Ivy Lane: Autumn: (9 page)

There was another part to the plan, but we’d decided not to share it with the teenagers so as not to cause any embarrassment. I was aiming to have a quiet word with Charlie tonight; I would even tell him the truth about Aidan and me if necessary. I was dreading it, to be honest, but despite everything that had happened during the past year, Charlie did seem to act rather over-protectively towards me and I wanted to let him down gently.

I was determined to get it right with Aidan this time. We had been very close,
so close
, to kissing before I’d spotted poor Dougie, who was now completely recovered and embarrassed about causing us all heart attacks. Not that I was getting desperate or anything, but if Aidan didn’t kiss me tonight I would probably self-combust with unfulfilled lust.

It was five o’clock in the afternoon and so far today, I had had great fun. I had spent the whole day with Gemma – the first time we had ever done that outside of the allotments. She had picked me up this morning and driven me to Mike’s car mechanics’ business on the other side of Kingsfield. It was based in an old Victorian building with huge tall garage doors and ornate brick detail around the roofline. That was where the beauty began and ended though. The forecourt was littered with cars, cars and more cars in various states of repair. The brickwork was grimy, the ground was sprinkled with oily blobs and inside the garage the smell of petrol was over-powering.

The welcome, however, was warm and over a cup of builders’-strength tea, Mike told me about ‘a little smasher’ that had just come into his possession: a sunshine-yellow hatchback, low mileage, one careful lady owner and – though he said so himself – an absolute bargain.

And so with trembling knees, I took it out for a test drive. Mike, bless his heart, came with me. I imagine that he was every bit as nervous as I was given the circumstances, but if so he didn’t let on.

I can’t say that I was at ease at the wheel, but I had done it, that was the important thing, and after pottering at twenty miles an hour for fifteen minutes, I had delivered us safely back to the garage and the deal was done. All I had to do was sort out the insurance and once Mike had given it a thorough service, fitted new tyres and fiddled about under the bonnet I would have my very own car.

This afternoon had been all about getting ready for tonight’s party. Hayley and Mia had joined us back at my house; Hayley, because she said she couldn’t walk to the party in her outfit on her own, which was a bit worrying, and Mia because she idolized Hayley.

Thankfully since all that business over the thefts at Ivy Lane had been cleared up, Hayley and the other community service people had been made to feel a lot more welcome. Hayley had made friends in unexpected places and had even been helping Helen with her juice bar business. So far we’d watched Hayley make toffee apples with the last of the apples from my tree, Mia make dead men’s fingers from rolled-up bread with almonds for nails and ketchup for blood and now we were carving pumpkins for the Best Carved Pumpkin competition.

I was glad of the company and the distraction; knowing that I would be seeing Aidan again tonight at the Hallowe’en party had made it one of the longest weeks of my life.

‘Wow, Hayley! That’s amazing,’ cooed Mia as Hayley attached an intricate stencil to her pumpkin and began punching holes through the skin with a screwdriver.

‘Cheers,’ said Hayley, her brow furrowed in concentration. ‘I designed it on the computer. This pumpkin is a winner, I’m telling you. Which just goes to show,’ she flashed us a grin, ‘five years at secondary school to get two measly GCSEs – one in food technology and one in IT – were not totally wasted.’

‘Mine looks pathetic in comparison,’ said Mia gloomily. She had carved slanting, menacing eyes and a shark-like mouth full of pointed teeth.

‘I think it looks well evil,’ said Hayley.

‘Really?’ Mia glowed with delight.

‘I hope I won’t be penalized for having a small pumpkin,’ I said, frowning at the size of my home-grown one compared to everyone else’s shop-bought monsters. It was too small to risk carving a face into it, so I’d settled for an all-round pattern instead. Cute, but not scary.

Gemma shot me a sly smile. ‘Seeing as the judge is a certain TV director, I don’t think you need worry. There,’ she sat up and swivelled her pumpkin towards me, ‘what do you think?’

‘Very you,’ I said, smiling at its happy face.

My phone started to ring and I walked to the far side of the kitchen to answer it still smiling; only my mum used the landline, everyone else I knew rang me on my mobile.

