Page 82 of Happily Never After
‘That may be true, and I hope it is. But, as of now, we have to treat you as a suspect. I’m therefore suspending you from duty on full pay until further notice. I’m sorry, Claire, but you know how much scrutiny the police force is under these days. We have to be seen to be doing everything exactly by the book. I’m sure it will all turn out to be nothing, so just enjoy a bit of time off, OK?’
‘It’s no good,’ Liv says, barging into my room a week after my date with Finn. ‘I’ve been wracking my brains and can’t think of a way to get Finn down here without him smelling a massive rat.I had it all worked out in my head, you know? He comes into the pâtisserie, looking a little nervous. He sees you behind the counter with a coffee and slice ofTarte Normandeready to go, the string music swells andvoilà!’
I laugh in spite of myself. ‘I never had you pegged as such a romantic.’
‘Oh, yes. In the wilder versions, you’ve got a bit of flour on your nose, which he gently wipes away before kissing it. We’re talking full-on romcom here. Anyway, I’ve failed. Sorry. I’m pissed off too, because I’m sure a slice of myTarte Normandewould persuade him he never wanted to leave Margate again.’
‘You tried, and that’s the main thing.’
‘Have you got any ideas?’
‘Nope. I messaged him the day after we went out for dinner to say thanks, as you know, and got a pretty vanilla response.’
‘You could demand to see him. Say you need to talk.’
‘I think that would spook the hell out of him. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be, and we should just let it go.’
‘Nonsense. That matchmaker woman clearly saw something.’
‘Is this the same matchmaker woman you accused just a week ago of putting too much pressure on me?’
‘Yes, but we have to consider the possibility that she did have a point. All that kissing?—’
‘Two kisses.’
‘—and your romantic morning walks. You didn’t shoot people down when they suggested there could be more, which means you were open to it. I just wish there was a way to get you two back together.’
‘It’ll happen if it’s meant to be, Liv. In the meantime…’ I indicate my laptop.
‘Oh, yes. I’ll leave you in peace. Don’t forget Donna’s bringing Chinese takeaway tonight. I think she does it deliberately to wind me up. She knows as well as I do that the stuff we get hereisn’t a patch on real Chinese food. Did I ever tell you about the street market I worked at in Chonqing?’
‘No, but you can tell us both later. I need to get this done.’
‘Of course. Sorry. Do you want a cup of tea in a minute?’
‘That would be lovely. Thank you.’
I’d like to be able to say that the book is providing a welcome focus since my disastrous dinner with Finn, but progress is still agonisingly slow. However hard I try to concentrate on the plot, I keep finding myself disappearing down a rabbit hole of analysis, replaying every snippet of our stilted conversation and trying to work out what I could have said to bring about a different outcome. I did definitely feel something on that day when we kissed each other, but it’s the memories of us wandering into Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, chatting about everything and nothing, that I daydream about most of all. I mean, Angus and I used to chat, but it was usually about boring domestic things or the dog. Finn seemed interested in everything about me, as I was with him. He had a way of making me feel like I was the only other person in the world when we were talking. Damn it. I miss him.
As I’m sitting there, staring at the screen, I can feel something shift inside me. This isn’t Liv’s problem to solve, or Finn’s, or anyone else’s for that matter. The fact is that I need to see him again, if only to bring closure. I grab my phone and bash out a message to him.
Are you working today?
To my relief, the ticks go blue and his reply comes back quickly.
Staring at set design concepts at home. Why?
I’m smiling as I type.
Four o’clock. Time for a cup of tea and a delicious biscuit.
OK…
Have you got delicious biscuits?
I think there are some chocolate digestives in the cupboard. They might even be in date…
Here’s the plan. We’re each going to make a cup of tea and get a biscuit. I’m going to video call you in ten minutes, and I expect to hear all about the show. OK?
