‘Look at this place,’ Trip said beside her. ‘This is like … everything I thought a British pub would be but better. It’s like we stepped into a movie.’
‘That’s Fox Bay for you,’ Ivy said wryly, as Old Bill belched loudly on the bar stool beside her. ‘Movie material. The quaintest small town that ever was.’
Trip was looking around delightedly. ‘It sure is,’ he said. ‘There’s even adog. A golden retriever.’
‘You’ll get along well,’ Ivy muttered.
‘Ivy! You’re back!’ Ivy could see Simi waving them over from behind the bar. She beamed at Ivy as they approached. ‘I thought I noticed a certain pre-Raphaelite beauty walking around Fox Bay.’
‘I wish,’ Ivy said, smiling in spite of herself. She always appreciated a compliment from elegant, intelligent Simi. ‘Simi, this is Trip. He and his sister are staying at Josie’s for the holidays. He’s come all the way from California.’
Simi leaned across the bar and held out her hand. ‘Of course. My saviour from the other day. One of Josie’s latest guests. I didn’t catch your name?’
‘I’m Trip,’ he said, offering his hand with one of his wide, sweet smiles. ‘Ivy let me come along tonight. She’s been stuck with me at the shop.’
‘Poor girl,’ Lou chimed in, appearing with a wooden board of pizza and looking Trip up and down. ‘I’m sure it’s been aterrible hardship for you, Ivy.’ She smiled innocently at her and Ivy shot her a look. ‘The usual, Ivy? Lemonade?’
Ivy nodded. ‘Yeah, I still hate beer.’
‘I’m trying to persuade Simi to make the place a bit more upmarket, given all the tourists. More mocktails and bar snacks and things.’ Lou held out the tray. ‘Cornish pasty pizza? It’s a new one for me but I thought some of these tourists might go for it.’ She frowned at it. ‘I’m trying to persuade them it’s a Cornish delicacy.’
‘Er, no, thanks,’ said Ivy, recalling Josie’s warning about carrots and cheese.
‘I’ll have some,’ said Trip, taking a piece. He took a bite, blinked and started to chew fast. ‘Are those … peas?’ he asked, through the mouthful. ‘And potatoes? And ground meat? On a pizza?’
‘Yup,’ said Lou. ‘Do you like it?’ she asked hopefully.
He gave her a thumbs up as he chewed, seemingly unable to swallow. ‘It’s like nothing I’ve ever had before,’ he said sincerely. As Lou turned away, he widened his eyes desperately at Ivy. She bit back a laugh.
‘It’s disgusting, isn’t it?’ she said, handing him a napkin.
Then she swiftly took the remaining pizza from him and dumped it in a flower pot.
‘Thanks,’ he whispered, looking a little pale. ‘I think Josie’s right. I don’t know that carrots work on a pizza.’
‘Lou’s an amazing cook,’ Ivy said. She thought Lou looked a little tired. ‘I think the pressure of catering to all these touristsmight be getting to her. She should stick with what she does best, which is pizzawithoutcarrots.’
Ivy took in the scene as Lou poured their drinks. Itlookedlike the same old pub night – the benches full of people crammed elbow to elbow, the regulars huddled by the dartboard, Old Bill holding forth to a large table of tourists with some real or imagined sea exploits. But the closer Ivy looked, the more she was certain that there was a subtle shift. More unfamiliar faces. She could see a couple of women taking a selfie with their pie and mash.
‘Isn’t this cute?Justlike the pub inOcean Deep,’ sighed one.
‘I know. We should go down to the beach tomorrow and find that adorable old sea captain …’
Ivy felt a flicker of panic. This didn’t feel real, somehow – not like the Fox Bay she knew. Once, these oddities and quirks had felt normal, all Ivy had ever known. Now they seemed a bit pretend, like a collection of picturesque sights filtered through Instagram rather than the real place she had grown up in. Ivy had a sudden urge to sketch the scene before her, before it was swept away altogether.The one night I leave my sketchbook behind, she thought ruefully.
‘Ivy, Trip, hi!’ Erin arrived in a camel coat and ankle boots, her hair glossy and freshly waved. ‘Lou! Simi!’ She rushed round the bar to hug Simi. The others came in behind her, ordered their G+Ts and pints and located a snug in the corner. Ivy found herself wedged between Callum and Mei, while Trip and Erin sat opposite.
‘How’s things?’ Ivy asked awkwardly, deciding to be the oneto break the silence. ‘Callum, are you at Exeter now?’ Callum had been the star of school football and had even been scouted for Manchester United’s Youth Team. He’d decided he wanted to stay closer to home, which had always seemed pretty inconceivable to Ivy.
‘Yeah, I’m studying product design and running the student radio station there too,’ he said. He seemed even taller and broader than he had been at school. ‘It’s great. We have to play all the regular stuff of course but we’re allowed to play one song every hour that is unsigned so that’s really fun. And I’m first-year head of the student union.’
‘Wow,’ said Ivy. ‘I didn’t realise you were such ajoiner.’
He laughed. ‘I found my thing, you know? Music. And I’m dating someone too.’ He blushed. ‘He’s called Lucien. He writes poetry.’
Poetry?Ivy didn’t remember Callum so much as opening a book outside lessons, what with all the football and beach parties. ‘Congratulations. What about you, Mei?’ asked Ivy, turning to the pretty girl at Callum’s side, praying that just one of them was having a terrible time or even an average one.
‘Well, you know I’m doing law at Bristol,’ said Mei, swishing her elegant bob. ‘Which is going really well. And I’m working part-time at the Clockwork Rose. Have you heard of it? It just won a mixology award.’
