Читать книгу A Perfect Cornish Summer - Phillipa Ashley - Страница 14

Sam glanced at her watch again. Almost half an hour late. That was nothing for some people, but it was unusual for Chloe whose punctuality and organisational skills were terrifyingly good. It didn’t matter too much because Sam and the others had passed the time by looking through the new publicity material that Zennor and Ben had created. Her fingers had itched to google ‘Gabe Mathias girlfriend’, but she hadn’t dared in case someone caught her.

Ben chipped in a few times during the discussion, explaining that he’d taken the opportunity to revamp the poster design and fix a few things he wasn’t happy with in the first place. A hundred posters had been scrapped and obviously it had created extra work but he and Zennor seemed cool with that, so Sam counted her blessings.

However, time had now run out and they needed Chloe’s input so Sam began writing a text to see if she was OK. She hadn’t even finished the message when the door was flung open and the woman herself breezed in on a cloud of citrussy perfume and enthusiasm.

‘Evening. So sorry I’m late! I got a call from a client and I couldn’t get rid of him, no matter how hard I tried. Doesn’t he know I have far more important things to deal with than his international conference? I had to fly down the steps from the Crow’s Nest so apologies if I look a bit dishevelled.’

‘Hi Chloe, it’s fine,’ said Sam, relieved that her right-hand woman had turned up safe and sound.

‘You look all right to me,’ said Troy. ‘Couldn’t you tell this bloke to bog off because you were late for us?’

Chloe laughed. ‘I should have done. Thought he’d never get off the phone.’ She blew out a breath. ‘Anyway, I’m here now. What have I missed?’

‘Nothing much,’ Troy said.

Sam cringed.

‘Ben and Zennor’s new posters,’ Drew said. ‘They’re brilliant.’

‘Great.’ Chloe beamed at them.

‘They’re not bad, not that I’m an expert,’ Troy said. ‘Cuppa?’

‘Yes, please. I’m gagging for one,’ Chloe replied.

Troy got up. ‘Builder’s brew all right for you?’

Chloe’s smile slipped momentarily before reappearing. ‘Um. Yes. Fine. Thank you, Troy.’

Sam exchanged a glance with her. Chloe liked her herbal teas, but Sam knew she didn’t want to offend Troy. While he went to make the drink, Chloe dumped a box file on the table and whipped out a pale lime MacBook.

Despite her comments about being dishevelled, Sam thought her friend looked as camera-ready as ever, in printed wide-leg trousers, a vest-top and buttery leather biker jacket all of which looked like it’d been tailored to fit her petite frame. It felt like an exuberant pedigree Shi-Tzu had entered the Scrufts section of a dog show.

Sam instinctively shoved her short and unvarnished nails under the table.

‘I hear you’ve saved the day with our star chef,’ said Drew.

‘Oh, no. I had a lucky break, that’s all. You know I still can’t believe the actual Gabriel Mathias is going to headline our festival.’

‘There you go,’ said Troy, placing a steaming mug in front of her. ‘That’ll put hairs on your chest.’

‘Sounds gross,’ said Zennor, but everyone else was smiling, and even Ben had a smirk on his lips as he tapped away.

Chloe took it in good part. ‘Perhaps not too many hairs … but it’s the thought that counts. Thanks, Troy.’

‘So, how much does Gabe want?’ Troy asked. ‘Stepping in at the last minute to bail us out is sure to cost.’

Chloe brightened. ‘Ah but there’s the thing and it’s another reason why I’m so late. Before my client called, Gabe’s PA phoned me with some great news. Gabe knows we lost money because of Kris going bust, so he’s offered to do it for …’ Chloe did a jazz hands gesture. ‘Free!’

Zennor snapped to attention at this news and mouthed ‘WTF?’ at Sam.

‘Wow,’ Sam said it again. It seemed her go-to reaction for any announcement regarding Gabe. It covered so much: surprise, amazement and horror.

