Chapter 19
Nineteen
British stained-glass artist. Created windows for Coventry and Southwark cathedrals. Discussion point: art in different forms and for different purposes.
(Taken from Calliope Thorne’s teaching notes.)
‘Those are pretty.’ Johnny leaned in to have a better look.
Having played with Vinny in Sea Haven’s garden they’d finally tired the spaniel out and he was now snoring. Callie was making gin cocktails with the elderflower cordial she’d bought earlier.
Johnny had on worn Levis and a faded pink shirt.
It set off his new suntan perfectly. Callie’s knees weakened at his proximity.
Turning to the kitchen work surface, she stopped pouring gin into glasses and fingered her new earrings self-consciously.
‘Thank you. I bought them from Dipti. She had a stall at the market today.’
After dropping her basket off with Grace, Callie had returned to the market to have a better look.
She bumped into Austin and was introduced to his imposing and quite frankly terrifying wife Aggie and she’d been rescued by Brenda.
Together they’d headed to the stall Avril was running on behalf of her son.
Brenda, having slipped her arm companionably through Callie’s, whispered that Aggie ran a vlog and wrote books all about making the most of life in your silver years.
‘And when I say making the most of all aspects of your life, I mean all,’ Brenda had giggled. ‘She’s quite the local celebrity but a little of Aggie goes a long way.’
‘It would explain this. She pressed into my hand.’ Callie held the business card up for inspection. A lurid pink in colour, it featured abstract lines that, on closer inspection, revealed themselves to closely resemble female genitalia. ‘I may never dare venture onto her website.’
‘Trust me,’ Brenda intoned solemnly with a wink. ‘Don’t.’
Jago’s light-catchers were all so beautiful Callie found it impossible to choose but had eventually bought three.
Two seascapes with bobbing yachts for Frida and Donna, and a heart made of her favourite greens and turquoises for herself.
She didn’t have anywhere to hang it in the Worcester house which tended to be on the dark side, but it was so lovely she hadn’t been able to resist.
Now, smiling at the happy time she’d had, she resumed making the cocktails and expanded on her answer to Johnny’s comment. ‘I loved Dipti’s jewellery so bought Frida a pair of earrings too.’
He leaned a hip against the work surface, watching her. ‘Have you heard from your daughter recently?’
‘I tried ringing earlier, actually.’ Callie frowned and added ice. ‘Her phone was dead or switched off or something. Couldn’t get through. Wish I’d thought to take down the details of where she’s staying or knew her friend’s number, but Leah and I don’t get on so we’re not very friendly.’
Johnny took the glasses. ‘Her phone probably just needs charging. I’m sure she’s fine and having a great time. Shall we sit in the garden? After all that running about with Vinny, I could do with a sit down.’
Callie followed him through the French doors. ‘Thank you for not minding about us having the dog.’
He grinned and slid elegantly into a deck chair holding the glasses aloft.
Callie admired the feat. He must have incredible core strength.
‘It’s really not a problem,’ Johnny continued.
‘He’s a great little dog and I like him.
’ Casting a glance over to the spaniel, now curled up in his basket in the early evening sunshine, he added, ‘Even more now he’s asleep.
Always hankered after a dog but my lifestyle was never settled enough.
I’ve had one or two attach themselves to me when on a job. ’
Callie saw a shadow flit over his face and also saw the determination to chase away the bad memories.
‘I tried to find them homes before I left.’ He shrugged.
‘But in situations where human life is worth little or is endangered, animals are right at the bottom of the pecking order.’ He sucked in a decisive breath.
‘However, on such a gorgeous evening, I am not going to dwell on such things. Come and sit down and tell me all about the market.’
She sat down and he passed her a drink. Sipping it, she told him about bumping into Grace and then Austin and Aggie, chatting to Dipti about how marvellous having a space at the Art School was, and having a giggle with Brenda and Avril.
He looked at her keenly. ‘You seem to have the knack of making friends.’
