Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
Her chat with Ed meant Florrie was running late for meeting up with her friends at the Jolly. She rushed up to the bedroom, threw off her Happy Hartes sweatshirt and was having a rummage around her wardrobe for something to wear when Ed appeared in the room.
‘Why don’t I give you a lift down there? Save you having to rush around.’
‘It’s fine, it’s out of your way, and if I get a wriggle on, I won’t be that late.
’ She pulled out a navy sweater dress and slipped it off the hanger before rooting around her drawers for a pair of chunky tights.
‘Where the bloomin’ ’eck are they?’ she said to herself.
It was cold out and the walk back would be nippy, so she wanted to make sure she was wrapped up.
Ed unbuttoned his shirt. ‘I can drop you off and come back, leave the car here then have a wander to The Cellar. I’m not meeting the lads till eight, so that’ll give me plenty of time.’
Florrie pulled out the elusive tights and stood for a moment considering his offer. ‘Okay, if you don’t mind, it’d definitely take the pressure off.’
‘I don’t mind at all, it’ll save you running there.’ He hitched a smile at that.
‘It’d crossed my mind I could saddle Gerty up till I remembered we don’t have a saddle.’ She grinned at him, pushing her foot into the leg of her tights.
‘Now that’d be worth seeing, you riding Gerty-Girl like a little racehorse all the way to the Jolly. I reckon it’d turn a few heads.’
‘Daresay it might.’
Florrie had found herself looking forward to seeing her friends and having a relax with them.
The time since their last Friday night session seemed further away than a week ago; so much had happened in that time.
And the salsa dancing lessons didn’t even feel part of the same year! How could that be? she wondered.
Florrie pushed open the heavy door of the Jolly, the usual sounds and smells pulling her in with their comfortable familiarity.
She felt a wave of relaxation spread through her as she headed across the bar.
The folk group was playing a lively, lilting tune, Lobster Harry’s unmistakable cackle floating over the notes, while a fire was blazing in the inglenook and kicking out a welcome warmth along with the cosy aroma of woodsmoke.
She beamed a smile as her friends waved enthusiastically from their usual table.
‘Come and park your bum, missus,’ said Maggie, shuffling up the settle to make room for her.
‘How are you diddlin’, flower?’ asked Jasmine, at the top of the table, as Florrie squeezed by her and onto the settle next to Maggie.
‘It’s good to see you, lovey,’ said Stella, reaching for the bottle of Pinot Grigio in the metal chiller and filling a glass before passing it to Florrie. ‘There you go, grab yourself a bit of that.’
‘Thanks, Stells.’
‘How’s your dad?’ asked Lark. ‘It’s good to hear he’s out of hospital.’
The others all agreed with that, listening as Florrie filled them in, and laughing heartily when they heard Charlie’s ‘Florence Nightmaringale’ nickname for her mum.
‘Your parents are so wholesome,’ said Maggie, fondly. ‘I bet he secretly loves being fussed over.’
‘Oh, there’s no doubt about that. It’s the not being able to do much or get back to work until he’s fully recovered aspect that frustrates the heck out of him.’
‘I get that. It’s the sort of thing that would drive me mad, too,’ said Stella. When Stella wasn’t in court or poring over a brief, she was going for a run on the beach or enjoying long walks in the countryside with Alex and his high-spirited black Labrador, Fred.
‘Shame he’s not into reading like you and your mum,’ said Jasmine.
‘I know, my mum’s tried, but he says he hasn’t got the patience to sit and read, so he’s been watching all his favourite thriller films on Netflix again. He’ll have to make sure he gets plenty of rest for now, though.’
‘I’ll pop up with a coffee and walnut cake, I know that’s his fave.’
‘That’s kind, Jazz, he’d be chuffed to bits with that.
’ Florrie gave her friend a grateful smile.
She paused for a moment, conscious that her voice was dominating the conversation.
‘Listen, lasses, I don’t want to hog the evening talking all about what’s been happening to me.
I feel I did enough of that last week worrying about you lot organising me a strippagram.
’ She was suddenly struck by how simple that worry was in comparison to the drama that had gone on in the week.
‘Tell you what, I’d give anything to swap the worries I’ve had this last week for that one right now.
I’d even put up with Ando Taylor and Lobster Harry as the double act you lot teased me about. ’
‘Just so you know, we can have that arranged at the drop of a hat. Just say the word.’ Stella gave her an exaggerated wink, making them all fall about laughing, Jasmine giving a loud snort.
‘Talking of Ando,’ said Jasmine, in an ‘I’ve got big news’ way. ‘I do believe he has a lady friend.’
All eyes switched to her.
‘What?’ said Maggie, incredulous. ‘Who? It can’t be anyone we know, surely.’
‘Hmm. Now this actually rings a vague bell,’ said Lark, tapping her finger on her chin. ‘Why do I know this?’
‘Haven’t a clue,’ said Jasmine. ‘Maybe it’s your intuition and you’ve been picking up vibes that have been floating about.’
‘No, it’s not that – I’m sure I overheard someone talking about it.’
‘Did I hear right?’ Stella looked around them in disbelief. ‘Please tell me you haven’t ditched Max in favour of Ando. I always had a sneaking suspicion you were getting slowly tempted by his offer of dates at his bedsit, swigging Gut Rot and downing out-of-date pickled eggs.’
‘Rumbled. Guilty as charged.’ Jasmine held up her hands, making them all roar with laughter.
‘Come on, Jazz, we know how loved up you and Max are so there’s no chance you’ll have succumbed to Ando’s culinary horrors. Share the deets and put us out of our torture,’ said Maggie.
‘Well…’ Jasmine glanced around, a playful glint twinkling in her eyes.
