Second chance summer, p.16
Second Chance Summer, page 16
After the introductions, some of the others started discussing the next gig race, leaving Lily to talk to her nearest neighbours on the table, Aaron, Sam and Penny, who broke the ice by asking how her holiday was going.
‘Are you finding enough to do on the islands?’ Penny said.
‘More than enough,’ Lily said, glad of a more normal question yet still aware that Aaron and Sam were listening. ‘I’ve been shopping on St Mary’s and browsing the galleries. I’ve walked, sunbathed, done some sketching and painting.’ She gave what she hoped was a winning smile. ‘Pretty much the same things everyone else does on holiday.’
‘Apart from almost drowning?’ Aaron said, deadpan.
‘That kayak thing was a gross exaggeration,’ Sam muttered. ‘The press are a bunch of arseholes.’
‘OK, mate. It was a joke. I’m sorry for bringing it up,’ Aaron said to Lily, sounding genuinely apologetic.
She looked him full in the eye. ‘It’s fine and Sam’s right. The press often have a very loose relationship with the facts. It’s what sells papers and gets clicks. I know that better than anyone.’
Aaron nodded but Sam wasn’t mollified. ‘Isn’t it your turn to get a round in?’ he growled at his friend.
Before he could reply, Lily rose to her feet. ‘I think I’d better do that. As I’m the newcomer.’
Penny also stood up. ‘I’ll give you a hand,’ she said. ‘It’ll be a big tray.’
‘Thanks.’
Lily headed inside the pub with Penny following. She didn’t care how big the tray was. She’d take any excuse to get away from Aaron and Sam for a few minutes so she could gather herself. While grateful for Penny’s offer, she’d rather have gone by herself.
‘Aaron can be a bit full on,’ Penny said, giving the other half of the order to the barman after Lily had managed to remember her half of the table. ‘But he’s got a heart of gold.’
‘They’re business partners, aren’t they?’ said Lily. ‘I heard he’s going to help finish the other cottages.’
‘Yes, he’s been a good friend to Sam when he’s needed it most.’
‘Oh?’ Lily was torn between wanting to know what had happened and her desire not to appear too interested in her host’s private life. Dare she ask more while she had Penny to herself and the bar staff were making up the mammoth order?
Frustratingly, Penny seemed more preoccupied with settling the bill. ‘Are you sure you want to pay for this lot and not go halves?’ she said when Lily took her debit card from her bag.
‘I’m happy to get a round in. It’s nice to have been invited along, if I’m honest.’
‘If you insist then,’ Penny said, then lowered her voice. ‘As for being invited, it’s the first time in ages that Sam’s brought anyone – especially a woman – to rowing drinks.’
Lily laughed, yet this information gave her a thrill of pleasure. ‘Only because I’d be trapped on the island otherwise. I’m sure he feels guilty. To be honest, I think Aaron pushed him into inviting me. Probably curious!’
‘That sounds like Aaron, though Sam would never be pushed into doing something he didn’t want to. He’s a lovely man but he can be so stubborn.’
‘Really? I’d never have guessed …’
Lily waited for Penny to elaborate further on Sam’s character or to mention Rhiannon but she merely smiled, keeping any information she might have firmly to herself. ‘Like I said, Sam is a lovely man.’
Lily gave up on gleaning any more information and moved on to the subject of the island instead: ‘Between us, I jumped at the chance to come over to the pub because,’ she whispered, lowering her voice, ‘it would be a little bit spooky spending the evening on Stark on my own.’
Penny nodded in agreement. ‘Hmm. I can well believe it. It’s a gorgeous place but it does have an atmosphere, doubtless stoked up by generations of old wives’ tales that have been as exaggerated as your alleged near-death experience.’
Lily gave a faint smile, feeling slightly guilty about concealing the truth.