‘Trust me, it only seems to happen in Lullbury Bay. At home I have my school colleagues, my rock choir friends and that’s about it. What about you?’
He paused for a minute. ‘My contracts were short. Certainly when I worked for the BBC, I only stayed a maximum of three years in a posting. So it was a case of forging friendships which became intense because of the situation we were all in. A colleague who had a sister who acted likened it to the relationships formed on set. Potent and meaningful while everyone was thrown together but quickly forgotten when we moved on. Having said all that, I do have a few friends who have lasted the pace.’ His lip curled. ‘I’m not a complete saddo.’
Callie laughed. ‘Never ever thought you were.’
‘I suppose, in many ways, we’re quite similar.’
‘In what way?’
‘Self-reliant. Independent.’
‘True.’
He gave her a casual look as he sipped his gin. ‘But everyone needs someone.’
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak and, instead, watched a lazy bee buzz in and out of the dusky pink echinaceas. A couple of the flowers had bent stalks thanks to an over enthusiastic Vinny.
After a pause he went on. ‘I wasn’t at the market, although I would have loved to have had a look.’ He brushed a speck of grass off his jeans. ‘Actually, I went to see my parents.’
‘Oh?’
‘Tried to talk to them without it raising my blood pressure to dangerous heights. It helped to see them as you do. I owe you a huge debt of thanks.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes. You’ve made me see that they nag from love, out of concern. And you’ve also made me realise that my issues with my family pale into insignificance with what others have to contend with. I’ve decided to try and build some bridges.’
‘That’s wonderful, Johnny,’ Callie said warmly. ‘I’m so pleased. I know they may have their faults but they really are marvellous. Funny, warm-hearted–’
‘Eccentric as hell,’ he finished.
She held up her glass in a toast. ‘Where would we be without a little eccentricity?’
Johnny clinked his against it. ‘Life would indeed be a lot more boring.’
‘And you can never claim your family are boring!’
‘That they’re not.’ He laughed.
They lapsed into silence. Vinny stirred in his basket, sighed and then resettled. A blackbird dropped down, bathed vigorously in the stone bath Callie had filled earlier and then the bird lifted itself silently onto the wall, where it sat, preening its feathers.
‘Do you think you’ll ever make amends with your parents?’ Johnny asked.
She studied her gin and swished the lemon slice out with her finger.
Sucking it she grimaced, enjoying its gin-soaked tartness.
‘Don’t think my story will have a fairy-tale ending.
’ Nibbling the peel she added, ‘I might get in touch with my brother when I get back. It would do Frida good to have a male role model in her life, but I can’t see anything changing between me and my parents.
For that, they need to change, and I can’t see it happening. ’
The night settled around them. The light faded and tiny pinpricks of stars appeared.
Callie watched, entranced, as something black flitted, silver-quick across into the palm trees.
A bat. Another joined it, dancing against the luminous turquoise sky.
She stared, trying to commit the image and the colours to memory, wishing she had her sketchbook to hand.
She was just about to get up and find it when Johnny said suddenly, ‘Jeez, this gin is strong. What are you going to feed me?’
Giggling, she raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Am I your servant, yours to command?’
‘Would you like to be?’
The heat that passed between them took Callie’s breath away. ‘I think we had better eat,’ she stuttered.
He rose effortlessly and held out his hand to help her up.
As their flesh met, a wave of electricity pulsed through her nerves so acute she thought she’d light up the sky. They stood, her breasts in her thin T-shirt pressed against him. She thought she’d explode.
The movement made Vinny wake. With a yawn he stretched and then gambolled over to them.
Callie eyed the dog, amused. ‘You feed Vinny and I’ll get our food ready.’
‘Now who’s the master? Or should I say mistress?’
Still holding his hand and still standing pressed against him, she gazed up into his clear grey eyes. ‘I’m extremely confused.’
His eyes flickered as he answered. ‘And you’re not alone.’
Vinny, scrabbling at his jeans, broke them apart.