Page 34 of Sunny Skies and Summer Kisses

Before they knew it, Jonty was calling for last orders.

‘Don’t know about you two, but I reckon we should finish the night off with a glass of something fizzy?’ Anoushka pushed her hair back over her shoulders and sat up straight.

‘Ah, you’re a woman after my own heart,’ said Kristy, beaming at her.

‘Mine too; I’m totally on for that.’ Brogan knocked back the dregs of her Pinot Grigio.

‘Right, two ticks and I’ll just go and grab us something suitable.’ Anoushka hurried over to the bar.

Five minutes later she returned with a tray set with three glasses of Prosecco, their bubbles sparkling in the soft light of the pub.

‘Tell you what, tonight had the potential to go rapidly downhill,’ said Brogan. ‘What with Archie-the-Arse and the info Anita dumped, but you two awesome women have pulled it back and it’s turned out to be a brilliant night. I don’t know what I’d do without you, honest I don’t.’

‘Right back at you, Broge,’ said Anoushka, smiling at her.

‘Couldn’t agree more,’ said Kristy.

‘Right then, lasses, I reckon that calls for a toast.’ Brogan raised her glass and the others followed suit.

‘To friendship,’ said Anoushka.

‘To friendship,’ the other two echoed as they clinked glasses and beamed broadly at one another.

Family and friends, Anoushka said to herself, were all she needed; what she’d learnt tonight was certainly proof of that.

23

Anoushka made her way along the trod from Oak Tree Farm to the village shop, the sunshine warm on her back. Birds were chatting away in the hedgerows, their exuberance making her smile. The village green had been recently mown and the sweet scent of freshly cut grass filled the air. She breathed in a generous lungful, savouring it; there was nothing like the smell of summer.

She’d been up since just after six and had had a busy morning, dealing with her final preparations for this evening’s opening party and her first day of dance lessons at the new venue the following morning – she was keen to ensure everything would go smoothly – and had jumped at the chance of running an errand to pick up a few bits and bobs for Kitty, welcoming the break and breath of fresh air it would offer.

It had been a week since Anita had dropped her bombshell and the following day, Anoushka had given herself a stern talking to. Getting upset about Gabe dating another woman was ridiculous. She’d made it perfectly plain to him she wasn’t interested in him so it made no sense to get upset if he was photographed with Lilith Dean. And if he wanted to get engaged, then that was fine too. Anoushka had no claims on him. Yes, she had to admit to herself that she liked Gabe, but the feelings she had were no more than rebound emotions – surely anyone would seem attractive after Damon? She needed to push Gabe right out of her mind and focus on her dance school and its future. She’d forbidden herself from checking any form of social media for mentions of him, reasoning that would make the situation easier for her. And to a degree, it had worked. The sharp edges of hurt may have been smoothed, but it still hadn’t stopped her wondering.

‘Morning, pet.’ Big Mary’s voice boomed out from the little garden of the heavily thatched Damson Cottage as Anoushka walked by. Shielding her eyes with her hand, she looked over to see the older woman sitting in a deck chair, waving, and flashing her gap-toothed smile. In her summer get-up, Big Mary was a bold splash of colour, topped off by a broad-brimmed hat, trimmed with sunflowers. She had her gipsy skirt pulled up, revealing a pair of sturdy, milk-bottle-white legs and a flash of bright yellow knickers.

‘Oh!’ Anoushka quickly averted her eyes. ‘Morning, Mary. Looks like your garden’s a right little suntrap.’

‘Eee, you’re right there. Mind, much as I think this weather’s absolutely glorious, if it gets any hotter, I think I’ll have to head indoors. Phew! I’m in a right old lather.’ She flapped her loose-fitting t-shirt, treating the village to a display of her generous bra-encased bosom. Anoushka didn’t know where to look.

‘Morning, Noushka.’ Gerald emerged from the cottage, two mugs of tea in his hands. He was dressed as brightly as his wife, though he’d swapped his usual roomy trousers for a voluminous pair of tie-dye shorts, teaming them with a pair of multi-coloured striped socks and shocking-pink sliders.

Only a character like Gerald could get away with such a statement look, thought Anoushka. ‘Hi there, Gerald.’ She couldn’t help but smile at the cheerful-looking pair.

‘How’s the plans for the party going, pet?’ he asked, lisping on account of him not wearing his false teeth. He passed his wife one of the mugs. ‘Don’t suppose you’ve got time to join us for a cuppa? There’s plenty more tea in the pot.’

‘Gerry man, pop your choppers in. Noushka won’t be able to understand a word you’re saying.’

‘Oh, aye, sorry, pet. I’ve got them here, in my pocket.’

‘Everything seems to be running smoothly – touch wood.’ Anoushka tapped her head with her fingers, fighting the giggle that was rising inside her as Gerald pulled a selection of faces as he pushed his false teeth into his mouth, adjusting them with his tongue. ‘And much as I’d love to join you for a cuppa, I’m afraid I’ve just popped out quickly; I need to get back, finish my list of things to do for tonight.’

‘Well, Gerry and me are looking forward to it enormously, aren’t we, pet?’ She glanced over at her husband, frowning as his struggle continued.

‘Aye, we are that,’ he said, just as his bottom set of dentures shot out, landing on the grass. Before Gerald could reach for them, a ginger tom cat leapt down from the wall and pounced. It proceeded to give the false teeth a thorough investigation, sniffing and licking away at them. ‘Oy, you little bugger, give over. They’ll be too big for your cakehole,’ he said as he and Big Mary roared with laughter. Anoushka looked on with morbid fascination.

‘Anyroad, we can’t wait for you to start them ballroom classes so we can trip the light fannydingo, or whatever it is you call it. Me and Gerald have been doing some exercises to limber up in readiness, like. Supple as a couple of whippets, we are now, aren’t we, Gerry?’ Big Mary gave a throaty chuckle as she kicked her leg in the air, flashing yet more of her yellow knickers.

‘Aye, that we are, pet,’ he said as he tried to wrestle his false teeth off the cat who was having none of it. ‘Ouch, you little… there was no need for that.’ He pulled his hand away as the ginger tom’s paw shot out to scratch him again.

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