Lisa nudged back into him in an attemptto get him to be quiet, but bumping into his firm torso did nothing for the goosebumps she could feel on her arms as she fought the urge to stay pressed against him.
Finally, the parade drew near. Lisa watched with a big smile on her face, just as she had for many years as a child. OK, so she could see a bit of what her mum meant, not all the pom-pom girls wore their skimpy outfit or asmile that well – but then who could blame them given the temperature – and she did get the occasional wave from people she could vaguely remember from school but hadn’t seen for years. But it was clear that most people had made quite an effort.
The costumes worn by those brave enough to be carrying torches, with huge orange flames lashing up into the night sky, were amazing; not a hintof a last-minute dash to the fancy dress shop about them. Lisa had always loved the spectacular, feathered headdresses, though she hadn’t noticed the small bells that chimed on the Native American Indian costumes before. As each of the torch-carrying walking groups went by, there was an awed hush from the crowd, punctuating the noise and mayhem from the rest of the parade. The Tudor lords and ladiesthat followed were every bit as impressive too.
Less impressive were the too-tight-fitting Spiderman costumes worn by a marching band of elderly gentlemen, who were showing off more than their musical skills with the cut of their tights. Sure that Alice would have had something to say about that, Lisa was pleased not to be standing with Felicity.
Despite the too-tight tights, Lisahad to admit the band was entertaining, carrying out a little sketch right in front of them in which one of them got shot by a man dressed as the Green Goblin who appeared from within a spacecraft – aka a shopping trolley – but nevertheless Lisa admired the effort. She glanced up at Nathan as they both laughed; she couldn’t help but think how attractive he looked, with his features illuminatedby the flashes of colour from the parade and glow-stick carrying spectators, and, how, despite how she had promised herself she would resolutely quash it, she liked the feeling stirring inside her reminding her of the connection they shared.Oh Lord!She let her stare linger a little too long as she looked from his lips to his blue eyes. He smiled inquisitively as his gaze met hers. She felt thebeat of the bass drum thud through her as the band started on their way again, and smiled back as the noise and mayhem around them slipped into insignificance.
‘Nathan—’
‘Oi, give it back!’
Lisa spun around and watched as her bobble beanie, warm and cosy on her head one minute and whipped off her head by a passing pirate the next, was being thrown from person to personon a float bedecked in a Peter Pan theme. Nathan ran the few paces after it and impressively leaped up onto the side in one swift movement. He seemed to know the perpetrators who laughed and launched the hat in the air towards a crows’ nest where Captain Hook caught it. Lisa watched open mouthed at the whole episode, her mind racing from the intimate moment they had just shared to the fact Nathanwas now several feet away on a float in the middle of the bonfire procession.
The sign on the back of the float, which had come to a halt while the elderly Spidermen, now further up the road, re-performed their sketch, indicated a link to the local fire brigade. The words ‘Supporting those who run in when others are running to safety’ made her breath hitch. She had never really thoughtabout it like that before. Looking at Nathan as he started to climb the rigging in an effort to retrieve her hat it was as if she was seeing him anew. He was not the boy she had dated all those years ago, he was a grown up, responsible man – someone who runs towards danger as others are running away.He’s a real life hero!
Shaking herself back to the moment and issue in hand, Lisa lookedup to see the crow’s nest swaying precariously as Peter Pan and a way-too-large Tinkerbell urged Nathan down. The crowd were enthralled and the cadet band following, spotting the spectacle, started to play the theme toMission Impossiblewithout missing a beat. Realising his predicament in the swaying crows’ nest Captain Hook motioned defeat – much to the excitement of the crowd who whooped loudly.But as he threw the hat to the ground it was swept up by a waiting crocodile – or at least a man in a crocodile suit who seized his opportunity to take a starring role in the unfolding farce and revelled in the boos from the crowd. Walking along the line of onlookers in an attempt to keep up with the now steadily moving float, Lisa watched as Nathan leapt from the riggings and started to pretendto wrestle the crocodile. She couldn’t help but laugh.OK, so not entirely grown up!
When, at last, he retrieved the hat, Nathan took a bow and began to beckon Lisa. She shook her head. There was no way she would manage to climb on board a moving float with anything like the ease Nathan had. She was pretty sure she was more likely to be crushed as she slipped from the edge under one ofthe huge truck wheels than arrive on board with a hint of decorum.
‘Come on, I’ll catch you!’ Nathan put out his arms.
The crowd started to join in, calling for her to jump and the band were hovering on the ending of theMission Impossibletheme, drawing out committing to the final note.
Oh bloody hell!Lisa wished she could just slip away amongst the crowd, but too manypeople had their eyes on her. She was pretty sure that leaping onto a truck – albeit a very slow moving one – broke many health and safety rules, and, really, anyone connected to the fire brigade should have known that. Taking a breath and doing a backward swing as if she were about to embark on the high jump Lisa launched herself forward with the crowd cheering her on. It was only as she got nearerto the truck she realised she was never going to make it. It was way too high, the angle was completely wrong. She didn’t know whether to throw herself at it or run on by.
Just as it came to the crucial do-or-die or do-and-die moment, as she thought it might be, Lisa was swept up under the arms. She had a pirate either side of her, lifting her aloft and giving her enough elevation forNathan to haul her up from them. While he smiled as he did so, Lisa was pretty sure the gritting of his teeth and the quake of his arms suggested she could have done with fewer Chinese meals and custard creams over recent weeks. Nevertheless, she had a huge grin on her face. The crowd were cheering, the cadet band released the final note of theMission Impossibletheme tune, the variety of steamengines following the band gave timely peeps and whistles, and Nathan pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It was unexpected, tender, fuelled by memories of their youth, and yet made more spectacularly knee-weakening by their increased experience.Flipping heck, it felt good!
