Chapter Sixteen
Sam walked back through the market, her eyes flicking onto every stall as she passed. Already, she was planning. Once Jay came back to her with what exactly she needed to do, then she’d get cracking on with the arrangements and start roping in people to help.
The first thing she needed to sort out was permission to hold a wedding in the market hall. With glee, she realised she’d need to make a list. Sam was one of life’s big list-makers. Since being left on her own at such a young age, she had become uber-organised. It was the reason she’d been able to hold down the stall and the house.
A secret wedding, how romantic! She recalled her own. Reece proposed to her about a month after her dad’s funeral, although they didn’t get married straight away. Since Martin wouldn’t be there, Sam didn’t want a fuss. A small wedding in the local registry office had sufficed, so there was no need for anyone to walk her down an aisle. They’d gone out with a few close friends for a meal afterwards and then everyone had trooped back to their house for a knees-up where more people were invited.
As weddings went, for her and Reece it had been ideal. There was no falling out about colours and flowers, no bickering about who’d been invited and who hadn’t and best of all, no terrible presents to laugh about, as everyone had given them holiday vouchers. They’d booked a week in the Canary Islands and set off the next month.
It wouldn’t suit some but both she and Reece had enjoyed it that way, even though there had been tears when she’d wished her dad had been there to see how happy she was on the day.
Where was she? Ah, yes, the list. Melissa from the make-up counter could do Nicci’s make-up and nails. She could ask Sally at Cupcake Delights to do the cake and Mr Adams to do the overall catering. It would seem fair for them each to do a bit. She knew they’d both want to. Everyone liked Nicci, she was always so upbeat and positive about everything. Most people knew Jay too.
Then there was Matt and Ryan. Well, there was only one job for those two.
The sweet stall – Jay had said he’d let his parents know of the plans, so there was no rush to tell Malcolm and Maureen but he’d have to ensure they gave Jess the minimum of information. Sam wouldn’t put it past her to have sabotaged the wedding purposely. Still angry after Jay had told her what his sister had done, she’d wanted to confront Jess straight away. But she hadn’t got time for that now as she had a wedding to plan. Maybe she should add it to her list of things to do!
‘Oh, she’s back at last,’ Louise cried when Sam finally drew level with her own stall. ‘I thought you’d driven to the incinerator to destroy the boxes, you’ve been that long. What kept you?’
Seeing Nicci close by, Sam shrugged her shoulders. ‘Oh, I was chatting to Matt.’ But as she passed Louise, she leaned in close. ‘Actually, I was chatting to Jay, and he told me all about the scuppered wedding.’
Louise looked up quickly. ‘I was sworn to secrecy.’
‘Oh, never mind that. Let’s go the café for a quick coffee. I have something to tell you.’
While Sam and Louise discussed the wedding, making a list of things that needed to be done for Nicci and Jay’s big day, Matt had his head in the morning’s newspaper, in between serving customers. Behind him, Ryan was making coffee.
‘Hey,’ Ryan passed him a mug afterwards, ‘will you do me a favour, old buddy?’
‘That depends on what it is and if it involves me being out of pocket,’ said Matt.
‘I just need you to cover for me while I, erm, attend to a little business.’
Matt looked up at Ryan. He could see his friend was watching the sweet stall – or rather, he was watching Jess. Suddenly, it all clicked into place.
‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ he replied.
‘No.’
‘And that’s why you want me to cover for you?’ When Ryan grinned, Matt shook his head. ‘No way. I told you after the last piece of skirt that I wasn’t comfortable lying to Sarah. I sure as hell won’t do it again.’
‘Aw, go on, mate,’ Ryan pleaded. ‘It’s only this once. No one will know.’
‘I’ll know.’
‘But it wouldn’t be—’
‘I said no!’ Matt slapped his hand on the boxes piled up in front of him, causing a few people walking past to look around.
‘I was only going to take her out for a drink after work one night, that’s all.’
‘Oh, right. So you wouldn’t want to see her again? And you wouldn’t want me to cover for you then too? And again and again?’ Matt prodded him sharply in the chest. ‘I know you of old, buddy. You’ve done this on me before and I won’t be dragged into it again. The answer is no.’
‘Fine. But it doesn’t mean that I won’t see her. I’ll just have to think of another excuse.’
‘Yeah, you do that, you selfish piece of shit.’ Matt pushed past him and out into the aisle. He glared at Jess as he stormed past. ‘Keep away from him,’ he told her.
