Page 11 of A Secret Cornish Wish
He could certainly play the guitar, and had no trouble playing ‘Surfin’ USA’ over and over again.
‘Thanks, guys,’ he says as he zips his guitar back into its case. ‘I really enjoyed that tonight. It was a lot of fun.’
‘You know, Eddie,’ Suzy says, giving me a look that suggests she might need some backup in a moment. ‘If he was open to it, might it be a good idea to ask Rob to continue to play with us – even make him a part of the act . . . ’
‘Yes!’ Claire says eagerly. ‘You played wonderfully tonight, Rob. Come and be a mermaid with us!’
Rob had looked initially pleased at Suzy’s suggestion, but now looks a little worried.
‘You don’t have to do either if you don’t want to,’ I say hurriedly. ‘I mean, you might like to play, but you don’t have to dress as a mermaid or anything. That’s just what we backing singers are going to be dressed as.’
‘I don’t know, though.’ Mandy looks Rob up and down. ‘I’m sure he could rock a fishtail . . . ’
‘You could be a merman!’ Claire says joyfully. ‘Then you would match us. Could you do a merman’s outfit, Suzy?’
‘Whoa!’ Eddie says, holding his hand up. ‘Everyone is getting a little carried away here.’
We all look at Eddie. Was he going to reject our idea?
‘No one has asked Rob yet,’ he says, turning to him. ‘Firstly, Rob, thank you for playing for us tonight. Your presence,’ he looks across at us knowingly, ‘has certainly focused the girls on their performance.’
‘And it has madenodifference to you, I suppose?’ Mandy asks, smirking at Eddie.
Eddie bats his eyelashes coyly back at Mandy. ‘Anyway. . . ’ he continues. ‘If you’re open to the idea, Rob, I would formally like to offer you the chance to come on board with us – no pun intended – and become an honorary mermaid. The costume, I should make clear, will not be necessary should you choose to accept.’
Rob looks around at us all, and his gaze rests on me.
‘I would love to,’ he says sadly. ‘Really, I would. But, as Frankie knows, I’m already part of an act. I’m playing in Jenny Meadows’s orchestra next Saturday.’
There are groans and whines of disappointment.
‘Ah, don’t be minding about Jenny Meadows,’ Mandy says airily. ‘She’s a stuck-up cow, anyway.’
‘Mandy,’ Claire says admonishingly. ‘That’s not fair. Jenny can’t help the way she is.’
‘If she pulled that clarinet out from where it’s wedged up her arse, she might possibly be bearable, I suppose,’ Mandy says, making Rob laugh.
‘Can I do both?’ Rob asks. ‘I wouldn’t want to let anyone down.’
We all look at each other. ‘Is there a rule for that?’ Suzy asks. ‘Can you perform in two acts?’
‘Dunno,’ Eddie says. ‘Perhaps no one has tried before?’
‘We could ask?’ Claire suggests. ‘It wouldn’t do any harm.’
‘I’ll check tomorrow with Miss Kelly,’ Eddie says. ‘She’s in charge of the show. But if she says it’s all right . . . Then, Rob, may I be the first to welcome you into our gang. And may I also wish you the very best of luck too – you’ll need it with this lot!’
‘Are you all right?’ Robs asks as we walk up the hill that leads up and out of St Felix.
We all left the little cove and walked up through the town together like we always do. As each of our houses or streets came along, one of the gang would depart, leaving the rest of us to continue on our way. I always hated being the last one left, as my house was a little bit further from the centre of the town than the others, but I quickly realised that tonight I wouldn’t be alone as I walked the extra few minutes to my house, as Rob would be with me.
‘Don’t you live above the pub?’ Mandy asked Rob as we passed the Merry Mermaid on the harbour front, still full of holiday drinkers spilling out onto the wooden benches in front of the pub as they enjoyed the last few hours of the warm Sunday evening.
‘No, there’s not enough room for all of us. There’s five of us altogether, so my parents are renting a house on the new estate as you head out of town. You couldn’t get more different from a new build to a pub that’s stood on the harbour for hundreds of years.’
Claire, who was walking with me slightly behind the others at the back of the group, nudged me excitedly.
‘What?’ I asked.
