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She had this information but she didn’t know what to do with it. She couldn’t tell Uncle Teddy, he’d go ape at Auntie Marielle, and she didn’t want to confront Sabrina because right now she didn’t want to talk to her ever again. So it sat inside her and continued to fester until it was black and rotten. Everyone felt the impact of her mood on the atmosphere and Teddy pulled her into the kitchen after the lunchtime diners had gone because he’d had enough of her face tripping her up. It wasn’t like her at all. For one thing, she always told him when she had a gripe; she used him as asounding board, so the fact she wasn’t on this occasion was significant.
‘What’s the matter with you, Flick?’
‘Nothing,’ she said defiantly, looking so much younger than her nineteen years.
‘Look, take the night off. There’s obviously something wrong and if you can’t tell me then why don’t you go and see my mum and talk to her?’
There was no way Flick would do that. She wasn’t supposed to know what had happened; she’d sworn not to tell anyone, so Auntie Marielle was the last person she could go and see.
‘I don’t want the night off. I need the money. I’m going to uni soon in case you’ve forgotten.’
‘No, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll pay you anyway. Just go. We can do without you for one night.’
Flick silently walked away from him, took her sweater off the peg and slunk out of the front door. She really didn’t want to be around Sabrina. She’d trusted her. But really, could anyone be that nice without an agenda? She only had to think of her mother, making her a lovely Sunday lunch because she was trying to manipulate her into handing over money.
She left the restaurant feeling as if she was carrying the weight of an unexploded bomb inside her and she knew that if she went straight home to the flat, she’d fill the air in it with so much toxicity she wouldn’t be able to breathe. She would have gone down to the beach to clear her head. She liked to walk on the sand and let the breeze play with her long, dark hair but the skies were thick grey dumplings and rain was leaking out of them in fat, intermittent drops. She decided to go and buy herself some comfort food and hole herself up withThe Sopranos, hoping to replace the violenceand dysfunction she felt inside with their violence and dysfunction. Plus a Furio Giunta-heavy episode never failed to take her to another place.
The post office had a great food section at the back supplied by the farm shop. She opened its door absently with way too much force and almost knocked the woman behind it off her feet.
‘Careful,’ said the woman crossly, then, when she saw who it was, her tone instantly warmed.
‘Flick. What are you doing in such a rush?’
Of all people, Sylvie.
Flick opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out. Tears did the talking for her though, forming, shining, falling.
Sabrina worked the reception for the first time and she was as polished as if she’d done it since the place opened. They weren’t fully booked that evening but they had a couple of walk-ups, including a group of six who thought a vacancy would be a hope too far and were delighted that it wasn’t. They had every course and seven bottles of wine between them. And they wanted to take two pizzas home. Sabrina poured them all a complimentary Limoncello as she handed out Flick’s invitations to leave a positive review. They said they’d definitely be back to claim their free puddings.
Teddy had asked George to hang back for five minutes after the other staff had gone.
‘I’ve got two tickets for Slattercove Theatre,’ he said, taking them out of a drawer and wagging them in the air. ‘They gave them to me in exchange for putting a poster up in the window to advertise a show: the stage version ofMy Big Fat Greek Wedding.’
George chuckled. ‘Of course I’ll go with you. I’m flattered you thought of me.’
‘That would be my worst nightmare, for many reasons,’ said Teddy. ‘But my mother would love it, I’m sure.’ He shut up then and waited for George to get his meaning.
George looked puzzled. ‘Go with me, you mean?’ he said eventually.
‘Be a shame to let the tickets go to waste.’
George’s hand came out slowly towards them as if he expected Teddy to pull them back at the last second.
‘You could make an evening of it,’ Teddy went on. ‘Have something nice to eat. She likes Chinese, Thai… even Greek.’
‘Okay,’ said George slowly, as if he wasn’t quite sure if Teddy was joking or not. ‘If that’s all right with you.’
‘Please don’t tell me you’ve been waiting for permission.’ Teddy shook his head.
‘I would have appoached you first, as a matter of respect. And I was judging when would be best to… ask.’ He mused for a moment. ‘She can only say no, right?’
Teddy realised then that love didn’t get any easier or less complicated. It was always a step into fog and you just hoped that you had solid ground beneath your feet.
When the table of six had gone and Sabrina had locked the door and closed the window shutters, she turned around to find that Teddy was pouring out two glasses of red wine. Thinking about George and his mum together had pushed him to say something to her that wouldn’t sit still inside him any more. He was glad the last customers had lingered; it gave him the opportunity to send everyone home and have some time alone with her.
He gestured that she take the chair opposite. ‘You hungry?’
‘No, I’m fine,’ she replied. ‘But this will go down well. She raised her glass. ‘Salute.I hope that’s right, unless Niccolo has been lying again and I’ve actually just saidknob.’
