Anything but Vanilla(66)

‘Yes...’ There was nothing else he could say. They both knew that he wouldn’t ‘see her soon’. He was going to fly west from San Francisco to Pantabalik, not because it made sense, but because if he returned he would have to say goodbye again.

* * *

Sorrel waited until the door closed, then she reached across to the empty side of the bed and pulled Alexander’s pillow towards her, hugging it, breathing in his scent, reliving in her head the night they’d spent together.

They’d hardly slept. They’d talked, made love, got up to scramble eggs in the middle of the night before going back to bed just to hold one another. Be close.

She finally drifted off, waking with the sun streaming in at the window.

Alexander would be in the air by now, on his way to San Francisco to meet a brother he had never known before returning to the life he’d chosen. The life he loved.

She wanted to linger, stay in Alexander’s apartment for a while, but that would be self-indulgent, foolish. She had seized the moment and now it was time to get on with her life, too.

She took clean underwear from the overnight bag she’d packed, had a quick shower and wrapped her hair in a towel while she got dressed. She found her jeans under the bed. Her T-shirt had vanished without trace and instead of wearing the spare she’d packed, she picked up the one that Alexander had been wearing. Then she called a taxi and, torn between a smile and a tear, went home to get on with her life.

A new life. One without a prop.

She stopped the taxi outside the rectory and paid off the driver. Graeme saw her coming and was waiting at the door.

‘Late night?’ he asked, sarcastically.

‘No,’ she said. ‘An early one.’ And he was the one who blushed.

‘Do you want to come in? I’ve just made coffee.’

‘No...I have things to do. I just wanted you to know...’ She swallowed. She didn’t have to tell him. It was written all over her. She was wearing a man’s T-shirt, for heaven’s sake, coming home in a taxi in the middle of the morning. ‘I hate opera.’

‘You could just have said no,’ he said.

‘Yes, I could. I should have done that a long time ago. You’ve been a good friend, Graeme, and I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but I need to move on with my life. And so do you.’

He sighed. ‘You would have made the perfect wife. You’re elegant, charming, intelligent...’

She put her hand on his arm to stop him. ‘Perfect isn’t the answer, Graeme.’

‘No? What is?’

‘If I knew the formula for love, Graeme, I would rule the world. All I can tell you is that it’s kind of magic.’ She kissed his cheek. ‘Thanks for everything.’ She was on the bottom step when she turned and looked back up at him. ‘Did you know that Ria loves opera?’

‘Ria? I’d have thought she was into happy-clappy folk music.’

‘People never fail to surprise you. She’s in San Francisco right now, with her son, but she’ll be home next week. It would be a shame to waste the ticket.’

* * *

There was a long queue in the arrivals hall to get through immigration and Alexander used the time to send Sorrel a text. ‘Flight endless, queue at Immigration endless. I’d rather be making ice cream.’

* * *

Sorrel read his message and hugged the phone to her for a moment. She’d spoken to Ria that afternoon, explained her plans and said hello to a very emotional Michael.

He’d be waiting at the gate to meet his brother. Would they be alike? she wondered. Would they recognise one another on sight?

She took a deep breath then texted back, ‘No, you wouldn’t.’

He came right back with, ‘I’m nervous.’

‘He’ll love you.’ Who wouldn’t? ‘Now stop bothering me while I’m busy building an empire. I have ice cream to make. You have family to meet.’ She resisted adding an x.

‘Are you okay?’ Basil asked, turning from the fridge where he was putting away the ices.

She sniffed. ‘Fine. Bit of hay fever, that’s all. How was business today?’ she asked, before he could argue.

‘Very good. Young Jane is a great find.’

‘I know. I was thinking of asking her if she’d like to manage this place when her course is finished.’

‘What about Nancy?’

‘She doesn’t have the business qualifications.’