A Small Town Affair Read online

  Still too busy?

  There was no message in return. She went for a walk, taking care that she was always in range of a signal, which actually proved pointless. When she got back to her apartment, she cursed herself roundly.

  You’re behaving like a lovesick teenager with no sense at all. You’re just angry that people are right about you and you really are just an inexperienced idiot.

  She made some hot chocolate and switched on the television, trying anything she could to distract herself. The truth was, she was lonely. She was seizing on someone’s modest attention and making it into something much more. At least she always knew where she was with Guy, even if it was somewhere she didn’t want to be. But try as she might, he couldn’t forget Jay’s kiss. She wanted to feel that wonderful soaring sensation again and he’d called her Lovely Gina, hadn’t he?

  She woke with a headache the next morning, and really wished she could take the day off work. But poor Audrey would be busy and would never find anyone else to cover for her. There was a school girl who came in to help on Saturdays would be at school today. Georgie could not let her employer down. As she stood under the shower, she felt pleased with her decision and sent a telepathic message to her father saying that he was wrong about her. She did have a sense of responsibility. She set off for work, not even stopping for breakfast. Audrey always offered her toast and coffee, so she knew she could dawdle along and look at the beach, pristine after the tide had washed it overnight. She glanced at her phone and saw there was a message waiting. She hadn’t even realised it was there.

  Life is frantic. Far too busy for anything. Can’t afford to miss overtime. I miss you, lovely Gina. Can’t wait to see you, soon I hope, xx

  Her headache magically disappeared and she felt her heart lift again. It wasn’t anything she had done to upset him and he still wanted to see her. Perhaps the only solution was to go for meal at the Clarence Hotel. She could barely imagine the look of horror she might get from Jay if she did.

  ‘Good morning Audrey,’ she said brightly, pushing open the door of the little teashop. ‘Isn’t it a lovely day?’

  Chapter Three

  ‘You sound cheerful. I expect you’ve seen your boyfriend again have you?’

  ‘No, but he’s very busy at work. He’s on duty in the evenings at the moment so there’s no time we’re both free together.’

  ‘Known him long have you? Is that why you’re down here, so you can see each other during the summer?’

  ‘Not really. We haven’t known each other long. Early days.’

  ‘Have you had breakfast?’

  ‘Not exactly.’

  ‘Then you’d better make yourself some toast and coffee. I’ve got the scones baking already and the tables are done. You’re early today.’

  ‘Thanks. That would be great.’ She made her breakfast and took it outside in the early sunshine. This place really was a small haven of calm at this time of day before anyone was about. The occasional dog walker was on the beach but no families had arrived yet.

  ‘Now isn’t that just the most lovely sight?’ a voice said from behind her. Her heart seemed to turn over and she swung round.

  ‘Jay. What are you doing here so early? I’d have thought you’d be sound asleep after all your late nights.’

  ‘Too nice a morning to sleep in. I was just thinking how much I needed to see you and so here I am. Can I get some breakfast or aren’t you open yet?’

  ‘I can get you toast and coffee if you want it.’

  ‘That would be brilliant.’

  ‘Give me five minutes. Or you can come inside if you like.’

  She barely rose from her seat before Audrey came to the door, a tray in her hands with more toast and a jug of coffee.

  ‘I thought you might like something to eat,’ she said to Jay. ‘Gina was just telling me how little you were managing to see each other.’

  ‘Well now, aren’t you just the most thoughtful of ladies?’ Jay said. ‘Thank you very much. I’ll settle up later.’

  ‘On the house,’ she replied, a blush staining her cheeks.

  ‘Thank you,’ Georgie said. ‘We won’t be long.’

  ‘Don’t worry. I’ll call you when I need you. Enjoy the morning while you can.’

  ‘What a lovely lady,’ Jay remarked.

  ‘She’s a sweetie. I feel very lucky to be working for her. So, tell me what’s going on with you? I haven’t seen you lurking around here at all these last few days.’

