‘You just kept going, didn’t you? Both of you,’ Anna said. She looked at more photos: celebrations, street parties, shop revamps, fifties furniture, then psychedelic seventies prints, her grandmother’s outfits reflecting the changes in fashion.
‘We did,’ Evie said. ‘And so will you, sweetheart. You’re a survivor.’
‘I am?’ Anna asked, unsure. The past weeks had taken their toll on her.
‘Of course you are. Your grandmother was so very proud of you.’
The next morning, Anna started work with more vigour and enthusiasm than she’d had in days.
The night before, after talking to Evie, she’d decided she was ready to run the shop on her own. Emboldened by her new plan, she’d also deleted Jon’s number from her phone, and finally got around to unfriending him on Facebook. She felt liberated.
She still missed Alfie desperately. Missed Jon too. But when she’d gone back to the flat the previous night, she’d realised it wasn’t empty without the two of them. It was just getting ready to be filled with something new. Something Anna now had space for.
On her break Anna opened her laptop, and logged into her email. She found a new message.
To:
Anna
From:
Matteo
Dear Anna,
A hello from across the ocean.
Forgive me for writing. I know that you have your own life over in England, and really I should just leave you in peace.
But the truth is, I can’t stop thinking about you.
I know you didn’t want me to tell you how I felt when you were here. But now you can’t stop me (ha!). When you walk into a room, it lights up. I want that in my life. I want you in my life.
Anna took Matteo’s words in slowly. Hearing how he felt, directly from him, sent a rush of warmth through her.
You’re thinking you should tell me you have a boyfriend. Don’t worry, I already know. You never pretended anything different. Sian told me, but I had already guessed.
All the same I’m taking a chance. Because if I don’t then … well. I figure I’ll be a sad old man, wondering what could have been.
I hope you are happy. But if you’re not … Or if one day in the future, you’re not … I’m here. At the very least, I could make you a good ice cream to cheer you up.
I’m going to press Send. (I will not chicken out.)
Anna. I can’t forget you.
Matteo x
Anna took a few minutes to digest what he’d said. Then she opened a new window and typed a message back.
To:
Matteo
From:
Anna
Hi, Matteo,
Thank you for your message.
Anna hesitated. That didn’t sound right. She held down the Delete key until she had a blank screen again.
It was good to hear
Delete.
She began typing again:
Try this
Then restarted her message:
Mango and Raspberry Granita:
Ingredients …
When she’d finished typing, she took a deep breath and pressed Send.
On the specials board Hepburn’s Glorious Ice Cream for Hounds
On Thursday morning, Imogen walked across the pebbles on the beach in Kemp Town, where the shore was less busy and she could throw Hepburn’s ball without it getting pounced on by a hundred other, bigger dogs. Dressed in jeans and a faded grey T-shirt, her hair uncombed and without a scrap of make-up on, she’d left the house to clear her head, after rebooking her flights for 17th August, in a week and a half’s time. She hadn’t expected to see anyone she knew.
Down by the water’s edge, with a group of students, was Finn. He was showing them how to pop up to standing on their surfboards, just as he’d shown her the other day. He demonstrated the move ably, and then the rest of the class floundered around trying to replicate it. He caught sight of her before she could turn away.
‘Imogen,’ he shouted out, turning his back on the class.
She smiled back and gave a wave, but instinctively picked up her pace. They hadn’t spoken since their date at the weekend, and she didn’t know what to say to him.
Before she had taken more than a few steps, though, Finn was by her side on the pebbly beach, his hand gently touching her arm.
‘Hey,’ he said.
‘Hi,’ Imogen replied, trying to sound relaxed and cool. Hepburn was looking at her with his huge, round brown eyes, questioning.
I like this man
, he seemed to be thinking.
Why are you trying to get away from him?
‘Looks like you’re in the middle of a class,’ Imogen managed at last.
‘Oh, don’t worry about that,’ Finn said. ‘I think they could do with a bit of time to practise.’
Imogen looked over his shoulder and saw the men and women still struggling on their surfboards, emitting loud bursts of giggles as they fell to the ground yet again.
‘You might be right,’ she said, smiling in spite of her nerves.
