Page 39 of A Wish For Wilma
‘I see what you mean, but I’d rather it hid the patch where the hideous flowers used to be. If that’s all right with you.’
‘Your house, your choice.’
Who had stolen kind-hearted, jovial Gus and replaced him with this tetchy imposter? Wilma stomped into the kitchen and switched the kettle on.
‘Ooh, have you had a lovers’ tiff?’ said a disembodied voice in Wilma’s ear.
She clasped her hand to her chest, glad she’d closed the kitchen door. ‘DJ,’ she muttered, through clenched teeth, ‘the deal was you stay in your room, quiet as a mouse. Not be an invisible mouse scurrying around the kitchen!’
‘Pah, I needed food. Do not worry. I’ll go now and leave you to—’
‘Are you talking to someone?’ A puzzled Gus appeared, still holding the print.
‘Me? No, no, dinnae be daft. I was just having words with the kettle. The switch is playing up again. It’s not switching off properly.’ At that point, the kettle switched off in its usual fashion.
A glimmer of a smile crossed Gus’s face. ‘It seems my liking for talking to inanimate objects is contagious. Have you named the kettle?’
‘No, I haven’t. And I swear it’s not been behaving itself the past few days.’
Tea made and biscuits served, they settled down, their conversation stilted and awkward. Wilma blethered on about Jinnie and her excitement at becoming a great-granny and dropped hippo-sized hints aboutmaybetaking another trip together before the bairn arrived. Gus, however, barely opened his mouth, touched his tea or ate a single biscuit. And they were new in at Sadiq’s: Spanish cookies with caramel, meringue and dark chocolate. Something was definitely amiss.
Then Gus’s eyes widened and he skittered back in his chair. ‘Jeez, what was that? Did you feel it, Wilma?’
Indeed she had. And she’d be having stern words with DJ later.
‘Just a wee draught from the window,’ she said, glad that the poky kitchen window was slightly ajar. But that in no way accounted for the swoosh of air as a certain someone exited the room in stealth mode.
‘Right. OK, then.’ Gus gripped the edges of the print with whitened knuckles, his smile replaced with apprehension. Wilma silently cursed the turn of events, convinced that without DJ’s invisible presence they’d be back on an even keel.
‘Gus.’ It was time to bite the bullet, whatever that meant. What eejit would want to bitea bullet? Dodge one, yes, but get one between your teeth? ‘You’ve not been yourself since you arrived. If I’ve done something to upset you, tell me. If you don’t want to talk about it, equally fine.’
Gus shook his head. A slow-motion movement heavy with meaning. ‘It’s to do with my ex, Shirley. I got a message and… She needs my help. Completely out of the blue, but I can’t turn my back on her.’
Wilma waited for him to continue.She needs my help.Was she sick? Destitute? Or had she realised that men like Gus didn’t grow on trees? Perhaps her current man had run off with a younger model and she wanted to turn back time. Wilma recalled her chat with DJ. Going back wasn’t an option for her. For Shirley, however…
‘And you shouldn’t turn your back. Not if she still means something to you. When someone’s had a piece of your heart, it takes a lot of strength to wrestle it back.’
Gus picked up the print. ‘You could easily have hung this on the same nail, you know. Job done, and no need for me to come round.’
‘But I wanted you to come round.’ Wilma’s heart skipped a beat. Cards on the table time. No more skirting around the fact that Gus occupied her thoughts a ridiculous amount of the time. What did she have to lose? ‘Gus, our time together—’
Gus’s phone beeped. Wilma’s sentence shrivelled up and died. If she was on Twitter right now, her hagtashes would read #epicfailure #missedopportunity #lifesucks.
‘It’s Shirley,’ he said. ‘She’s back in Scotland. She wants to see me. And I don’t know what to feel, or what to do.’
Wilma’s heart resumed its normal rhythm.Thump thump thump, with an occasional extra thump that might mean imminent death, or just the closeness of a man who stirred things up.
‘I’ll hang the print myself. Get yoursel’ off and do what needs to be done. But Gus…’
The look he gave her made Wilma crumble inside. Filled with longing, yet laced with regret. A man on the edge of a precipice without a safety net.
‘I’m always here if you need me.’
CHAPTER26
‘Try not to stress,Gran, I’m sure you’ve nothing to worry about. No, I don’t think for one minute that he’ll run off with his ex. Well, of course I don’tknow, but it seems highly unlikely. OK, OK. How’s DJ? Behaving himself? Sorry, stupid question. Yes, I’m absolutely fine. Look, don’t worry. I’ll call you again later. Love you.’
Jinnie ended the call and turned to Sam and Aaliyah. ‘Poor Gran. Apparently Gus came round with a face like fizz. His ex-wife Shirley has been in touch. Even worse, she’s back in Scotland and wants to see him.’