‘Ah, the drinks are here,’ Penny said. ‘And dinner will be ready soon, but before you leave tonight, I’d love to know more about your painting and crafts. I’m a ceramicist – no, don’t worry, I’m not angling to have my pieces stocked on your site – but I am in charge of the summer craft fair here. I’d like to pick your brains about how we can make the most of it.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ Lily said, following Penny back to the table with the trays of drinks. Fortunately, by the time they returned, the talk had moved on to rowing. They were all busy discussing their performance in practice and the upcoming gig race.
Lily sipped her half of cider, listening to the banter flashing to and fro and feeling as if she’d been let out of jail. The focus was off her. Phew.
Even so, when anyone spoke to her, she felt she was weighing her words before she said them and examining them after they’d escaped her mouth. She wanted Sam’s mates to like her but, more than that, she wanted them to see the real Lily – not the one who was constantly trying to live up to being the head of a successful business or how she thought a CEO should act.
She didn’t want to let Sam down and had to actively avoid watching him and thinking how attractive he was. His eyes lit up when he laughed; he was about as relaxed as she’d ever seen him.
He caught her eye and treated her to a hesitant smile that she returned with a broad one. He must be feeling relieved that the evening had turned out well, that she’d fitted into his world for a few hours at least.
Penny had said Sam had really needed Aaron’s support. Was that to do with Rhiannon? Lily knew very little and had wondered about her so much that her name had assumed an almost mythic quality.
Had Sam forced his ex away? Lily herself had seen how he could be a little obsessive, deciding to renovate the retreat at any cost – even to the detriment of his own wellbeing. However, she could hardly judge him for being driven. He seemed to act from a strong sense of duty and had risked his own safety to haul her from the water. The memory made her shudder.
There were two sides to every story. Dare she ask Elspeth?
‘About time!’ Aaron declared. ‘Did you have to go out and catch the fish after we ordered?’
‘You cheeky sod!’ Kirsten, the landlady, exclaimed. ‘I can take it all away again, you know.’
‘Only joking,’ Aaron said.
‘Aaron, I should shut up and eat before Kirsten chucks us all out,’ said Sam.
Soon, they were all tucking into the best fish and chips Lily had ever eaten. It turned out the fish had been caught that morning and the potatoes dug up that day by Ivanka’s brother-in-law on St Martin’s. Lily washed the meal down with a large glass of wine from the same island. She was beginning to feel pleasantly relaxed, her guard slipping further.
Talk turned to the work on the retreat.
‘Do you mind staying in a building site?’ Ivanka piped up.
‘Well, it’s not a building site any longer. Samphire is almost ready to let and we only have the tiling to finish on Starfish.’
Several pairs of eyes turned to her.
‘We?’ Aaron said before giving Sam a hard look. ‘Don’t say he’s been making his guests work on the cottages?’
Lily sensed Sam stiffen beside her, a heartbeat from jumping to her aid.
‘Wasn’t that the whole plan? For guests to work for their bed and board?’ she said innocently. ‘You do know I can’t stay too late because I have a toilet to plumb in tonight, and tomorrow I’m learning how to work the cement mixer.’
The others around the table erupted into guffaws.
Aaron found himself wrong-footed then laughed. ‘Nothing would surprise me.’
Lily treated him to a sweet smile. ‘To be honest, I have been offering my unsolicited advice. I was really impressed with the beautiful artwork in the cottages so I’ve been suggesting some decorative ideas for the two Sam’s renovating at the moment. There are some wonderful pieces in the galleries here on the islands that would be perfect. It’s a very talented community.’
‘Any advice on decorating the cottages is fine by me,’ Sam said firmly.
Lily tried not to catch his eye and, as she’d hoped, Aaron’s interest in her faded as she enthused over the local art scene. The conversation moved on to whether anyone wanted a pudding.
Inside, Lily heaved a sigh of relief that she’d managed to deflect attention from her slip-up. Hopefully none of Sam’s friends now thought she was actually helping him renovate the cottages. Even if it were true.
Declining a pud on the basis of being stuffed with fish and chips, Lily went to the Ladies. Penny was washing her hands. When Lily came out, the other woman had waited for her outside the bathroom.
