Page 87 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
‘I wasn’t pretending,’ she says. ‘I just … I thought …’
‘You thought you were over him until you saw him with the blonde chick.’
‘Well … yes.’
Evie smiles again. ‘You know how I knew I was over Billy’s dad, if I was ever that into him?’
‘You weren’t into him?’
Evie waves a hand. ‘Story for another time. But I saw him at the pub with this girl, right. I went there to see a friend for dinner, Billy was with me in a stroller. The girl was pretty, I guess. They were all over each other. And I felt nothing. Not a twinge. Not a pang. Nothing.’ She sips her drink. ‘Up till that point I thought maybe Stevo and I could work. You know – we got on well, we both loved Billy. We enjoyed each other’s company. It was just …’ She shrugs. ‘Something was missing. And I found out what it was: I didn’t want to see him naked.’
Anna bursts out laughing. ‘But you managed to have a kid together!’
‘It was dark. I was drunk.’ Evie raises her glass. ‘Here’s to working out which men we want to see naked.’
After they’ve put their glasses down, she looks serious.
‘I guess the question for you is whether you still want to see your husband naked.’ She holds up a hand. ‘And you don’t have to answer that. I’m just offering it to you.’
From her new position Anna can’t see Gary, but she can feel him there, across the room, and she desperately wants to know what he’s doing. So she does care. She cares that someone else may get him. That someoneelsemay see him naked. What does that tell her?
‘Thank you,’ she says to Evie. ‘You’ve been a good friend and I hardly even know you.’
‘You were a good friend when you didn’t even know me at all.’
They sit and smile at each other for a few seconds, and Anna feels reassured that she’s not barmy for suddenly realising she still fancies her husband after all. Evie doesn’t seem to think it’s strange.
‘Number forty-three!’ comes the call from the kitchen.
‘I’ll go,’ Evie says.
Anna uses the opportunity to glance Gary’s way. She doesn’t quite know what to do with her new information about her feelings but she can’t help thinking that fate brought her here so she could find out.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
‘Babs, pet, we’ve got you in already – for next Thursday.’ Trudy points to a line in the appointment book.
‘Really?’ Babs bends down to look closely at Trudy’s neatly inscribed entry then straightens. ‘My memory’s going.’
‘Along with your knees.’
‘You’ll keep.’
‘And your eyesight.’
‘Thin ice, Trudy – thin ice.’ Babs cackles and puts thirty dollars onto the book.
‘Too much, pet,’ Trudy says, picking up the ten and offering it back.
‘You’ve been undercharging me for years,’ Babs says. ‘Keep it.’
Trudy shakes her head. ‘You’re in here every week. I can assure you I’m doing better out of you than the tourists who pop in twice a year.’
‘You do me a favour, Trude,’ Babs says, patting her freshly blow-dried head. ‘I always look my best thanks to you.’ She glances around the salon, which is empty apart from Sam chatting to his last client for the day. ‘Tell me, how are Evie and Sam getting along?’ she whispers theatrically. Luckily Sam has the blow dryer on otherwise he’d hear her.
‘Fine,’ Trudy says, arching an eyebrow. ‘Why?’
‘Ooh, I thought they were headed for the rocks, those two. She was a little too sweet on him. If you know what I mean.’