‘Is everything OK?’ Finn asked. ‘It’s been kind of quiet.’
‘Sorry,’ she said, thinking of the texts and calls she had been ignoring. ‘It’s just been a busy week.’
‘Look, I’m probably going to regret this,’ Finn said, looking her right in the eye. ‘But I’m going to lay my cards on the table anyway. I really like you, Imogen, and I’ve had an incredible time with you over the last few weeks. So that’s why I haven’t given up. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’m still not giving up.’
‘So,’ he continued, ‘if I was less deluded I’d definitely have accepted that you’re not interested. But the truth is I’d really like to see you again.’
Imogen stood in silence on the pebbled beach. Waves crashed, laughter continued to drift over from the surf group, and a gang with a ghetto blaster walked by – but the words she wanted to say escaped her.
‘Thanks,’ she mumbled finally.
‘Thanks?’ Finn echoed, a smile of surprise on his lips. ‘Not quite the response I was hoping for, but it could have been worse.
‘I’d better get back to the group,’ he finished, glancing over his shoulder as a cheer went up from the students. One of them had mastered the pop-up move and the others were applauding him. ‘Looks like they’ve been making progress without me.’
‘Listen … ’ Imogen started. She couldn’t let him walk away when she was due to fly off in less than a fortnight. ‘Tonight. Come by the house? I’ll cook you dinner and we can talk.’
The light returned to his eyes. ‘I’ll see you at eight,’ he said, then turned and jogged back towards the water.
Imogen brought the shopping bags into the hallway and closed the door of Vivien’s house behind her. It was strange preparing things for her dinner with Finn, as if this were the start of something rather than the end.
She sat down in the armchair next to the fireplace, darkgreen
velvet, with springs that you could feel through the fabric in places. Next to it was a framed photo of her grandmother holding hands with Imogen and Anna when they were little. As she looked at Vivien’s face, her gentle features and neatly styled hair swept back into a loose bun, she thought for a moment she could feel her presence in the room. She looked at the photo, and asked in a low whisper. ‘I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I, Granny V?’
Imogen wondered, for the first time in her life, whether she might have too much worth keeping to risk walking away.
Imogen poured Finn another glass of wine. It wasn’t a night for skimping on the units, she thought to herself as she watched the red liquid flow out.
‘So you’ve already booked your ticket?’ he said.
‘Yes, well, I already had a return flight booked, but I only fixed the date yesterday.’
‘And it’s one-way?’
‘Yes,’ Imogen said, pouring herself a glass and then sitting down at the table. ‘I’m sorry. I know it must seem sudden, but it’s been on my mind for a while that I want to get back and finish the set of photos I showed you. If it hadn’t been for what happened with Granny V, I wouldn’t be here at all.’
He shook his head. ‘Wow, I really made an idiot out of myself this morning then, didn’t I?’
‘No,’ Imogen replied. ‘You were honest. Maybe we could
all do with being a bit more honest. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you, Finn.’
‘I just didn’t expect … ’ He took a sip of wine, then set the glass back down on the table. ‘I don’t know what I expected to happen tonight – but it wasn’t this.’
‘I know,’ Imogen said. ‘I really like you, and it wasn’t an easy decision. Anyway, I didn’t want to leave without saying a proper goodbye.’
‘Goodbye,’ Finn said, with a wry smile. ‘Right.’
After dinner, they moved into the living room, each holding a plate laden with apple crumble and ice cream. Since they’d changed the subject from Imogen’s future plans the atmosphere had lightened.
‘I didn’t make the ice cream,’ Imogen said, ‘so there’s nothing for you to worry about. It’s courtesy of Sainsbury’s, that one.’
‘Thanks,’ Finn said. ‘Although I’m sure you’re an expert by now.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ Imogen said. ‘I leave the cooking to Anna nowadays.’
‘Listen. Obviously I’m trying to be really cool about this whole you-going-away thing, but actually I’m gutted.’
‘You want to know something?’ Imogen replied, Finn’s frankness allowing her to speak her own mind. ‘I am too. But you seem really settled and I can’t stay here, knowing I’ll always have what if’s. That wouldn’t be fair on either of us.’
‘There is one possibility we haven’t talked about.’
