Page 30 of Coming Home to Crumbleton

‘Yeah,’ said Kendra, who looked like she was practically vibrating with excitement. ‘And Oli said I get fifteen minutes alone with you afterwards to ask as many questions as I like – only if I don’t bug you this evening… but I have to tell you… it’s so cool you came home for your last stop on the tour. I’m well chuffed. I think I got the first ticket!’

‘Erm… great,’ said Ruby, wrapping her hands around the drinks. ‘Good for you.’ As usual, she had precisely zero idea about how she should respond. She never knew what to say when someone liked her writing. Of course, part of her was pleased – but she always found it a source of pure amazement that random strangers enjoyed her work. ‘I’ll… see you on Thursday, then.’

Ruby smiled awkwardly at Kendra and then hot-footed it straight back to the table.

‘Here,’ she said, plonking Oli’s drink down in front of him.

‘Meet your biggest fan?’ he chuckled.

‘You knew?’ said Ruby, her eyes widening.

‘What, that Kendra’s obsessed with you and your book?’ he said. ‘Oh, I knew! She works for me every Saturday, but she’s been into the shop practically every day since you agreed to the signing - just to double check her name’s still on the list and that you haven’t cancelled!’

‘Wow,’ said Ruby in a low voice. ‘She’s… a lot. I mean, really lovely but… wow! And what’s all this about promising her an exclusive interview?’

Oli rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, sorry about that, but it was the only way to buy you any peace this evening. I would have warned you - but you did your great escape thing before I got the chance.’

‘Sorry,’ muttered Ruby.

‘No need to apologise,’ said Oli with an easy shrug, taking a sip of his pint. ‘The look on your face was priceless, though - best bit of entertainment I’ve had all day!’

‘Oh hush,’ muttered Ruby, reigning in the temptation to stick her tongue out at him like she’d done a million times before.

‘You know, I’ve been wondering how the introverted little bookworm was dealing with all the fame,’ he said, raising one eyebrow. ‘And now I know.’

‘You know nothing, Jon Snow,’ she sighed.

‘Is that right?’ he said. ‘Well… all I’ll say is that I wasn’t really expecting to recognise Ruby Hutchinson - celebrity author. Especially when I got that cut-out thingy they made me put in the window.’

Ruby wrinkled her nose.

‘I do recognise you, though,’ said Oli, watching her closely. ‘You’re still the Ruby I remember, and… it’s a nice surprise.’

Ruby watched him from underneath her lashes as he took another sip of his drink… and realised she felt exactly the same. Sitting in front of her was the person she used to know better than anyone else in the entire world - the guy who’d turned out to be so much more than the meathead jock she’d assumed he’d be.

‘Right then!’ said Oli, clapping loudly, making her jump.

It did the job, though - the noise had broken the spell. Suddenly she was back in present-day Crumbleton, sitting across from a man she’d once spent a summer with. She was a visitor - not quite at home… but then, nowhere was home anymore.

‘Right then,’ she repeated quietly.

‘Let’s talk about your signing,’ said Oli.

‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Yeah. Okay.’

Ruby reached for her glass and took a sip of her ginger beer. It was the reason they were both sitting there, after all.

‘Now, I’ve gone back through all the emails from Bobbi and Ben,’ said Oli. ‘I’ve got the brand of bottled water you asked for – still and sparkling, there are plenty of notecards too. I did have a bit of an issue getting holographic ones, but I managed to get metallic, and-’

‘Wait – what?!’ laughed Ruby in surprise. ‘You’re kidding me!’

‘Erm… not kidding,’ said Oli. ‘I can forward the emails to you if you’d like?’

‘God no – no thanks!’ she said quickly. Heads were going to roll when she got back to London! It was just the kind of thing she hated… and her team had done that? To Oli?!?! He must have thought she’d turned into a total diva. ‘What else did they ask for?’

‘Someone to be on hand to turn pages for you while you read, a bowl of fresh tomatoes – which I thought was seriously weird - oh, and a new toilet seat to be installed on the morning of the signing!’ he said, raising his eyebrows.

‘Okay – now you’re making it up!’ said Ruby, her eyes wide with horror.

---