‘I’m sorry. I know I wasn’t clear about what I wanted,’ Jon said, ‘but that’s because I wasn’t sure myself. I thought that you and I could make a go of it. I really did, Anna.’
Anna couldn’t think of a word to say in reply.
‘I was serious when I said I wanted to make things work,’ Jon said.
‘And yet now, just a few days later … ’ Anna began. ‘It’s over.’
‘Anna, there you are!’ Jess said over the phone.
‘Hi,’ Anna said. She was standing outside in the street by the café, after saying goodbye to Jon and asking him to clear the flat of his things.
‘I thought you said you were going to come back down with Jon,’ Jess said. ‘Where are you?’
‘I’m still in the Lanes,’ she said, struggling to hold back her tears. ‘Change of plan.’
‘Crap. Really? I was hoping that the fun didn’t have to end just yet.’ Anna could hear the buzz of the seafront in the background ‘It’s still pretty busy down here.’
‘Listen, Jess,’ Anna said. ‘I can’t promise you fun – and I
mean any at all – but if you’re still up for a drink I’d love some company. Let’s meet somewhere they serve wine.’
‘Sure,’ Jess said. ‘Wine, I can always do. See you in Smokey Joe’s in ten minutes.’
Anna made her way through the narrow streets towards their favourite bar, still in a daze, and settled in a corner booth. She sat there for a while, staring out of the window, her conversation with Jon running through her mind again and again.
‘What’s up?’ Jess said, almost as soon as she came in through the door. ‘You sounded weird on the phone.’ She sat down. ‘God, you look terrible. Have you been crying?’
‘Jon and I just broke up,’ Anna said. It all seemed so much more real as she said it out loud.
‘What? Why?’ Jess said. Anna got the barman’s attention, with the questions still hanging in the air. ‘The usual,’ she said.
‘Because I’m an idiot,’ Anna finally replied. ‘He’s back together with Mia. He was cheating on me with her when I was away in Italy, and I was stupid enough to give him a second chance.’
‘Bloody hell,’ Jess said. ‘Well, first things first, you’re absolutely not an idiot. Let’s get that clear. Jon – yes, idiot. With Mia a close second. Or perhaps they’re joint first. Christ, I should have known it was a mistake inviting them both to our wedding. Is that when this all started?’
‘I don’t know. I didn’t really want the details. But I’m sure it would have happened anyway, wedding or no wedding.’
‘So it sounds like you’ve known about this a while. Why didn’t you say something earlier?’
‘I don’t know,’ Anna said, as she took a full glass of wine gratefully from the barman. ‘I wanted to fix it. And Jon seemed a mess. Long story, but he got sacked just beforehand and hid it from me. I didn’t want you to judge him.’
‘Fair enough, I suppose, although I hate to think of what you were going through on your own,’ Jess said. ‘Damn right I would have judged him. I could wring his neck right now. Who cares if he got sacked – that’s no excuse. So he’s moving out?’
‘Yes, he’s back at the flat right now packing his things. I wanted it all to happen quickly.’
‘Better that way,’ Jess said. ‘Rip the plaster off.’
‘Maybe. Although that’s not the nicest way to describe the end of the most meaningful relationship of my life.’
‘Sorry,’ Jess said. ‘Would it help if I said there were more fish in the sea?’
‘No,’ Anna said, draining her glass. ‘It definitely wouldn’t. Not at all.’
‘Right. Scratch that, then. When this all sinks in properly, Jon is going to be kicking himself for ever letting you slip away.’
‘I don’t know,’ Anna said. ‘He seems pretty sure.’
‘I can’t see Mia ever changing,’ Jess said. ‘I know Ed thinks she has, but if she’s got away with cheating on Jon once, I don’t see what’s going to stop her doing it again.’
‘Well, I hope, for Alfie’s sake, that you’re wrong,’ Anna said. ‘He’s been messed about enough as it is.’
‘Poor kid,’ Jess said. ‘He must not know if he’s coming or going.’
Anna bit her lip. ‘I should have known better than to get involved with Jon when Alfie was still so young.’
‘Look, Anna,’ Jess said, ‘however hard you try, you can’t make this your fault. Alfie is Jon’s responsibility.’
‘It felt sometimes like he was mine too,’ Anna said. She thought of Alfie’s room, all the hopes she’d had that together she and Jon could be the family he needed. ‘But maybe I was fooling myself.’
‘You know how we can make everything OK?’ Jess said, a hopeful smile on her face.
