Page 16 of Waiting for a Prince
Mark’s grin slipped. “Why? What happened?”
“Oh, not much. I was battling with code all afternoon and it was driving me nuts.”
Mark let out a relieved sigh. “Is that all? You had me worried for a sec.”
Sam chuckled. “So me struggling with a stupid program isn’t worth worrying about? Nice to know where I stand.” That teasing tone was still in evidence. “Anyway, I only rang to ask you if you wanted to meet up on Friday night. I’m planning on going to the fireworks. Want to join me?”
Mark blinked. “They’re back on?” The last time he’d seen the official Cowes Week fireworks display had been in 2019. They’d cancelled the regatta the following year due to Covid,and when it returned in 2022, fireworks hadn’t been part of the entertainment.
No Red Arrows either.
“Yup. The Waverley Park Holiday Centre is putting on a display on Friday, starting about nine-thirty. So I wondered if you fancied meeting me there.”
Sam’s invitation was the icing on the cake, as far as Mark was concerned. “Yeah, that sounds good. I can catch the bus from Ryde. That way, I can get a few pints down.”
“In which case, I’ll meet you in front of the Royal Yacht Club at seven. The beer tent will be there, and the marquee with the live music. Should be good. The Hamsters are playing.”
Mark couldn’t believe it. “You like the Hamsters too? They’re great. I’ve heard them live two or three times now.” The Hamsters was a tribute band, specializing in the music of Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top.
“Yeah? Fantastic.” Mark could hear the smile in Sam’s voice. “I’ll let you get on with your evening, seeing as you’ve just finished work, and I’ll see you Friday.”
Mark thanked him and hung up. As he poured boiling water onto the coffee, he smiled to himself. A great day at work—and a great Friday night to come.
My life seems to have taken a sudden turn for the better.
Sam stared at his monitor.
I should call it a day.
Except he wouldn’t do that, not when he’d achieved so little.
Another hour…
If it was a toss-up between working, or finding more jokes and memes to send to Mark, he knew which one he’d choose.
When his phone buzzed, there were three possibilities as to who was calling.
Only one of them was welcome.
He glanced at the screen. Rebecca.Damn.
Ignoring it was not an option.
“Hey. Have you had a busy day?”
“I’m on the FastCat, heading to Ryde. Julia, Suzanne and I went to London, shopping.”
Sam chuckled. “You couldn’t find what you wanted at West Quay, or Gunwharf Quays?” Granted, the island wasn’t the place to live if one were a shopaholic, but Southampton and Portsmouth more than made up for what the island lacked.
As soon as he said the words, he could almost feel the phone ice up in his hand.
I just put my foot in it. Again.
“Youmight be happy to shop in those malls, but I’m not. I mean, can you really seemeshopping at John Lewis? Or Marks & Spencer?”
Sam’s mum loved M&S, so he thought it best to keep his mouth shut.
“Anyway, the reason I’m calling is, Dad is going to Cowes Friday night, as it’s the last night of Cowes Week. I thought it might be fun if we joined him. Not that we’ll be able to hear each other—there’s a band playing.”
