Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn (7 page)

‘Oh, God, I’m so sorry,’ Bonnie exclaimed.

The woman looked to be in her mid-twenties, clear skin and gentle grey eyes, an understated, willowy kind of beauty that Bonnie instantly felt envious of. ‘It’s really my fault,’ she smiled apologetically, ‘I wasn’t watching where I was going; too excited about getting to the food.’

Paige had already left them exchanging apologies and was back at the table tucking into her meal. Bonnie looked across with a frown and was about to politely end their conversation and make her own way back when she heard a familiar voice. Max was now standing next to the red-haired woman.

‘Bonnie!’ he smiled. ‘Fancy meeting you here!’

Bonnie fought the blush as she felt it rise from her neck. It wasn’t that Max made her flustered usually; it was just the weirdness of seeing him here, of all places, that upset her for some reason. He slid an arm around the shoulder of the woman Bonnie had just been apologising to. Bonnie’s heart seemed to miss a beat as she made the connection.

‘I see you’ve met Sarah,’ Max grinned.

‘I sort of nearly tipped her dinner all over her,’ Sarah said with a laugh that was so dainty and musical, Bonnie wondered if it could possibly be real.

‘That’s unfortunate,’ Max said. He turned to Bonnie. ‘So what brings you out? Celebrating something or just a lazy tea?’

Bonnie nodded her head in the direction of their table where Jeanie was just easing herself off her chair to make her own way to the hotplates. ‘My Mum’s birthday. Not a special one, but she wanted to treat me and Paige.’

‘Oh, every birthday is special,’ Sarah said warmly. ‘I don’t let a single year go by without marking it.’

Bonnie laughed self-consciously. ‘It doesn’t have the same appeal when you get older, or so my mum tells me.’ She glanced down at her plate. ‘I should probably get this to the table before I tip it over someone else.’

‘Oh, of course,’ Sarah said. ‘It’ll be stone cold and you wouldn’t want that.’

Max nodded affably at Bonnie and took Sarah’s arm protectively, ready to lead her to the hotplate. Something settled in Bonnie’s gut as she noted the gesture, an emotion that she recognised but didn’t understand in this context. Why now, of all times?

‘It was lovely meeting you,’ Sarah said in an earnest tone to Bonnie.

‘You too,’ Bonnie replied, ‘Max has told us all about you, but at least now we know you’re not a figment of his imagination.’

Sarah laughed. ‘I hope not!’ Then she added: ‘Oh yes! Now I know, you’re
Bonnie
, from Applejack’s! Max told me all about you.’

Bonnie raised her eyebrows at Max who simply grinned.

‘All good I hope,’ Bonnie said.

‘Well…’ he said with a playful look, ‘Everything about Linda was good.’

‘Cheeky!’

‘Enjoy your meal,’ Max said. ‘And I’ll see you on Monday morning bright and early.’

‘Yeah…’ Bonnie glanced at her dinner and then back at Sarah’s slender shoulders. Suddenly she wished there wasn’t quite so much food on her plate. She watched as they walked off together.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Jeanie’s voice in her ear.

‘Isn’t that the delivery man for Applejack’s?’

‘Max, yeah, it is.’

‘Is that his girlfriend with him?’

Bonnie nodded.

‘She’s very pretty.’

Bonnie ran her eyes over Sarah as she laughed lightly at something Max had said. She wore a flared, cream cheesecloth dress that virtually swept the floor, sleeveless with delicate floral designs embroidered into the neckline and hem. Bangles clacked along her wrists and she had a set of ethnic looking beads at her neck. Her make-up
was subtle but chosen perfectly to accentuate the peachy tones of her skin and her auburn hair.

‘That dress is a bit summery for this time of year,’ Bonnie decided. Her gaze flicked down to her own jeans, and a pale blue smock top that, although it was an old favourite, was now a couple of seasons out of date. Jeanie was wearing her leather trousers and Paige had lipstick on that glowed so brightly planes would be able to land by it in the event of a blackout, but at least they had made an effort for tonight. Bonnie was beginning to wish that she had too.

‘You’d better go and sit down,’ Jeanie reminded her. ‘Paige will be getting hit on if you leave her alone any longer in that outfit.’

Bonnie looked over to the table where Paige was sitting tucking into her dinner and staring at her phone intently, oblivious to anything going on around her. Bonnie frowned. Perhaps she should have said something about that top; now that she looked again, it was just a bit too revealing…

‘I’ll be back in a minute, just as soon as I have my own bodyweight in noodles on my plate,’ Jeanie added.

Bonnie nodded and went to join her daughter.

