Page 81 of One Golden Summer
“Can’t you see? It’s the perfect stunt to drum up publicity for the nextGirl Racer.”
“It definitely worked! Even in this small town, all the tongues are wagging.”
“On more levels than you know.” Wetness formed in the corner of her eyes.
Kirsty placed a hand on her hip. “And, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Here are the facts. You and the shop will be famous. The paparazzi are already camped outside and they’ll hound you for days, if not weeks. Wine Time will become one of the must-stops for the UK Dyke Tour. For me, the whole experience has drilled into my head that I can’t trust anyone. Not one soul.”
“That’s rich coming from the woman who said she wanted to quit the business, but her next movie will begin filming in a month. So, when will you be leaving to be with Echo every single day and night?” Kirsty wrapped her arms around herself, fixing Saffron with a death stare.
“You’re just like everyone else!” Saffron slammed her helmet into her thigh.
“Meaning?”
“No one listens to me. I don’t want to be in the next film. Or any film, but whenever I say that, the words don’t compute.” Saffron tapped a finger to the side of her head. “People, even you, just want to hear the words that fit their own script.”
Kirsty sucked in a deep breath. “You know what, I don’t have time for dyke drama. As you can see, I’m very busy.” She waved to all the boxes that needed unpacking.
“I’m glad using my name has brought the prosperity you so much desired. It must have been such a hardship spending time with me, when you clearly didn’t respect me as a human being.”
“I didn’t respect you?” Kirsty clutched the front of her shirt. “I can’t trust you!”
“Neither can I!”
“I was right all along. This. Us. It wasn’t ever going to work. Just go back to being a movie star. Jump back into bed with Echo. Leave me to cobble back the pieces of my dignity.”
Saffron gaped at the woman, swooshing her away like a pesky insect. “I can’t believe all of this has been a lie. All of it.”
Chapter 27
When the shop door slammed and Saffron was gone, along with the paparazzi, Kirsty was left all alone. She stood for a full few moments listening to the whoosh of her heart, and the familiar noises of the shop. The hum of the fridges. The creak of the polished floorboards under her weight. It took a few more moments to notice she was shaking.
She stared at her hand. The bottle of wine she held almost fell from her grasp, but she managed to put it down.
What the hell had just happened? None of it seemed real. She’d told Helena to join Hugh at the pub as the shop was quiet. Kirsty had decided to unpack a couple of boxes to take her mind off the whole Saffron debacle. She’d just about managed to convince herself there was a sliver of hope that Saffron wasn’t cheating. However, then Saffron had come in and said all those things.
Kirsty walked over to the counter and almost crumbled to the floor. She and Saffron were done. That’s all she knew. The hope and anticipation of the past few weeks were done. No more flirting. No more thrills circling her body.
She clutched the counter harder as a wave of doom crashed through her, almost taking her breath away. She grabbed her phone and pulled up the website. Anton’s new graphics looked great, but that was by the by. She clicked on the promo pages and the first one that came up was plastered with photos of Saffron. There she was, holding up wine in the shop. Standing smiling at her parents’ barbecue. Grinning beside Kirsty after she’d eaten her first oyster in years. Kirsty shook her head. No wonder Saffron was mad.
What the hell had Helena done? After everything they’d built, everything they’d done to get the shop on an even keel. All the trust they’d rebuilt over the past two years. Had Kirsty been unclear in her instructions about Saffron? She didn’t think so. But now it was too late.
The plummet of doom was now met with an uprising of anger.
How dare Helena do this to her.To them.
And how dare Saffron think Kirsty could do that to her.
It turned out Saffron had been right all along: trust nobody.
Kirsty locked up half an hour early. Outside, a light blinded her. She held up her hand to her face. What the hell was that? More paparazzi? If Kirsty and Saffron were done, this would be her last experience of it.
Anger propelled Kirsty down the High Street at record speed to The Mariner’s Arms. She crashed through the door, eyes flitting wildly. Kirsty took in the shine of the beer taps, the smile of the bartender, the crackle of laughter in the air.
But she only had eyes for Helena. She spotted her sitting near the end of the bar, tilting her head back, laughing at something Hugh said. Such a perfect couple.
They had what Kirsty would never have.
