3
Having Your Cake and Eating It
Dani looked at her weary face in the mirror, her hair loosely falling down her back as she sipped her espresso. The colour specialist rolled his stool up closer, holding a book of hair swatches. He smiled at her reflection, his shock of black hair in stark contrast to his pale skin.
“So, Dani, have a look at these. See which you feel is the closest to your present shade.” He fingered the ends of Dani’s hair as he spoke. Dani looked down at the book and sighed.
“I think I’m tired of being blonde. Maybe I should go back to my original colour.”
“Oh, okay.” He rolled his stool up closer, then sat down and pointed to the section with the chestnut samples of hair. “Something like this, then? Maybe with a few low lights for texture?”
Dani nodded. “I want it shorter too. More layers. Up to here.” She showed him, indicating with her fingers to just over her breasts. “It’ll be easier to look after.”
The colourist nodded, his light blue eyes sparkling. “Going for a big change, then?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Dani huffed.
After two and half hours, Dani emerged from the salon looking like a completely different woman to the one who had walked in. Chloe was waiting in her car. Her jaw dropped as Dani slipped into the passenger seat. “Wow, Dani, you look amazing.”
“You like it?”
“I love it. You look sophisticated and chic. The colour is fabulous on you and I love the fringe.”
Dani beamed. Nothing like a new look to change your mood, she thought.
“Let’s go to Betty’s for brunch.”
“Unch,” repeated Rosie from her car seat.
“Brunch. B-b-b-brunch,” corrected Chloe. “I hope she grows out of this.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “The only thing she says correctly is Mummy and Daddy.”
Rosie had difficulty pronouncing the first letter of most words. She’d learned to talk early, but for some reason she omitted the first letter, making her both difficult to understand and comical.
“She will. Don’t you remember Ollie couldn’t say his Rs and Sophie used to change the word completely! It’s just until it clicks. She’ll find the first letters!”
Chloe nodded and sighed.
“It’s so cute.” Dani turned to look at Rosie. “Do you know you’re cute?”
Rosie beamed at her and kicked her legs, her big brown eyes wide. “I could eat you, you’re so cute!” Rosie squirmed and giggled as Dani reached and tickled her tummy.
They managed to get a table in the celebrated tearoom.
It was Dani’s first time in Betty’s. As she walked through the entrance, Dani immediately fell in love with its old world charm.
Her eyes scanned the shop, taking in all the different tea canisters at the rear end, set high on wooden shelves.
Then her gaze fell on the sumptuous pastries, biscuits and enormous variety of bread displayed in glass cases.
The smells were so enticing; Dani breathed in deeply, ensuring her senses were flooded with them.
The hostess guided them to a table by the window and Dani looked around the airy, bright room.
“Oh Chloe, I’ve died and gone to heaven. This place is amazing. Why have we never been here before?”
Chloe smirked at Dani and shook her head. “I knew you’d like it. Well you always came up for a flying visit and we never seemed to have the time. I love it here.” She placed Rosie in a high chair and took her seat.
“Well, it’s my treat. It’s the least I can do, after everything you’ve done for me.” Dani took the menu from the waitress and opened it up.
They decided to go all out and ordered a couple of glasses of pink champagne. They both opted for the breakfast rosti and for Rosie, they ordered a scrambled egg muffin. Rosie played with a cloth book as they waited for their food to come.
“Are you going to get in touch with Jez?” Chloe inquired. Dani’s face hardened. “You’re going to have to talk to him sooner or later.”
Dani sipped her champagne and sighed. The truth was she was scared to talk to him.
If he tried to talk her around, she knew she’d cave.
He made her weak and these past few days without him had made her realise how much he’d influenced her over the last five years.
She was consumed with him and he’d taken full advantage of that.
She was still unbelievably hurt, but that wasn’t the reason she couldn’t bring herself to answer his persistent calls, or call him herself.
She knew he would only need to say the right thing and she’d go running back to him.
That very fact made Dani feel powerless and pathetic. She really needed to toughen up.
“Yes. I just can’t seem to muster up enough courage.”
Chloe frowned.
“If I talk to him, he’s going to try and get me to go back. I’m not sure I’ll be able to say no.” Chloe’s mouth opened to say something, but she closed it as Dani continued.
“I know what you’re thinking, but the bottom line is, I did love him.
I know he couldn’t have felt the same way about me, but that just makes it worse.