As she slid onto the seat beside her, Paige looked up from her phone. ‘Wasn’t that the delivery guy from your shop you were talking to?’

‘It’s not
my
shop,’ Bonnie replied in a more irritated tone than she had meant.

‘Whatever,’ Paige said, glancing across to the food carts. ‘Who is that with him, his wife?’

‘No, a new girlfriend.’

Paige laughed. ‘He managed to get a girl to go out with him?’

‘What does that mean? Max is a nice bloke.’

‘Yeah, but…’ Paige raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

‘But what?’

‘Look at him.’

Bonnie followed her gaze. ‘There’s nothing wrong with him.’

‘Those trousers? With that top? Jeez, Mum, you need a visit from the fashion police if you think he looks ok.’

Max was making his way back across the restaurant with Sarah now. Bonnie looked at what he was wearing: brown chinos with a white granddad shirt. She shrugged.

‘He looks good.’ As soon as she said it, she felt that heat spread from her neck again without knowing why.

As she watched, she saw Jeanie catch up with the couple, stopping them for a quick word. They pointed to a table by the window and Sarah did an elaborate mime to indicate that she was cold. The restaurant was busy, with every table taken, but Bonnie, Paige and Jeanie had a table that was plenty big enough for them and more besides. Bonnie watched the conversation with a sinking feeling as she realised what was about to happen. Jeanie, a naturally gregarious woman, was never one to stand on convention. Sure enough, she saw Max nod eagerly; then he and Sarah went over to their table and grabbed the few belongings they had left there before making their way over to follow Jeanie.

‘What’s going on?’ Bonnie hissed at her mum.

‘They’re coming to sit with us,’ Jeanie answered. ‘That poor girl is freezing with the draft from that window and we have plenty of room.’ She raised her eyebrows at Bonnie’s look of consternation. ‘You’re always saying what a laugh Max is.’

Bonnie had no time to reply as Max and Sarah arrived at their table with slightly awkward smiles.

‘It is ok if we join you, isn’t it?’ Max asked uncertainly.

Bonnie smoothed her expression into something as close to politeness as she could manage. ‘Of course it is. Paige…’ she nudged her daughter who had barely looked up from her texting, ‘budge up so that Max and Sarah can sit down.’

Paige pouted and looked as though she was going to complain, but then caught Bonnie’s warning look and clearly thought better of it. Instead, she shuffled along the bench seat, Bonnie following. Max put down his plate and looked for a moment as though he would sit in the space next to Bonnie, but then quickly changed his mind, taking a seat next to Jeanie and leaving Sarah to squeeze in alongside Bonnie and Paige.

‘Well,’ Max said as he pulled his plate towards him and picked up his fork, ‘this is cosy, isn’t it?’

‘The more the merrier, as far as I’m concerned.’ Jeanie smiled as she picked up her own cutlery.

Paige’s attention returned to her phone.

‘So, it’s your birthday?’ Sarah asked Jeanie, who nodded.

‘Don’t ask me how old I am, though,’ Jeanie quipped, ‘or I’ll be forced to kill you.’

Max chuckled. ‘Whenever we meet, Jeanie, I see where Bonnie gets her sense of humour from.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘How long has it been since I last saw you?’

‘Ooooh, last time I was in Applejack’s at the same ungodly hour you get there was when Bonnie’s car broke down and I had to run her into work until she got a new one.’ She turned to Bonnie. ‘How long have you had the car you’ve got now?’

Bonnie shrugged. ‘About three years, I think.’

‘That’ll be it, then,’ Jeanie said. ‘Three years ago.’

‘Bloody hell,’ Max rubbed a hand across his chin. ‘Time does fly. I’d only just taken on the business then from my dad.’

‘I think you had,’ Bonnie agreed. ‘How is he, by the way?’

‘He’s brilliant. Early retirement was the best decision he ever made.’

‘He went to France, didn’t he?’ Jeanie cut in.

Max nodded. ‘He has a house in the Dordogne, loves it there.’

Paige’s head shot up for a moment and she caught Bonnie in a measured gaze. But the reference to France that Paige and Jeanie had feared might send Bonnie into a dour mood seemed to pass without note. Bonnie was now too busy watching Sarah eat. Max’s girlfriend seemed oblivious to the attention, and looked up from her plate with an unassuming smile.

‘So, what do you do for a living?’ Bonnie asked, trying to sound casual.

‘I’m a mature student,’ Sarah replied.

‘Oh, what are you studying?’ Jeanie asked, her interest clearly piqued.

‘Fine art. I’m going into my second year now. I was a teaching assistant before, but I knew it wasn’t for me. I’d always been interested in art, so I decided one day that life is too short and I should pursue my dream of becoming a professional artist.’

