Page 39 of The Second Chance Supper Club

Fancy dress is not my forte. I made a quick trip to Belford to raid my parents’ wardrobe.’

Ah, so Will had family in Belford. The village was around five miles away, midway between Tilldale and the coast. Cath’s mind flitted to her childhood caravan holidays there in the past. And then settled on that last holiday as a teenager. Oh … Cath felt herself flush, complex emotions surging forward that had been kept down for so many years. Swiftly pulling herself back to the present, she took a large sip of her Blue Lagoon.

‘Hah, can’t believe my old dad has kept this shirt for all these years,’ Will chortled. He was sporting a very loud swirly-patterned orange-and-brown polyester shirt which had huge Seventies-style collars. Somehow, he still managed to look quite dashing in it. ‘You guys all look great, too.’ He gestured around the room.

His toffee-hazel eyes settled on Cath. She smiled, but felt kind of odd.

‘So, how did you decide on a Seventies party then, Nikki?’ asked Dan. ‘After all, you’re a mere whippersnapper compared to us lot. Some of us might actually remember the Seventies, but I bet you weren’t even born then.’

‘True, ’87 is my year of birth. I’m still holding on to my thirties … just. Child bride and all that.’ She smiled. ‘I dunno, there’s something super-nostalgic about the Seventies … sort of iconic. The clothes are something else. And the food, well my mam must have still been cooking all that stuff when I was a kid, ’cos when I looked it up, there it all was: prawn cocktails, Spam fritters and steak suppers … oh, I’m giving the menu away.’

‘Hah, yes, Spam, and those cans of corned beef. My mum used to make a really good corned beef hash, actually,’ added Dan.

‘It was corned beef pie in our house, with a nice shortcrust pastry,’ added Cath. ‘Oh, and do you remember those metal cans were bloody lethal … the ones with the sideways turnaround ring pulls. Many a cut finger from those.’

‘God, yes, you needed danger money to open them.’

‘And the desserts of the day … Well, you’ll have to wait for the pudding course for all to be revealed.’ Nikki gave a knowing wink.

‘Can’t wait. This is going to be such a fun night.’ Andreas sounded cheery. It was nice to see him in the moment and smiling again, after all the stress he’d been having with his mother’s ill health.

‘Oh, and remember those Spangles sweets, and Opal fruits, yes – what are they called now?’ reminisced Will.

‘Starburst,’ advised Lily.

‘Ah, yes, that’s it.’

‘And oh, the giddy days when Snickers used to be Marathons,’ added Dan.

‘And when Mars bars used to be big,’ said Andreas. ‘Is it just me or has everything shrunk?’

Dan gave a cheeky laugh before responding, ‘Everything has shrunk, my love.’

Will nearly spat out his gin and tonic at that (having not been tempted by the lurid-coloured Blue Lagoon). The group were chuckling en masse.

Stood chatting away in Nikki’s lounge, they began to settle into the soiree.

‘Nibbles then. Prawn Cocktail Skips anyone, or perhaps a cheesy Quaver?’ offered Dan. ‘Hey, I love that Nikki’s taken this Seventies thing to every level.’

‘So, it’s time for the culinary delights, folks. Brace yourselves,’ Nikki announced a short while later. ‘Come on through.’

She led the gathering through to the dining room, where the table had been set simply with a white linen cloth, cutlery and sparkling-clean wine glasses as well as water tumblers. In the centre was a white church candle, a jug of iced water, and a small posy of sweet peas in a cut-glass jar. The dining room dresser was adorned with more pictures of the kids at various ages; some of the lads sporting football trophies, a holiday snap of them all in Tenerife. And there was a wedding photo of Nikki and Kevin stood outside Tilldale’s village church, both looking extremely young.

Nikki caught Cath’s gaze. ‘Yep, that’s us pair on our wedding day. And look at Kev with a full head of hair – his brown locks have receded these past few years, he’s now sporting a buzz cut.’

They were frames filled with love, and tales of a busy family life.

‘Lads, I’ve got you two at the far side. Lily, you’re that end, Will and Cath over here, and I’ll take the other table end for easy access to the kitchen.’

Nikki might not be saying a thing but the cheeky look in her eye told Cath that the table seating was by design. Cath took a breath and settled herself beside Will. The table wasn’t the biggest, so they found themselves sitting quite snugly side by side. If she moved an inch her thigh would in fact be brushing his, she realised, feeling the heat rise through her at the mere thought. She swiftly poured herself a glass of water, taking a cooling glug.

‘Oh, I may as well serve the Babycham at this point,’ said Nikki. ‘Lily, before you sit down, petal, could you help get the Prosecco flutes? Top right-hand cupboard, above the kettle. Thanks.’

Soon, everyone had one of Cath’s individual bottles before them, and they all unscrewed the tops at virtually the same time, with a hearty ‘Cheers.’

‘It’s a shame I haven’t got the proper little glasses.’

‘Ah yes, those circular low-sided ones with the little deer on.’ Cath remembered them well.