Page 87 of The Happy Hour
‘So you and Ash pushed each other away?’
‘I think that... that if he cared about me as much as I care about him, he would have shown up today.’
Felicity took a biscuit and snapped it in half. ‘You can tell yourself that story until the cows come home, but you’re not inside his head. You don’t know how he rationalises things. You won’t know until you talk to him.’
‘I want to,’ Jess said. ‘But how can I, if he’s not answering my phone calls and messages, and I can’t find him?’
‘In that case,’ Felicity said, ‘It’s time to call in a few favours. Let the people you’ve helped, help you back.’ She rubbed Jess’s arm, took an iPhone out of her pocket and unlocked the screen. ‘I want to have a house sale, here. Get rid of most of these things; the ones that are good enough. If I help you, will you help me?’
Jess’s brain stalled. ‘You want to let people in here, so they can rake through all your things?’
‘There’s very little I need,’ Felicity said. ‘Whatever I sell, the money can go to Enzo – as much as he needs. When he and Carolina are on sturdier ground, we’ll find another good cause. Are you in?’
‘Of course I’ll help you organise it,’ Jess said. ‘I’m sure everyone at the market will want to be involved, too. And you don’t need to help me, Felicity. I’m not actually sure what youcan do.’
‘You’d be surprised,’ Felicity said, glancing up from her phone screen.
Jess sat back on the sofa. ‘You know when Spade said you were a dark horse?’
Felicity nodded, a slow smile brightening her eyes, making her look carefree.
‘I think he was right.’
Chapter Thirty-One
Monday felt more like November than July, and when Jess accompanied Lola to the Gipsy Moth that evening, she had to zip her jacket up to the neck. Going to the pub was the last thing she wanted to do, but Lola had insisted and, after Felicity had messaged to tell her she wanted to talk to everyone about the house sale, she could hardly fail to turn up. But there would be no terrace for the group that evening, unless they were prepared to risk hypothermia.
‘My, my, my, if it isn’t Jess and Lola.’ Spade’s announcement was accompanied by a wave, his other arm slung around Felicity’s shoulders. Enzo was on his other side, and Jess might have been imagining it, but he seemed less pensive than usual, the dark smudges under his eyes less pronounced.
‘Hey, everyone.’ She smiled at Kirsty, Susie, Roger and Olga. Wendy was there too, and she tapped the empty bench next to her. Jess slid along it and sat down. ‘How’s Carolina, Enzo?’
‘She is a lot better,’ he said. ‘Since Sofia has been helping us, and our stall is looking brighter, she is less anxious. We have another meeting with her consultant on Friday, to review the medication she’s been taking.’
‘That’s brilliant,’ Jess said. ‘I’m so glad, Enzo.’
‘I’ve told everyone my house sale idea,’ Felicity added. ‘Including Enzo. They’re all on board.’
‘I’m going to make muffins to entice people in,’ Kirsty said.
‘And the Market Misfits are going to play a set, if you’re up for it, Lols?’ Spade raised his eyebrows.
‘Of course I am. We can’t disappoint our fans, can we?’ Lola laughed.
‘It’ll be a market away from the market,’ Susie said.
‘And it will mean Sofia can work for Enzo as long as necessary,’ Felicity added. ‘Carolina won’t need to rush back before she’s ready.’
Enzo shook his head. ‘I cannot thank you all enough. Your kindness and generosity – it’s almost too much.’
‘Nonsense,’ Roger huffed. ‘You would have done it for any of us. Us marketeers, we stick together.’
‘Ghouls included.’ Spade grinned at Felicity.
‘Of course,’ Felicity said. ‘But we’re not the only ones who are part of that club.’
Jess caught Kirsty’s eye, and got a sympathetic smile in return. She thought the baker had been acting oddly when she’d bought her muffin selection box that morning.
‘This isn’t just about the house sale, is it?’ she said. ‘I thought we were here to plan it.’
