puppet. He gave it to her and headed off.
She pulled the sock over her fingers, for some reason wanting to feel where his hand had been. Something rustled inside and she pulled out a beautiful mustard-coloured silver birch leaf.