Twenty-Seven
Hurriedly, I turn back to the bar.
But all I can hear around me are whispers and low voices, interspersed with occasional words and phrases like, ‘movies’, ‘superhero’, ‘Danger Man’ and ‘looking older these days’.
I quickly order our drinks and then Rosie and I carry them over to a table where Alice and Claire are sitting with Mandy and another woman.
‘Mandy!’ I say at the same time as Mandy calls out to me.
‘Frankie, long time no see!’
Mandy stands up and after I’ve deposited our drinks carefully on the table, we give each other a hug.
‘You’re looking well,’ I tell her. The last time I saw Mandy in the flesh was ten years ago at her sister’s funeral, and understandably she looks a lot less fraught and worn today. In fact, she probably looks healthier than I think I’ve ever seen her before.
‘So are you,’ she says. ‘Hello, Rosie. Goodness, don’t you look like your mum did when she was younger.’
‘Don’t tell her that.’ I smile. But Rosie is still at the age when looking like her mum is a compliment. So she too smiles at Mandy.
‘Hello,’ she says shyly. ‘Mum has told me all about you, Mandy.’
Mandy grimaces. ‘Oh dear. Hopefully she’s told you to do the exact opposite of everything I did when I was young.’
Rosie looks confused. ‘No, just how much fun you used to be.’
Mandy blushes and looks at me.
I laugh. ‘What? It’s the truth.’
‘This is Jules,’ Mandy says, introducing the other woman at the table. ‘My girlfriend.’
‘Hi.’ I give Jules a sort of half-wave. ‘Good to meet you.’
‘Hello,’ Jules says. ‘It’s great to meet the infamous Frankie at last. Like your daughter just said about Mandy, I’ve heard a lot of good things about you too, Frankie.’
‘Thanks,’ I reply, taking a seat and feeling just as uncomfortable receiving this praise as Mandy was.
Rosie sits next to Alice, but Alice’s attention is already elsewhere.
‘Mum, it’s him!’ she whispers loudly to Claire. ‘Can you introduce me?’
We all follow her intense gaze across the dance floor.
Rob is standing chatting to both Eddie and Dexter, and I allow my gaze to rest on him for longer than when he first arrived.
The people at the bar were right – Rob does look older since I last saw him, but that was ten years ago so it was to be expected. And the only other time I saw him was when he occasionally popped up on TV in the UK.
I allowed myself to watch him being interviewed by Graham Norton one evening not that long ago, but I suppose he would have had heavy television make-up on then. He appeared happy and confident that night, plugging his latest movie. But tonight, not only does he look older, he also looks quite tired as well.
Eddie turns around and points to where we’re all sitting. Rob raises his hand and waves. Some of the table acknowledge his wave. But I just turn away, trying desperately to ignore the stupid fluttery feeling in my stomach that always pops up when Rob is around – although I notice this time it’s not anywhere near as strong as it once was.
‘Who’s that Rob’s with?’ Mandy asks, peering across the dance floor.
‘That’s probably his latest PA,’ Claire says. ‘This one’s name is Nixie, I think?’
‘Nixie?’ I scoff. ‘What sort of name is that?’
‘I’d say a perfect one by the look of her,’ Mandy says, grinning. We all stare at the slight, but buxom peroxide blonde on Rob’s left, wearing a silver sequin mini dress and the highest heels I think I’ve ever seen any woman manage to balance on. I have to give Nixie some kudos for that mean feat alone. ‘Is that what Rob is calling them now – his PA? She’s as much a PA as I am Mary Poppins.’
‘Even if she is, why would you need to bring your PA all the way to a birthday party in Cornwall?’ I ask, trying not to look. ‘Bit over the top, isn’t it? Next thing he’ll have a bodyguard with him as well.’
‘There is someone else standing with them,’ Claire says. ‘He’s being blocked by Dexter right now, so I can’t quite see . . . Oh!’ She exclaims in delight. ‘I think it’s Mack.’
