Chapter 24
‘Look at this place, it’s beautiful,’ Gina announced as she waltzed through the front door of the beach lodge, dropping her handbag on the table.
The view through the bi-fold doors at the back of the building was breathtaking, its hold magnetic as it immediately captured her attention, drawing her in.
Tess, Suzy and Dilly followed until they were all standing in a line to admire the sight before them, the vigorous swell of the sea mesmerising as it ebbed and flowed against the long, sandy beach.
There was a collective wow from all four women.
Gina turned the key to open the door and they walked out onto the wooden decking that protruded like a jetty, inviting you to walk towards the sea, offering a panoramic vista of the area.
A table and chairs were under wraps and Tess could imagine that on a fine, clear day, it would be the perfect spot to sit with a glass of wine to simply soak up the surroundings.
Today, in November, with the light fading, the wind buffeted them sideways, making their hair fly in all directions, and the spindrift sprayed their faces, as they relished the bracing sensations.
They’d driven down that afternoon, Suzy at the wheel, making the journey to St Ives in less than four hours. Gina had organised the trip, coinciding it with her birthday weekend, and booked the holiday lodge, making sure that everyone, Tess, in particular, was happy with the arrangements.
‘This is amazing!’ Dilly held up her arms wide to the sky and the rest of them followed suit, laughing, as they struck ever more elaborate poses. ‘It makes you glad to be alive.’
‘And there’s a hot tub,’ said Gina. ‘I can’t wait to try that out.’
‘Yes, but maybe not tonight,’ said Tess, grimacing, flapping her arms around her chest to ward off the cold. ‘It’s absolutely freezing out here and I’m in need of sustenance. Let’s crack open the wine.’
They battled against the elements to get back inside the lodge, tumbling over the threshold and shutting the squally weather behind them.
After agreeing that Tess would share a bedroom with Dilly, and Gina and Suzy would take the other room, they quickly unpacked their bags and reconvened in the open-plan living area, where Suzy had already opened a bottle of fruity Italian wine, and had poured some glasses.
‘Well, here’s to us and a great few days away.
’ Dilly raised her glass to her friends.
‘I want to thank you for inviting me along. I know you’re a long-established friendship group so there was absolutely no reason for you to include me in your plans, but it means so much to me that you have.
I think I’ve told you before that I know so many people in our local area, but none of them are what I would call close friends.
So to have found you girls at this stage in my life means the world to me. ’
‘Oh, come on, Dilly,’ said Gina, ‘it’s far too early in the evening to be getting soppy on us. We’ve not had nearly enough to drink for that.’
‘Fair enough,’ said Dilly, laughing. ‘Well, we probably need to put that right, in that case. Drink up, girls!’
‘I know exactly what you mean, though,’ said Suzy.
They moved across to the L-shaped squashy sofa and sat down.
‘I notice it now that I’ve given up on full-time work.
I suppose my social needs were met through my colleagues at work, and some of those I will keep in touch with and meet up with for drinks, no doubt, but it’s not the same as having close friends, like you guys, who I know I can rely on, and can call on at any time of day, if I need to. ’
‘Absolutely any time,’ said Tess with a thumbs up in Suzy’s direction. ‘The thing is, our friendships become more important as we get older. We have our families, but quite rightly, they are doing their own thing, and as for men, well, they take a different role in our lives now.’
‘Or no role whatsoever,’ said Gina. ‘I’ve given up on them.
I’m far too busy these days to make time for a man, and in the past, they’ve caused me nothing but problems.’ She gave a conspiratorial glance at Tess.
‘You know, this is the first birthday I will spend as a single woman in about thirty years. I’ve always had a man at my side, spoiling me, taking me out for dinner, and a few weeks ago, I was thinking how miserable it would be to spend it on my own. ’
‘Don’t worry, we’ll spoil you just as much tomorrow,’ said Tess.
‘Exactly, and I realised that I would have just as much, if not more fun, with you guys. From now on, I’m happy to concentrate on my work and my friends and family.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t be open to offers if anyone special comes along, but I’m not holding my breath.
’ Gina’s distinctive laughter rang out around the room.
Suzy asked the smart speaker to play some mellow background tunes, while Tess jumped up from her seat and tended to the vegetarian chilli con carne that she had prepared and brought from home and which had been bubbling on the stove for the last half-hour.
She would serve it with some fluffy rice and the crunchy baguette that they’d picked up from the local bakery in Lower Leaping.
‘Funny to think that you’re giving up on men at this point in your life, when the rest of us are just hoping to get started again.’ Suzy picked up a crisp from the bowl that Dilly had placed on the table and chomped on it nonchalantly. Tess and Gina immediately looked at each other in surprise.
‘Are you?’ said Gina. ‘Well, this is a turn up for the books.’ Suzy had never shown any interest in meeting a new man in all the time they’d known her. Ever since she’d lost her husband, Martin, she been content to concentrate on working and bringing up her children.
‘Well, you know, we all are.’ Suzy looked towards Dilly and Tess as though they might agree with her. ‘Tess is starting out again with Rob and I suppose that’s made me realise that there are some nice, decent, more mature men out there. And Dilly is…’ Her words trailed away.