‘That’s very generous of him,’ said Drew, sliding a questioning glance at Sam, which she couldn’t fail to notice. Zennor pressed her lips together, as if she wasn’t as impressed by Gabe’s generosity as the rest of the committee.

‘It’s bloody gobsmacking. I’d have thought he’d have been keen to make as much money as he could from his poor relations,’ said Troy.

‘Actually, he said it would be a pleasure to put something back into the community,’ said Chloe. ‘And it could be me, but I think he seemed rather surprised that he hadn’t been asked before.’

‘We haven’t been able to afford him before,’ said Sam quietly. ‘I mean his fees are way out of our price range. I heard it from one of the organisers of the Devon Grub Festival,’ she added quickly.

‘Well, he must still feel he has a connection to Porthmellow, even if he hasn’t been back much since.’

‘I haven’t seen him round here at all,’ said Troy.

Drew joined in. ‘I think he comes down to visit his parents. I saw him at the market in Truro a few years back when I was taking my mum out for the day. In fact, it was my mum who spotted him buying something at a posh bread stall. She’s always had a soft spot for him.’

‘Unlike some,’ Troy muttered. ‘He left here under a bit of a cloud. But Sam’d be able to tell you more about that than me.’

Sam found her voice. ‘That was years ago, Troy, as you well know. We were kids and we’ve all moved on a very long way since then. The important thing is that he’s agreed to bail us out now, which as you say is very generous of him. Chloe – what’s the next step? Are his team coming down to talk about the details?’

Chloe exchanged a glance with Sam. She obviously suspected that Sam and Gabe had ‘history’.

‘Erm …’ she said, uncharacteristically flustered. ‘No. Actually, Gabe said he’d come and discuss things himself.’

‘What? When?’ Sam shrieked, she couldn’t help herself.

‘Next week,’ Chloe said. ‘I hope it was OK … I told him you’d speak to him direct to make arrangements, but I think he wants to meet everyone on the committee. You’re the chair. I don’t want to take over.’

Sam spotted Drew hiding a smile. She needed to change the subject.

‘So. There’s a lot to get on with, even without our unscheduled change of chef. Zennor and Ben are amending the marketing and publicity. Drew wants to update us on how he got on with the insurance and health and safety people, and Troy was going to tell us if the harbour authority is happy with the plans to put a temporary bridge over the harbour entrance. We can charge an extra fee for crossing it and it would be a real novelty.’

Troy gave a sharp intake of breath. ‘You’ll be lucky.’

Sam braced herself. ‘OK. We’d better have Drew’s report first and then Troy can give us the bad news, if there is any, so we can come up with a solution. Then I’ll update everyone with the latest on the stallholders and sponsors.’

Sam hid a smile as Chloe laid out a lacquered pen next to a Moleskine notepad. She might be a newcomer and a little over zealous, but she’d become popular among the committee because she was willing to get involved. Some of the die-hard locals didn’t like her ‘taking over’ the festival, but as they weren’t prepared to take on the responsibility themselves, the rest of the committee thought it was tough. Sam had had to grow a thick skin as festival chairman. Not all the decisions she and the committee made were popular. Admittedly, it meant disruption, road closures and crowds for a few days, but on balance, the whole community benefited from the increased trade.

They came to the end of the agenda and while they were packing away their stuff, Chloe spoke up.

‘I have an announcement,’ she said and everyone’s ears pricked up. ‘It’s not official committee business but it does involve you all.’

‘Sounds serious,’ said Sam.

‘Only for me.’ Chloe smiled. ‘Actually, it’s pleasure, for all of us I hope. Some of you know I have a special birthday coming up next month.’

‘Are you twenty-one again?’ Troy quipped, and everyone tittered politely.

She rolled her eyes. ‘In my dreams.’

‘But you’re only a maid.’

