Page 21 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
‘I bet she was so disappointed when he didn’t show.’
‘She was devastated. To be honest, it didn’t surprise me...that Carl didn’t show up, I mean. He’s so immature and he probably always willbe. No sense of responsibility whatsoever. I don’t know what I ever saw in him,but I guess he was really keen on me and I fell for his charm. We’re all sodesperate to be loved, aren’t we?’ Her face hardens. ‘But no more! I’verealised the only person you can truly rely on in life is yourself, and puttingyour faith in a happy ending is a fool’s game. So from now on, it’s me andJodie against the world. We don’t need anyone else coming into our lives andpromising the world, only to screw up our lives for us.’ She lifts her chin defiantly,although I think I detect a slight tremble to her lip.
‘Do you have family living round here?’ I ask softly.
‘Family? Nope. It’s just Jodie and me.’ She folds her arms.‘And that’s absolutely fine. As I said, we’re okay on our own. We don’t needanyone else.’
Her phone starts to ring and when she looks at the namethere, she closes her eyes briefly and rejects the call, as if it’s the very lastperson she wants to hear from.
‘Was that him?’
‘Sorry?’ She’s staring over at Jodie, deep in thought.
‘Your ex? I wondered if that was him. Sorry, I’m not meaningto be nosy.’
‘You’re not.’ She sighs. ‘No, it wasn’t Carl. It wasactually a really lovely guy called Jon. We went out for a little while. But...’She shrugs. ‘He wanted more... you know?’
I nod, although I don’t really know at all.
‘Right, come on, Jodie. Better get you home.’
‘Where do you live?’ I ask.
‘Staff accommodation. The house converted into flats overthe road from your cottage?’
‘The pretty pink house with the glossy green hedge?’ I lookat her in surprise. ‘Oh, that looks lovely. So we’re near neighbours, then.’
She nods. ‘We’ve been given one of the two-bed flats on theground floor. It’s great because it means Jodie can have her own room.’
Jodie runs over. ‘Can we have ice-cream now, Mummy?’
Bee smiles. ‘Yes. I’ve got your favourite in the freezer.’
‘Cookies and cream!’ Jodie does a little jig on the spot.‘Can Ruby have some as well?’
I laugh. ‘That’s very kind of you, Jodie, to include me. ButI’d better get back home.’
‘You’re very welcome to come for ice-cream,’ grins Bee. ‘Infact, I think that’s a great idea, Jodie.’
‘Yay! Come on, Ruby. Cookies and cream isthe best!’
She takes my hand and looks up at me, her eyes shining withsuch anticipation that I can’t say no.
On the way to their flat, we pass three women all in thesame blue tabard Bee wears for work. They’re coming out of a large house upahead and heading for a white van, and when we pass them, two of the girlssmile and say hello to Bee.
‘Day off, Bee? Nice for some!’ says one of the girls with agrin. She’s in her early twenties, with strawberry blonde hair tied up with ablue scarf.
‘Been to the park, Jodie?’ smiles the other girl, who hasshort dark hair and bright pink trainers.
Jodie nods shyly and Bee stops to chat. She introduces me,mentioning that I’m the owner of the mug she broke accidentally. ‘I think she’sforgiven me, though.’ She grimaces at me, and I laugh.
‘I have indeed. Especially after such a lovely apology.’ Ismile at all three, although the third woman smiles back rather grudgingly.She’s older than the others – probably in her late forties, early fifties – andI’m getting the impression she’s quite irritated at being held up, talking.
Sure enough, after enduring the chatter of the others for lessthan a minute, she mutters that she needs to get back to do her own housework.‘Not that it takes long.’ She glares at Bee. ‘I guess that’s the one advantageto living in a tiny studio flat.’ And she walks off.
The girls exchange knowing glances. And Bee brushes off thewoman’s rudeness, saying, ‘So Norma got out of the wrong side of the bed,then?’
‘When does she ever get out of therightside?’remarks the girl with the blue scarf drily.