  ‘I never lurk. Only stare at the prettiest girl in town. I’ve been pulling in extra shifts. I can’t afford to refuse them, even if it means I miss seeing you.’

  ‘I was thinking I might have to come for a meal one evening, if only to see you.’

  ‘I shouldn’t. Prices are somewhat high end of the market. Okay if you want to impress someone but I wouldn’t pay it.’

  Georgie was interested. Her background always made her want to know what competitors were doing and charging for their products but she knew she would give herself away if she pried too much.

  ‘Tell me about yourself. Where do you come from?’

  ‘My family originate from Jersey but I’ve never lived there. I’ve lived in several places in England but hardly been anywhere outside of the country. School trip to France once but I was too young to learn much from it. Never done anything much career-wise but had a range of jobs in shops and then in the hospitality business. Like I said, I’m just working here for the summer. Reckon I’m learning a lot. People are strange creatures. The really wealthy clients are usually very polite and nice and the ones who’ve made loads of money recently are very demanding and often quite rude.’

  ‘I know what you mean. The nouveau riche syndrome, we often call it.’ He stared at her, puzzled at her knowledge. She blushed, knowing she was saying too much for the role she was playing. ‘Do you want some more coffee?’ she asked trying to cover her confusion.

  ‘Thanks. It’s good coffee. Probably better than the stuff we serve and charge a fortune for.’

  ‘I think I’m addicted to it. So, do we ever get a day off together do you think?’

  ‘I’m off on Monday. All day, including the evening. We could do something if you like. What time do you finish?’

  ‘Usually about half past five but I might get away earlier if it’s quiet. That would be great. We could drive somewhere and have a meal?’ She paused. Maybe he didn’t have a car and her expensive sports model was a dead giveaway.

  ‘I’d like that but I don’t have a car.’

  ‘I do. If you don’t mind being driven by a woman.’

  ‘Or we could have a picnic somewhere on the cliffs. We could have a walk and find a quiet spot.’

  ‘That sounds rather nice,’ she replied. ‘We can take wine and something delicious to eat. I’ll get some bits and pieces.’

  ‘Okay, deal. I’ll buy wine. Not much good with food, I’m afraid. Left to me, it would be a pasty.’

  ‘Much as I love pasties, we can do a bit better than that.’ It was almost nine o’clock and people were already drifting towards the beach. ‘I suppose I should begin to earn my keep,’ she said reluctantly. He caught her hand for a heart stopping moment.

  ‘I’ll call you if I have a spare few minutes over the next few days. We might manage to see each other for a short time. I’m so sorry I can’t offer you more.’ He looked positively mournful and Georgie felt her heart reach out to him. If she went home she could get him a much better job anywhere in their hotel chain.

  ‘Anything you can manage. At least my hours are regular.’

  ‘I could very easily fall in love with you but I have the feeling you may be out of my class.’

  ‘Don’t be silly. I’m a waitress in a beach café.’

  ‘There’s something about you. You have class. Your accent for a start and I feel there’s a very different way of life behind you.’ Georgie blushed. He was certainly quite astute.

  ‘Quite the psychologist, aren’
t you?’

  ‘I’m right thought, aren’t I? You learn a lot by looking at people.’

  ‘This is all a bit deep for this time in a morning,’ she laughed. His perspicacity had thrown her a little. ‘I need to start work now. Keep in touch and I shall look forward to Monday. I’ll text if I can get away early.’

  ‘Okay. Thank you and please thank Audrey for breakfast. Very kind of her. Bye, love.’ He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Though the kiss lacked the intensity of his previous one, it still managed to send Georgie’s heart racing and made her feel quite light headed.

  ‘Bye Jay. Thank you for coming to find me.’

  ‘My pleasure entirely. I’ll be here the next time I can get away from serving breakfasts to the masses. These split shifts are killers. Bye, now.’ He loped off, taking the hill in easy strides.

  Georgie collected the dishes and mugs and stacked them on the tray. She felt strangely dreamy, as if she had woken from a deep sleep. Her feet seemed to be somewhere out of control. It was all quite ridiculous to feel like this because some handsome young man had complimented her. So what if her cover got blown? Did it matter as long as Jay, really did have genuine feelings for her? She went inside and smiled at Audrey.