Chloe laughed. ‘Thank you, Troy, but not anymore. I’m not having a big party but I couldn’t possibly let the occasion pass without celebrating with the people who’ve made this incomer so welcome in Porthmellow. So, if you can make it, I thought we’d have a bring-your-own-supper evening on Saturday the fifteenth. It’ll do us good to have a bit of R&R before the preparations turn completely manic. I’ll provide all the booze, of course, and cook something, but if anyone wants to bring along a favourite dish, that’d be fantastic. Evie’s invited too, of course,’ she said to Troy.

‘She’ll like that. She’s a good cook, my Evie, one of the best.’

‘That sounds brilliant,’ said Sam, delighted to have a distraction from anything Gabe-related.

‘Thanks. Don’t think you have to make anything, Sam,’ Chloe said. ‘I know it’s your day job.’

‘I’d love to bring something.’

‘OK.’

‘Are vegans included?’ Ben piped up, reminding Sam of a baby bird worrying if he was going to get his share of the worms.

Chloe smiled at him. ‘Absolutely.’

Troy huffed. ‘As long as it’s not rabbit food.’

‘We can both rustle up delicious vegan meals,’ Zennor cut in, much to Sam’s amusement. She was like a big sister, defending her little brother.

‘Well … some of them are really nice …’ he mumbled.

‘Your veggie chilli is amazing,’ Zennor declared.

Troy looked as if he’d swallowed a wasp but stayed silent, much to Sam’s relief.

‘Sounds good to me, Ben,’ said Drew. ‘I love chilli and it’s a great idea to have different types of food. I’ll do my best. It won’t be gourmet cuisine and it’ll probably involve fish.’

‘I love fish,’ said Chloe. ‘And um … I was going to say that partners are invited too, of course, if you – if anyone – wants to bring someone. Unless you think they’d be bored with us all talking shop about the festival.’

Chloe had directed this last remark at the whole committee, but Sam suspected she meant it for Drew mostly, and she supposed herself. After all, Evie and Troy were obviously going to come along together, as were Zennor and Ben even if they weren’t officially a couple.

‘I think we’d drive any outsiders mad,’ she said lightly. ‘So, it’ll just be me.’

Troy tutted. ‘You’ll have the floor of that flat down on top of your neighbours if you ask any more and that old balcony can’t be rated for more than half a dozen folk.’

‘Troy’s right about the health and safety,’ said Drew with uncharacteristic seriousness before breaking into a smile. ‘I’m joking, Chloe, but Sam’s right. I don’t know how anyone else would put up with us, so I’ll be on my own too.’

‘OK. I only wanted you to know that friends would be welcome,’ said Chloe but Sam thought she’d visibly relaxed now she knew ‘plus ones’ weren’t coming along. ‘Thanks, guys. I hoped you wouldn’t think it was cheeky to ask you to bring some grub, but it sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun and I promise to keep the fizz flowing. There may even be some nice champagne.’

‘Champagne,’ Drew whistled. ‘Well, I guess you’re only forty once.’

Chloe started to reply, but she was cut off by Troy’s snort. ‘Pah. Forty’s nothing. I’ve done it twice over, but we’ll be there. My Evie likes a drop of French fizz. Don’t see the attraction myself. Makes me gassy. You might like to keep the windows open.’

Zennor gasped in horror. ‘Troy! That’s way too much information!’

Everyone else burst out laughing and Chloe smiled politely. ‘In that case, I’ll get the air freshener ready, Troy,’ she said, to more sniggers.

Sam wasn’t quite sure Chloe was so amused by the banter as she pretended. She didn’t know them that well, and perhaps Drew’s bringing up her age hadn’t gone down too well. Maybe she was sensitive about it after her divorce. Forty was a big milestone in anyone’s life, but not one Sam had to worry about for a good while yet … even so, the years could fly by and she’d once thought – hoped – she might have settled down and possibly be thinking of a family by now. The trouble was she’d never been able to see herself with anyone but Gabe. Once again, the idea that he might be – probably was – in a relationship with a partner he might bring to Porthmellow churned away in her mind.

