Chapter 28
Lili yawned as she drove along the A-road, still not used to Cornwall having no motorways. She’d gone to bed late last night, after a video call with Dylan about their Vegas trip.
‘I had a poker game here on Wednesday night,’ he’d said, ‘and invited some of the lads from work and a neighbour. Got in drinks and snacks. I played Rat Pack music in the background. Really saw myself as some sort of hotshot player.’ He’d given a hangdog expression.
‘I lost every round and ended up having to bet with Doritos.’
God, he’d made her laugh.
‘You need a strong coffee to wake you up, Lili,’ said Meg, now. She sat in the passenger seat wearing a classic, bottle-green swing coat and vintage knitted beanie. She’d looked through the old mixtapes and put on a Christmas one. ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ was currently playing.
‘On last night’s video call, Dylan and I got sidelined by looking at festive menus on the Strip. Imagine turkey tostadas with cranberry relish, or beef with a bourbon maple syrup, or cinnamon-spiced apple strudel, or chocolate Yule log with peppermint ice cream.’
‘Sounds amazing! And talking of food…’ Meg pulled a tube of butterscotch sweets out of her pocket and offered one to Lili, unwrapping it after Lili nodded. It was the sort of thing Em would have done.
‘Thanks again for asking me along on your shopping trip today,’ said Meg. ‘Tavistock is a brilliant place for shopping, but the train takes forever from Mevagissey. It was so much easier just getting one to yours.’
‘How long has your friend lived there?’
‘Six years now. Beth moved when her mum got a new job. You sure you’re okay with me heading off to see her at five? You and I could grab an early evening cocktail first.’
‘No. I actually have plans of my own,’ Lili said airily.
‘The fishing boat master?’
‘Seeing as I’m over his way, he said to call in. He’s doing a winter barbecue. If I’m not in work on Monday, you’ll know I’ve caught pneumonia. Then he wants us to watch the movie Casino , to get us in the mood, seeing as it’s only one week till our trip.’
‘I’m watching a Twilight marathon with Beth.’
‘We’ll both deserve a rest after battling the Christmas crowds.
I’m also hoping to tick off everything on my shopping list for Manchester – although Dad just wants a pack of cards from Vegas and Mum a casino-themed fridge magnet.
I reckon I’ll get Dylan something small from Tavistock.
Maybe a bottle of Limoncello if I can find it.
He misses Italy and makes the most amazing ham and cheese toasties – using Italian cheese. Now, what was it called…?’
Meg stared at her.
‘Lunch is on me today, by the way,’ Lili added.
‘But you’re paying for the petrol.’
‘I was coming here anyway. Really, you’re not much more than a stowaway.’ Lili glanced at her. It was good to see Meg smile. Lili had been so wrapped up in herself this last year but now her focus was widening again.
‘I know what you’re doing,’ Meg said in a soft tone.
‘You got me – avoiding one of the busiest weekends in our shop. The great thing about Andrew being such a Grinch about Christmas is he’s happy to manage our branch on any Saturday in December.’
‘You’re trying to cheer me up – and I’m very grateful. It’s been a shit week.’
Colonel Mustard was stuck behind a red car with a reindeer aerial topper, on a winding B-road now. Lili gave up on an attempt to overtake. ‘I’m sorry that another rental option fell through.’
‘I’m beginning to think I’ll never find my own place.
’ Meg reached into the sweet bag again. ‘Gran’s a star, really is, but the small things grate – she doesn’t approve of streaming telly and only likes cosy shows, as she calls them, on the usual channels.
But then if I watch on my laptop upstairs, she calls me down, says we should have family time.
She sets up a board game, makes me a drink, but sometimes I just want to get home and veg out, doing crap stuff like scrolling whilst eating pizza, or watching some reality show.
I don’t want to feel guilty that I’m ruining the evening for Gran.
The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt her. ’
‘Sounds pretty normal to me. There’s no way I could go back to living with either of my parents, always having lights out by midnight with Mum, and her tutting if I eat too much chocolate, or having to tell Dad exactly what time I’ll be back from a night out and him ringing me if I’m five minutes late.
’ ‘Feliz Navidad’ came on the tape player.
‘Your gran was young once, Meg. She won’t have forgotten that. Times change, that’s all.’
‘I think Gran is kidding herself that it won’t happen.
If only she could see that it’s not all bad.
I won’t be keeping her awake late at night, or making a mess when I cook.
And I’m really looking forward to having her over for meals, and if I ever earn enough I’d like to take her on holiday one day.
She’s always wanted to go to York. She’s a bit of a history buff and loves anything to do with the Vikings or mediaeval times.
’ She sighed. ‘Funny isn’t it – we’re so keen to become independent when we’re young, saving every penny to get our own place, to be in a situation where we’ve got no one else to please.
But when you’ve finally got it, years ahead, mortgage paid, décor exactly how you want it, lots of personal space, you want the exact opposite.
Glenda came in yesterday without her usual sparkle.
She said I was the first person she’d spoken to in three days as she’d been holed up with a cold. No one had rung, no one had called by.’
The satnav on Lili’s phone interrupted them, and directed her off the B-road and onto the final part of their journey heading to the centre of Tavistock and a car park near Bedford Square. The town hall was situated there, with the well-known Pannier Market behind it.
Streets radiated off this central point and once they’d parked up, they walked down one, bustling and noisy.
The crisp December air snapped Lili out of her tiredness.
They passed an array of independent shops, selling hand-painted cards, Devon-themed gifts, art deco ornaments, stationery, jewellery and clothes.
Each shop was either decorated with fake snow in the window or displayed a Christmas tree and provided a different festive music soundtrack – carols from one, jazz from the next and synth pop from another.