After a couple of comments about the food, Penny changed tack. ‘I hope you don’t mind me saying this,’ she said.
Lily’s stomach tensed. When someone started a conversation with that phrase, it generally meant she was going to mind quite a bit.
‘It depends,’ she said lightly, with a smile on her face.
‘Oh, don’t worry, it’s nothing bad! When Elspeth said you were much nicer in real life than on that TV show, I was sceptical.’
‘Oh? They edited out all the supportive things I said. I was horrified when I saw the finished result.’
‘Yes, I should have realised that. My partner did an interview for a news programme on fishing and they made her come across as a total whinger who wanted all of the perks of living in paradise and none of the downside.’ Penny sighed. ‘I can now see the same thing probably happened to you but on a much bigger scale.’
‘You could say that,’ Lily quipped, sensing Penny had more to say but was chickening out. ‘You were going to tell me about the craft fair?’ she encouraged.
‘Oh, yes.’ Penny was growing redder. ‘As I said earlier, I’m in charge of organising it. It’s held in the community centre the Saturday after next. Most visitors to the island have to pass the hall and some will come over ’specially with the market as the main attraction.’
‘It sounds great and I’d love to come …’ Lily said, realising there was a major problem with the plan. Two in fact.
‘Really? Oh, you’d love it. You’re right, we do have some incredibly talented artists and craftspeople. The craft fair is one of their major opportunities to sell and showcase their work. Everyone looks forward to it. We have around thirty exhibitors and most of the island craftspeople try to come. There’s jewellery, pottery, textiles, mixed media, woollen accessories, hand-poured candles. Only handmade items are allowed, created here on the islands – which I’m sure you’ll approve of!’
Penny sounded so enthusiastic and her comment about handmade items chimed with Lily’s current dilemma regarding the supermarket deal.
‘It sounds wonderful,’ she said, wondering how she was going to break the news that she would be back in London by the time of the event.
‘I realise it’s a big ask but – would you consider being the VIP guest? You could officially open the market and perhaps draw the raffle? Meet some of our makers and chat to the punters too? I’m sure they’d love it.’
‘I’m probably the last person they’d want to meet! I’d scare everyone off.’ Even though Lily was joking, her laughter only masked her anxiety. The recent online trolling had triggered it, but she so didn’t want to let Penny or the islanders down.
Penny squeaked in horror. ‘Yes, but I know you aren’t scary at all and so will everyone who meets you. If you did come, it would add a touch of …’
‘I think notoriety is the word you’re looking for,’ Lily supplied.
‘Exactly. It would be bound to boost attendance by a mile!’ Penny trilled.
Lily was torn in two yet found it impossible to burst Penny’s bubble. The craft fair was exactly the sort of event she’d have loved to be part of, and she guessed it was a major honour to be asked. Even so, the prospect of being the centre of attention at a public event was making her stomach churn.
What she should have said was: ‘I’m sorry, but I won’t be here then.’
Giving a perfectly reasonable excuse was the sensible answer. Changing her plans would be complicated and it would be stressful to face everyone so soon after the latest news stories. Yet by staying away, she would be denying herself the pleasure of doing something that lay at the heart of her business and her life: arts and crafts and supporting the people who made them.
Penny must have sensed her misgivings. ‘Of course, please don’t feel obliged at all,’ she said. ‘It is a huge cheek … and honestly, no one would ever know I’d asked you.’
‘No, no,’ Lily said hastily, keen to help this kind woman as much as she could. ‘Um … I’m not quite sure what my plans are yet. I mean, I haven’t firmed up exactly when I’m returning to London, but if I’m still here, yes, I’d like to.’
Penny exhaled in delight. ‘That would be amazing. You see, the fair isn’t only about sales on the day, but about raising the profile of craftspeople – it can lead to online orders and commissions or having their work in galleries.’
Lily fully understood. She’d started at craft fairs. She’d had a market stall. She knew how hard it was to find places to showcase and sell your work, how hard it was to get started and make a living. That’s why she’d started Lily Loves, to support makers and give them a platform. It was about following her passion and the fact she was able to make a living out of it was the unexpected bonus, though she recognised some of that passion might have become lost along the way recently.