The meeting broke up as twilight descended over the harbour. Usually the committee rewarded themselves for their hard work with a trip to one of the local pubs, meeting up with others who helped with the organisation.

Chloe slotted her tablet and files into a leather case. ‘I’ll join you later at the pub if it’s OK. I need to make a call first. It’s work again.’ Her grimace was apologetic.

‘OK,’ said Sam. ‘We’ll keep your seat warm.’

‘Thanks.’

After Chloe had left, Zennor and Ben scooted off to the pub to get a round in and Troy decided to head home to Evie so only Sam and Drew were left behind to pack up.

‘Want a hand with your stuff?’ he asked as Sam put her iPad in her bag and picked up a box of files.

‘Thanks. I’ll have to cart it to the pub with me so I could do with some help.’

‘It should be quiet at the Tinners’ tonight. The Smuggler’s has a folk band on and it’ll be noisy and packed.’

‘Oh. I wondered why Zen and Ben were so keen on the Tinners’. Mind you I wouldn’t have minded a bit of a sing along. And a very large glass of wine.’

‘I can do the wine … but I can’t stay too long this evening.’ He took the box from her while Sam locked the room. She followed him down the stairs and returned the key to a hook on the wall.

‘Plans?’

He smiled. ‘Maybe …’

‘Oh. Sounds intriguing.’

Drew answered with a cryptic smile and Sam walked out of the Institute and skirted the harbour. There was no point taking the boxes back to the house, as the Tinners’ was conveniently half the way home in one of the back streets behind the harbour.

Drew carried the box in his arms, while Sam had her laptop and bag. They passed by the Harbour Café where the closed sign was turned over. Faint music drifted over the water from the Smuggler’s on the opposite side of the water. Now the meeting had ended, Gabe had been on her mind again. She knew she’d be googling him as soon as she got home.

‘Tell me to mind my own business but are you OK?’ Drew asked, breaking into Sam’s thoughts

Sam had a sinking feeling. ‘Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?’

‘Because I know you too well and we’ve been friends for too long. I know how you felt about Gabe and how he felt about you. We were all mates, after all, even if I was a few years older than you both. How do you feel about him coming back to take part in the festival?’

‘Not thrilled, but you’ve worked that one out.’ She threw a smile at her friend. He deserved her honesty, or something like it. ‘There’s nothing I can do about it and the simple fact is that we need a headline chef, and one that’s going to appear for free – well, I’d be nuts to turn it down. Think how it would look, if I refused his offer because of a family dispute that half the town will have forgotten by now?’

‘I can see you’re in an impossible position. I just wanted you to know that I’m aware it’ll be tough for you.’

Sam laid her hand on his arm. ‘You’re a lovely guy. Has anyone ever told you that?’

‘Not as often as you might think.’ His eyes twinkled.

‘Is that going to change?’

‘I can’t possibly answer that.’

Sam narrowed her eyes. Drew did seem jaunty this evening and his mysterious comments led her to put two and two together.

‘Yes! I thought you were seeing someone new.’ She stopped in her tracks. ‘There’s a new woman, isn’t there? Don’t try to deny it.’

He appeared to be considering then smirked. ‘OK. She’s very new. She’s called Caitlin.’

Sam gave a little whoop of triumph that her guess had been right. ‘Caitlin? Do I know her?’

‘Don’t think so. As a matter of fact, I’m seeing her later this evening only I didn’t want to say so earlier. This is only our third date.’

She let out a mock gasp. ‘Third date? My God, should I buy a hat?’

‘Not just yet, but I don’t mind admitting I’m pretty smitten.’

‘Wow.’ She planted a kiss on his cheek, delighted to have been trusted with the news about his new girlfriend. ‘But you’re not bringing her to Chloe’s party?’