‘Don’t bring me into this. I’m a hopeless case.
I can’t see myself finding a fella now, even if I wanted one, and I’m not sure that I do.
I’ve got used to being on my own and pleasing myself,’ she said with that bright smile that always tore a little bit at Tess’s heart.
Getting to know Dilly better had afforded her glimpses of the vulnerability and insecurity beneath Dilly’s outgoing and cheery exterior.
‘What about Danny? I’m sure he’s got a soft spot for you. The way he was singing to you at the open mic, the other week,’ said Gina with a playful grin.
‘What? No! Danny’s young enough to be…’ She stopped herself, doing the maths in her head.
‘Well, not quite, but… no, he’s a new client, who’s become a friend.
It happens a lot in my kind of business,’ she said, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of Gina’s comment, turning the spotlight back on to Suzy.
‘So you think you’re ready to find someone new to share your life with? ’
‘Not even that. But just someone to go out to dinner with, or to go on holidays with, to share stuff with. Up until now, I couldn’t even contemplate the idea, but with the kids gone and me having more free time, I can see that it might be nice to have someone special in my life.’
Gina was still observing Suzy as though she had grown another head.
‘About bloody time, that’s all I can say. Really, though, I think it would be really good for you. Expand your horizons somewhat.’
‘Yeah, well, we’ll see what happens,’ said Suzy thoughtfully. ‘I’m simply putting the idea out there, in case anyone might be listening,’ she said, addressing the universe. ‘Anyway, something smells absolutely delicious. It’s making my stomach rumble.’
Tess took that as a sign to leap up out of her chair.
‘Okay, let me put the rice on and then we can get stuck in.’
After negotiating her way around the unfamiliar stove, she put a pan of water on to boil, found some pasta bowls in the cupboard and then cut the baguette into chunks, to the backdrop of her friends’ bubbly conversation.
It was true what they’d said: old friends were nourishing to the soul.
Outside, it had grown darker, but the string lights on the perimeter of the decking and the sound of the constant rhythmic rumbling waves acted as a reassuring reminder of their coastline location.
‘Right,’ she said a little later when the rice was ready. ‘Dinner is served. Come and help yourselves.’
To appreciative exclamations, they dished up dollops of rice and chilli, and buttered crusty bread, the meld of smoky aromas stirring their appetites.
Gina refilled the wine and fetched glasses of water too.
There was a small, round dining table by the double doors, but by general consensus, they agreed to sit on the sofa, with their stockinged feet curled up beneath them and their bowls on their laps which, in the low lighting of the lodge, was so much more relaxed and comfortable.
‘This is so good,’ said Dilly, tucking in enthusiastically, and everyone was quick to agree.
‘So,’ said Gina, not one to let a potentially enthralling topic of conversation slide, ‘is there someone in particular who has brought about this change in you?’
Suzy dropped her gaze, running her fork distractedly around her bowl.
‘Not really.’
‘That means yes,’ said Gina triumphantly. ‘Come on, Suzy, you’re amongst friends here. I’m sure I can’t have been the only one to notice that you were getting on extremely well with Michael in the pub the other week.’
‘Gina!’ Suzy admonished her, giving an anxious glance in Dilly’s direction.
‘Oh, don’t worry on my account. You know what I’m like. A new single, eligible man in the village and I’m all of a flutter, but it’s only a bit of fun. From the moment I met Michael, I knew he was out of my league.’
‘Now what have I told you?’ said Tess, gently chiding her friend. She hated the way Dilly constantly put herself down. ‘No one is out of your league. Any man would be lucky to have you in his life.’
‘Absolutely,’ said Gina, and Suzy nodded her agreement too.
‘Oh, I know that, of course,’ said Dilly airily, ‘but I’ve only ever admired Michael from afar.
A girl’s allowed to look, isn’t she? I’m not a frigging nun, but we come from different worlds.
The pair of us would have nothing in common, even if he were to fancy me, which he wouldn’t in a hundred years.
Whereas you, Suzy… I noticed it too. What Gina was saying.
You seemed to hit it off with him from the start. ’
‘Yes, well, he’s a nice guy. Easy to talk to.
I’m enjoying getting to know him,’ Suzy said, giving little away.
‘It’s shown me that I can talk to and enjoy men’s company, which is something of a revelation.
Until recently, the only men in my life were my dad, the boys and my old work colleagues.
Meeting Michael has shown me that there is a raft of opportunity out there,’ she said, her eyes shining.
‘Exactly, and we only need to look at Tess to see that love can come along when you’re least expecting it.
It gives hope to us all, and it’s why I’m going to leave it to chance now, instead of trying to make it happen.
Maybe it’s the universe’s way of telling me it’s not right for me at the moment.
’ Gina looked as though she’d given some serious thought to the subject.
‘But you guys! I would be really happy if you all hooked up with gorgeous men and found your happy ever afters, as long as you promise me that it won’t impact on our friendship and our plans.
We can’t have men trying to infiltrate the Four Musketeers.
We’ll still have our regular supper evenings and our breaks away.
It’s good for our state of mind and for my sanity. Agreed?’
‘Agreed,’ everyone said in unison, knowing sometimes, there was absolutely no arguing with Gina.