‘Turn the clock back a month?’ Anna said wearily.
‘No,’ Jess said. ‘No Marty McFly needed. It’s simple, albeit one hundred per cent temporary.’ She raised her hand to call the barman back over.
‘Oh, don’t,’ Anna said, shaking her head. ‘Seriously. I’m getting too old for this.’
‘Times of crisis call for drastic solutions,’ Jess said, smiling up at the young man. ‘Four tequila slammers, please.’ Turning back to Anna, she said, ‘And I hear it’s our turn on the jukebox.’
Imogen poured herself a cup of tea, the dark wooden floorboards in the kitchen warm underneath her bare feet. It was too early for the usual Sunday bustle, and birdsong was the only sound she could hear that morning, coal tits and sparrows congregating at Vivien’s bird table.
She pulled a long-sleeved top on over her white vest, worn with pale blue pyjama bottoms, and walked into the living room, cradling the mug in her hands and settling on the sofa. Her head was fuzzy, and there was a slight ache in her temples, but last night had definitely been worth it.
As the party wound up the previous night, with people drifting away from the Arches happy after a day spent with good food and friends, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Finn coming over to meet her later. His kiss had been on her mind all afternoon. At around seven, she saw him approaching.
‘I’d say our work here is done,’ Finn said, walking over to her with a wide smile.
‘I agree,’ Imogen said. ‘We’ve sold out of ice cream –
including the dog variety, Evie’s cake stall’s been mobbed and she’s had commissions for more bunting, and I’m pretty sure we’ve put Granville Arches on the map today.’ She reached down to the small chalkboard hanging on the side of the van, scrubbed it clean and then wrote CLOSED in pink chalk.
‘We sold a ton at the barbecue. We should do this sort of thing more often.’
She climbed out of the van and closed the shutter. ‘Yes, although I had no idea how tiring it would be,’ she laughed. She felt Finn’s eyes resting on her as if he wanted to draw her closer to him. The chemistry that had been there that afternoon was still as strong.
‘Let’s take it easy tonight then. What’s your view on fish ’n’ chips on the beach?’ he asked with a smile. ‘Not the classiest of dates, I know.’
‘Sounds perfect,’ she replied, hoping that the excitement she felt wasn’t written all over her face.
An hour later, Imogen and Finn were sitting on the beach eating chips out of newspaper, metres from Brighton Pier. They’d picked up a bottle of wine, which Finn was in the process of opening, and around them groups of friends crowded around small barbecues and campfires.
‘This is nice,’ Imogen said, stretching out her legs.
‘Not quite Thailand … ’ Finn joked. ‘But the best I could do at short notice.’
‘It’s still the sea. And nothing beats being close to it, don’t you think?’
‘Apart from being
in
it, of course.’
‘True,’ Imogen agreed. ‘When did you learn to surf?’
‘As a teenager. We’d go out there most days – there wasn’t much to do where I grew up.’
‘I’ve always thought it looked fun, but I’ve never tried.’
‘Do you fancy giving it a go?’ he asked. ‘I could teach you. I’ve got a day off tomorrow, in fact. There’s a secluded little cove up the coast we could drive to. Perfect for beginners.’
Imogen looked out into the murky depths of the Atlantic – it didn’t look warm, but that was what wetsuits were for, wasn’t it? It had been a while since she’d done anything that got her adrenalin flowing.
She turned to Finn. ‘I’d love to.’
They’d talked for hours, until the evening chill had set in and Finn had walked her home. They’d lingered for a moment on her doorstep, then he’d kissed her gently. ‘I’m looking forward to tomorrow already,’ he’d said. ‘Get a good night’s sleep and I’ll be round at nine.’
Nine
, Imogen remembered, leaving thoughts of the previous night and glancing over at the grandfather clock in Vivien’s living room. She’d just have time for a quick shower.
She managed to get showered and dressed before the doorbell rang. She had a last look in the hallway mirror before answering the door. She’d put a purple top and jean shorts on over her bikini, and tied her hair back loosely with a slim, pale-gold scarf that flattered her fading tan. It would do. She answered the door.
‘Morning, Imogen,’ Finn said, his voice a little husky. He
looked even more gorgeous than usual in a checked short-sleeved shirt and jeans, sunglasses in his hand.
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘Sounds like I’m not the only one feeling the effects of last night.’
‘The tiniest bit,’ he admitted. ‘The sea will soon freshen us up. Are you all set?’
