Chapter 46
ELIZA
Jez had given Eliza several days off work to move back into her bungalow.
She’d made more than one trip in the car.
Geoff came over and helped her lift the black bin bags.
He’d been very understanding about her situation, said that if he found a new tenant sooner rather than later, she didn’t need to keep paying the rent.
It surprised Eliza how fond she’d become of the place – and dear Boo.
She was glad for a little more time with her feline friend who would live at her bungalow until a new home was found for him.
Much as Carrie wanted to move him to Greece, apparently Boo hated even the ten-minute car journey to the vet’s.
She didn’t want to put him through a long trip.
Eliza thought Nessa, the lawyer who had helped Carrie in her life-sale process and who had called by a couple of times to check on Boo, might be interested.
But Carrie said Nessa didn’t want a pet full-time.
Back in Bramhall, the two of them sat in her lounge.
She hadn’t been able to resist buying him a few toys, especially as he couldn’t go outside for at least a week, until he was familiar with his new surroundings.
Tom, the builder, had almost finished and didn’t need to come near her property any longer.
With everything from Carrie’s place transferred over to hers and in the spare room for the time being, she’d spent the day cleaning and done a food shop.
Next time she was in Flowers For One she’d make up a colourful bouquet for her lounge, missing the lively wallpaper back in Reddish.
Douglas and the other staff were managing really well with the wedding season so far.
She bought them coffee and donuts and quietly promised herself she’d give them a bonus at the end of the month.
The doorbell rang. Ariana and Rae had agreed to come around, to take a look through Carrie’s things.
Eliza turned off Spotify which was playing a Jung Kook album, moved Boo from her lap and got up from the cream sofa, the avocado plushie a welcome addition.
She stopped in front of the door, took a breath and opened it.
Eliza hadn’t known what to expect, but it hadn’t been a big bunch of flowers, a rainbow of colours, in front of the familiar Newcastle shirt, and a tee reflecting a travel destination on her left. Eliza’s jaw dropped.
‘We found a florist’s called Flowers For One in the village,’ said Rae and handed them over.
‘The guy in there knew you, so we asked what your favourite flower was.’ Ariana gave a small smile. ‘He said you like them all.’
‘This bouquet is perfect,’ she mumbled, a lump in her throat.
‘Thank you. My… my husband never used to buy flowers for me, not even on Valentine’s Day.
When I left him, I realised I didn’t need a partner to spoil me, to show me love, I could do that for myself.
’ She breathed in their scent. ‘These are beautiful, I’ll put them in water. Do come in.’
Ariana put down the umbrella she’d been holding over them to keep off the spit spots of summer rain.
They insisted on waiting in the hallway whilst Eliza went into the kitchen and filled a vase.
She had many to choose from – ones made from cut glass, several for single stems, a metal cylindrical one and various mason jars.
She arranged the flowers, put the vase on the lounge windowsill and returned to the hallway.
‘Please, come through and make yourselves comfortable.’
‘Nah, thanks,’ said Rae. ‘We aren’t stopping.’
Eliza’s heart sank.
‘Neither are you,’ said Ariana firmly, and she reached for Eliza’s lightweight jacket hanging on a nearby hook.
‘We’re here to take you out for a drink.
There’s a two-for-one cocktail evening on at The Niterie, if you fancy it.
The nightclub business must be struggling because Jez messaged me to say there was an offer on.
I booked a work event there once so he had my number.
Jez also suggested you might like a break from getting settled into the bungalow again.
’ She gave a small smile. ‘He must be missing you.’
‘A drink? Us three?’ Eliza stuttered ‘But Jez knows that… that things are strained. He shouldn’t have put you in that position.’
Rae turned to Eliza. ‘Already in my shortish life, I’ve changed massively and wouldn’t want to be judged by the person I was back at school – the sulky brat who thought it was clever to smirk at teachers and fail at exams, and smoke at the bottom of the field.
A girl who didn’t understand you had to work hard as well as have fun, and who was trying too hard to create an identity, instead of just being herself.
And…’ She gave a little grimace. ‘I didn’t want to admit it, back in April, but when Darcy, an awful woman I used to work with, turned up at The Niterie, it was obvious she’d changed too. ’
‘As for me, I was raging a lot of the time, underneath, not fitting in, having trouble with my dyslexia,’ said Ariana.
‘Whereas nowadays I try not to act defensive, I question whether someone truly thinks I’m stupid or whether I actually need to explain myself more clearly.
I was a bit of an idiot sometimes, always jumping to the worst conclusions about people, pushing them away due to a few jerks who picked on me.
I hated my parents for no good reason.’ Her frown disappeared.
‘I was lucky when I met Rae… and Carrie. They were patient and saw the real me, struggling.’ Ariana’s face softened.