My head does turn now, and I look with everyone else.
‘It is Mack,’ Claire says as Dexter moves to the side a little. ‘How lovely. I didn’t know he was coming. Did you, Frankie?’
‘No,’ I say, still staring at Mack as he chats amiably with Eddie and Dexter.
‘Why would Frankie know?’ Mandy asks with interest.
‘Frankie and Mack kept in touch for a while after . . . well, after the funeral.’
‘It’s all right, Claire, you can say Hetty’s name,’ Mandy says. ‘I won’t get upset. I’ve had a lot of very expensive therapy over the last ten years that has helped me come to terms with what happened. And how I was dealing with it.’
I turn back to look at Mandy and she’s looking at Jules, who squeezes her hand supportively.
‘You and Mack kept in touch, did you?’ Mandy asks, raising her eyebrows at me suggestively. ‘I never knew that.’
‘By email only,’ I say firmly. ‘Nothing else. I haven’t spoken to him in quite a while though.’ I turn around again, and I see Rob, Nixie and Mack making their way over to our table. So I swiftly turn back.
Alice shrieks. ‘Oh my God! He’s only coming over here!’
‘Alice, calm down,’ Claire says. ‘It’s only Rob.’
‘Hey,’ Rob says with a slight LA twang to his voice. ‘How are we all?’
He goes around the table giving each of us a hug and kiss on the cheek, with Mack following. Nixie stands to the side watching them, looking a bit bored.
I smile as Rob gets to Alice. Her face turns a deep shade of beetroot and she looks like she might faint when Rob lightly kisses her cheek.
‘I can’t believe this is little Alice,’ Rob says to Claire. ‘The last time I saw you, you were twelve, I think, Alice. How are your brothers?’
‘Good . . . I think.’ Alice stutters a little as she stares at Rob. ‘I love your movies,’ she blurts out suddenly, and immediately looks mortified.
Alice is usually so composed and confident, so seeing her turn into a quivering mess at meeting Rob is actually quite disconcerting.
‘Thank you,’ Rob says, obviously used to this. ‘I appreciate that a lot.’ He comes to Rosie next. ‘And who is this lovely lady?’
‘I’m Rosie,’ Rosie says, not in the least bit starstruck like Alice. ‘You’re my mum’s friend, Rob, aren’t you?’
‘I am indeed.’ Rob smiles at her. ‘Pleased to meet you, Rosie.’ And he formally shakes Rosie’s outstretched hand. ‘I can see you’ve inherited your mum’s beauty.’ Rob looks at me over the top of Rosie’s head. ‘Hi, Frankie,’ he says, leaning forward to kiss my cheek. ‘How are you?’ he whispers in my ear.
‘Good, thanks,’ I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. ‘How are you?’
‘Yeah, good.’
Rob moves on to Mandy and Jules, and suddenly Mack is next to me.
‘Hey, Frankie. Long time,’ Mack says, as he too kisses my cheek. ‘It’s good to see you again.’
‘And you too,’ I tell him. ‘How’s things? How’s your family?’
‘Well, thank you,’ he says. ‘And you must be Rosie. I feel I know you already, Rosie. Your mum has told me a lot about you.’
‘Thanks,’ Rosie says. ‘Are you the one who bought me my pink rabbit?’
‘I am!’ Mack says, looking surprised. ‘Do you still have it?’
‘Yes, she sits with my other favourite cuddly toys in a hammock over my bed.’
Mack, looking quite moved, nods. ‘I’m very pleased to hear that, Rosie, very pleased.’ He turns to me again. ‘I’m sorry we lost touch lately,’ he whispers. ‘Can we catch up properly later?’
‘Yes, sure,’ I say, smiling at him.
Rob, Mack and Nixie – who is very quickly introduced to everyone – all sit down at the table with us. But before we have time to start catching up, Suzy arrives with her husband and the greeting process begins all over again.