  ‘Jay said to thank you very much. It was really kind of you.’

  ‘Pleased to help young love on its way,’ Audrey told her. ‘He’s certainly a handsome young man. If I was a few years younger, I might put up a bit of a challenge myself.’

  ‘Go on with you. A happily married woman like you?’

  ‘Doesn’t stop you enjoying looking, whatever the age. Now, I suspect those two ladies will be coming in here any minute so let’s get ready.’

  Georgie’s day was lightened by the stream of texts that came in every hour or so. She laughed at some of Jay’s silly comments and felt closer to him than ever. Carrying trays, washing up and serving the many holiday makers was fine. She completely forgot she had ever had a headache and the day flew by. Wasn’t this why she had made her break from home for a while? She needed to know who she really was. All the same, Jay was clearly suspicious about her background. Should she wait a little longer before telling him the truth? She was a hundred percent certain that he didn’t know who she was but she hated the lies. It was not yet time to change things. Poor little rich girl. Always afraid that someone would like her only because she was rich. If ever she had children of her own, she would make absolutely certain they didn’t grow up feeling the way she did. No wonder her parents favoured Guy so much. He had his own fortune to inherit so there was no way he was after her money.

  The weekend seemed to crawl by but at last Monday arrived. She had told Audrey about their proposed picnic and she provided some slices of fresh quiche and made up a dish of salad towards it.

  ‘You can leave once the teas are over. I’ll manage after five o’clock.’

  ‘You’re very kind. I’d like to pop to the delicatessen too. A few olives and so on. She was determined that everything would be special for the evening. Perhaps his romantic idea of a picnic was to cover the fact that he didn’t want to spend money on a meal out. With the hours he was working, he surely couldn’t be too badly off? She gave a shrug. Whatever the problem, nothing was going to spoil the evening ahead. She sent him a text to say she would be ready by five-thirty. That would give her time to go home, shower and change. She felt ridiculously excited as if this was some sort of turning point in her life. But it was simply the first time she had found someone herself, without her parents introducing them. For a moment, she imagined Jay in formal evening dress, mingling with the sort of people that moved in her home circle.

  Georgie packed the picnic things. She left her hair hanging loose and wore a favourite skirt and matching top. It wasn’t windy for once so she could enjoy a change from the eternal jeans she seemed to live in. She added a cotton jacket, knowing it might get chilly later. She looked out of the window and saw Jay walking into the car park below the flats. She grabbed her bag and keys and locked the door. She ran down the stairs and went to meet him. He was carrying a back pack and he reached out for the picnic bag.

  ‘Goodness, it feels as if you’ve packed enough to feed the five thousand. You look nice. Very summery.’

  He was wearing light coloured trousers and a smart summer shirt in an olive green that seemed to match his eyes. They were definitely green, she decided.

  ‘You look pretty good yourself. So have you decided where we’re going?’

  ‘I thought we might climb behind the hotel and walk along the top. There’s a nice little cove the other side if we feel suitably energetic.’

  ‘Sounds great. I haven’t been that way.’

  They were both panting slightly by the time they reached the top. It was a warm evening and the steep path took them high above the village.

  ‘Looks different from this side,’ Georgie commented. You can see much further along the coast. What’s that town in the distance?’

  ‘St Ives, if that’s the one you mean.’

  ‘I thought that was much further away.’

  ‘It is quite a long way. It’s a clear evening so the light’s good. Means you can see far into the distance. The height of the cliffs makes a difference too. You good to move on? It’s level for a while before the drop down again.’

  ‘I’m fine. We weren’t too busy today.’

  ‘Sorry. We can stop here if you’re tired.’

  ‘No, course not.’

  ‘Give me your hand. I can always pull you along.’

  ‘As well as carrying the food and drink? What a man!’ She gave him her hand and immediately felt the thrill of contact. She gave him a squeeze and he looked at her and grinned.

