Esme began to giggle. ‘Have you not seen Liam, Alice?’
I shook my head and noticed Phoebe’s cheeks were pinker than normal. Phoebe swept her mane of brown curls from her face and sighed. ‘Liam is tall, slim, with brown hair, a designer beard… and the sexiest black shades I have ever seen on a man.’
We all squealed with laugher. She carried on. ‘His hair is styled into this elegant male quiff at the front, and he has a famous Australian film star look about him. Let’s just say this: it’s getting harder to argue with him.’ Reaching her glass, she takes a drink of her wine. ‘He’s got kids and is a widow as his wife died a few years ago.’
‘This sounds interesting,’ I chuckled.
Phoebe shook her head. ‘I don’t think someone as handsome as Liam would be interested in me.’
‘What?’ Esme and I both gasped in unison. Phoebe is stunning with a mass of brown curls, almond-shaped eyes, and caramel coloured skin.
Phoebe smiled. ‘Do you two know Harold Brown and Pearl Williams?’
Esme and I both nodded. ‘Harold and Pearl must be in their eighties,’ I explained. ‘They have lived in Blue Cove Bay for years. At one time Harold owned the car garage on the outskirts of the town and Pearl ran her father’s sweet shop. They were once childhood sweethearts but ended up marrying other people. Harold married Edith, who died ten years ago, and Pearl married Bert, who died twenty years ago. They both had children who grew up in Blue Cove Bay and moved away. Harold and Pearl are now next-door neighbours and are always seen walking together.’
‘Well, they were in the bookshop yesterday. I’d just come in from arguing with Liam about the position of his shop dustbin.’
‘What was wrong with the position of his dustbin?’ I chuckled.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. ‘It was too close to mine. Anyway, after I threatened to fill his dustbin with rocks if he didn’t move it, I went back into my shop. Pearl and Harold were stood by the door giggling like two school children. Keith said they’d been spying on my argument with Liam.’
‘That’s Blue Cove Bay for you,’ I said, ‘everyone knows your business.’
Phoebe and Esme both look at me. ‘What’s happened with you and Noah Coombes?’ Phoebe leaned over and winked at me. ‘But first fill us in on Rocco Reid.’
‘I rescued him from the sea and later he turns up at the café.’ I sighed. ‘Rocco and I have a chat and the next day he’s split from his popstar girlfriend.’
‘What did you talk about?’ Esme asked.
‘He’s in a fake relationship and he still thinks of his teenage sweetheart.’
Phoebe gasped. ‘Oh, wow. Can you imagine being Rocco Reid’s teenage sweetheart and knowing that out of all the women in the world he can choose from, you’re the one he still thinks about.’
‘How was Noah?’ Esme asked. ‘After the Rocco split?’
‘Rattled,’ I say, thinking back to our argument.
‘He was jealous,’ said Phoebe. ‘Did you know you and Noah are the talk of the town. I wish I’d grown up here to witness your relationship all those years ago.’
Esme nodded. ‘It was intense. We all cried for Alice when he left.’
Phoebe took a sip of her wine. ‘Tell us the current Noah situation.’
I became engulfed in Noah related irritation. ‘Well, we started working together and I hated him. My anger at him resulted in a lot of complaints at The Little Love Café. So, I have had to calm down and be an adult. Over the last few days, Noah is growing on me. I let him kiss me earlier. Big mistake.’
Esme squealed. ‘Oh, my goodness – you two have kissed again after all this time.’
‘Why was that a big mistake?’ Phoebe filled up my wine glass.
‘We kissed and then he got up and left. No explanation. He left. Walked away. I have gone back to hating him again.’
Phoebe studied my face. ‘You still like him though – don’t you?’
My reply was instant. ‘No, I don’t still like Noah Coombes after all these years…’
Both Phoebe and Esme stared at me until I took a swig of my wine and cracked. ‘Oh God, I have never stopped liking him.’ Tears rushed to my eyes. ‘I have been thinking about him for twenty years.’
Phoebe took my hand. ‘Talk to him, Alice.’
