Page 64 of The Happy Hour
Jess walked into the Gipsy Moth with the sun hanging low and golden in the sky outside, and wondered if her happiness was visible; whether she was lifting her feet up higher, adding a sashay to her hips as she walked.
She went through the dark pub and out to the covered veranda, where her friends had pulled several tables together. Enzo and Spade were next to each other, Enzo folding a paper napkin into smaller and smaller triangles; Susie had her hair in a high ponytail, and a small, fluffy, whale-shaped bag on the table next to her. Kirsty, wearing a thin crimson jumper, was sipping a huge glass of white wine, and Roger and Olga were laughing over full, frothy pints. Lola was there – of course – and Felicity sat on Spade’s other side, wearing a rose-coloured top that was looser than her usual prim outfits, and made her look softer.
‘Jess!’ Lola’s wave was exaggerated, as if she was a hundred feet away rather than three. ‘What do you want to drink?’
‘I’ll get it,’ Jess said. ‘You’re all settled. Anyone need a top-up?’
‘A pint of lager, ta.’ Spade raised his nearly empty glass, then glanced at Felicity. ‘Or a... vodka and lime, maybe?’
Enzo frowned at him.
‘I’ll get you a Stella.’ Jess grinned as she went back inside. She had also felt the urge to be a more polished person in Felicity’s presence, but that was before Felicity had shared the darkest parts of herself with her and Ash.
They’d had three more Sundays since that first morning, when Ash had stood in the rain to gather his emotions about something he still wouldn’t talk to Jess about. In literal terms, they had made very little progress, and Jess couldn’t see much of a canyon opening up in the mountains of things. In emotional terms, however, it felt as if they had performed miracles. Or, more accurately, Ash had.
His patience was infinite, and his kindness with Felicity and her cats – even though Artemis was an aggressive bruiser of a tabby, as territorial about the items in the front room as Felicity – was what made the whole thing work. His gentle humour kept Felicity and her going, even when the going got tough, and it recharged Jess’s batteries. It was as if, during the week, her energy slowly drained, and then she saw his face and his dark, messy hair, and he pulled her into a hug, brushed a kiss over her lips, and she was fully topped up again.
‘What would you like, love?’ The burly man behind the bar was Lola’s boss, Milo, who was kind and fair, and the only reason Lola put up with the busy, chaotic shifts.
‘Vodka tonic please,’ she said, glancing at her phone. ‘And a pint of Stella.’
Ash had sent her a photo. It was the view from the window of his flat, which looked out over the rooftop of the shorter building opposite, where someone had stuck a couple of loungers and a few potted plants. Beyond it, between two London skyscrapers, there was a thin slice of sky, a burning orange glow, as if the sun was trying to squeeze through the narrow gap like Indiana Jones.
Not too bad,he’d typed.Bet it’s better where you are. Ax
She replied while Milo filled her glass with tonic from a tiny bottle.
We’re at the pub. The sunset over the river is pretty, but I’d have to go outside to take a photo and I can’t be arsed. x
Milo put her drinks on the counter, she paid for them and thanked him, then snapped a picture of her glass.
Have this instead. xx
It looks like a G&T? Not filling me with awe, tbh.
I’m cheersing you, Ash. Cheers!??
Oh right. Cheers!
He added a photo of a mug of what looked like too-milky tea.
I’ll message you later.
Can’t wait. Have a good night. xx
She felt an ache that he wasn’t with them. She could easily imagine herself snuggling up to him while everyone chatted around them. Because, while they’d been busy at Felicity’s house, they had also found the time, the quiet corners, for kisses that felt even more delicious because they were stolen.
All Jess’s plans for where she’d take Ash – the parts of Greenwich she wanted him to see – had fallen by the wayside in light of Felicity’s needs, and while she didn’t want to stop helping, she missed having him to herself.
She took the drinks back to her friends and found Felicity holding court, a large canvas bag in the middle of the table.
‘What are these?’ Susie asked, as Felicity took items out of it. ‘Photo frames?’
‘This is mother-of-pearl.’ Olga lifted one up and ran a finger down the edge.
‘I don’t need them any more.’ Felicity’s tone was slightly defensive.
Jess felt a surge of pride as she slipped in next to Lola. Even a fortnight ago, she couldn’t have envisaged Felicity doing this –voluntarily giving away any possessions –but, having learnt from Ash, she didn’t make a big deal of it. ‘How’s TikTok fame?’ she asked her friend. ‘Judging by my online sales, your popularity is skyrocketing.’