Fury rushed out of him. Why would Ryan want to mess around with Jess, and risk everything for a fumble with a cheap tart who was only after a bit of fun? Surely he could see what he had – a wife, children and a lovely home. Just what Matt had always wanted, yet Ryan was willing to chuck it all away.
At the bottom of the market, Charley and Sophie were sitting in the back corner of Jeff’s café. It was half term and they were making the most of their break. Louise had treated them to breakfast and they were noisily tucking into bacon and eggs with fried bread, washed down with tea in striped blue and white mugs.
‘Whatcha!’ Charley shouted when she saw Matt. But he didn’t stop, even though she knew he’d spotted them. ‘Wonder what’s eating him?’ she said to Sophie as she poked the runny yolk of her egg with a piece of bread.
‘Dunno,’ said Sophie, following suit with her own. ‘I wonder if your mum has said something nasty to him.’
‘Probably,’ said Charley. ‘I just wish they could both see what everyone else sees. Matt’s mad about her and Mum’s mad about him but they pretend they don’t love each other.’
‘I know! Speaking of love, what’s Alex got to say today?’ Sophie mopped up the last bit of egg with the fried bread.
‘He says he wishes he had the money to come to Hedworth and hook up.’ Charley’s face lit up with a smile. ‘I wish he had too. I’d love to meet him in person.’
‘Let me see his profile pic again.’
Eagerly, Charley got out her phone and located it for her, checking her messages first to see if Alex had got in contact since the last time she checked. ‘Hang on, he’s left me a reply.’
‘Ooh.’ Sophie leaned forward. ‘Let me see.’
‘No!’ Charley pulled back the phone. ‘I want to see it first. It might be private.’
‘Since when has anything been private between me and you?’ Sophie seemed a little put out.
Since Charley had found someone she could talk to who didn’t go to her school, she thought. All the rumours that had been circulating about her had lessened, but the name calling hadn’t and she was sick of it. Alex knew what people were saying because he could read her Facebook feed. But it didn’t seem to be bothering him at all.
She read his message:
‘I loved watching Strictly Come Dancing but don’t tell anyone. Some of the dancers in it are quite fit. Not as fit as you are, though. You look lovely from your photo. That is you, isn’t it? You haven’t used someone else’s photo, have you? LOL!’
Charley’s grin widened.
‘He likes the photo I emailed to him,’ she said. This time, she let Sophie take the phone from her.
‘He is rather cute, isn’t he?’ Sophie studied it before handing it back. ‘Do you think he’ll have any mates I can tag along with?’
‘If only.’ Charley sighed. ‘He lives in Wales. It’s miles from here.’
‘There are plenty of trains that regularly go from Manchester. Or you could get a coach.’
‘And they cost money I haven’t got.’
‘Why not work on the market stall? Sam’s always after you to do a Saturday shift.’
‘Hey, I might just do that!” Charley beamed. Ever since she could remember, she’d always been against the idea of working on a Saturday. Saturdays were for getting up late, going shopping and chilling with Sophie, not working with your mum, hurling potatoes and apples into pensioners’ shopping trolleys. But if this thing with Alex developed, she could ask Sam again. Then she could go and see Alex.
Lost in a loved-up dreamy daze, Charley wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She sighed. It wasn’t fair that he lived so far away.
‘Shall we get going?’ Sophie asked, the chair scraping noisily across the floor as she stood up. ‘I can only window shop but they have some gorge stuff in TopShop.’
‘Sure.’ Charley shrugged in answer. Secretly, she wanted to sit here and chat to Alex through her phone. Or maybe go home and chat to him online. He’d mentioned something about FaceTime, or maybe they could Snapchat.
Later, as Charley waited while Sophie tried clothes on, she took out her phone and ran a finger over the image of Alex’s smiling features. She clicked to make the photo larger, as she had on many occasions now. His hair was dark, black almost, and cut short. Teamed with a cheeky grin were the most amazing brown eyes, with a twinkle that made her stomach flip every time she saw them. He sat with his dog; a German shepherd she knew was called Murphy, on a wooden bench. It had been taken in his back garden.
Quickly, she thought of something witty to say and sent him a message back.
