Page 60 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
It’s merely an invitation, though, and she shouldn’t overthink it. Definitely shouldn’t do that. Dinner does not oblige her to anything other than a conversation, and it will also be a change, and she knows she needs to make some sorts of changes. Who knows? Maybe her life will be less small as a result.
After Laurie died one of her clients brought her a book calledYou Can Heal Your Lifeby a woman called Louise L Hay.Trudy thought it was a tad presumptuous of the client – what did the woman think she should heal, exactly? – but it turned out to be a comfort at times. Trudy has struggled to completely understand how her thoughts affect her physical wellbeing, the way Louise says they do, except she can see the evidence of it in her life: she thinks herself into holes, and over the past few months she has noticed that she feels heavy and sluggish, which she has put down to being older, except it coincided with the wake of Laurie’s death. So she’s prepared to concede that there’s something in it and that it would be good to change things. Change will only come, though, if she commits to it and the discomfort that can come with it. Like having dinner with a man who isn’t her husband.
‘That’s kind of you,’ she says to Sol. ‘And I would like to accept your invitation.’
‘Wonderful!’ he says. ‘May I call you at the salon to arrange a day and time?’
How polite he is, she thinks. And how nice it is.
‘I’ll give you my home number,’ she says, and is unsurprised when he whips out a notebook and pencil from his back pants pocket.
After he’s written it down he puts the items back in his pocket and nods again. ‘I shall call you this evening,’ he says. ‘And now I’ll let you go on your way.’
‘Thank you.’ She smiles, and it feels as if it’s the first time she has today.
‘You’re welcome.’ Then he makes a gesture as if he’s doffing an invisible cap, and she finds it charming.
As Sol stands back to let her continue walking down the path, she keeps smiling, and as she crosses the street to head for the beach she feels lighter than she has for a long time. So perhaps that Louise Hay is onto something about thoughts andwellbeing. That’s what Trudy will contemplate as she eats her curried eggs.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
It’s Evie’s second time going to the movies with Sam and regardless of what Mrs Behar said, she is sure this is a date. Because this timeSamaskedher, not the other way around.
On Thursday he said to her, ‘You look nice,’ and glanced up and down at her.
She flushed at the compliment, and also because he noticed, as she has been making an effort, even if it’s just in her accessories. A fortnight ago she bought some scrunchies in neon colours, and she’s been tying up her hair like Madonna used to – a little messy – hoping that it looks carefree. That’s in addition to the hot-pink lipstick she’s been wearing, and she’s also doing her eyes.
‘I love old movies,’ he said the other day as he boiled the kettle in the back room.
‘Oh?’ She couldn’t think of anything else to say. Was he expecting her to say she loved them too? Because she presumed he already did, given the movie they saw together. Was shemeantto love them too? Is she meant to love everything he loves or be her own woman? The magazines she reads are divided on the issue.
‘Have you ever seenBlossoms in the Dust? Greer Garson.Loveher.’
Evie shook her head. She hadn’t grown up in a movie-centric household – her parents thought reading to be a better way of spending time.
‘To Catch a Thief!’ he said. ‘Grace Kelly!’ He looked rapturous. ‘God, she was beautiful. AndCary Grant– so debonair.’
She murmured her agreement but said nothing more in case she jinxed whatever was about to happen, because she had a feeling about what he was leading up to.
‘High Society?’ he went on. ‘Sinatra, Crosby, Kelly.The best!And of course …’ He closed his eyes briefly. ‘Giant. Rock Hudson. James Dean. Elizabeth Taylor.’ He looked at her expectantly. She had, in fact, heard ofGiant– probably everyone had – and told him so.
‘Great,’ Sam said. ‘Because there’s a showing of it at this old picture place in Gosford. One session only. Saturday night.’
She smiled encouragingly.
‘Should we go?’ he said, nudging her.
She counted to five in her mind so she didn’t shout ‘yes’.
‘Do you think your ex would mind looking after Billy?’
The way he said ‘your ex’ rather than Stevo’s name made him sound slightly jealous, she thought.Your ex.It’s not a label even she gives Stevo, because he’s always just Stevo and he feels like family more than he feels like her ex. So she was a little thrilled when Sam said it. Thrilled that maybe he was jealous. Also thrilled that he was asking her out on a Saturday, because that’s definitely date night.
Now she’s fussing over what to wear. Not that she has many options: despite her new interest in accessories, clothes have never been that important to her. At nineteen Josie has a better wardrobe than Evie ever had. Maybe Josie could give her some tips, because if Evie keeps seeing Sam outside of work she’ll want to look her best.
The best she can come up with tonight, however, is a flowery blouse with her favourite jeans and some daggy court shoes of the style favoured by The Princess of Wales – a low heel, soDiana doesn’t tower over Charles – although Evie wishes she had Diana’s long legs to go with the shoes.
‘You look so nice!’ Sam says as she opens the door to him, then he kisses her on the cheek and she can feel herself blushing.