‘Let’s make this easy on us all, shall we?’ Rob says as Suzy’s husband, Harry, arrives back at the table with their drinks. ‘Shall we all go round the table one at a time and share any news we have, so we’re all caught up with each other’s lives? Otherwise, we’ll spend all night saying the same things time and time again.’
‘Good idea,’ Mandy says before I have a chance to object to this idea. ‘I’ll start, shall I? As some of you know, this is my partner, Jules. We’ve been together five years now and she is my rock.’ Mandy reaches across and squeezes Jules’s hand. ‘She’s one of the main reasons I’m still sitting here now. I was in a pretty bad place the last time you saw me. But with a lot of therapy and Jules’s support, I’m now in a much better place in my life . . . I’ve been sober for almost five years now, and, most importantly, for once in my life I’m truly happy.’
‘That’s fantastic, Mandy,’ Suzy says. ‘I’m so pleased for you. And your business – how’s that going?’
‘Strength to strength,’ Mandy says. ‘It’s doing incredibly well. I’m truly blessed in life right now.’ And again, she gazes at Jules. ‘Suzy – your turn?’
I glance at Claire and raise my eyebrows. I knew this was going to happen.
But Claire just gives a quick shake of her head.
‘Well,’ Suzy says. ‘As most of you know I’m now an MP in a constituency that has been a Conservative seat for far too long. I was over the moon to be elected when there was a by-election last year. I’m also married to Harry here.’ Like Mandy, Suzy squeezes Harry’s hand. ‘Apologies for not inviting any of you to our wedding a few years ago, but it was a very small, intimate affair abroad – wasn’t it?’
Harry nods.
‘Sadly, we’ve not been blessed with any children as yet, so we’re preparing to begin IVF treatment in a few weeks.’
‘Wow, that’s amazing, Suzy,’ Claire says. ‘I hope it works for you – really I do.’
‘How about you, Claire?’ Suzy asks. ‘Anything new to report?’
Claire firstly tells the table all about her children, then she goes on to talk about the women’s groups she runs. Also, how much she enjoys working here at Eddie and Dexter’s café. Then she gives a quick update on Eddie, because he and Dexter are still attending to their guests, and I wonder for the first time if she might know about the secret wedding.
‘Rob,’ she says at the end, and I’m grateful to her for not handing over to me. ‘I think we all know about you professionally, but do you have any other news?’
Rob smiles. ‘Thanks, Claire. Yes, I guess you all know about my movies. Acting is still going well – even though I’m getting a bit too old to play a superhero! It’s not quite as easy to get myself into that sort of shape these days.’
Rob does look like he’s lost some of the bulky muscle he was carrying the last time we saw him in St Felix. I hadn’t noticed until now, but his physique is much slighter than it was before. More like he used to be when we were at school.
‘But Rob is still getting lots of offers,’ Nixie says, speaking to us directly for the first time. ‘Hollywood still want you, don’t they, Rob?’
Rob smiles gratefully at Nixie. ‘Yeah, but does Rob still want Hollywood? That is the question,’ he says with a sombre expression. To which Nixie simply blinks back at him. ‘Of course he does!’ He quickly follows through with when we all look confused. ‘Guys, I’m only kidding with you.’
But there’s something about Rob’s grinning face that to me doesn’t quite feel as genuine as he’d want us to believe.
‘And I’m assuming Nixie is the current lady in your life?’ Mandy asks, raising her eyebrows. ‘You don’t expect us to believe she’s actually your PA.’
We all smile. But Rob looks a bit put out by Mandy’s assumption.
‘You can believe what you want, Amanda,’ he says, lifting up his bottle of beer. ‘But I can assure you that Nixie is employed as my personal assistant, aren’t you, Nixie?’
‘Yes,’ she says proudly. ‘I certainly am.’ She pulls a notebook and a phone out from her silver bag. ‘Is there anything you’d like me to do for you, sweetie?’
Rob shakes his head. ‘Not right now, thank you. You can put that away. I’ll let you know later.’