Lili marvelled at one place specialising in gin, and Meg bought several taster bottles for her gran.
Then she took Lili to a shop that sold nothing but flapjacks, tens of different flavours.
Lili bought a bagful to take into work next week – and another one to freeze. Both Mum and Dad would love them.
Feet aching, they spotted a table by the window in a coffee shop. They hurried inside and bagged it. Soon they were eating mashed avocado and poached eggs on sourdough.
‘Mmm. Don’t talk to me for a minute,’ said Meg, and she closed her eyes.
‘Kristen Stewart just walked in.’
Meg’s eyes flipped open.
‘Celebrity crush. Works every time,’ said Lili.
Meg wiped egg yolk off her chin with a napkin covered in robins and took a welcome mouthful of tea. ‘Talking of crushes… Tell me if I’m wrong, but I’ve got a vibe that something’s changed for you, about Dylan. You’ve come to like him… really like him, right?’
Lili swallowed the wrong way and had a coughing fit, sending an apologetic look to the elderly couple at the next table.
‘And there’s my answer,’ said Meg.
Lili put down her knife and fork on the empty plate. ‘Okay. Yes. Yes, I do like him,’ she said quietly. ‘But he doesn’t feel the same. As I told you and Tommo, he’s not interested.’
‘How do you know for sure?’
‘He put a business relationship between us ahead of anything else and hasn’t given a hint of regretting that since.’
Meg tilted her head. ‘Unrequited love hurts like hell. I can only imagine how bad it is around Dylan, he’s so goddam good-looking! And he has a way about him. Even though men are not for me, I completely get why you’re into him.’
‘At least he’s a friend – and, I’m hoping, he might become a good one at that.’
‘Fancy sharing your fantasy night with him though.’ She laughed out loud at the expression on Lili’s face and the elderly couple looked at them again.
‘Don’t be shy. I’ll go first. Me and Kristen Stewart.
I go to a fashion show. As usual, her androgynous style is soooo cool.
Amongst all the fans and journalists, she spots me and compliments my outfit.
I’m wearing suede, pocket micro shorts over tights and a horizontally striped biker-cum-bomber jacket. ’
‘I can see you’ve dug down into the detail,’ said Lili, grinning.
‘She takes me into the VIP area. We only stay for an hour. She’s not a fan of the celebrity life.
She takes me to a classy hotel nearby, very discreet.
We go up to a room. Man, the skyline of Manhattan is amazing.
She runs and takes a jump, landing on the biggest bed I’ve seen in my life.
I do the same and land next to her. We can’t stop laughing.
Not until she reaches for my shorts and?—’
‘Okay! I think you’re done.’
Meg fanned herself with the menu. ‘You next.’
This reminded Lili of being with Em. And, she realised, thinking that didn’t hurt as much as she might have expected.
‘Don’t laugh.’
Meg pretended to zip her lips.
‘Dylan is dressed as a Roman soldier, in a red tunic, silver armour and sandals. He’s holding two swords.’
‘Oh God. Don’t give me ideas for Kristen.’
‘We’re both standing in the middle of a battleground.
I’m a Celtic Briton – dressed as a man. I won’t leave the defending of my community to the opposite sex; our people need all the help they can get.
Therefore, I’ve hidden my long hair, smeared mud on my face, stolen a sword and shield.
I’ve been practising my fighting techniques in the woods, having watched the men train for months. ’
Meg leaned forwards. ‘I could get into this. Carry on.’
‘I hold my own. Wound a couple of soldiers. Help steer the Romans away from our camp. But Dylan spies me. I can tell he’s curious.
I panic and run away, not wanting my fellow Britons, let alone the Romans, to work out my disguise.
But he gives chase and easily catches me up in the woods.
I lift my chin defiantly and get ready to lunge.
But he’s high-ranking in the army, experienced, and before I realise it he’s darted to my side and easily pulled off my helmet.
My hair tumbles down. His eyes widen and gently he tucks a loose strand behind my ear.
Our eyes lock and respect fills his. Before we know it, we’re lying on the ground and… ’
The grey-haired woman next to them had leant towards their table and jerked back when Lili stopped talking, her chair almost tipping over backwards.
Meg shook her head. ‘Dearie me, and I thought it was men who were supposed to be obsessed with the Roman Empire.’
Lili paid the bill and, linking arms, they did a couple more hours’ shopping and enjoyed a winter-spice hot chocolate from an outdoor bar.
As dusk fell, multi-coloured twinkling Christmas lights zig-zagged across streets, up in the sky.
Pockets of light lit up trees and the town hall.
The two of them hugged and Meg went off to meet her friend.
Lili threw her takeaway cup into a bin before strolling back to the car park, humming ‘Waking Up In Vegas’ by Katy Perry.
As she passed the café where she and Meg ate lunch, a voice shouted out.
‘Lili! Hi there!’
Her eyes narrowed. Jags?
He waved and came over carrying handfuls of bags. He set them on the tarmac and rubbed his shoulder. ‘A bit out of area, aren’t you?’
‘Christmas shopping – and Dylan’s asked me over for a barbecue.’
‘Nice! He mentioned the other week that winter barbecues used to be Harry’s thing.
Dylan’s brother sounds like quite a character.
Wish I’d met him.’ Jags consulted his watch.
‘Better keep moving. The in-laws are around tonight and I need to hide a few presents before my wife gets home from work. Good to see you again, Lili.’ He paused.
‘Dylan’s a decent bloke and could do with getting out more, with making new friends.
’ He looked at his watch again and picked up his bags.
‘The lads at work say he’s hardly left the office these last two years.
It’s great to see him moving forwards, at last, since Harry died and his world fell apart. ’ Jags said goodbye and hurried off.