Authors: Kirsty Greenwood
As we park up in the village green, I’m taken aback to find that I’ve missed this place. I’ve only been back in Manchester for a week, but seeing the beautiful honey coloured stone houses, and the tall trees again brings a wonderful sense of calm over me.
Dionne is not quite as impressed.
“
Oh my days. This place is, like, the middle of nowhere. I didn’t even know places like this existed.
”
I get out of the car and race out towards The Old Whimsy.
“
Do you not think it’s beautiful?
”
I ask, breathing in the fresh air and waving my arms around.
“
And the smell. It’s so clean.
”
And then I then realise that I’m talking to myself because Dionne isn’t even there. I look back. She’s still in the car. Arms folded and staring in front of her.
I scuffle back over.
“
Are you coming or what?
”
“
Nah. I’ll wait here. I need to let Jean-Paul Gaultier out for a wee anyway.
”
“
I’ll wait while he goes. Come on. It’s cold out here. You may as well come in.
”
Dionne climbs out of the car, sets Jean-Paul Gaultier on his lead and watches while he does his business on a patch of grass.
“
I suppose I can have a swift half while I’m waiting. You’re buying.
”
So Dionne, Jean-Paul Gaultier and I walk/trot back towards the pub. As we reach the door I feel a sudden flutter of butterflies in my tummy. And I hear music from inside. Wait…
It sounds like …
“
She’s an easy lover, she’ll get a hold on you believe it…
”
And there, as I open the door, are Riley, Baby-faced Robbie and two men I don’t know are doing a pretty good impression of a band. A band rocking out to Phil Collins.
I don’t get time to register what I think about Riley strumming a guitar with his eyes closed. Or the fact that they’re singing the song that I was singing the day Riley and I almost… you know. Because there, popping out from b
ehind Robbie, laughing and over
zealously bashing on a tambourine, is Meg!
What the heck! Without thinking about it I shout out
“
Meg!
”
It’s more of a cry actually.
Meg startles as she looks over and notices us standing there. Astonishment crosses her pretty features.
“
Natty? Dionne?
”
she signals for the band to stop playing, which they do immediately.
Well, she’s obviously been making herself very comfortable here.
She hurries over.
“
Oh noes! Have you been punched? Did Marie hunt you down?
”
she asks, gawking at my lips in horror.
“
No and no,
”
I answer immediately.
“
I had them filled. I
-
I don’t want to talk about it.
”
I cover my mouth with my hand.
“
What are you doing here?
”
I ask more grumpily than I should. It’s a free country. Why can’t she be here without me?
“
Sit down,
”
she says, leading me over to a table.
“
I want a drink and crisps.
”
Dionne yawns, holding her hand out for money. I hand over a note from my purse and she heads to the bar. Riley hurries over to serve her. I notice him glancing at me, a funny look on his face. A kind of smile, I think. He looks lovely in a pair of combat trousers and a white t-shirt. All fresh and tall and outdoorsy. I blush and turn to Meg.
“
Go on then,
”
I say.
“
Tell me why you’re here.
”
“
Stop looking at me like that, Nat! I came to see Jasper.
”
“
Jasper
Hobbs?
”
“
Yes.
”
“
Why? How long have you been here for?
”
“
Three days. I -
”
“
Why didn't you tell me?
”
“
I tried to ring, remember? You switched off your phone 'cos of your fake lurgy.
”
“
Oh yes. So I did. Sorry about that.
”
“
And even so, I didn’t think it was a good idea to remind you about what happened when you were here last week. You know. You seemed so guilty about it.
”
She looks at me pointedly and then glances over at Riley who is chatting to Dionne.
“
Yup.
”
She’s right.
“
When we got home I couldn’t stop thinking about stuff,
”
Meg carries on.
“
About what Jasper had said about his connections in the music industry. The more I thought about changi
ng careers, giving up the voice
over stuff and taking the big leap the more excited I got. I’m tired of waiting around. So I called him.
”
“
And?
”
“
He invited me up to record a demo in his studio.
”
Her eyes sparkle. She looks all energetic and new.
“
Jasper has a studio?
”
“
At the family home up the hill.
”
“
He lives at that massive house?
”
I say thinking of the huge manor type building up in the hills behind the pub.
“
Yeah, that's Hobbs Manor! It was brilliant, Natty. I felt like a proper star. Jasper’s friend Ian, you know the music biz one, really thinks I’ve got something special. He said I was like a young Lulu.
”
I nod, unaware of whether this is a compliment or not.
Dionne strolls over with a glass of lager and some prawn cocktail crisps. She brings me no change from the note I gave her.
“
All right Meg,
”
she says, opening the packet of crisps and handing one to Jean-Paul Gaultier who is perched obediently beside her.