‘Oh, I’m not sure she’d fit in. After all, would you bring a new bloke to one of our committee booze-ups?’

‘On careful reflection, no. Not unless I wanted to split up with them. And besides, there is no one in my life at the moment.’

‘At the moment, eh? I heard you were seeing Hunky Carl Trenow.’

She gasped, shocked that Drew knew about her most recent ‘relationship’ with the handsome helm of the Marazion lifeboat. ‘What? I only went out with him three times and we were meant to be keeping it quiet.’

‘Not quiet enough. It was all around Porthmellow.’

‘In that case, you’ll know we called it a day,’ she said curtly, still taken aback at how fast the gossip had spread.

‘Word has it you wouldn’t let him wear his yellow wellies in bed. Most women beg him to wear them, apparently.’

‘What? That’s outrageous!’ She huffed loudly. ‘I hope Carl didn’t say that or I’ll sort him out. Things never even got that far …’ She paused, realising she’d shared too much information with Drew. ‘Who told you about the wellies?’

‘Oh, it was a bit of banter at the station and on the quayside. We all knew it was rubbish. Most people thought it was more likely that Carl bored you to death.’

She made a mock strangling gesture. ‘This bloody place. The gossip is terrible. Carl – and I never called him Hunky Carl – and I decided not to see each other again because we didn’t click, and that’s all. He was obsessed with playing with his Xbox and he thought gourmet food was having HP sauce on his chips rather than tomato ketchup. To be honest, I was sooo relieved when he was called on a shout before our final date, and when he asked me to go to a lifeboat barbecue, I told him I couldn’t make it because I had a meeting about the Portaloos. He didn’t call me again and that suited me fine.’ Sam’s cheeks turned warm, thinking of people discussing her sex life – or lack of – with Hunky Carl, the most boring ‘hero’ on the planet.

Drew laughed. ‘What are we like, eh? Both as bad as each other at romantic stuff.’

‘Yes, but you have the mysterious Caitlin now … Where’s she from? When do we get to meet her?’ Sam asked.

Drew grinned. ‘She comes from Falmouth way. Penryn as a matter of fact.’ Drew pushed open the pub door. ‘You’ll see her soon, I promise. I don’t want to introduce her to you until we’re both ready.’

‘Fair enough. I’m very happy for you,’ she said, burning with curiosity yet trying to respect his privacy.

‘Thanks.’ Drew left Sam’s stuff by their table in the pub and delivered the news that he couldn’t stay to a wide-eyed Zennor before heading off out of the door, whistling a sea shanty.

Sam smiled to herself. He loved to play up to the rugged man of the sea thing, but was a sensitive soul really. He was part of the local fishermen’s choir and played the guitar and wrote his own songs, which he occasionally performed with a couple of mates in the local pubs. In fact, Drew’s band were booked to play at the festival on the Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

Since his marriage had broken up he’d had a couple of girlfriends, one who he’d lived with for a while, but he was the first to admit his job took him away from home a lot, which didn’t fit in with a conventional family life. Not all the sailing trips were based around the local coast. Most were to Scilly or south Devon, but odd times he sailed as far as the Channel Islands or the western isles of Scotland. Sam wished him well, but something less than pleasure stirred amid her professed happiness for him. Drew sounded serious about this Caitlin in a way she hadn’t heard before. Why did she feel slightly torn about that fact? Was it the idea that everyone seemed to be coupling up? No, that was silly.

Chloe arrived and found Sam queuing at the bar to get in another round. ‘Hi there. Zennor just told me that Drew has a date tonight. He’s so lovely. I often wondered if you and he were a thing when I first moved here,’ she said, then paled. ‘Sorry, that’s a bit cheeky of me.’

‘No, it’s not and yes, some people have been waiting for us to get together but we’re just good friends, as they say. If anything had been going to happen, it would have by now but we’re very happy as mates. And anyway, as you say, Drew’s seeing someone called Caitlin.’ Sam hoped that by stating the situation between her and Drew out loud, she might remind herself of how she ought to feel about it.

