Page 56 of Chasing Dreams in Eversley Village

Chapter 16

Holly ran up the grassy slope. Everything had felt so right last night with Mitch. So natural, so real. Once through the boundary wall and onto her own land, she slowed her pace. She pulled at the neck of her T-shirt which stuck to her skin in the balmy evening.Maybe I got the wrong message?she thought.Maybe she had been seeing what she wanted to see, not the reality of the situation. After all, they had not kissed, they had not talked about anything relationship-wise.

Back at the caravan, Holly plonked herself on the soft seating. Picking up her mobile phone she decided to call Jaz. Her friend was now back for good and had returned to a management job at her old showroom. Her boss had taken the national training job instead, taking his wife with him. Scrolling through her phone, she picked Jaz’s number. Hopefully, she was finished for the day.

‘Hi ya,’ Jaz answered in a loud voice. Holly heard background noise of people talking and laughing.

‘Where are you?’

‘I’m in the Eversley Arms. Come on over.’

‘I’ll just have a quick shower and change. Order me a very large glass of something.’

Holly marchedacross Eversley Village green. The early evening sun painted everything pink. If only her life could be tinted that way. It was a busy evening at the pub, with people sitting outside on the grass drinking and laughing.Where have my carefree days gone?she thought.

Holly heard Jaz’s voice as soon as she walked in the door. Jaz was propped up at the bar, laughing with Julian. He had his elbow on the top with his bearded chin cupped in his hand, staring deep into Jaz’s eyes while his staff worked around him.

Holly approached with her eyebrows raised. ‘What’s going on here?’

Jaz put a hand on Holly’s arm. ‘Julian came into the showroom today – after a car.’

Julian smiled broadly. ‘Jaz got me a great deal.’

Holly shook her head. ‘You do know she’s a cutthroat saleswoman?’

‘She told me I got a manager’s special.’ Julian winked at Jaz and then went to serve a guy who was hollering at him.

Holly spoke to Jaz in a hushed voice. ‘So? I thought you weren’t into Julian?’

‘He’s so cool, he’s got a kind of laid-back vibe. I’m not sure how I never noticed,’ she giggled. ‘It’s always the quiet ones, eh?’

‘I’ve always thought you two would get along if you only gave him five minutes to chat to you.’

‘We chatted for longer than that. He’s gonna take me out once he gets the car – to some posh restaurant in Devon with a celebrity chef.’

‘I can’t keep up with you. You go from one extreme to the other.’

‘Anyway, you can talk. I’ve only got one bloke in my sights – you’ve got two, missy.’ Jaz winked. ‘I want to know all the details of what happened last night.’

Holly shook her head.

Jaz placed a hand on her arm. ‘Hun, what’s up?’

‘Last night was amazing. But…’

‘What?’

‘I went down the farm earlier to have a chat with Mitch and guess who was there?’

Jaz opened her mouth. ‘Who?’

‘Only Nina blinking Smith.’

‘No way. How did she meet him?’

‘At the awards event.’

‘What last night? When he was out with you?’

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