‘Look, I’ll be honest with you, I do have a flight booked the day before but this is important. For you and the makers – and me.’
Penny held up her hands in horror. ‘Oh, I couldn’t inconvenience you that much!’
‘I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to,’ Lily said firmly.
‘I feel bad for asking but it would be wonderful if you could come!’
‘Tell you what, I won’t make any promises now. I need to talk to my team first, to make sure I won’t miss anything vital at work and see how feasible it is to alter my travel arrangements. I will get back to you by tomorrow evening.’
Lily looked over to Sam whose laughter had attracted her attention. He looked so happy and gorgeous that her stomach did a flip. He caught her eye and tilted his head enquiringly, guessing he was being talked about.
A shiver ran through her. Penny had just handed Lily the perfect excuse to stay longer with him … it was both thrilling and scary to realise how much she wanted to stay.
‘I also need to ask Sam if he can put up with me for an extra weekend.’
Penny slid a look towards him and smiled. ‘Oh, I think he’ll be more than willing to oblige.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The dull roar of the Hydra’s engine had a strangely comforting effect on Lily on the way back to Stark.
Sitting in the seat next to the helm, she had a fantastic view as they bounced over the waves, sending spray flying high into the air.
‘How did you fare with that motley crew?’ Sam asked once they were in the middle of the channel, as if it was now safe to speak without his friends overhearing. ‘I hope it wasn’t too much of an ordeal?’
‘Did it look like one?’ She was amused and quite touched by his concern.
‘No, but together they can be a bit much. I was worried the rowing talk might send you off to sleep.’
‘No, but the local wine and cider might. It was honestly fine – I just don’t like being the centre of attention.’
‘I was worried that it might be a baptism of fire,’ he said.
‘Sam, don’t stress. It was a few drinks in a pub.’ Anyway, she’d be gone soon. Even if she didn’t make a good impression, she’d never have to see them again. Yet she did care what they thought of her, and that had never bothered her before. Why now?
‘Anyway, it doesn’t matter what they thought,’ Sam continued. ‘I don’t want you to have to try too hard.’
‘After the bad press I had, I always have to.’
‘No, you don’t,’ he said, turning away from the sea to look straight into her eyes. ‘Not with me.’
Lily’s stomach did a double flip that had nothing to do with the waves. She knew he meant every word: that she could be completely herself with him. If Sam hadn’t been carefully steering the boat between treacherous rocks in the twilight, she might have done something she regretted: like kiss him.
‘I know,’ she said, keeping her hands firmly on the seat. ‘And that means a lot to me. I confess I wasn’t in love with Stark when I first arrived.’
‘You don’t say?’ he commented with a wry smile.
‘But I am now. It’s beautiful and I’ll be sorry to have to leave.’ She hesitated for a moment. ‘In fact, I want to talk to you about that.’
‘Oh?’ He glanced her way, in between negotiating the safe channel between the rocks.
‘How would you feel about me staying a little longer?’
‘Longer?’ The boat wobbled and he adjusted the wheel. ‘How much longer?’ he said once she was back on course.
‘Only an extra few days. Don’t worry, I’ll be out of your hair after that. You see, Penny asked me if I’d stay and help her launch the craft fair and I said I’d have to ask you. It would mean delaying my flight yet again, and I absolutely do not want to disrupt anyone else’s plans, but if it is possible and you can put up with me for another weekend, then I feel I ought to help. Actually, I want to help. I got my first start in business at craft fairs and I know how hard it is to build a profile and make a living from your own products.’
‘That’s very kind of you,’ he said.
‘Is it?’
‘Yes, especially after the battering you’ve had at the hands of the press lately. I’m sure Penny and all the craftspeople will appreciate it.’
‘I hope they don’t see me as muscling in,’ she said, experiencing a flutter of anxiety again.
‘They won’t. Not once they meet you.’
The flutter turned into something much more pleasant.
