Page 89 of The Little Island Flower Stall
‘Don’t worry. You said you’d fling me over your scooter, so I’ll be fine, won’t I?’
Further on, they stopped to listen to a mariachi band. Bella had finished her generous measure of ouzo and was feeling tipsy. She started to do silly Zumba steps as the band played, and Celestine rolled her eyes.
‘This is why I don’t drink.’
‘After all the messing around I’ve had over the last few weeks, the least I deserve is a bit of day drinking,’ Bella said, swaying into a wobbly samba.
Celestine smiled fondly at her. ‘Yes, and I’m glad to see you’re being so positive about it.’
‘What else can I be? They’re not worth my tears, that’s what I say.’
‘They’re not. You’re a lovely person, Bella. You deserve to be treated well.’
Bella laughed. ‘Yes. I’m inclined to agree!’
They spent twenty more minutes with the mariachi band and then tried to get a decent view of a stage where a celebrity chef was talking about his latest book, but the crowds here were too big, and with Celestine in her scooter at a disadvantage anyway, they gave up trying to see any of it. Instead, Bella decided to get a taco and then took a couple of free shots of gin before buying bottles in both flavours, and then decided she wanted an ice cream.
Then they went to watch another demonstration about making decorative garnishes out of vegetables, which Bella found faintly laughable but Celestine seemed fascinated by, and when that was over, they walked on. Bella had another shot; this time it was sour cherry rum and it was so good she had to buy a bottle of that too, and finally they ended up at a stall selling meat pies that were so hefty Bella joked they’d make good house foundations.
‘Why don’t I buy us one for tea?’ she asked as they pored over the selection. ‘Chicken and asparagus. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?’
Celestine was munching on the pineapple chunks she’d bought earlier. ‘I’m surprised you can fit anything else in.’
‘If we don’t eat it tonight, we can have it tomorrow. Listen, I’m never going to eat this well again – certainly not when I get home. I might as well make the most of it now.’
Celestine smiled and nodded, though Bella wasn’t so tipsy she couldn’t detect a sadness in it that suddenly checked her own good mood too. Celestine was thinking of the day Bella would leave. Did she think about that a lot? All the time they were together, was she thinking of it and dreading it? Bella couldn’t deny that it was drawing ever closer and with increasing speed, and she didn’t want it to come either.
As she waited to buy their pie, she reflected on what a strange few weeks it had been on Jersey – far more eventful than she could ever have imagined. It was crazy, but she felt changed, despite how short the time had been since she’d driven away from her marriage. It was no time at all and yet felt like a lifetime too, but she could hardly recognise that version of herself now.
Her mind went to Rory. She was sad about how that had ended – strangely far sadder than she was about her split from Sean. Rory had seemed so different, and it had given her hope that he’d be so much better, that here was a man she could be herself with and he’d like her just the same. She was sad that the reality had been a million miles away from her hopes.
She paid for the pie and then popped it into her shopping bag. It was then that she noticed how tired Celestine looked.
‘I’ll call a taxi if you’re done here,’ she said.
‘We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.’
‘I’m tired too,’ Bella lied. A little white one, this time out of kindness. ‘I’m ready to head back. All that booze has made me sleepy.’
Celestine raised her eyebrows, and Bella had to laugh. ‘It’s nice to see you enjoying yourself, at least.’
‘I’m always enjoying myself when I’m with you,’ Bella said. ‘Come on – let’s find a quiet spot to call for our chariot.’
Almost as soon as the taxi had left St Helier, Celestine was asleep. Bella looked across and smiled.
‘Long day for someone?’ Brian, the driver, caught Bella’s eye through the rear-view mirror.
‘Looks like it.’
‘Have you enjoyed it? I’ve run quite a few people over there today. Not run them over…’ He chuckled. ‘I mean taken them over. They wouldn’t be happy if I’d run them over, would they?’
‘It’s been great,’ Bella said, her smile growing. ‘Lots to see. I think it’s on for a few days more, isn’t it?’
‘Probably. Not that I’ll get to it – too busy.’
‘That’s a shame.’
He patted his tummy. ‘I don’t know about that. My wife says I need no encouragement to eat like a pig.’