‘Ha, ha. Very Funny. I am assuming that is you with Murphy and you’re not actually a dog! xx’
Once the message had been delivered, she thought about that kiss again. Charley tapped the phone lightly on her lips and grinned. Maybe things might start to look up now and she could forget about those idiots at school.
‘Happy Valentine’s Day, ladies,’ said Sam as she walked onto the stall just after ten o’clock the next day. She was late in after calling into the GP’s surgery to see the nurse. She’d wanted to discuss a few options with her before booking an appointment to see the doctor about her inability to conceive.
She spotted a card shoved down by the side of the till and turned to Louise. ‘Yours, I presume?’ When Louise nodded, she continued. ‘I wonder who it’s from.’
‘Hmm, I wonder.’
Sam grinned. Even though it wouldn’t be signed, they knew it would be from Matt. He always sent Louise a card. As Louise shoved it back down the side of the till again, Sam wondered if she ever wished it was sent with feeling rather than in humour. She reached for it and put it on display.
‘Hey!’ Louise tried to take it down but her fingers were slapped away gently.
‘True love needs to be acknowledged,’ Sam teased.
‘It would be, if it was true love.’ Louise pointed at Nicci who was smiling brightly. Behind her were twelve red roses in a cellophane box and a red heart-shaped helium balloon. ‘That’s true love.’
Sam smiled, thinking about the secret wedding. What they were organising was about true love. She really hoped it all went to plan.
‘You had anything from Reece?’ Louise asked.
Sam shook her head. ‘Just a card. We’re far too married for that.’
Last week, Sam had deliberated about it for a while and then wondered why. Even though a card seemed false and a little over the top at the moment, it was a token gesture she was happy to go along with. So when a bouquet of flowers was delivered to the stall an hour later, she was left a little shamefaced. She smiled, feeling her skin flushing as customers cooed at her.
‘I hope they’re from Reece,’ Louise muttered.
Goosebumps broke out over Sam’s skin. Get a grip, she thought, chastising herself. Dan would have moved on by now. He’d probably be sending flowers to another woman today. She opened the accompanying envelope and sighed with relief, thankful that Reece had put his name to them rather than leave it a mystery.
‘Aw, flowers for you, too,’ Nicci said. ‘Aren’t we the Valentine honeys!’
‘Speak for yourself,’ said Louise. ‘I might have a card but it doesn’t mean anything.’
Sam raised her eyebrows as Louise stared over at Matt.
Charley was in a great mood. That morning, she’d opened an email from Alex to find a Valentine e-card and a message that she’d memorised since reading it again and again. ‘I wish I could kiss my Valentine. One day I hope you will be mine.’ Even the boys at school continually asking her who would be her Valentine shag couldn’t dampen her spirit. She was still beaming about it at lunchtime.
‘I really wish I could meet him,’ she told Sophie again as they sat in the bus stop eating their sandwiches. ‘It was such a lovely card – with music and hearts and flowers.’
‘I really wish you’d stop talking about it. I’m getting a bit sick of hearing about him, Charl.’
Charley frowned. ‘That’s not a nice thing to say.’
‘Well,’ Sophie picked at the corner of her bread, ‘all I hear is Alex this and Alex that and Alex has done this.’
‘But, you’re the same about Owen and I listen to you,’ Charley protested, stung by her friend’s words.
‘I’m not as bad as you. All you want to do is talk about him. I’m surprised you want to know me at all.’
‘Oh, don’t be stupid,’ Charley said, brushing crumbs from her shirt. ‘I talk to him because he doesn’t know anything about me.’
‘I thought he knew everything about you. You’ve told him so much.’
‘I mean—’
‘I know what you mean.’ Sophie turned to her, raising her voice slightly as a lorry went rumbling past. ‘But, don’t you think you ought to be more careful? He’s someone you met online.’
‘So?’
‘So he isn’t really a friend. He’s just someone you can talk to. I thought I was your best friend.’
‘You are.’ Charley paused. How could she explain to anyone how Alex made her feel? Just one look at his photograph made her go all squishy inside. She watched a group of boys from her year walk past. None of them were a patch on Alex, she mused, especially when they started pointing at her and laughing.
‘He’s just so … so lovely,’ she continued. ‘He’s always there for me—’
‘No, he’s not. He’s on Facebook every now and then at the same time as you.’
Charley raised her eyebrows. ‘We arrange times to be online, if you must know.’
‘Like we used to,’ Sophie said pointedly.
‘Like we still do.’