  ‘I can’t believe we actually have a whole evening together at last. These snatched moments just aren’t

  enough, are they?’

  ‘I guess not. Now you have the chance to tell me all about yourself. Your turn to talk.’

  ‘Not much to know really. I have a brother and sister, both older than me and living near the Devon border. Two parents, still together despite several hiccups over the years. Went to a large comprehensive sort of school and got decent exam results. Messed around for a while and worked in all sorts of places until I decided on the hospitality route. That’s about it for a potted history of me. But what about you? You’ve said very little about yourself. I really know nothing about you.’

  Georgie found herself blushing a fiery red. Where on earth did she start? Telling him slight truths would be too obvious. She needed to invent a whole background if she wanted to maintain her cover.

  ‘I live in Buckinghamshire. Well, my parents do. I went to a sort of grammar school, I suppose.’ She laughed nervously. Her very expensive private school was possibly similar to an up-market grammar school. ‘Exams were okay but like you, I couldn’t really decide what to do. I didn’t want to go to University, though my parents wanted me to.’

  ‘There was no question of me doing that. I had to work and earn my own money. The parents couldn’t have supported me, in any case.’

  ‘That’s sad if you wanted to go. Couldn’t you get a grant or something?’ He frowned slightly and looked away from her.

  ‘I didn’t contemplate it,’ he said. ‘I did everything from stacking shelves in the supermarket to working as a builder’s labourer. Anything to earn money. Right, here we are. Can you manage this track? It’s steep but well worth the effort. We can take a different route back so don’t worry about having to climb back up again later.’

  She knew she should have worn more sensible shoes. The sandals were not really strong enough for this sort of activity so she slipped and slithered her way down, grabbing at stout heathers as she went.

  ‘Sorry, I should have warned you what I had in mind,’ Jay apologised. ‘Stay there and I’ll take the stuff down and come back to help you down the last bit.’ He strode ahead, making light of the steep path with loose rocks designed to trip the unwary. He dump
ed the bags and came back, holding out two hands to steady her.

  ‘Sorry, I’m being a wimp. Too fashion conscious to wear something sensible.’

  ‘I wouldn’t change a thing. You are lovely in every way.’ When they reached the bottom, he pulled her close to him and she melted into his arms. He kissed her nose and laughed, wiping away the moisture from her forehead with his thumb. ‘Sorry, that climb was a bit more than you bargained for.’

  ‘Not at all. I enjoyed the way you helped me down the last bit.’ He held her close again and she felt him sigh. He picked up the bags and led them down to the base of the cliffs where there was soft, dry sand. He unpacked his rucksack and produced a large rug.

  ‘I never thought of that. Well done you. I’ll unpack the food.’

  ‘Let’s paddle first. I thought I’d chill the wine at the edge of the sea. I couldn’t manage to keep it cool in the bag, not without making the rug damp. I got Pinot again as I thought you liked that.’

  ‘Lovely’, she said, slightly disappointed he hadn’t brought Champagne or something sparkling, at least. She cursed herself silently, knowing it was snobbish. Guy would never have brought anything less than Champagne but then, he would never have suggested a romantic picnic on a beach in Cornwall. Why was she even thinking of the man she had rejected? Looking at the gorgeous man before her, she knew that Guy came nowhere near him in any way. He was reaching for her hand.

  ‘Come on. Take those sandals off and let’s bathe those tired feet of yours.’

  They ran over the sand, hand in hand like a pair of kids and were soon splashing in the waves.

  ‘It’s freezing,’ she moaned. ‘I hope you’ve got a towel in the bag of yours.’

  ‘You’ll have to dry off naturally. I can always rub them dry with my shirt if you really need it.’

  ‘I wouldn’t dream of allowing you to spoil that lovely shirt. I dare say I’ll survive. But now, I’m starving. Can we go and eat?’

  ‘Of course. The wine seems to be chilled too. You’re right. This water is freezing. Come on.’ He grabbed her hand almost dragged her back up the beach.