Page 74 of A Seaside Escape
She was shocked that Greg was even pretending to consider taking Alice back after everything she had put him through. But as his friend she would be there to support him. That much was clear in her mind.
The shift in her heart over Greg had pushed her to make a decision about the house too. She couldn’t sell. Sam had wanted them to make a life in Scotland and the way she had felt on returning home to Sealladh-mara Cottage had cemented in her mind that this was home now. She called the estate agent and informed him of her decision and then cried tears of relief as she looked around her surroundings, knowing this was where she was meant to be after all.
*
Mallory was happy to be back at the pub that night. Greg would be there too as he was playing again. Stella had to ask him to increase his dates seeing as he was being asked for on a regular basis. Mallory was so happy that it was working out for him.
She dressed in black trousers and a black fitted shirt for her shift. She pinned up her hair and went with glasses instead of contacts. She chose red earrings, shoes and a belt. Greg was there when she arrived and he smiled when he saw her. He was clutching a half-empty whiskey glass.
She frowned. ‘I thought that stuff dried your vocal chords out,’ she teased him as she pulled herself a diet cola.
‘Aye, but I’m a tad nervous tonight. Some guy put a clip of me on the internet and this bloke from an entertainment agency is coming to see me play.’ He gulped down a large swig of the amber-coloured liquid, clearly trying to quell a tumult of nerves in his gut.
Mallory gasped. ‘Wow, Greg. That’s brilliant. What will happen if he likes what he sees?’
‘Ah… I won’t be famous or anything quite so crazy, but it could mean I get gigs further afield. He has a list of places all over Highland that I could be booked for.’
Mallory caught sight of a man and woman she didn’t recognise as locals as they walked in. They emanated professionalism, but looked awkward and out of place in the country pub, wearing their suits and carrying files. Rather than the entertainment agents she presumed they were, they looked more like not-so-secret agents or debt collectors, Mallory surmised.
Following her eyes, Greg inhaled sharply. ‘Shit, that must be them.’ He took another gulp of his single malt, then, shaking like a leaf, he went over to introduce himself.
Mallory watched as the two smartly dressed agency reps chatted to Greg and she saw his anxiety gradually subside. She was relieved for him.
The pub had become very busy and she was rushed off her feet at the bar as Greg took his spot behind the microphone.
‘Evening all.’ His usual greeting fell casually from his lips. ‘Good to be here again and to see the place packed. I’m sure Stella’s grateful and I know I am.’ An appreciative rumble traversed the room. ‘I’d like to start tonight off with a dedication to someone. They know who they are. The words have to be said and I can think of no better way to say them… It’s a song by a band who you may think obscure for a weeknight in a village pub. And it’s another fairly old one, but you know me and my love of twentieth-century music. Anyway, the sentiment is important. It’s by a band called Incubus and it’s called “Dig”.’
Mallory looked over and sure enough his gaze immediately locked on to hers.
The song was beautiful and talked of friendship, forgiveness and being there for each other. Mallory found her arms covered in goosebumps as the words touched her deeply. Greg’s voice never ceased to amaze her, hitting every note with precise perfection. Her heart swelled and she smiled despite the tears that formed in her eyes. He reciprocated her smile and all felt good. She was beginning to love that about Greg. He could always find the perfect song to express his feelings.
At the end of the night Greg chatted with the reps again. He looked happy and relieved and there was a lot of handshaking, smiling and nodding.
Mallory waited until they had gone before excitement got the better of her and she made her way over to where her friend was putting away his beloved guitar. She watched as he carefully placed the instrument in its case and remembered how those long, lean fingers had lovingly touched her skin only a short while ago. She shook her head to rid herself of the unwelcome intrusion.
‘Well?’ she waved her hands at him, eagerly awaiting his response.
‘They’ve taken me on!’ He grabbed her and hugged her before she had a chance to protest. But it felt good to be hugged so naturally again by him and she briefly rested her head on his hard chest.
Realising she was holding on a little too tightly she released him and stepped back. ‘I’m so happy for you, Greg. How amazing.’ She was incredibly proud of her friend – and it felt good to be able to call him her friend again. But she couldn’t help but wonder about what might have been.
He locked his gaze on her and for a moment she thought she saw something else lurking behind those chocolate brown eyes. But all too soon the moment was gone and he clapped his hands together. ‘Look, I’ve something to ask you. Feel free to say no if it’s too soon to socialise with me again but… I’m going to an open mic night at the beginning of October in Oban and I wondered if you’d like to come along? I’ve been before and there are some great performers there. What’s even better is that you can get up and do something if the mood takes you.’ He smiled.
She loved the sound of that and she had missed spending time with him. She grinned and nodded enthusiastically. ‘I think I can safely say I’ll be there.’
*
October, 2015
Things had settled down well for Mallory and Greg. They were back to joking and laughing again. Every so often there would be a tricky moment where he looked at her in the way that meant he still loved her, but she managed to rein her own emotions in. And although they didn’t discuss Alice, Mallory was very much aware she was the invisible elephant in the room.
The first weekend in October was dull, cold and rainy. Friday, the ninth was just as wet as the rest of the week so she had spent the day reading and listening to CDs Greg had loaned her. She had decided that she was going to encourage him to get an MP3 player and subscribe to some online streaming channels. She was determined to drag him kicking and screaming into the present. Greg picked her up and they set off for Oban at seven for the open mic night.
He was giddy and excitable like a kid on Christmas Eve. ‘So, Mallory, have you ever been musical at all?’ he enquired as they chugged along in the Landy.
Hesitantly she admitted, ‘Well… actually I used to sing in a choir back in Yorkshire a few years back.’
‘Really?’ After doing a double take, a wry grin appeared on his face. ‘What happened? Why’d you stop?’