‘Yeah, whenever you aren’t talking to him,’ Sophie sulked.
Charley sighed. ‘I like him. He never judges me and he makes me—’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘You don’t understand what it’s like being me. People at school don’t call you names.’
‘You should ignore them.’
‘That’s easy for you to say. Who called me Charley Cockhead this morning? I heard someone shout it when we went to double maths.’
Sophie laughed. She couldn’t help it.
But Charley didn’t find it funny. She screwed up her silver foil and shoved it into the bin.
‘For your information, I’m sick of you laughing at me too,’ she said, glaring at her friend.
‘I’m not laughing at you,’ Sophie insisted.
‘Yes, you are. And a true friend wouldn’t do that. A true friend would support me.’
‘I do support you.’
Charley ignored her. ‘That’s why I like talking to Alex.’
Sophie huffed. ‘You really need to chill out, Charl. Stop getting your knickers in a twist. Not everyone is out to get you.’
‘You’re just as bad as the rest of them!’ Charley stood up. ‘I can’t believe you’d turn on me too.’ She began to walk away, shouting over her shoulder, ‘Alex doesn’t judge me. ’
‘Charley!’ Sophie shouted. ‘Charley, wait up!’
But Charley didn’t stop. Ever since Sophie had got together with Owen, she had pushed her aside. Did she look down on her because she’d had sex with Owen now? She’d told Charley all about it and, even though she was still scared, she couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like.
No wonder she was always thinking about Alex. She had no one else to talk to. He was the only person who completely understood her – and was the guy she wanted to lose her virginity with.
But she wasn’t going to tell anyone that.
After work, Jess had arranged to meet Ryan in the stock room. She’d bought him some aftershave for Valentine’s Day. She knew he wouldn’t be able to take it home, but that hadn’t been her intention anyway. Instead, she planned to keep the aftershave in the stock room and bring it out whenever they met up illicitly there. It would be their secret – their code, in fact. She’d purposely bought him Armani Code as a joke between the two of them.
Ryan arrived in the stock room some ten minutes after her. It was nearly six as they’d had to wait until everyone had gone home. Even though there was a caretaker to lock up every night, all stallholders had front entrance keys. Ryan had told Mike he would set the alarms on the main doors once he’d finished stock taking. Now, they were all alone.
‘Hey,’ Ryan said, walking towards her. He was carrying a red gift bag.
‘Hey, yourself,’ she replied.
They kissed passionately. Jess pressed her body close to his and ran her hands over his back. They pulled apart and he thrust the gift bag into her hands.
‘For you, my Valentine,’ he smiled, raining kisses over her face.
Jess pulled out a box of perfume. DKNY Classic. She unwrapped it and sprayed it around liberally.
‘It’s gorgeous,’ she smiled and kissed him again. As the scent of water lilies and white birch enveloped them, they slipped to the floor.
Jess laughed inwardly. This was a doddle. Mission accomplished.
Nicci couldn’t wait to get home that evening after the text message she’d received from Jay earlier on.
‘I have something waiting for you on the table.’
All the way home on the bus, she wondered what it could be. By the time she opened the front door, she was bursting with anticipation. She could smell something cooking. She sniffed. Ooh, curry! She hoped it was one of Jay’s specials.
She took off her coat and almost ran through to the kitchen. But it was no different to how she’d left it this morning. The table wasn’t set for a romantic meal for two. There were no flowers, no gift. Nothing.
Confused, Nicci went through to the living room, then smiled as she stood in the doorway. Jay was sitting on the floor, his back to the settee. His chest was bare, his legs covered with the duvet from upstairs. Next to him, the coffee table was piled high with food, a candle lit either end. There was wine chilling in an ice bucket, chocolates waiting to be opened.
Nicci giggled. ‘You meant coffee table, didn’t you?’
‘Actually, I didn’t,’ said Jay. He stood up, the duvet dropping to reveal his nakedness. ‘I intend to ravish you over the kitchen table.’
‘What about Jess?’
‘She’s not coming home until ten. I bribed her …’
She giggled even more as she saw him getting aroused.
‘But first.’ He pointed down, raising his eyebrows.
Nicci rolled her eyes playfully. Despite what she’d done behind Jay’s back, at least he wanted to make her happy. And he clearly still fancied the pants off her – as did she of him.
Who cared if she had to wait a couple of years to marry him? It would be worth it to become his wife.