Page 42 of A Secret Cornish Wish
‘I thought that was you!’ she says, catching me up. ‘How are you?’
We give each other a hug.
‘I’m great, thanks. How are you?’
I haven’t seen Mandy since she left school part way through sixth form. She became fed up with education and decided, against advice, that she was going to go to London and get a job – and that’s exactly what she did. She took a very junior position in an up-and-coming tech firm, and over the last few years has been working her way up the corporate ladder. We tried to get together once when I was down in London on a college trip visiting the many art galleries, but Mandy came down with the flu so she had to cancel.
‘Fabulous! Feels a bit weird being back here again.’
‘Don’t you come back to visit your mum and dad?’
‘Yeah, not as often as I should, though. How about you?’
‘I was last here at Easter.’
‘Ooh, check you out, doing the right thing as usual.’ Mandy smiles.
‘And check you out,’ I say, standing back to look her up and down. ‘Little Miss Corporate. I like your hair like that. It suits you.’
Mandy’s long, wavy dark hair is now cropped into a sharp pixie cut, and, unlike her schoolgirl attire that was always a bit too short and a bit too low cut, today she’s wearing a pair of loose navy trousers, a crew-neck striped top and white plimsolls.
‘Thank you,’ Mandy says, putting her hand to the back of her head where her hair used to sit. ‘I’ve only had it done recently, I’m not that used to it yet. I’m not that corporate, though, am I?’ she asks, looking worried. ‘I thought I’d toned it down for the seaside?’
‘You look very chic,’ I tell her. ‘Unlike me!’
‘But you’re an art student.’ Mandy grins. ‘They’re supposed to be a bit grungy and unwashed, aren’t they?’
‘Hey, less of the unwashed. You sound like my mother!’
Mandy laughs. ‘Oh, it’s good to see you again, Frankie. It’s been too long!’
‘Yes, it has. Where are you heading right now, back into town?’
‘Yeah, I was just taking a wander, seeing if the old place has changed much. And I’m very pleased to report it hasn’t!’
‘Shall we walk back together?’ I ask. ‘Are you heading to your parents’ house?’
‘Sure am! It will be just like the old days – you can drop me back at my house before you carry on up to yours.’
We begin to walk side by side, back through the fishermen’s houses down into the town.
‘Are you coming to the pub tonight to catch up with everyone?’ I ask as we pass yet another terraced house up for sale. I’ve noticed so many For Sale signs in the town on this visit.
‘I am indeed. Seven o’clock, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, so we don’t keep Claire up too late before her big day.’
We give each other a knowing look.
‘Bit young to get married, don’t you think?’ Mandy asks.
I nod. ‘Yeah, but she seems happy.’
‘She does. Were you surprised that Claire didn’t ask us to be bridesmaids?’
‘A bit, I suppose, but I don’t really mind. Claire told me she’d had to ask Jonathan’s sister and two of her nieces, and if she’d asked us she’d have had to ask all of us, not just one, and then she thought Eddie would feel left out.’
‘That’s true. I don’t mind, either – dressing up like a meringue isn’t really my scene these days, as you can probably tell.’
