Page 63 of Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay
I take a long slow bow as the room applauds. But I seem to have difficulty getting back up again as the floor starts to swim in front of my eyes.
‘Need a hand?’ Tom asks, taking hold of my shoulders and helping me back up again.
‘No, I is fine,’ I say, waving him away as I wobble on the spot.
‘Glad to hear it,’ Tom says, taking hold of my shoulders again, but this time he guides me out of the room, past more handshakes and high-fives along the way.
‘Night, Rachel!’ Tom calls, to a tired-looking Rachel behind the bar. ‘Some evening, eh?’
‘Looks like you’ve got your hands full there, Tom,’ Rachel says, smiling sympathetically at him.
‘He said he didn’t want to get me drunk!’ I tell Rachel, pulling away from Tom and heaving myself up to the bar where I hold on for dear life. ‘But . . . shush,’ I say putting my finger to my lips and whispering now. ‘Guess what?’
‘What?’ Rachel asks, now grinning at me.
‘He did!’
‘Come on, you; we’ve got a long walk home,’ Tom says, taking me by the shoulders again and guiding me towards the door.
‘Why, it’s not far to the castle?’
‘With you like this, that is gonna be one long hill we’ve got to climb – believe me!’
The walk back up to the castle does indeed seem to take longer than usual, and I’m glad of Tom to steady me as we make our way home.
‘Did you ever think you’d be living in a castle?’ I ask him as we make our way slowly towards the main gates. ‘I didn’t,’ I continue, not waiting for his answer. ‘It really is like something from a fairy tale, isn’t it?’
‘A bit, I guess,’ Tom says, steadying me once again as I veer towards some flower beds. I feel him tighten his hold on me where our arms are linked together. ‘Only with less goblins and fairy godmothers.’
‘Indeed!’ I say, waggling my finger at him. ‘That is very true regarding the goblins, but we do have a fairy godmother in our midst, you know?’
‘Do we?’
‘Yes, we do! Can you guess who it is? It’s your friend and mine,’ I continue without a break, ‘Benji!’
‘Why is Benji a fairy godmother?’ Tom asks with interest as he guides me up the hill.
‘Because . . . ’ I say slowly, trying to form my words correctly. ‘One of the reasons he sent you here to Chesterford was sowe,’ I wave my hand madly between the two of us, ‘could meet!’
Tom looks surprised to hear this.
‘Butshush. . . ’ I say, holding my finger up in front of my mouth. ‘It’s a secret.’
‘Right . . . ’ Tom nods. ‘Did Benji tell you this?’
‘He did. I think he wanted to tell me something else as well . . . ’ My brow furrows. ‘But he didn’t in the end.’
‘What sort of something?’ Tom asks calmly as I struggle to walk and talk at the same time.
‘Dunno!’ I hold up both my hands, and regret it as I nearly fall over.
Tom grabs me, we straighten up and begin to walk again.
‘Are you glad Benji asked me to come here to Chesterford?’ Tom asks so quietly I can barely hear him in my intoxicated state.
‘Of course I am!’ I reply in a loud voice. ‘You’re my mate now, aren’t you?’ I pat Tom’s arm that’s linked with mine.
‘I am indeed,’ Tom says. ‘A good mate.’