‘Bear in mind that this is second-hand info so I can’t guarantee it’ll be a hundred per cent accurate.
But, from what I’ve heard, the woman in question has recently moved to Micklewick Bay and by all accounts is a female version of Ando; she loves skateboarding, she dresses like him – a bit grungy – battered leather jacket, ripped jeans and all, has a fairly laid-back attitude to work… You get the picture?’
‘That’s all very well, but do we know how she feels about Gut Rot and pickled eggs?’ asked Maggie.
‘That’ll be the true test of their relationship. If she likes those two things, then their love’s sealed,’ Jasmine said with a giggle.
‘Ah, poor Ando, don’t mock, you lot,’ said Lark. ‘We all deserve a bit of love and happiness in our lives.’
‘Aye, took you bloomin’ long enough to realise that, though, didn’t it? It’s more a case of poor Nate, never mind poor Ando. You had the lad hanging on for years,’ quipped Jasmine.
Lark responded with a shake of her head and a bashful smile. ‘I had my reasons, as you know full well.’
‘Just teasing, flower.’ Jasmine gave Lark’s arm an affectionate rub.
‘Talking of how we all deserve a bit of love, have you seen who’s over there?’ said Stella, nodding towards a cosy table for two by the window where the curtains were drawn against the night.
They all turned to see Jean enjoying an animated conversation with Amery, her hands wrapped in his.
Lark clasped her hands to her heart. ‘Ahh, bless, that’s lovely. Jean so deserves having someone to love her and make her feel special.’
A feeling of warmth flooded Florrie’s chest. Seeing Jean looking so happy with Amery touched her heart. Her friend was positively glowing. ‘It is lovely.’ She was glad to see Amery looked as happy as Jean.
‘It’s just a shame he didn’t find her sooner,’ said Stella wistfully.
‘It’s better than not at all,’ added Lark.
‘Which leads very nicely on to your dad and Louisa,’ said Maggie. ‘Is their relationship still going from strength to strength?’
The question brought a huge smile to Lark’s face. ‘I’m thrilled to report they’re blissfully happy, and it looks as though they’re going to be moving into his new cottage together when all the renovations are done.’
A flurry of ‘ahhs’ followed, with Florrie saying, ‘Silas so deserved to find love a second time around – Louisa, too. They’re so well suited. Just think, if he hadn’t come to stay with you when he did last Christmas, they might never have got together.’
‘As you lasses know, I always say fate has a plan for us all.’ Lark’s eyes were shining. ‘They were always destined to be together, but the time had to be right for both of them, their stars had to align. Just as they have for Jean and Amery.’
‘Anyroad, much as I hate to change the subject from a happy one to a not-so-happy one, you were going to tell us what happened after the reading last night.’ Jasmine switched her attention from Lark to Florrie. ‘It’s really good news that your dad’s okay, though.’ The friends all agreed with that.
Florrie sucked in a deep breath, preparing herself to relive it all.
‘So, after Ed and I got back from hospital, we hadn’t been in long when he grabbed his coat and pretty much flew out of the door with not a word as to where he was going although I had a pretty good idea…
’ She continued, telling them everything that had happened including details of the conversation Ed had had with his father that afternoon and her suspicions about his mother snooping around their house.
She’d checked with him beforehand that he was okay with this and he’d said he had no problem with her sharing, especially after the performance his parents had put on in the street.
The friends listened, heads shaking in disbelief, occasionally chipping in with the odd question, murmurs of outrage on hearing the cruel words Dawn had hurled at her son.
‘It’s been a heck of a twenty-four hours for you all, flower,’ said Jasmine.
‘Just a bit,’ said Florrie, her stress levels spiking after reliving it all again.
‘How’s Ed, after his mother said what she did?’ asked Lark. She was the one in the group who had the most sensitive nature and had looked utterly horrified when Florrie repeated what Dawn had said.
‘He looked pretty devastated, which is totally understandable. I think it’s what made him take a step back and finally see clearly just how bad she and his father have been treating him.’
‘Not before time,’ Stella said grimly.
‘I can’t get my head around the woman’s dreadful behaviour, from creeping around your home and rifling through your stuff, to screaming in the street, to saying those hideous words to Ed.
’ Maggie’s expression morphed from disbelief to disgust and back again.
‘She obviously has no idea what she looks like or how she comes across.’
‘I don’t think she cares,’ said Florrie.
‘Even less so with her being desperate for cash,’ added Stella.
‘What about this deluded ex of Ed’s who thinks they’re going to run off hand in hand into the sunset?
Lucifer or whatever it is she’s called.’ From the way Jasmine’s eyes glittered wickedly, it was obvious she knew exactly what Ed’s ex was called.
And even Lark had to laugh at that. ‘What made her think it was okay to chuck a load of eggs at the window?’
‘It’s Luella, but I’m not gonna argue with the Lucifer tag, especially after she egged the window display.’ Florrie turned to Lark. ‘And thanks again for cleaning it all off.’
‘No worries, flower.’
‘Apparently, she threw the eggs because she was annoyed about the wedding scene, decided no one would want to look at it. He said it’s exactly the sort of thing she used to do when they were together; she’d lose her rag and start screaming and chucking things.’
‘Well, they say girls choose men that remind them of their father, seems the same thing applies to boys and their mother,’ observed Stella. ‘Thankfully for him, that changed when he met our Florrie.’
‘Aye, Lucifer and Florrie couldn’t be more different if they tried,’ added Jasmine.
‘So that’s all my news, I reckon it’s someone else’s turn now.’ Florrie swept her gaze expectantly around the table.
‘I’m pregnant,’ said Stella.
Four jaws fell open in perfect synchronicity.