” Dani took a deep breath and shook her head as if she needed to clear it.
“Anyway, I need to concentrate on positive thoughts. I need to get moving on. Like for my interview tomorrow.” She forced a smile and Chloe nodded.
They’d spent the weekend searching for suitable jobs.
Adam had managed to secure Dani an interview at a very popular Italian restaurant that he frequented.
It was always busy and was a family run business.
The turnaround of staff was minimal, indicating it must be a pleasant working environment.
The vacancy had arisen due to a member of staff leaving the area.
Luckily, Adam had been in the restaurant on Friday and had overheard they were looking for a replacement.
Dani’s phone rang and she closed her eyes. Surely Jez couldn’t be ringing so early; he never got up before one. She looked down at the number and saw it was a local. Apprehensively, she answered it. “Hello?”
“Hello, Miss Knox?” said a female voice that Dani didn’t recognise. Chloe looked at her as she took another mouthful of rosti.
“Yes?”
“This is Dr. Evans. I have your blood and urine test results from Friday.”
“Oh. Right. Thank you. Do I need to come back in?”
“No. That won’t be necessary. They are all clear. But I suggest you schedule an appointment in a month for when you need a repeat prescription for your contraceptive pill.”
“All clear. That’s great news. Thank you for calling.” Dani’s relief evident and Chloe smiled, realising who the call was from. “Okay. I’ll call in a couple of weeks for an appointment, then.”
“Good. Well good bye, Miss Knox.”
“Good bye and thank you.” Dani pressed the end call on her phone and popped it back in her bag. “Thank God for that. I think I need a dessert to celebrate.”
“Just one?” Chloe smirked and Dani giggled.
Her heartbeat sped up as the enormity of what she’d been told sunk in.
She’d been given the all clear. The wave of relief flowed over her.
It could have been… no, she wasn’t going to think about it anymore.
Her insides churned. She was never going to be that foolish again. Note to self; buy your own condoms.
Dani broke into her citron torte and placed it in her mouth. It was a perfect combination of sweet and zesty lemon zing. Dani moaned. It was divine. Chloe had chosen the fresh raspberry macaroon and they’d also ordered a Montagne de Chocolate, which they shared with Rosie, and a mille feuille.
“If I die now, I’ll be happy. These are just delicious. We need to take some home for the kids and Adam. I feel guilty,” said Dani as Chloe licked her spoon, then spooned up some of the chocolate to feed to Rosie. Rosie’s mouth was wide and ready in anticipation.
“Well, she definitely takes after me in that department. She hasn’t stopped eating!” Said Chloe. Dani grinned. “Now your hair is back to your natural colour she looks more like you.”
Dani screwed up her nose. “You think? I don’t see it.” She looked back at Rosie, who was chewing contentedly on her chocolate cake, her full lips covered in chocolate. “Do you look like your aunty Dani?” she asked a wide-eyed Rosie, who immediately rewarded her with a grin.
“Ani!”
“D-D-D-Dani!” corrected Chloe and she shook her head.
“WE’RE OFF!” called Chloe up the stairs. Dani leaned over the railings and looked down to where her sister was standing in the hallway.
“Have a good time.”
“You sure you don’t want to come? It’ll take your mind off everything.” They were leaving for a bonfire party held at a neighbour’s house.
“I’m sure. You go on. I’ll be fine.”
Chloe nodded and went out of the front door, closing it behind her.
Dani paced back to her room and sat back down onto her bed.
She opened up her laptop and started up her email.
She knew this was a chicken’s way out, writing rather than talking, but she knew she’d be able to get everything down exactly as she wanted to say it.
Dani always seemed to get flustered when she had to say what she felt.
She smiled at her screen saver. It was a collage of pictures; all of them were of her parents.
She missed them terribly. Dani smiled, thinking about how her mother used to moan about how no one seemed to talk anymore.
“People are either texting, emailing, tweeting. Tweeting? What the hell is that all about? Why don’t people just talk anymore? Pick up the phone and chat. You have something to say, just say it!” she’d tut.
Dani could visualize her shaking her head and busying herself in the kitchen.
She was always baking. There were always homemade cakes or biscuits in the house.
Then later, when Dani’s parents owned the bed and breakfast, her mother always made sure there were homemade goodies in each of the rooms. Dani was sure this was why she loved desserts so much.
Lucky her mother had taught both Chloe and herself to bake.