‘Ready as I’ll ever be.’ She gathered her things and followed him across the road, closing the front door behind her.
They climbed into his van. Once inside, Finn leaned towards her and kissed her gently, lingering for a while. She could make out the warm scent of his aftershave, mingling with the subtle, clean smell of his hair and skin.
‘I really enjoyed last night with you,’ he said.
‘Me too,’ she said. ‘Best night I’ve had in ages. Who needs flash restaurants?’
‘There’s always next time for that,’ he said, putting the key in the ignition and starting up the engine.
‘Who mentioned a next time?’ she said with a smile. ‘Anyway, I hope you’re going to keep things strictly professional today. I’m only interested in you for your surf guidance, you know.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of crossing any boundaries,’ Finn said. He glanced over at her, and gave her a wink.
‘Now, that’s exactly the kind of thing I was concerned about,’ Imogen joked. ‘You’re taking me somewhere isolated, all on my own, aren’t you? My mum warned me about men like you. How far is this cove, anyway?’
‘About an hour,’ Finn said. ‘It’s worth the journey. And I promise you I’ll behave.’
As they drove, the streets of Georgian houses made way for green fields and pretty coastline. Imogen chose tunes to play from Finn’s iPod and they chatted easily, Finn talking her through the basics of surfing. The time passed quickly, and it didn’t feel as if they’d been going for as long as an hour when Finn stopped the van at a small car park on a cliff edge.
‘Come out and look at this,’ he said, opening his car door.
They stepped outside. Below them was a perfect horseshoe cove, completely empty of visitors and sheltered by rock on either side.
‘Beautiful,’ Imogen said, getting out of the van. ‘Twenty degrees warmer and this might even give Thailand a run for its money.’
‘It’s great, isn’t it? This is where I come when I get a day off. I know I’m not going to bump into any of my students, and there’s peace and quiet to think. Let’s get you suited up and soon the last thing you’ll be thinking about is the weather.’
By the open boot of the van, Imogen stripped to her bikini and pulled a wetsuit on over the top. She tried to ignore the fact that Finn was standing just half a metre away, in a similar state of undress.
‘I’m not looking,’ he said, reading her mind. ‘I promise. Although I won’t lie, it’s very hard not to.’
‘Zip me up?’ she asked, and he stood behind her to do up
her wetsuit. Gently he pushed her hair to one side and kissed her neck, sending a shiver through her.
She playfully swatted him away. ‘Are you going to teach me how to surf, or what?’
‘I love a keen student. Right, it’s down this way.’ He led her down a rocky path to the beach, carrying both of their boards.
When they got to the beach, Imogen braced herself for the chill and then took her board and headed out into the water. ‘You want to go for it straightaway?’ Finn asked.
‘I can’t stand waiting for things,’ she said. ‘I’ll get the hang of it quickly enough.’
‘OK, if you’re sure. This one’s good,’ Finn said, pointing to a wave behind Imogen that was gathering momentum. ‘Catch it and then get up to standing as quickly as you can.’
Imogen focused on the wave, waiting for just the right moment to get on to her board. She leapt up but her feet slipped and she tipped forward sharply, falling headfirst into the ocean, sea water rushing up her nose.
She clambered to get back up to the surface, but once she got there and opened her eyes she caught sight of the board she’d flown off ready to land on her head.
‘I’ve got it,’ Finn said, holding her board out of harm’s way. Imogen gasped for breath. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I’m fine,’ she said, brushing the wet strands of hair out of her eyes and taking her board back off him. ‘Ready for round two.’
Another wave was building behind her. She prepared
herself and got up onto it, positioning herself further back on the surfboard this time. As she popped up to standing she held her arms out as Finn had shown her and kept her balance, cruising the wave into shore.
She turned back and looked at him. ‘Did you see that?’ she called out, jubilant.
‘You did it,’ he yelled back. ‘Well done!’
After a couple of hours in the water, they went back to the van to dry off and change. ‘Fancy a picnic?’ Finn said. ‘I think we’ve earned it.’ He picked up a bag from the boot and she followed him over to a grassy spot overlooking the cove. He spread out a rug and then opened the bag, getting out sandwiches and wine.
‘I’m impressed,’ Imogen said, taking a bite of her sandwich, and pushing her hair back so that she wasn’t accidentally eating strands of it any more. ‘And grateful, as I’m absolutely starving. But that was fun. I think I might understand now how you got so hooked.’
‘I’m happy to hear it,’ Finn said. ‘You took to it really well.’