Page 9 of The Winter We Met
‘Shall we share one? I’ve got a sweet tooth but it’s not Jurassic-sized.’
‘Thanks goodness you said that. Gran and I always do. You choose.’
He ran his finger down the menu and looked up, eyes shining. ‘Bread and butter pudding. I’ve always wanted to try that.’
I called over the waitress and we ordered. I always thought a person’s choice of dessert said a lot about them. Nik’s was straightforward and simple, whereas Pan came with me and Gran once and ordered a colourful sundae sprinkled with strawberries and hundreds and thousands. Our pot of tea for two arrived and I poured.
‘How was the fair you went to last week, for manufacturers?’ I asked.
‘Interesting but I didn’t feel inspired the way I wanted to. I’m hoping I’ll get that more from visiting toy shops and markets. What I need is inspiration to pass onto our design team.’ He stirred his drink. ‘Were toys a big part of your childhood? I was never much of an outdoorsy sort and preferred staying in with my books and puzzles or plastic safari animals.’
‘I didn’t have many when I was really small,’ I said briskly. ‘Just Teddy and some Barbie dolls from the charity shop. Then I moved in with Gran. I felt like I was living in Aladdin’s cave with the Lego, and play food, the bowling and skittle set…’ We chatted about current trends and how the toy market had changed over recent decades. ‘You should hear Oliver, my flatmate, talk about the toys his parents bought him – he even had an electric BMW for kids in the garden that he could sit in and drive at five miles per hour.’ I sipped my tea. ‘Sorry I didn’t message earlier. It’s been an especially busy week.’
‘No problem at all. I’ve been settling in. So, it’s full steam ahead for Christmas at work?’
‘Getting there… but there’s also other stuff. The phone call I got, when you left… it was my gran. She’d had a bit of bad news.’ I told him about Willow Court closing.
‘Oh, Jess, I am sorry to hear that. I feel for… Alice you said she was called? It’s more than a care home, isn’t it? Or rather, the opposite, that’s actually just what it is – herhome.I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be uprooted but with you by her side I’m sure Alice will get through.’
Suddenly I felt warm from tip to toe.
‘Was your Grams in a care home, at the end?’
‘Yes. Grandpa looked after her when the Alzheimer’s started. They still had a happy life. It wasn’t advanced and medication helped. But he died, out of the blue, with a heart attack.’ Nik paused for a moment.
‘You don’t have to go on,’ I said gently as he bent down and stroked Buddy’s head that was now resting by his legs.
‘It’s okay. I find it’s better to talk rather than hold things in.’ He smiled. ‘My grandmother taught me that. There were no secrets between us. Mum and Dad wanted Grams to move in and we managed to persuade her. Grandpa’s death seemed to fasten the pace of the Alzheimer’s and after a couple of years, as a family, we found it too difficult to cope. We were lucky enough to find her a wonderful place. The staff felt like family, by the end.’
‘Willow Court’s like that.’
We sat in silence for a moment. It was ended by Nik’s gasp as the bread and butter puddings arrived. Regimented triangles of baked bread covered a dinner-sized plate, crisped to perfection on the outside and sprinkled with juicy raisins and cinnamon. Baked in custard, there was a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream on one side, and whipped cream on the other. The waitress came back with two pots, one containing a Clementine drizzle, the other made from lemons.
Nik’s eyes widened as he raised his spoon and we dug in, not speaking much until the plate was clean and then we compared the best meals we’d ever had out in our lives.
‘In Canada,’ I said. ‘With Oliver, on a hiking holiday.’ I was so unused to foreign travel that walking through airports always made me feel like a celebrity. Oliver couldn’t get over my excitement at simply checking in our luggage. ‘We were advised to order Caesar cocktails for brunch one morning. It didn’t sound very filling but the waitress winked and said to trust her.’ I shook my head. ‘The drink was just like a Bloody Mary, with a celery stalk in it, but the other garnishes sticking out of it were unbelievable… fried onion rings, slices of roast chicken, and an actual cheeseburger in a bun. It was fantastic!’ But not just because of what we were eating. Away from England, Oliver seemed somehow less tense. We’d got a bit tipsy on the vodka and tomato juice, and as we left the café he took my hand. It felt natural and made me feel toasty warm despite the stiff breeze. I’d almost wondered if we were going to share a tipsy kiss again, like when he first moved in. It was silly really, to think that about a well-established friend. In fact, we’d soon sobered up once we were outdoors, and his fingers slid away. Despite the cheeseburger and chicken, that had left me with an emptiness I couldn’t explain.
‘I’d have loved that! Nothing beats a burger. I had an amazing one in Germany the other week, stacked with avocado and bacon, and topped with a fried egg. I didn’t think I was going to be able to eat for a week afterwards.’
I groaned. ‘I feel like that at the moment. Thank goodness we shared that dessert.’
‘Grams wouldn’t have approved,’ he said, a twinkle in his eye. ‘Grandpa had high cholesterol and she became fanatical about low-fat baking. It’s amazing what she could do with a banana… I mean…’ I chuckled as his eyes crinkled in that appealing way again.
I looked at my watch. ‘Where has the time gone? I’d better get going, Gran will wonder where I am. I imagine you’re itching to get back to your flat and properly examine your new camera?’
‘It’s certainly a beautiful piece, yes – although the block of flats I’m staying in is very quiet.’
The waitress came over and Nik asked if I minded him paying – a way of thanking me for helping him find the camera he’d been coveting for a long time. We finished our drinks and headed back outside into the cold. A wind had got up and Nik turned up his collar. Easily chatting, we made our way back up the high street, stopping for him to gaze thought he window of the umbrella shop. We stopped at the junction, Buddy’s tail going into overdrive as he recognised Willow Court.
‘Right, well, I’d better get to the station,’ he said.
It was only five o’clock. I felt sorry for him going back to an empty flat.
‘This might sound odd, but you’re more than welcome to come with me. Gran and her friends love visitors – but I completely understand if not. In fact, you could probably find a fireworks display near you, I can look on my phone or—’
‘Would it be odd if I said yes? I’d love to, Jess. Thanks. For me travel is as much about the people I meet, as the places, but only if you’re sure – I don’t want to intrude.’
‘Not at all – but I warn you… Gran will expect a scene by scene description of the latest developments inNeighbours.’