‘Should I go next?’ I ask reluctantly. I’m in absolutely no hurry to share what little news I have, but watching Rob and Nixie together is making me feel uncomfortable. ‘I have very little to report. The best thing in my life is sitting right here next to me.’ I put my arm around Rosie.
‘What about your job at the gallery?’ Suzy asks. ‘Are you still working there?’
I shake my head. ‘No, I left the gallery a while back.’
‘Where are you now?’ Suzy continues, obviously not realising this is something I don’t want to discuss.
‘I just have a little part-time job,’ I say, trying to sound upbeat. ‘It means I can spend more time with Rosie.’
‘Mummy was sad for a while,’ Rosie tells the table. ‘But she’s much better now.’
The others all look at me with various confused expressions, all except Claire and Mack.
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Mack says, rescuing me like I did Rob. ‘I know I’m not really a mermaid as such. But should I take a turn?’
‘Of course you should, Mack,’ Claire says hurriedly. ‘Just because you were a lovely late addition to our group, we still want to hear your news.’
I look gratefully at Mack, and he gives me a reassuring wink.
But before Mack can speak, a loud noise comes through the speakers surrounding the dance floor, like someone tapping a microphone.
We all look round to see Eddie holding a microphone in the middle of the dance floor, and standing next to him is Dexter.
‘Welcome everyone,’ Eddie says, looking a little nervous. ‘Thank you all for coming. It’s wonderful to see so many friends and loved ones looking back at me right now. I know some of you have travelled a long way to be here tonight, and I can’t tell you how much both myself and Dexter appreciate it. I hope you all have a wonderful time with us celebrating.’
There’s applause and the odd whistle and cheer.
‘But there’s something I have to share with you all. A little secret that Dexter and I have managed to keep quiet. A secret until now, that is . . . ’
The room falls silent.
‘Tonight, you are not simply here to help me celebrate my fortieth birthday . . . you are also here to both witness and help us celebrate the occasion of our wedding!’
There’s the sound of a room of people gasping in surprise, followed by applause and more cheers.
‘I know this might come as a shock to some of you.’ Eddie looks around the room. ‘But there is no one I would rather spend the rest of my life with than the man standing next to me right now.’ Eddie reaches for Dexter’s hand. ‘And there are no other people we would rather say our vows in front of than you all!’
Again, more cheering and clapping.
‘So, I ask that you all make your way down onto the beach in the next few minutes, because our wedding ceremony is going to take place on the sand in . . . ’ He looks at his watch. ‘Approximately ten minutes from now!’
‘Then afterwards it’s back here for party time!’ Dexter says, grabbing the microphone from Eddie. He then hands it back to the DJ, who has been playing music quietly over the speakers since we arrived. Then they both exit swiftly through a door before anyone can talk to them.
I turn back to face the table and the others, all of whom have various expressions of shock and delight on their faces.
‘I can’t believe we didn’t know!’ Mandy exclaims first. ‘Did any of you guys know they were getting married tonight – Claire?’
Claire shakes her head. ‘No, I didn’t know either. I had a feeling this was something more than simply a birthday party. Eddie was being very secretive about some of the things to do with it. But I had no idea this was the secret.’
‘We knew, didn’t we, Mum?’ Rosie says.
‘Did you, Frankie?’ Suzy asks.
‘We only found out when we arrived tonight,’ I say hurriedly. ‘I didn’t know before then.’
‘I thought the room was decorated fancily for a birthday party,’ Mack says. ‘I know you English do things differently than us in the States, but I didn’t think this differently.’
‘I’m pleased we’re going to be here for it – all of us,’ I say. ‘It’s so rare for us all to be together now that to be back here in St Felix for something so special is rather wonderful.’
‘Agreed!’ Rob lifts his glass. ‘Here’s to Eddie and Dexter! Let’s do everything we can to make sure tonight is a wonderful evening for both them and for us all!’