Page 88 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
‘I do. And it’s all sorted now.’
In fact, Trudy wasn’t sure of the exact state of Evie’s heart because they haven’t had a conversation about it since the trip to Gosford Hospital to see Josie, but Evie’s looked brighter lately. She even mentioned she’d gone to the pub with Ingrid’s daughter, Anna, which Trudy was happy about. The girl doesn’t have a broad enough circle, in her opinion, which was probably why she fell hook and line for Sam’s charms. Everyone loves him, including Trudy, and a woman who isn’t used to a charming man can find herself thinking it’s personal, when in actuality he’s just like it with everyone. Trudy should have tried harder to warn her, but sometimes you do have to let adults be adults and come to their own realisations. They’re the ones that tend to stick.
‘And young Josie?’ Babs says, dropping the whisper. ‘How is she?’
‘Upset. Miserable. Nothing for it but to wait.’ Trudy sighs and shakes her head. She popped round to the hospital the other night and Josie was in a state, crying and telling her mother to get out.
Trudy had a chat to Erin outside and asked if there was anything she could do – perhaps she could come and sit with Josie sometimes instead of Erin doing it? What she really wanted to suggest was that Erin give Josie some time alone – no one wants witnesses when they feel wretched like that – but she barely knows the woman and it wouldn’t be right. Which is funny, if you think about it, because prior to the accident she saw a lot more of Josie than her mum did, and she thinks she knows Josie pretty well now. Not as well as Erin – of course you know your child better than anyone – but enough to have a stab at some suggestions.
Erin was upset herself when they spoke.
‘You could give me a cigarette,’ she said, then laughed. ‘I haven’t smoked since Josie was a baby. But I want to. So badly.’
‘I get it, pet,’ Trudy said, and lit one for her. It’s not for her to judge the woman and deny her a smoke. ‘I’ve been smoking more since my Laurie died. Sometimes we just need something, maybe especially when we know it’s bad for us.’
‘Humans are funny,’ she said, and Trudy agreed, but they didn’t go any deeper than that.
Trudy snaps back to the present when Babs says, ‘She has a long road ahead of her,’ and she murmurs her agreement.
‘Who’s that young lad?’ Babs gestures to the footpath, where Trudy sees Brett walking in half-circles.
‘That’s Josie’s sweetheart. Brett.’
‘What’s he doing here?’
‘Looking for her, I’d wager.’
‘He doesn’t know?’
‘I guess not. The parents don’t know him. Josie said they were all arguing about him when she got in the car and …’ Trudy pulls a face. ‘Some family friend had seen Josie and Brett together. Told the mum.’
‘What a tattletale!’
‘Come on, Babs, you love a gossip.’
‘Not when it’s going to hurt someone. I don’t tell tales likethat.’
‘True.’ She glances out and sees the boy’s still turning himself inside out. ‘I should go and talk to him.’
‘Wait here, love,’ Babs says. ‘I’m off anyway. I’ll send him in.’
‘All right, pet, ta-ta.’ Trudy pecks Babs on the cheek and watches as her longtime client steps outside and has a brief chat to Brett, who then opens the salon door and comes in.
‘Hello, Brett,’ Trudy says. ‘You know you could have just come in. You’re welcome here.’
‘Hi, Trudy.’ He looks unsettled. ‘You were busy. I didn’t want to disturb you.’
‘No disturbance, pet. How have you been? We haven’t see you for a few days.’ She’s fishing, of course, trying to find out if he’s looking for Josie because he wants to see her or if he wants to find out if he’s been let off easily. There’s no way to know how serious they were about each other before the accident, and Josie didn’t say much at the hospital.
‘I’m really worried,’ he blurts. ‘Josie hasn’t been here. I don’t have her number. Has she lost her job?’
‘No, pet. Look, she’s had an accident.’
His eyes widen. ‘An accident! What? When? How is she?’
All the right questions, from instinct. Oh yes, he cares about her.
‘It was a couple of weeks ago, probably not long after you last saw her. In her car. And she’s not in a good way – she broke her legs, fractured her pelvis. She’s going to be in hospital for a while.’