Bonnie tried to look suitably impressed.
Great, not only is she pretty but she’s clever and talented too. Is there anything wrong with this woman?

‘She showed me some of her work when I went to pick her up tonight,’ Max said, ‘it’s really good.’ He added self-consciously, ‘not that I know much about art. Potato prints, that’s about my limit,’ he laughed.

Sarah smiled affectionately at him. ‘You are funny. You don’t need to know about art to appreciate what you like. I always think that art is too elitist and should be more about people simply liking what they like.’

Oh dear God
, Bonnie thought,
pretty, clever, talented and also nice beyond reason. How much more annoying could she be?

***

‘I’ve had a lovely evening.’ Jeanie undid her seatbelt as they pulled up outside her house. ‘It was nice to have Max and Sarah with us, livened things up a bit. I can almost pretend I had a real birthday party.’

‘Thanks. Nice to know our company would have been so dull if they hadn’t turned up,’ Bonnie commented with a sideways glance.

‘You know what I mean.’

‘You could have invited your friends,’ Bonnie said, ‘nobody stopped you.’

‘You don’t like my friends,’ Jeanie returned.

‘I do.’

‘As I recall, you called them a bunch of old crusties.’

There was a snigger from the back seat. ‘Nice one, Mum.’

‘I didn’t mean anything by it,’ Bonnie said to Jeanie, ignoring Paige.

‘Anyway, I’m seeing them all tomorrow night. Pete and Tank have a special birthday performance lined up for me in Leathers.’ Jeanie grinned, clearly excited by this prospect.

‘That rock club at the edge of town? I thought you’d stopped going there.’

‘What made you think that?’

Bonnie shrugged, suddenly feeling guilty. Had she really been so self-absorbed lately that she didn’t know what happened in her mum’s life when she wasn’t there?

‘I thought Sarah was boring,’ Paige cut in from the back seat.

‘Paige!’ Jeanie chided.

‘Max must have done too, because he spent all his time talking to Mum instead of his actual girlfriend,’ Paige continued in a scathing tone.

‘He didn’t,’ Bonnie said defensively. ‘We do see each other almost every day so he knows me really well.’

‘Exactly,’ Paige insisted. ‘You’d have thought he’d have nothing left to say to you and should be getting to know his date.’

‘That’s silly. It was just breaking the ice; he got the whole table talking. He’s a natural chatterbox, is Max.’

‘He’s a natural something,’ Paige pouted.

‘I think he’s lovely,’ Jeanie said. ‘Sarah is lovely too and I hope it works out for them.’

‘They deserve each other,’ Paige piped up, ‘both as sad as one another.’

‘Paige,’ Jeanie snapped, turning around in her seat to hold her granddaughter in an icy stare, ‘did anybody ask for your opinion?’

‘But –’

‘No buts,’ Jeanie said, ‘only to butt out.’

Paige fell into a sullen silence and Bonnie gave her mum a withering look.

‘I’m in for a lovely evening now she’s in a mood, thanks, Mum.’

‘Don’t lay the blame at my door. You don’t tell her often enough when she’s out of order.’

‘Don’t start, Mum…’

Jeanie held up a placatory hand. ‘It’s fine. I’ve had a lovely evening, despite what some people…’ she inclined her head at Paige, ‘think, and I don’t want to ruin it by falling out with you.’ She forced a smile. ‘Do you want to come in for a quick cuppa before you go home?’

Bonnie shook her head. ‘If you don’t mind, I’m tired. I think I’ll just climb into my PJs and call it a night.’

Jeanie paused for a moment, and then took a deep breath, almost as if she was screwing up the courage to say something important, something that she was afraid of. But then she smiled tightly and stretched over to kiss Bonnie on the cheek.

‘Alright. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow?’

‘Maybe. I’ll see how late it is by the time I’ve cleaned the flat and done the shopping.’

‘Night then. And you, Paige, sleep tight.’

Paige looked up and gave a sulky nod and Jeanie slipped out of the car and into the night.

***

Bonnie chewed on her lip as she ran her eyes over the instructions on the pack. Then she put the box back on the shelf and picked up a different shade. She pored over the photo on the front of the box, and then flipped it over to look at the result panel on the
back. Caramel Cream… was that too dark? It looked dark over blonde on the box, though Bonnie’s was a fairly dark blonde to start with. Did she want to go darker and more exotic, or blonder and bubblier? Her eyes caught another box: Copper Canyon. What about red? Maybe red could be a more exciting alternative? But could she really pull off red hair?