Page 46 of Ask Another Day

Holly had adjusted to life downstairs easily. But she knew having Lucy living with them had made all the difference. She didn’t like benefitting from the breakdown of her marriage to Tony, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. In all honesty, she wasn’t quite sure how she’d managed without Lucy living with them. Even more so as Seb had taken Holly’s words to heart and had stayed away. He’d even taken to messaging Luke updates with the new ale he was working on at her microbrewery. She’d asked him to stay away and he had taken that as a call for complete radio silence.

As she made her slow journey to The Old School House for her date, Holly was evaluating her life choices with every draining step she took. She’d been using crutches every day, but the struggle was still real. Shaun, her date, had chosen to invite Holly to an art lesson; which wasn’t a good start. Holly knew her strengths, and art wasn’t one of them. Hobbling into the class, she wasn’t feeling particularly attractive as the warm July air had added to her body’s sweaty reaction to the physical activity of simply walking. But when she saw Rose sitting behind one of the easels, she allowed herself a little spark of hope that this might all be OK.

When Shaun settled himself next to her - just a little too close, Holly had the sinking feeling she should have stuck to her gut reaction.

‘So, Rose tells me you own a micro brewery? Is that like a mini one for your Barbie dolls?’ He guffawed at his own joke. Rose had the good sense to avoid all eye contact, but Holly knew she was listening as she could see her bite back a laugh.

‘That’s a good one, Shaun,’ Holly muttered, ‘I haven’t heard that one before. It uses regular size equipment, but we only make one ale per season.’

Shaun tutted at her, ‘I know what a micro brewery is.’ He rolled his eyes at her before looking away.

Holly sucked on her lips to prevent herself from saying something she’d regret. Shaun was new to the Bay. Rose had told her he had some loose connection to a new restaurant that had opened in Whitby last month. There had been more information when she’d told her about the date; but she hadn’t been paying attention.

‘Right everyone, I’m afraid Simon can’t make it tonight,’ Susie called out, and a few groans rippled through the room at her announcement. Holding up her hands to quiet everyone down she continued, ‘but we have a back up plan.’ She lifted her index finger high in the air triumphantly. ‘If you could all get your paints out, we’ve got a special live model we’re painting today,’ Susie explained with a flourish towards the door that led to one of the small classrooms off the main hall.

An older man stepped through wearing a dressing gown and a beret, and Holly’s face paled. She gestured to Susie to come over.

‘Susie, please tell me this is not what I think it is?’ she wheezed out.

‘If you mean, is Derek going to model for us, sans clothes, then I’m afraid it’s very much what you think it is.’ The look in Susie’s eyes was devilish.

‘Was this common knowledge?’ Holly hissed out, appalled Shaun would invite her on a date that involved painting a naked man.

‘Oh, no. This was a surprise for everyone.’ Susie grinned, ‘Isn’t it wonderful?’

‘Susie, you and I have very different versions of wonderful.’

Susie laughed and sauntered over to a similarly looking horrified Rose.

When Rose had moved to the Bay, it had partly been down to the orchestrations of Susie. Since childhood, she’d been best friends with Rose’s mum. They’d grown up together and even when Sarah had left the Bay when Rose was a toddler, they’d stayed in touch. When Sarah had died, Susie had looked out for Rose and despite the distance between them, they’d remained close. She’d even conspired with Eleanor to send the job advert to Rose that had prompted her move to the Bay. Holly would be forever grateful for Susie’s part in bringing Rose into her life, but this art class would test the bonds of that gratitude to its limits. Especially when Derek dropped the robe and positioned himself so Holly had an unobstructed view of his groin. She averted her eyes, and focussed instead on the ridiculous blue beret Derek had decided would be the only stitch of clothing he’d wear for his modeling debut.

‘So,’ Holly ventured, trying to keep the conversation going with Shaun and keep her gaze away from the naked man in the middle of the room, ‘you like to paint?’

‘Obviously,’ he said and swatted her on the head with his paintbrush. A paintbrush covered in blue acrylic paint that was now splattered across her forehead.

Biting into her bottom lip hard, eyes wide, she glared at Shaun - again not trusting herself to speak.

‘Oh, sorry,’ he muttered, and then failed to stifle a laugh.

Out of the corner of her eye, Holly could see Rose peeking out from behind her easel - her eyes like saucers. When their gazes connected, she winced out a sorry.

You should be, Holly mouthed back - this had all been her stupid idea.

‘Rose,’ she called out with a brightness to her tone that was so forced it hurt her jaw.

‘Yes…’

‘Can I have some assistance in the toilets,’ Holly asked, adding a pointed ‘please?’ because she’d been taught to be polite.

‘I can help? Shaun offered, scrabbling to his feet. ‘I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a carer,’ he preened.

And there was the final nail in the coffin for their date.

‘What,’ Holly couldn’t disguise her irritation any longer, ‘are you talking about?’

‘I - can - help - you - go - to - the - toilet,’ Shaun, the idiot he was, sounded out the words as if she was either hard of hearing or struggling to understand him.

‘I don’t need help going to the toilet, you i–’ she stopped herself just in time. Giving herself a moment to compose herself, she carefully said, ‘I would like Rose to help me with the paint, and I would feel more comfortable, alone in the toilets, with her - no offence.’