“
Hiya.
”
Meg acknowledges her with a brief, not particularly friendly, nod.
I wish they got on a little better.
“
That guy behind the bar is well hot,
”
Dionne says, nodding over towards Riley who keeps shooting peeks over at our table.
“
He looks like a hot woodcutter.
”
Meg laughs in spite of herself and pokes her tongue out at me.
“
Anyway
,
”
I say trying not to th
ink about Riley as a woodcutter - n
aked and chopping up wood in the sunshine.
“
Anyway,
”
Meg carries on.
“
I’m going there tomorrow to put down the backing vocals. See? Check me out! I just said ‘put down the backing vocals’. I'm like Mariah Carey.
”
“
What are you on about?
”
Dionne asks, mouth full of crisps.
“
Meg is going to try to become a pop star,
”
I explain.
Saying it out loud I realise how bizarre it sounds. So out there. I can’t help feeling that she’s setting herself up for a fall. I mean, who really thinks that they can just decide to be a pop star and it’ll just happen? It’s silly. Of course, I don’t tell Meg that. She seems so happy.
“
You?
”
Dionne scoffs.
“
And that band?
”
She smirks and looks over to the corner of the pub where Robbie and the
other two men are messing half
-heartedly with various instruments. Robbie appears to be banging the tambourine on his rotund bottom.
Meg rolls her eyes and scowls at Dionne.
“
Yes me. Not with them, though. That’s just a mess about. They’re rehearsing for Mrs Grimes’ fundraiser.
”
Oh yes, I remember Riley saying something about that. Though he never mentioned he could play the guitar. But then, why would he?
“
Ooh, I’d love to be a pop star,
”
Dionne says, sipping from her drink.
“
I think I’d be dead good at it.
”
“
Hmmm. You have to be able to sing.
”
Meg leans down to pat Jean-Paul Gaultier who growls at her.
“
Um. No you don’t. Look at The Saturdays. What, you’re the only one who’s allowed to be a good singer?
”
Dionne grumps.
“
I think
-
”
“
Wait a second,
”
Meg interrupts, turning to me. Why are
you
here?
”
Shit. Seeing Meg and Riley, I completely forgot about Brian.
“
Oh crap!
”
I say.
“
I got a text message from someone. Brian’s back!
”
“
Is he? That’s fabulous!
”
“
Well, yes, according to the text. So you haven’t seen him?
”
“
No, not in here. Riley might have.
”
Is it me or is she wiggling her eyebrows?
Well I’m going to have to speak to him at some point. It would be rude if I didn’t.
I leave Meg and Dionne to throw evils at each other and approach Riley behind the bar.
“
Hello Miss Butterworth,
”
he smiles when I get there.
“
I didn’t think we’d be seeing you again so soon.
”
“
Yes, yes. Here I am. Surprise!
”
I feel myself blush.
“
I actually came to see Brian Fernando. I heard that he was back in Little Trooley, here in The Old Whimsy, actually. Have you seen him?
”
He thinks for a second.
“
Nope. I’m pretty sure he’s not been in the pub.
”
Maybe the sender of the text was mixed up. He’s here in the village, just not in the pub.
“
Hang on a second,
”
Riley says before darting into the back. He returns a second later, his Uncle Alan trailing behind in a pair of mud stained blue overalls.
“
Hello, l
ass!
”
Alan booms when he sees me, ambling around from the bar to envelop me into a huge muddy hug.
“
Did you get yourself fixed?
”
I hug back, surprised, but thrilled at his enthusiastic greeting.
“
No, I’m afraid not,
”
I say.
“
That’s why I’m here. Somebody text messaged me to say that Brian was back. In fact, they said he was right here in this pub.
”
I pull out my phone and show the pair of them the message.
Alan grimaces and shakes his head.
“
Oh. I’m sorry love, but we’ve not seen hide nor hair of him for weeks now.
”
My stomach drops.
“
Maybe he’s at his house.
”
I try.
“
I’ll pop over. Have a look.
”
Alan shakes his head again, this time putting his hand on my shoulder.
“
I was there about an hour ago love, watering his roses. He wasn’t home.
”
Oh no. What the hell?
“
But the text message,
”
I say.
“
Someone
-
”
“
I think perhaps you’ve been the subject of a practical joke, lass.
”
That can’t be right. I can’t have driven all this way again to find out that he’s not even here.
The disappointment stings. I thought I was close to getting my life back. Who would joke about that? Why would someone joke about that? It’s really not funny. I could understand if it was amusing, but it really isn’t. I look around at everyone in the pub, suspicion glinting in my eyes. Who was it? Who sent the message?