Chapter 25 #2
‘Of course it is. Come here.’ Jamie opened his arms. Alicia let herself be encased in his solidity. Stability. She was glad he understood that healing didn’t happen overnight.
But she really did need to read that book and make sure that healing happened at all.
The following morning, Jamie, having taken the day off work, suggested they walk around Kinshore where he would show Alicia some landmarks.
From the car, the village looked adorable and she was keen to see more as well as the surrounding landscape.
But as she stepped over the threshold of the cottage, ice cut through her.
Someone was staring at her from across the street.
‘What?’ Jamie followed Alicia’s eyeline, then waved at the person. ‘Oh, that’s old Bert. He’s a friend of my dad’s.’
‘How’s the whisky?’ Bert called.
‘Aye, braw thanks, Bert. How’s your hip?’
‘Och, no so braw but I live to fight another day.’
‘Take care, Bert.’ Jamie waved as the old man toddled off down the sidewalk.
Alicia relaxed. Her instincts hadn’t caught up with the fact that she wasn’t in LA now and there were no paparazzi. This was a sleepy little Scottish village where people like harmless old Bert wandered around saying good morning to everyone.
‘You good to go?’ Jamie asked.
‘Sure am. Can’t wait to explore Kinshore.’
‘Cool. Be warned though. People round here like a blether. You won’t get about two feet without someone wanting to have a chat about the price of shortbread.’
‘Sounds perfect. I’ve often thought of investing in shortbread, so it will be good to get an insight into the market.’ Alicia took the hand Jamie was offering and they stepped into the street. The chilled air wrapped around them, but his hold was reassuring.
It only took a few minutes from the cottage to the main village, even with the thin dusting of snow from the previous night slowing their walking speed.
The air was crisp and most people they passed were bundled up in hats and scarves, their breath visible in the chilly morning light.
The village with its snow dappled rooftops and warmly lit morning windows exuded a serene winter charm.
Kinshore’s main street was as delightful as Alicia had imagined.
They strolled past a grocery store with an eye-catching window display of Christmas puddings, a bakery where the yeasty aroma of fresh bread and cakes wafted out to the street, and a coffee shop showcasing a dazzling array of festive cupcakes.
The entire scene was worlds away from LA.
Back home, a trip to the store meant a drive through congested streets with none of the cosy charm surrounding her now.
Adding to the village’s allure was the friendliness of the locals.
Kinshore was one giant hug. Alicia quickly lost count of the number of people Jamie greeted with a cheerful good morning.
Everyone was kind and welcoming, and it was clear they held him in the highest regard.
‘Hope this one is looking after you,’ a friend of Jamie’s mother remarked outside the grocery store. ‘I knew he wouldn’t stay single for long.’
‘Everyone loves the Butler boys, you’re one lucky lady,’ remarked Gladys McGlinchy as they passed the florist’s.
‘Jamie makes the rest of us look ugly.’ said his friend, Aiden, coming out of the coffee shop.
Jamie took it all in his stride, remaining humble and brushing off the compliments as if they were fluff on his sleeve, but Alicia knew they were true.
And what was wonderful was that nobody said anything untoward about her or hinted at her reputation.
Aiden, she could tell, recognised her but was gentleman enough not to comment.
She could cope with being recognised when she had Jamie’s hand in her own, especially when he squeezed it tighter as if to say I’m thinking of you.
‘So, now you’ve seen the village, let’s go get the car and I’ll drive you to a few of the scenes to paint.’ Jamie swung his arm around Alicia. ‘There’s the beach, the lighthouse, the standing stones. After that, I’ve booked us a table for lunch at the distillery café.’
At the beach, Alicia snapped some photos of the waves churning in with an untamed energy, the wild spray casting salty droplets onto her lips.
‘I still can’t believe you surf here,’ she remarked, dipping her finger into the chilly water at the shoreline. The coldness contrasted sharply with the thrill of imagining Jamie conquering these formidable waves.
‘It’s fine with a good wetsuit,’ he explained. ‘Although climbing is my real passion. And it’s warmer to climb than surf in winter.’
After they’d driven to the lighthouse which stood across a causeway and commanded views over the sound to Northern Ireland, Jamie drove them to the distillery café which looked across the same expanse of water from further up the coast. While they waited for their order to arrive, Alicia scrolled through the photos she had taken.
‘I got some good shots,’ she said. ‘I should be able to start painting as soon as the supplies arrive.’ Jamie had ordered anything she needed to arrive by express post. Tomorrow he would set up a studio for her in a spare room.
After lunch, Jamie got up to pay the bill and chat to a local. Alicia headed out to the car park to get some fresh air as the café was a little over heated. She was standing near the door staring across the water and thinking about how peaceful it all was when a voice cut into her thoughts.
‘Excuse me. Alicia?’
Turning, she saw a man and woman around her own age doing what could only be described as gawking.
The man’s brown hair was generously gelled and he wore jeans and a green wax jacket.
