‘Is that her?’ Clare whispered.
I couldn’t answer. I watched as Nick and Blonde held each other.
Clare stood up and walked a few paces in each direction. ‘I can’t tell if it’s a hug or a kiss. He’s got his back to us and the sun’s too low. I’m sorry, Sarah. I honestly can’t tell.’ She sat down again. ‘Hug or kiss, are you still going to fight for him?’
I looked at them, still holding each other. ‘Maybe. But not today. Perhaps I’ll have to wait a bit longer for my fresh start.’
‘It’snota Happy New Year after all,’ Clare muttered. ‘This is one of the many reasons why I hate New Year; too many expectations and too many disappointments.’
‘You’re wrong.’ I stood up and reached for Clare’s hand to pull her to her feet. ‘Things may not have gone as planned today but it’s still a Happy New Year, especially when you compare it to last year. I’m living in a place I love, close to my family. I get to spend six days a week on my hobby and actually get paid for it. I have amazing friends including one who, even though I rudely abandoned her to move back home, has been by my side most weekends helping me build a successful business. I may not have Nick in my life at the moment but I’d still say it’s a very Happy New Year.’
Clare smiled. ‘Well, when you put it like that, I think it sounds like we have something to celebrate. What time do pubs open round here?’
37
A week passed. Then another. Then another. Before I knew it, January and February had whizzed by, signalling five months since my new home, new business, and new life.
I didn’t see or hear anything from Nick. I regularly checked Facebook but he never seemed to update it. Shortly after January’s Bay Trade meeting, I noticed a post from Skye on his timeline saying they’d missed him and hoped he was okay. He replied but all it said was, ‘Sorry. Hopefully back next month.’ There was nothing mentioned about February’s meeting.
Skye had sent me a Facebook friend request and, although I accepted, I politely declined her invite to either month’s Bay Trade meeting; it didn’t feel right when Nick was one of the founder members.
Life settled into a routine. Stevie and I enrolled in the monthly membership scheme at the cinema in South Bay and made good use of it by going every Tuesday and Thursday. He decided he wanted to lose some weight so we started running along the beach a couple of mornings a week with his dog. It was hard going at first as we ran for longer than I’d done on my own but I persevered and, within a few weeks, we’d built it up to every other day and slightly longer distances. I kept hoping but we never saw Nick. On the positive side, I found myself back at the weight I’d been when I startedat university which delighted me. I could finally get back into my size twelve jeans although Clare made me put them in a charity bag as they were ‘so a million seasons ago’.
Elise dropped by the shop after school every Wednesday for a cuppa and a catch-up. We also went out for drinks or a meal every other Friday or Saturday and Clare came to stay each weekend in between, fitting visits around her meetings with her northern-based clients.
Seaside Blooms settled into a routine too. I recruited a new team and Mum gradually reduced her hours as they settled into their roles. I discovered what sold well and found new suppliers to keep a regular turnover of new gifts.
I was awarded the lucrative contract at The Ramparts Hotel and anxiously displayed my first arrangements there in late January to a barrage of compliments. An unexpected bonus was additional business from hotel guests and business-users after admiring my work.
As promised, Clare patiently trained me in sales and negotiation techniques and she’d been right; I could do it without being gorgeous, blonde, and Irish. I put my skills into practice immediately, visiting all the funeral directors in town to tout for business as well as hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and tourist hot spots. I had to take on another two team members to help me keep up with all the extra business I generated.
Business was booming, I had a great team around me, I saw my best friends regularly and I had so much to be thankful for. As I cashed up each day, I couldn’t help but feel proud of everything I’d achieved at work.
But every so often, I had a pang of loneliness and longed for Nick by my side. Feeling melancholy, I’d get home from work, put on my PJs, then cuddle Mr Pink as I cried my way through a couple of romantic movies, berating myself for throwing my movie-perfect opportunity away.
In early March, I picked up a large last-minute booking for a medieval-themed wedding.
‘That’s stunning,’ Cathy said.
I inserted the last piece of foliage into the bridal bouquet and stepped back from the counter to admire my handywork. ‘Do you think it looks medieval?’
‘I’m no expert but I’d say so. That ivy looks gorgeous.’
‘Doesn’t it? Must use it more often.’
‘I’ve just done that last posy so is that everything finished now?’
I clicked onto the order on the Mac to double check. ‘I think so. Bridal bouquet, three adult bridesmaid posies, a headdress, three flower girl baskets and, of course, the stack of window and table arrangements I did at Sherrington Hall last night.’ I looked at the clock. ‘Half an hour to spare, too. Not bad going.’
‘What time did you finish last night?’ Cathy asked.
‘About half one this morning.’
‘Sarah! You should have let me help you.’
‘It was your wedding anniversary. I wasn’t going to ask you to cancel your plans for a last-minute booking. To be fair, I could have finished sooner but, as it’s my first wedding, I was being a bit of a perfectionist. Did you have a nice meal?’
‘It was perfect, thanks. You’ll never guess where he took me.’
