Page 107 of A Secret Cornish Wish
Mack comes over with our drinks. ‘Hey, Mandy,’ he says. putting two glasses and a glass bottle of Coke with a straw down on the table. ‘How’s things?’
‘Good, thanks, Mack. Very good, in fact. And yourself?’
‘Can’t complain,’ he says amiably. ‘It’s good to be back here again.’
‘Is it?’ Mandy looks around. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to be here for Eddie’s fortieth and his wedding – that was one big surprise, eh?’
We both nod.
‘But I don’t think I’d be here otherwise.’
‘Really?’ I ask in surprise. ‘I love coming back here.’
‘Nah,’ Mandy says. ‘Not really my cup of tea these days. Now most of my family isn’t here there’s not really any reason for me to come back. Except for my nephew of course, he’s still living here with his grandparents. But Fisher is sixteen now, he doesn’t want to spend time with his Aunt Mandy any more.’
‘Oh Mand,’ I say putting my hand over hers again ‘That’s a shame about Fisher. But completely understandable you’d find it difficult coming home. I guess we all move on. We all change.’
‘Don’t we just?’ Mandy pulls a face. ‘Mainly in the number of wrinkles we all have! Although Rob over there is looking far too smooth for someone approaching forty – I might have to ask him where he gets his fillers done.’
‘Do you think he’s had Botox?’ I ask, surprised again.
‘Yeah, course he has. Mack will tell you – won’t you, Mack?’
‘I’m staying out of this,’ Mack says diplomatically. ‘Not my business what Rob does or doesn’t do with his face.’
‘Did I hear my name mentioned?’ Rob asks, looking across at us. ‘Do you want me to come around to that side of the table?’ He looks at us hopefully, like he’s searching for an excuse to get away from Alice for a while.
‘No . . . ’ Mandy says with a straight face. ‘I don’t think we mentioned Rob’s name, did we, Frankie?’
I shake my head solemnly. ‘No, Mandy, I don’t think we did.’
‘Mack?’ Rob asks desperately.
‘No, buddy. You’re on your own.’ Mack winks.
Rob shakes his head good-naturedly and rolls his eyes. ‘Thanks. Talk about friends helping friends. I must go and take a look at your painting, Frankie,’ he says, looking over at the gift table, where a few people are already viewing my painting. ‘It looks like it’s attracting quite a crowd.’ He makes his excuses to Alice, then comes over to me. ‘Why don’t you come and tell me all about it, Frankie? Explain where you got your inspiration from?’
‘Er . . . all right, then. See you in a bit,’ I say to Mack.
Rob and I walk across the dance floor together. Even though the DJ is doing his best to attract people onto the dance floor by playing a mixture of appropriate tunes, he’s not getting many takers just yet. But as we weave our way through the few children that are sliding around on the shiny floor, I’m very aware of many pairs of eyes upon us.
‘Do you get this all the time?’ I whisper to him as we walk.
‘Get what?’ Rob asks.
‘People staring at you wherever you go?’
Rob glances around, and everyone immediately pretends not to be watching at him. ‘Oh, that? Yeah, you sort of get used to it. I hardly notice it now, to be honest.’
I don’t know how you could ever get used to people looking at you wherever you went. It feels a bit creepy.
‘So this is the masterpiece?’ Rob says as we stand in front of my painting. The group that had been there previously moved on when they saw Rob approaching.
It’s funny – instead of people gravitating towards him, as I’d expect might happen, they actually run away, as if they can’t possibly speak to someone as famous as Rob.
‘I didn’t expect Eddie to display it for everyone to see. I just hoped he might like it, that’s all.’
Rob gazes at the painting. ‘You don’t change, do you?’
