Page 38 of Autumn in Sycamore Park
She nodded. ‘For sure.’
A light patter of rain had begun to fall. Jennifer climbed out, shut the door, and retreated to her building’s porch, from where she waved to Tom and watched him drive away. As his rear brake lights flashed and then he turned out of sight, she tried to suppress the butterflies making a stage musical of their own in her stomach.
17
Dashed Dreams
‘You didn’t tellme Tom was an actor,’ Jennifer said to Angela, trying not to sound too admonishing.
Angela chuckled around a mouthful of quiche. She patted her lips with a handkerchief and shook her head. ‘Is he?’
‘You know he is.’
‘Well, I knew he dabbled.’
‘He does a lot more than dabble. I looked him up on the internet. He’s been in tons of stuff. He’s practically Brentwell’s most famous son. I’m surprised he hasn’t been given the keys to the city or whatever.’
‘It doesn’t have any gates.’
‘Well, if it did….’
Angela continued to chuckle. ‘Does it make a difference? About whether you like him or not?’
‘That he’s been in something like thirty TV shows, and spent three years playing the second lead in Les Misérables in the West End? Of course it does.’
‘Ah, but he’s technically retired. He told me he only joined the cast of Macbeth: Revisited for something to do during the evenings. He’s not on TV anymore.’
‘So you do know that he’s an actor?’
Angela just shrugged. ‘It might have come up in conversation from time to time. I never really felt it relevant to mention.’
‘I’m not on a job interview!’
‘Calm down. Following the same principles, I’ve not, for example, told Tom that you abandoned your ex while he was away on a golfing weekend in order to make a new life for yourself here in Brentwell. I didn’t feel that was relevant. I did mention that you always pick the hazelnuts out of pies and that you get a little talkative after the third glass of wine. Such things I felt of high relevance, should you two ever make it as far as a date.’
Jennifer grimaced. ‘Point taken. Wait a minute. Date? Are you trying to set me up?’
‘Oh, no. I really don’t have the energy for that. I’m merely offering you a little guidance here and there, attempting to steer you in the right direction, so to speak.’
‘I’m not interested in Tom.’
‘I thought you just said you were.’
‘I meant … as a person. He pretends to be a park caretaker but he’s actually one of Britain’s most respected method actors, just hiding out here in Sycamore Park.’
‘Oh, he’s not hiding. He gets paid. He works for the council.’
‘Well, you know what I mean.’
Angela patted Jennifer on the arm. ‘Look, calm down a little and have some more wine. There’s plenty of time to worry about all these things. You’re still young. Oh, and talking of which, it’s my birthday on Friday. Do you think you could suffer an old woman for a quiet night on the town? I haven’t been out anywhere in years.’
Jennifer grinned. ‘Of course. Do you want to make a proper party of it?’
‘Oh no, just a couple of drinks, perhaps a little dance. I was quite a mover in my youth, don’t you know. However, these days, turning … fifty-nine, I don’t have quite the flexibility I once had. More’s the pity.’
‘I’d be delighted to chaperone you for the night,’ Jennifer said. ‘I’ve not really been out anywhere since I got here. As long as we don’t go to Donald’s on Friar Street, in case my sleazy colleague is there.’
‘Donald’s? Don’t you mean McDonald’s?’