‘It’s obvious you regret what happened, Eliza. ’
‘Oh, I do,’ said Eliza, tears in her eyes. She’d allowed herself to cry more in the last few weeks than in the whole of her life.
‘You’ve done your best to try to put it right,’ said Rae, ‘like flying out to Greece. Right to the end, going above and beyond.’
Ariana’s cheeks flushed. ‘We’d like to apologise as well – we shouldn’t have given you such a short deadline to tell Carrie.’
Eliza dabbed her eyes with a tissue. ‘No, you were right. It had to be done. No point waiting. Carrie’s reaction showed me how wrong it had been to be pretending.’
‘As for Jez, he cares about you, Eliza,’ said Rae. ‘He’s a good bloke.’
Eliza sniffed. She wasn’t used to someone looking out for her best interests. ‘Okay. Thanks. I’d love to come. Drinks are on me though. Then I want all the tea.’
Rae snorted. ‘Us have gossip? You can start by telling us exactly how well you know Jez, seeing as he accompanied you to Paros!’
Eliza almost grinned, but was too overcome by their kindness to join in. And seeing them young and full of fun, full of the honesty that some people hid as they got older, reminded her what she was missing out on with Carrie.
But no point wallowing. She’d learnt that a long time ago.
Eliza went into her bedroom, thinking about Jez with the intention of changing into something more…
Gosh.
It had been a long time since she’d wanted to look nice for another person.
Since leaving Howard she’d brightened up her appearance and not been afraid to stand out, wearing bold colours.
She’d dressed up to please no one but herself and thrown away the twee Laura Ashley dresses that Howard insisted she wore.
‘Classy and regal, and fit for a queen,’ he’d say they were.
After the funeral, Eliza swore she’d never try to look good for a man again. But Jez was different and she wanted to look her absolute best.
Most of all she wanted the two of them to smooch to Jung Kook again.
Carrie’s wardrobe had given her a confidence she hadn’t known was missing to show off her figure.
Eliza put on skinny black trousers that had belonged to Carrie, and a black and white geometric print blouse of hers that cinched in at the waist – so unlike the baggier bits Eliza used to wear before living in Reddish.
Rae wolf-whistled as Eliza put on her jacket and shoes, and they headed out.
Ariana drove them over to Stockport in the car she shared with her girlfriend.
Jez waved as they headed into the chillout room.
He was talking to a supplier. The club was buzzing with the after-work crowd.
They found a table in between two low couches, and with the dimmed lighting and jazz music softly playing, Eliza inhaled the club’s lavender scent and relaxed into the cushions.
Ariana stuck to mocktails; Rae and Eliza, on Eliza’s recommendation, ordered Cheeky Vimtos.
She explained how the cordial Vimto originated in Manchester and was originally made as a health tonic.
‘Love a fun fact,’ said Ariana.
‘So did Mel,’ said Rae. ‘She’d come on a pub quiz with us now and again. We always did well if she was on our team.’ She shot Eliza a look. ‘You don’t mind if we talk about her?’
‘No. It’s nice. She loved board games as a child.’
‘What was your husband like with her?’ asked Rae. ‘You don’t need to answer if… it brings back too many bad memories.’
‘Clinical. Not in the beginning when she was little, when she didn’t see his true colours.
But when she started to answer back and understood more what things meant, like slammed doors, he backed off.
He never raised a hand to Mel, hardly ever raised his voice when she was around.
He just kept his distance. I… I’ve often wondered if that’s why she got pregnant so young.
I tried to make up for his lack of affection, but as she became an older teen and couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t leave – and I don’t blame her – she and I, we lost our closeness.
She dated quite a few lads before getting pregnant… Perhaps she was looking for affection.’
‘Mel was the spit of you, Eliza, I can see it now,’ said Ariana. ‘And Mel had already started to go grey. I bet she’d have had pure white hair like yours eventually.’
‘I started going grey around forty too,’ said Eliza. ‘Back then I wanted to dye it. Howard said not to – that the grey was a tribute to Queen Elizabeth, who was letting hers show too.’
‘He sounds like a right jerk,’ said Rae as their drinks arrived.
‘A complete idiot.’ Ariana reached for her glass.
Eliza smiled and lifted her cocktail. ‘I’ve definitely found my tribe.’
‘I’m Your Man’ by George Michael played and Jez appeared. He collapsed onto the sofa next to Eliza, put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the lips.
‘Smooth, really smooth, Jez,’ said Rae, and he flipped her the finger good-humouredly.
They drank, chatted, and Eliza disappeared to use the bathroom as Jez suggested to the others that they try the latest bar snacks, on the house – a range of sliders.
However, Rae stopped listening and gaped at the door.
Ariana turned around with curiosity. Arm in arm, holding luggage, stood Carrie and a Greek pop star.