Amelia didn’t get many tips for her efficient-but-charmless service but the boss knew she was reliable and could be called on at short notice to do extra shifts.
She also began taking on work at a local nursing home. The money was terrible but it was rich pickings for her sticky fingers. The residents were taken in by ‘such a nice young American girl’ and she found it so easy to steal small sums of money and bits and pieces of jewellery. She made sure she picked on the loneliest and most confused.
She worked hard at school, passed her A-levels and applied to universities in Cardiff, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Accepted for them all, she opted for Scotland’s capital as it was thefurthest away. It had absolutely nothing to do with sentiment over her father’s nationality; Amelia just wanted to sever all ties with her life in Crawley.
She coolly informed Ruth and Eric she was leaving and didn’t need anything further from them. She saw university as another chance for reinvention. When she arrived in Edinburgh, she would choose exactly who she was going to be.
On her first day at registration, she saw a dark-haired, black-eyed boy across the hall and everything changed.
He was ridiculously handsome and Amelia felt as though an electric shock was running through her entire body. She was certain he was ‘The One’ and she had to get to him first before anyone else. Everyone knew cast-iron friendships and relationships were forged in those first fresher weeks, more by chance than anything else. People living in the same block of student flats, or doing the same course, or just meeting up in the pub.
Amelia just had to have this young man, despite the fact they hadn’t even spoken to one another, and she didn’t even know his name. She was sure he was the prize she deserved. Suddenly he glanced in her direction, and she gave him a beaming smile filled with adoration and longing, but he looked right through her as though she was made of air.
Amelia’s heart was beating so fast she felt she couldn’t breathe and, in a panic, found herself stumbling towards him and ended up falling flat on her face at his feet. She couldn’t move for shame and embarrassment but then felt two strong arms lifting her up.
She looked into the darkest eyes she’d ever seen, and a soft Edinburgh accent asked her, “Are you OK? You took a right tumble. Here, let me help you up.” She managed to whisper, “Thank you so much. I don’t know what happened. I just felt faint.”
He smiled at her. “I bet you haven’t eaten anything today. Girls never eat enough. Why don’t we get you a roll or a pie or something and some Irn Bru. That’ll make you feel better.”
She could only nod at him, and as she got to her feet, she deliberately stumbled against him so he would have to catch her and hold her again. “Let’s sit down for a minute until you feel less wobbly. I’m Lachlan, by the way.”
They sat down on a nearby bench. “I’m Amelia. Thanks for being so kind. I’m sorry to be a bother.”
“Och, don’t be daft. You are looking a wee bit better at least. I still think you should eat something though. It’s my first day here as well, but I know where the canteen is. Fancy chasing a pie around the room? I don’t imagine they are all that fresh.”
Amelia laughed and goosebumps popped up on her goosebumps. He was perfect. “It’s my first day too and I would love to chase a pie with you.”
He chatted to her all the way to the cafe and told her he was studying architecture and had all sorts of plans and designs buzzing around in his head. She said she’d considered being an architect too but, in the end, opted for a degree in design. She said she wanted to bring order out of chaos.
He paid for them both, and told her he lived with his mum and dad in Musselburgh but wanted to get a flat with his friends as soon as possible. She replied that her parents were dead and she had been brought up by foster parents who didn’t really care about her, and that she was all alone in the world.
Amelia knew exactly how to wring the pathos out of this latest version of her story. She gave him just the shocking bare details and would embellish it later. She could tell Lachlan felt sorry for her from the sad look in his eyes. She gave him a brave smile.
“I’m hoping to make some friends here in Edinburgh. Everyone says Scottish people are friendly and I really hope that’s true. I’ve been a bit lonely to be honest.”
“Well,” said Lachlan, finishing up his pie. “You’ve met me already Amelia and I think I’m friendly.” He grinned at her. “See you later. Take care of yourself.”
Her stomach was full of hummingbirds. Lachlan walked out of the cafe and Amelia felt as though she could exhale properly for the first time since seeing him. She might have made a bit of a fool of herself, falling over like that, but it had been a masterstroke. They had bonded over pie, beans and chips, and she had to have him. He was hers.
She could also tell that he had money, was from a decent family and very popular. She’d seen him greeted by a big group of lads through the window of the cafe. Amelia imagined herself at the centre of a loving clan, adored and taken care of; finally living the life she was supposed to and she couldn’t wait to start planning her next move.
Lachlan was a kind, open and sweet-natured boy who thought the best of everyone and was surprised and delighted to bump into Amelia again at a pub in the Grassmarket a week later, not realising she had been stalking him since they first met and this was no chance encounter.
She had compiled a detailed dossier on all of his movements and discovered he went to The Last Drop pub with a few other boys most nights around 7pm. She also found out he had joined the debating society and the rugby club and was thinking about taking up hillwalking.
She had no interest in any of these pastimes and considered them almost offensively boring, but she’d walk to the top of Ben Nevis barefoot if it meant she could spend time with Lachlan.
Amelia had to stop herself from turning up at the pub right away. She didn’t want to appear too obvious, so she waited a couple of days, and made sure she was carrying a guidebook to climbing the Scottish Munros, hills over three thousand feet, all 282 of them.
Lachlan was at the crowded bar with his back to her, laughing at something his friend had said. She had a half pint of cider in her hand and deliberately backed into Lachlan spilling her drink all over her blouse and jeans.
He was full of apologies and then looked at her properly. “Amelia, right? Christ I’m sorry, I’m a clumsy idiot,” he added. “Here, let me get you another drink.”
“Not at all. It was my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
She looked up at him, “Oh, you are the guy who was so nice to me the other day. What’s your name again?” (As if it wasn’t carved into her heart.)
“It’s Lachlan.”
