Page 25 of Rescuing Rosie
‘Yes …no!No, I meant no. He and the other shop guy walked Madison and me back so we could break our new boots in, and Dale said we should all have a drink. Ant and I stopped to see Wordsworth’s grave but–’
‘Where’s Ant?’ cut in Ashley.
‘He had to go.’
‘Damn,’ said Ashley, under his breath.
Rosie was about to ask if they were friends, when Jono said, ‘Here’s Timothée,’ and she saw Dale making his way to the bar.
‘Beware! Beware! His flashing eyes,’ hissed Ashley.
Rosie didn’t miss how the heads of the wellness weekend women whipped round as Dale strode past them and up to the bar.
‘Hi – what the fuck’s that?’ he asked, as a second Xanadu was placed in front of Rosie.
‘The milk of paradise,’ she said. ‘You should definitely have one.’
‘Pint of Theakston’s, mate,’ Dale called to Gaz. ‘Alright, Ashley?’
‘Good thanks, Dale,’ said Ashley. ‘Have you met Jono? Photographer up for the wellness weekend.’
‘Ah,’ said Dale. ‘You doing the thing with Madison tomorrow? Up Loughrigg Fell?’
‘I am,’ said Jono, gazing at Dale.
‘Me too,’ said Dale. ‘That woman from Vybe wants me to model their stuff.’
‘Have you modelled before?’ asked Jono, his eyes taking a slow journey down from Dale’s luscious curls to his feet. He was wearing a teal-coloured fleece, unzipped to reveal a pale-grey top, tight across his toned chest and abs, and dark blue walking trousers. That was one smart move by Veronica – he looked like the cover of an adventure sports magazine.
‘Did some while I was at uni, to pay the bills,’ he said, running his fingers through his hair. The glossy curls immediately flopped back over his forehead. ‘Fuckin’hatedit. The way the agencies treat you, like some piece of meat. It’s even worse for women. You’ll know that,’ he said to Jono. ‘The pressure an’ everything. I mean, look at the state of Madison.’
There was an awkward pause, which was broken when Ashley said, ‘Rosie! I’ve something to show you. Bring your drink.’ He touched Jono on the arm and said, ‘Be right back.’
Rosie did as she was told, following Ashley over to the door.
‘What is it?’ she said, then gasped as they stepped outside. The cloud had suddenly, miraculously lifted, and all around were mountains bathed in the golden light of early evening. The low, slanting rays of the sun (sun!) were highlighting the vibrant new green of the trees and fields on the slopes around the lake, while the higher, more distant fells were a shadowy purple. The few clouds that remained, floating high o’er vales and hills, were tinged with soft shades of pink and peach, reflected in the mirror-like surface of Grasmere.
‘Listen –’ said Ashley. The air was filled with birdsong. ‘And that smell – the earth after the rain.’
‘Oooh,’ breathed Rosie. ‘I get it now. And who’d have thought the weather could change so quickly!’
‘That’s where you’re going tomorrow,’ he said, pointing to a rocky hill on the far side of the lake.
‘That doesn’t look too high.’ After today’s brief rehearsal, Rosie was looking forward to the real deal.
He followed her gaze. ‘No –the one behind it,’ he said. ‘With the knobbly bit on top.’
‘Oh. Yikes.’ Rosie took a sip of her drink. But although higher, the knobbly fell was still dwarfed by the peaks beyond it.
‘That high one over there,’ he said, pointing the other way, ‘that’s Helm Crag. You’re staying next week, right?’
‘I am indeed.’ Rosie was filled with anticipation as she pictured herself writing at the desk-with-a-view in Tennyson, or in the lounge-library, sipping tea, nibbling on gingerbread, spinning words into a light-hearted yet insightful piece on the health benefits of the Lakes, and the no-doubt memorable experience of climbing a mountain with Madison Tyler.
‘If you like, we could climb it on my day off?’ said Ashley. ‘That’s Tuesday.’
She looked across at the dark form of the mountain. It wasenormous, but she felt its pull. ‘That would be amazing. But isn’t it difficult?’
‘It’s notthathigh, and it’s a great walk. We’ll take the easiest route. And we do thebestpacked lunches. Shall we lock that in, then?’