The woman, with a chic blonde chignon roll, was smart in a tailored tweed coat and casual suede boots. They smiled beseechingly.
‘Alicia Jansen?’ the man asked.
‘Um…yes.’ Alicia shivered in the cold that had moments earlier been a refreshing balm. She should have borne the heat inside with Jamie for a little longer. Then they could have headed quickly to the car. Instead, here she was exposed to all kinds of elements.
‘Tony Gillies, freelance journalist, including the Kinshore Chronicle. I have to say it’s not often we get stars of your calibre out here. I wondered if you might have time for a quick interview for the paper?’
Oh great, a journalist. How na?ve she’d been to think she could get away from this for more than a few days. The options were walk away or decline an interview, but he would print something about her, anyway. This never went well.
Alicia tried the politely decline approach. ‘I was hoping to vacation alone,’ she said, trying to strike a well-mannered but firm tone.
‘Ah, right,’ said Tony. ‘Shame. It would mean so much to our readers to have a wee piece. Maybe a comment about how good the scones are here, or the soup. Or even a photo for the front page? How’s about it? I don’t have to ask you any personal questions.’
‘Um… I…’ Alicia wondered why she was so bad at defending her own time and privacy. ‘I’m trying to keep a low profile. Hence coming to Kinshore on vacation.’
‘I see.’ Tony curled his lip. ‘Bummer.’
‘Yeah,’ the woman chimed in. She was even more starry-eyed than Tony. ‘We don’t get celebs round here. Could I get a wee selfie?’
‘Um, I’d rather n —’ But before Alicia finished her sentence, the woman had whipped out her phone and, quicker than a flash, swung herself round next to Alicia and taken a photo. Alicia smiled reflexively but weakly. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t expecting that.’
‘Aye, sorry, but it’s only for my private collection. And compared to you I look terrible so I won’t show it to anyone.’ The woman studied her phone screen.
‘I did say I’d rather not, though,’ Alicia protested.
‘Sorry. Can’t help my wife.’ Tony grinned. ‘She’s a huge fan. But don’t worry, I won’t let that one go in the paper. You said no, after all, and I respect that.’
Alicia bit her tongue, literally, and it hurt. Why did so many people have such a warped idea of respect? But if she pushed this any further, she would end up in the media, and not on her terms. She turned back to the tearoom to go find Jamie.
‘If you’ll excuse me,’ she said to the couple, forcing a polite smile.
‘I’ve left my gloves inside.’ Her heart was hammering, and, despite the cold, her palms were sweaty, such was the conditioned response this scenario threw her into, honed from numerous dramatic encounters with Chad.
The countless times drama had erupted in public had trained her to be fearful and to flee whenever she felt scrutinised.
But as she was heading into the café, Jamie emerged.
‘You okay?’ He set a steadying hand on her arm. ‘You look like you’re on the run from a herd of buffalo.’ The analogy captured perfectly Alicia’s state of being.
‘I’m fine. I just––’
But to her disappointment, Jamie was distracted by something. Or rather someone.
‘Oh, hey, there’s Tony and Dawn.’ He waved at the couple Alicia had moments earlier been fleeing from.
‘You know them?’ she asked, uncertain whether to feel relieved or disappointed. The familiarity could mean they might leave her alone, but it also hinted they might expect more.
‘Aye. They’re old friends. Come meet them.’ Jamie guided Alicia towards the couple. He embraced the man with a hearty bear hug and planted a kiss on the woman’s cheek.
‘Tony, Dawn. Feels like ages. Hey, Alicia, this is Dawn and Tony. They live in the next village, so it’s been a while.’
‘Wait…’ Dawn’s mouth fell open as she stared agog from Alicia to Jamie and back, as if watching a tennis match. ‘You’re with Jamie?’
‘Is that so strange?’ Alicia was pretty sure Jamie was feigning insouciance. He knew it was strange, but delight trumped offence.
‘Well, yeah, kind of, J, yes.’ Tony chuckled. ‘How did you guys meet?’
‘Oh, we bumped into each other on our travels.’ Jamie tactfully didn’t give too much detail. Her pulse could take some time out from its sprinting.
‘Nice and vague, J.’ Tony hinted at his desire for more clarity, before adding, ‘I was just asking for a wee photo for the paper.’
Off darted that pulse around the track again.
‘Ah, right.’ Jamie’s sensitivity to Alicia’s discomfort was evident in the coolness of his tone. ‘If you don’t mind,’ he said, ‘Alicia’s trying to stay under the radar.’
And, abracadabra, as if he had waved some sort of magic PR wand, Tony capitulated. ‘Okay. Sure thing. Sorry if it seemed like I was hassling you there, Alicia.’
‘Aye, and I’m sorry about the selfie,’ said Dawn. ‘I can delete it, if you want.’
‘It’s fine.’ Alicia attempted a joke. ‘I need my face on for photos these days.’ Truth was, she wanted their respect rather than make up, and it shouldn’t have taken Jamie to activate their manners. But the overarching vibe was relief that there would not be a scene today. Alicia hated scenes.