‘Oh. That’s a shame. I mean, whoops, not a shame for him and the lucky Caitlin, obviously but I thought … well, he is very easy on the eye.’ Chloe smiled again. ‘Not as gorgeous as Gabriel Mathias, of course. I mean … I’m sorry, I hadn’t realised that you’d known him so well when he lived here.’

Sam realised that she’d have to tell Chloe the truth about her and Gabe before she heard the full details elsewhere.

‘I ought to tell you something before half the town does. I didn’t just know Gabe, we once went out. It was years ago before he was famous when his mum and dad still ran the chip shop next to the post office.’

It was fair to say that Chloe’s jaw dropped.

‘We’d been to the same school and we’d always fancied each other but we started going out properly after we left. I was nineteen and Gabe was just a year older than me.’

‘Wow. You went out with Gabriel Mathias?’

‘Yes. Hard to believe, eh?’

‘Yes. No, not at all, you’re so lovely, Sam, and I can see why but it’s so … so surreal.’

Sam smiled to herself at being called ‘lovely’. Not everyone in Porthmellow would agree, but it was nice of Chloe to be kind. ‘Gabe wasn’t quite as gorgeous then. I mean, he was gorgeous to me. By far the sexiest boy in the village, but he was skinny and bolshie and he worked in the chip shop so he was always covered up in an overall and a hair net and some of the other kids used to tease him and call him Vinegar Face and Grease Ball.’

‘How awful for him.’

‘I liked him. I used to go in late or early to the shop and chat to him. I’d hang around and order stuff I didn’t want so I could talk to him. I can’t tell you how many pickled eggs and saveloys I fed to the seagulls.’

Chloe laughed.

‘Joking apart, I knew he was a nice guy. Thoughtful, ambitious and he loved his parents. We both loved cooking, even then. Mum had taught me to cook and Gabe had big dreams of becoming a chef, but he told me he didn’t feel he could leave his mum and dad to run the business. His grandparents had built it up from nothing after they’d escaped from Cyprus during the war with Turkey. The family had made a new life here and Gabe didn’t know how to tell them he didn’t want to carry it on. He was training to be a chef at catering college by the time we started seeing each other, as well as doing shifts at his parents’ chip shop. He was doing well and ambitious even all those years ago.’

Wow. Sam paused for breath, suddenly aware of how much she’d been gabbling. Why she felt the need to explain, she had no idea. Then she realised that actually, her shoulders felt slightly less tense. It was almost a relief to tell Chloe about her relationship – past relationship – with Gabe, and as Chloe was new to the town, and had no preconceptions, Sam felt she could be honest and open.

‘I had no idea. I knew he’d lived here but his PA never mentioned he knew you … damn. I’m sorry. That sounds dreadful,’ said Chloe.

‘No, not at all. Why would his staff even be aware he knew me?’

‘I thought that Gabe might have mentioned the connection … sorry.’

Sam shrugged. ‘Don’t be, but I’m not the slightest bit bothered that Gabe hasn’t told anyone he knows me. In fact, I’m relieved, because the reasons we split up are … a bit personal, although there are a few people around here who have their own idea. It was complicated and—’

‘Sam. Please don’t think you have to tell me any of the details. It’s your business.’

‘Thanks, but, well, let’s say that Gabe and I grew apart. We split up at the same time as my brother, Ryan, was having some problems. You’ve probably heard about those.’

‘A little. I do know he spent some time in prison. I’m sorry. It must have been very difficult for you.’

‘It was and it came not long after my mum had passed away.’ Sam sighed.

While Zennor and Ben took their drinks over to the pool table, Sam told Chloe just enough about what had happened between her, Gabe and Ryan to explain why seeing him again might be awkward for her, but no more. No one but Gabe and herself knew everything that had passed that night and Sam had no intention of ever sharing it.