Chapter 17 #2
I was pleased about that, not only because it was still raining, but because I wasn’t sure where the pots would be best positioned but I knew Freya would.
I’d thank her later. And check the WhatsApp group messages.
I had a feeling, given how much everyone had enjoyed the party, I might have some catching up to do there and some thanks of my own to send because the feast had been spectacular.
With Erik acting as my right-hand helper, it didn’t take long to repack the decorations ready for putting up at home, sweep away the spilt compost and give the dining table a polish.
He didn’t return to the conversation we hadn’t finish and I didn’t either because if he’d wanted to tell me more, he would have done.
‘I think that’s it,’ I said as I stood back to give the room one final check. ‘This is how it was before, isn’t it?’
‘Looks good to me,’ he agreed. ‘And I don’t mind helping you carry this lot back to the square, but it might be quicker for you to go and get your car to ferry it.’
‘You’re right,’ I puffed. ‘I don’t fancy carrying it, so I’ll talk to Kate and Luke and then go and get the car. Are you coming back to the kitchen?’
‘Only to help you get this stuff that far, then I need to head outside to check some guttering that I’ve got a horrible feeling might be blocked.’
‘Make sure you wear your wet weather gear,’ I smiled. ‘You don’t want to end up looking like a drowned rat.’
‘You’re not going to let me forget that comment, are you?’ he laughed.
‘Not in a hurry.’
I found Kate and Luke in the kitchen with mugs of tea and a plate of biscuits which they offered to share with us. Once Luke had heard what Erik was going to do, he decided to go with him.
‘Do you mind?’ he asked Kate. ‘You can talk to Skylar, can’t you? And we won’t be long.’
Decked out in raincoats, the guys went off and Kate told me that she and Luke had something to ask me but that there was absolutely no pressure for me to say yes.
‘The thing is,’ she began, ‘Luke and I want to host a fundraising Halloween ball.’
‘Oh wow.’
‘Not a huge one, but it would be the biggest event we’d ever held here and for an amazing cause,’ she continued. ‘But we appreciate it is short notice.’
‘You want to put it on this year?’ I gasped. ‘That’s just, what… five weeks away.’
‘I know,’ she grimaced. ‘We were all guns blazing, but then we started to list everything we’d have to organise,’ she reeled a few things off, ‘and realised we’d probably bitten off more than we could chew, especially in such a tight timescale.’
‘Well, maybe you could scale it back at bit,’ I suggested. ‘Make it an exclusive party rather than a ball and with limited tickets. That always creates demand.’
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘I like the sound of that.’
‘What is it you want to raise funds for?’
‘The Chapel. It’s not far from here. Have you heard of it?
’ I hadn’t. ‘It’s a creative community space for youngsters who want to sing, dance, act, be creative and perform.
Eli’s the manager and pretty much all of us have played a part in keeping it open during the last couple of years, but now it’s hit a snag. ’
‘Don’t tell me,’ I guessed, ‘the money’s run out.’
I knew so many of these sorts of ventures ran on goodwill, volunteering, endless form filling and an ever-stretched shoestring.
‘Not completely run out,’ Kate explained, ‘but there’s a shortfall between one pot of funding coming to an end and the next kicking in and it’s that gap that we were hoping to help fill.’
‘I see. And where do I come in?’
‘Well, we were wondering,’ she continued, ‘that as you have so much experience and did such a great job with the equinox party with practically no notice, if you’d help us work out if it really is doable.
We haven’t mentioned anything about it to Eli in case we can’t pull it off.
If nothing else, it would be helpful to pick your brains to see if we can come up with something in the time available. ’
‘So, really, all you need at this point is some advice?’
‘That’s it,’ she nodded. ‘But then,’ she added, ‘if you thought we could do something, perhaps you might consider offering a sort of guiding hand.’
None of it sounded too onerous, apart from the limited time aspect, but the prospect of a Halloween celebration to raise money for a cause surprisingly close to my heart, and happening right on the doorstep, would be the best fun.
However, what Kate said next was the real clincher to get me on board.
‘And between you and me, Luke and I don’t think it would be a bad thing if Erik had something else to keep him occupied at the moment, so we’d like him to help out too if we do go ahead.
I think he’s having family issues, and this time of year is bound to be tough, what with the rugby season getting underway. ’
She stopped talking as the back door opened and slammed shut and the two friends, looking saturated right through, squelched into the kitchen.
‘Boot room,’ Kate commanded and they traipsed off again.
‘Is the event a secret from everyone?’ I asked with a nod to where Erik and Luke had gone to get out of their wet clobber.
‘Erik knows we’ve been mulling over the idea of hosting some sort of party,’ she told me. ‘But we haven’t mentioned it to anyone else because they’ll all be thrilled, tell us to go for it and then we’ll be under even more pressure than just time constraints.’
‘That gutter is blocked,’ Luke huffed as he came back into the kitchen.
‘And even though I’m the maintenance guy,’ Erik grumbled, ‘I can’t clear it because I’m not suited to climbing ladders thanks to this.’
He gave his knee a prod and sounded thoroughly fed up.
‘We’ll get that specialist firm in to check the lot,’ Luke told him. ‘Don’t worry about it. We’ve already looked at some quotes, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make sure all’s well ahead of the winter.’
‘I suppose,’ Erik said morosely as he pulled his jumper, which was soaked on the shoulders and neck, up and off. ‘Shall we go and get your car, Skylar?’
The answer lodged in my throat as his T-shirt rode right up and I took in his toned torso. It looked every bit as firm as it had felt when I’d hugged him at the garden centre.
‘Skylar?’ Kate said as Erik rearranged his top.
‘Er… yeah,’ I said and looked at her, ‘if we’re finished here.’
‘We are but think it over,’ she said. ‘And let us know when you can.’
‘Oh, I already have,’ I nodded, looking at Erik again.
Given that he was going to help me load the decorations into my car he should have kept his jumper on, but I was pleased he hadn’t, which was an inappropriate thing to think.
However, I was also thinking that helping with the ball, party or whatever was decided on, could be my way of pulling him out of the fug he’d fallen into and that was a more acceptable train of thought which cancelled out the other one.
‘Really?’ Kate gasped and crossed her fingers.
‘Really,’ I smiled, ‘and the answer is yes. If I can help in any way, I will.’
‘Really?’ Luke gasped. ‘You think it’s possible?’