Page 25 of The Happy Hour
‘We’re going to the big ship,’ the girl said. ‘Can you fly kites there?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Ash said carefully. ‘But you can pretend you’re sailing out in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by sharks and whales and giant squid.’ He shot a glance at her parents, but they didn’t seem alarmed by the picture he was painting. ‘You can pretend you’re a pirate.’
‘Pirates don’t have kites?’ She sounded incredulous, as if that was the most ridiculous oversight.
Ash pretended to think for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin. ‘You know what?’
The little girl nodded, her eyes never leaving his.
‘I think they’d be worried about being dragged off the ship. One strong gust, and then...’ He lifted the kite, unfurled it slightly and staggered towards the edge of the deck, as if the wind was going to pull him overboard.
The little girl giggled, wriggling in her chair.
‘They wouldn’t want that to happen.’ The girl’s mum wrapped an arm around her shoulder. ‘Maybe kites and pirates don’t mix.’
‘Once they’re back on land, though.’ Ash moved back to the middle of the deck in case therewasa sudden gust. ‘Kite tournaments all the way, I bet.’ He could see, on the bank,
the familiar glass dome of the entrance to Greenwich’s foot tunnel, the mast of the family’s destination reaching up into a blue sky dotted with puffball clouds. ‘Have a great day,’ he said.
‘Have fun with the kite,’ the girl’s mum replied, giving him a warm smile.
He folded it back up as best he could, tucked it half inside his jacket and made his way to the back of the boat.
The market was busier than he’d ever seen it, with people crushed into every aisle, and Ash held the kite tight to his chest, feeling more ridiculous with every step. This was a child’s activity. He wouldn’t be surprised if Jess shook her head, said they should get a coffee and a burger instead or – even worse – that they should leave it this week, perhaps not bother next time either. The thought made the band tighten around his chest, and he picked up his pace as much as he could.
He bought two coffees, and could feel the stare of the woman who’d served him as he tried to work out how best to hold them, how to pin the kite to his chest with his upper arm. To squash the embarrassment, he grinned up at her and said, ‘I might be being a bit ambitious. How did Mr Poppins manage it?’
‘I don’t think Mr Poppins bought coffee for everyone.’
‘Right,’ Ash said. ‘Well, first time for everything, I guess.’
‘Good luck!’ she called after him, as he tried to negotiate the packed market with the addition of hot coffee.
No Vase Like Home was busy with people browsing, picking up the hares that Jess seemed to hate so much, a couple of customers waiting to be served at the counter. Ash looked over their heads, but he could only see Jess’s boss, Wendy, her reddish-brown hair cascading over her shoulders. He stood in a corner, felt the press of cushions at his back, and tried to get his pulse to settle.
While Wendy served, Ash watched the doorway behind the counter, waiting for Jess to step out of it. The coffees were starting to burn his palms, but he didn’t dare put them down in case he spilled them on something precious.
‘Ash?’ He looked up. Wendy was peering at him over the head of the woman she was serving.
‘Hey,’ he said.
‘She’s not here. She’s...’ Her attention was drawn back to her customer. ‘Oh no,’ he heard her say. ‘I can wrap it for you, so...’
‘Right,’ he said to himself, disappointment settling in his stomach. He thought she’d had fun last week, amidst the chaos of the park. ‘Thanks,’ he called as he left the shop. He thought he heard Wendy say something else, probably some kind of apology, but she was busy, and he didn’t want to get in the way any more than he had already.
He chose the least busy aisle and walked slowly, looking at the stalls, feeling like an idiot with two coffees to drink and a redundant kite. How was he going to fill the hour without Jess? Before he had met her, he’d found it easy. Browsing, chatting to the stallholders. Now, his mind felt empty, his ability to joke and laugh robbed by disappointment. He’d only been in her company for two hours, and already a part of him had decided spending time with her was essential to him. How long would it take him to unlearn that? To face what came next without her?
‘If I can help you with anything, please just ask.’
Ash looked up. He’d stopped in front of a jewellery stall, the sparse pieces beautiful and intricate. The vendor stood behind the table, watching him with kind brown eyes.
‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘I’ll let you know.’
‘Best jewellery in all of London.’ The man who’d sidled up to him was wearing a shimmery grey jacket over a Mr. Men T-shirt, a red fedora perched on top of a wild mane of curls. ‘Like your kite, dude.’
‘Thanks,’ Ash said again, and relaxed a fraction.
‘Can I see?’ The man tipped his hat back and held his hands out. ‘I’ll take the coffees.’
