Page 77 of The Seaside Supper Club

Will made his farewells, too.

‘Well done, Will,’ said Nikki.

‘Thanks, mate,’ said Andreas.

‘Go and have a rest, pal, you look a tad peaky,’ from Kev.

‘Yeah, time to zone out and relax,’ said Lily, giving him a hug.

‘Bye,’ said Cath gently.

‘Bye,’ Will answered.

Did she kiss him on the cheek? Go in for a hug, too? But in her indecision, she missed the moment, and he’d turned to leave.

They were then down to the supper club five, plus Nikki’s three lads left clearing up. They shifted the remaining tea sets and cake stands to the kitchen, ready for the mammoth washing-up session; the dishwasher alone couldn’t cope with this lot. Nikki stripped off the tablecloths, and the trestle tables were folded and stacked away by Dan and Andreas. The young boys were handed the broom and a hoover with orders from Nikki to tackle the hall’s floor. A begrudging groan came en masse from the trio. The novelty of helping out was starting to wear thin. But they’d done an amazing job whilst the guests were here; chatting with the elderly as they served their teas and bringing top-ups of food and drinks throughout the afternoon. Hamish even stepped in to dance with Janet from the home, when she didn’t seem to have a partner, evidently making her day, judging by her broad smiles.

In the meantime, the supper club five hit the kitchen, Lily putting some upbeat music on, starting with a Sabrina Carpenter track. Washing-up liquid was poured into hot running water in the original school kitchen sink, soon frothing up into pine-scented bubbles. The rubber gloves went on for Dan, and tea towels were brandished by the others bar Nikki, who was ready to put everything back on the shelves once dried. She was hoping she’d remember where it had all been to start with.

‘Hey, how’s Will doing?’ Andreas asked as he stood beside Cath, drying the first dish. ‘He left saying he was sorry but he needed to get going.’

‘Yeah, he looked pretty knackered, to be honest,’ added Dan.

‘Man, he was wiped,’ agreed Lily.

‘Yeah, I noticed that, too,’ answered Cath. ‘He was determined to help today. Ahm, he has been doing pretty well in the scheme of things.’ She paused, she hadn’t told them anything about their falling out, hoping against hope that it’d just blow over. Concern was nipping at her, however, not only about their personal issues, but another check was due soon with the consultant for any ongoing indication of cancer. ‘But God, I so hope the next PSA results come back clear.’ Her words felt like a little prayer. Whatever was happening between them, the main thing was that Will got better.

‘We all do,’ Nikki said, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze.

‘Well, if we can do anything to help, please shout. Either of you, that is,’ said Andreas.

‘Yes, that goes for us, too,’ said Nikki, meaning her and her family.

Lily was nodding beside her. ‘And me.’

‘Thank you.’ Cath so appreciated their ongoing support. All she really wanted was for Will to get the ‘undetectable’ news on the cancer, at the end of this stage of his treatment. Fingers and everything crossed for that. That was the best you could hope for at this point, with further tests ongoing. And whatever happened next personally for them, a clear check would at least mark a fresh start for Will, after weeks of worry with his health.

The dishwasher had done its cycle with an earlier load, and the enormous stack of tea plates and cups that Dan had handwashed was finally coming to an end. Cath grabbed a cloth and her spray and did a full disinfect of the now-cleared kitchen surfaces.

‘Hall’s all done,’ Hamish announced, as he and his brothers trailed in to the kitchen.

‘We’re starving. Any of the scran left?’ asked Scott, with a cheeky grin.

‘There wasn’t much left over after the takeaways were handed out, and it’s all packed up now. There’s no way I’m getting this kitchen all messy again,’ warned Nikki.

‘Uh-hhh.’ The young lad’s shoulders sagged dramatically.

‘Hang on,’ interjected Cath. ‘There’s a box here with some cake in.’ They’d shared out the last of the goodies between them. This had been her portion to take home; three slices of cake exactly. Perfect for the three lads who’d worked so hard.

‘Aw, thanks, Cath.’ Angus grinned, as Scott gave Hamish a high five.

‘Take them outside!’ warned Nikki. ‘Not a crumb to be spilt in here. We’re nearly done.’

‘Okay, thanks, guys.’ Hamish looked delighted as he took the box, along with three napkins that Nikki handed them, and the youngsters scampered out.

With Veronica organised to come back and buff the parquet flooring tomorrow, all they had to do was give everything a final check over. Cath looked into the hall. The trestle tables were all packed away, and the lads had done well with their sweeping. The band had left the stage as it was. You’d never have known they’d been there, nor that there had been a tea and dancing, other than the memories still circling in Cath’s mind. She felt happy-tired and gave a gentle sigh. Wondering about Will, hoping he was all right after his hectic day. And wondering too if they might ever be right as a couple. She felt totally shattered, after her early start and extremely full-on day, but thinking about the smiles on the faces of their guests, it had all been so very worthwhile.

Heading back into the kitchen area, with the last of the crockery and cutlery put away, and her friends still there, Cath spotted two bottles of fizz left out on the side. ‘Oh, whose are these?’ she asked.