‘OK, go ahead,’ Imogen said, her curiosity piqued.
‘I’m thinking out loud here, and you may hate the idea. But I’ve wanted to take a break for a while. For six years, I’ve been working flat out with no holidays getting the business off the ground. Andy’s always saying he wants more responsibility, and I’m sure he could handle running it on his own for a while.’
Imogen began to piece together what he was saying and a smile crept onto her lips.
‘How would you feel about some company?’ Finn said. ‘A few months on a beach – I can’t think of anything better than that – or anyone I’d rather spend the time with.’
Imogen let the words sink in and become real.
Finn – Finn and her – in Thailand. Together
.
‘It would give us a chance, wouldn’t it?’ Imogen said.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Plus it would be fun. And if it doesn’t work out – fine – we go our separate ways. But something tells me, I don’t know, a sneaky suspicion … I have a feeling it just might.’
‘You know what, Finn,’ Imogen said, a huge smile on her face now, ‘I think it’s a brilliant idea.’
On the specials board – Champagne Sorbet
‘A double waffle cone with hazelnut and pistachio, please,’ said Julie, a woman in her fifties who was fast becoming a regular a Vivien’s.
Since sending Matteo her recipe, Anna had heard nothing back from him. With Imogen and Finn’s leaving party that evening, and the prospect of running the shop on her own fast becoming a reality, she had plenty of more important things to focus on.
But it had been over a week. Ten whole days since she’d written. And for some reason it was all she could think about. That, and what Matteo had said in his earlier message.
‘Right, yes,’ Anna said, drifting out of her reverie. ‘Coming up.’
‘What’s going on, love?’ Julie asked. ‘Only you look like you’re in another world this morning.’
‘I am a bit,’ Anna admitted. ‘I’ll snap out of it. A few things on my mind, that’s all.’
‘Well, you’re not alone there,’ Julie laughed kindly. ‘Maybe you should treat yourself to a little of your own medicine.’ She pointed at the ice creams in the glass cabinet. ‘Certainly helps me.’
Julie took her cone with a smile, and left.
Perhaps she’s right
, Anna thought. She didn’t normally eat on duty, apart from the odd experimental taster. But today, when she needed some comfort she could count on, seemed like the day to make an exception. She took a cone and scooped out a generous serving of chocolate macadamia, then settled on a stool to eat it. The alternating chunks of chocolate and nut gave it the most addictive texture. As she absorbed the flavours, savouring them, any thoughts of Matteo or the potentially challenging months to come at the shop, faded away.
‘Eating your way through the profits?’ a familiar male voice said. It was one she knew as well as her own. She looked up and saw her father’s welcoming smile. He had a few new lines around his eyes, but other than that, looked just as he’d always been.
‘Dad. You’re here!’
‘Of course I’m here. Wouldn’t miss Imogen’s leaving party. Me and your mum have been wanting to come and visit for a while, but I haven’t felt well enough. I’m sorry,’ he said. Anna reached out and took his hand in hers, giving it a little squeeze.
‘You look better, Dad,’ Anna said. ‘Do you feel it?’
‘Getting there,’ he said, with a smile. ‘With no small thanks due to your mum. She’s my rock. Anyway, she’s been so excited
about the party, especially seeing as we haven’t met this new man of Imo’s yet.’
‘It’s lovely to see you. And where’s Mum now?’ She glanced towards the door.
‘She’s just doing her hair at the hotel. We’re staying at the Grand. Thought it would be easier, all round, than staying at the house, with all the memories. Anyway, I couldn’t resist popping down right away to say hello.’
Anna reached out her arms and her dad hugged her. In an instant, her twenty-eight years dissolved into eight. She felt protected in his strong arms.
‘You got ice cream on my jumper,’ her dad laughed, and brushed off a chunk she’d accidentally smeared on the sleeve of his woolly sweater.
‘Oops, sorry. Occupational hazard,’ Anna laughed. ‘But talking of ice cream – what do you think of this place?’ she said, opening her arms wide to show off all of the changes the shop had undergone.
‘It’s just incredible,’ he said. ‘You’ve worked so hard, both of you. It looks even better than in the photos you sent.’