‘Hi, Mum!’

Mia and Hayley burst into laughter and I turned to see them trying to balance their pumpkins on their heads. Gemma rolled her eyes at me good-naturedly.

‘Tilly, darling! How are you? Goodness, it sounds like you’re having a party!’

‘Great, thanks! I’ve got the girls round and actually we’re getting ready for a Hallowe’en party at the allotment tonight.’

‘Oh, no men then?’

‘Mum!’ I laughed, shaking my head at the disappointment in her voice. I didn’t dare confide in her that with any luck my single days might soon be over; I didn’t want to get her hopes up and I didn’t want to tempt fate either.

‘Anyway, how are you?’ I asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from my love life.

‘Fine, fine,’ she said dismissively. I could envisage her flapping a free hand at the phone. ‘It’s just that . . . well.’ She paused to clear her throat. ‘Women have . . . certain needs, you know.’

Oh God. I closed my eyes. I knew she meant well but I could really do without going into this at this precise moment, particularly with Mia and Hayley in the room.

‘It’s not healthy to be on your own for too long and sometimes . . .’

I smiled. Hopefully I wouldn’t be on my own for too much longer. ‘Mum, I appreciate your concern, really.’

Gemma’s chair scraped on the kitchen tiles as she pushed herself up. She tapped her watch as she caught my eye. Time was ticking on and we still had to get into our fancy dress outfits.

‘And you’re right,’ I continued. ‘But could we talk about this later, do you think?’

‘Oh. Of course, if you’re too busy . . .’ Mum sighed. ‘But I really did need a chat.’

My heart sank. Now I felt guilty. ‘I’ll call you again soon, Mum, I promise.’

‘All right, darling. Tonight perhaps?’

‘Yes, when I get home, if it’s not too late,’ I said.
And if I’m alone
, I added mentally. My stomach fluttered with nerves as I told my mum that I loved her and ended the call.

At seven o’clock, two witches, a pumpkin and a vampire made our way to Ivy Lane allotments in Gemma’s car. Hayley’s sexy witch outfit would definitely turn heads. No wonder she hadn’t wanted to walk through the streets on her own. My outfit, everyone agreed, was lovely. Call me vain, but I just couldn’t bring myself to look ugly at a fancy dress party, regardless of the theme – not when the man I fancied would be there. I’d opted for a costume entitled ‘cute witch’, comprising purple and pink over-the-knee socks, a similarly coloured hat and a wench-style satin dress with a criss-cross bodice. My pocket-sized pumpkin completed the look perfectly.

Gemma was already pumpkin-shaped (her words, not mine) and all it had taken was to pull on an orange dress and a green bobble hat and she was ready. Quite frankly, Mia was too scary for my liking; not only had she dressed the part with white face, pointed teeth and a black cape, but she had assumed the sinister demeanour of a vampire too and kept sliding me sidelong glances and baring her fangs. I was glad to get out of the car by the time we got there.

‘Thanks for today,’ said Hayley, flinging her arms round my neck. ‘And don’t forget to come and get your juices. Especially you, Mia, you’re looking very pale.’ She winked and dashed off to help Helen set up the juice bar.

Mia sighed adoringly as she watched Hayley totter off across the car park in her patent leather thigh boots. ‘She’s so cool.’

‘Hmm.’ Gemma loaded a large pumpkin into her daughter’s arms and placed a hand on the small of her back. ‘That’s very true, as well as unemployed, with a criminal record and precious few qualifications to her name.’

‘She’s a good kid,’ I said defensively, although I could understand why Hayley might not be Gemma’s idea of a role model for her teenager. I collected the bag containing the toffee apples and dead men’s fingers from the boot and tucked my pumpkin under my arm. ‘She’ll turn out all right, I think, she just hasn’t found her niche yet.’

‘You’re a good person, Tilly,’ Gemma said, slamming the boot of the car. ‘You see the best in everyone.’

I smiled, remembering a very similar conversation I’d had with Alf no more than a month ago.

I’d learned to trust again, that was all.

Mia dashed on ahead and Gemma and I schlepped across the car park weighed down with Hallowe’en goodies.

‘So what do you reckon then,’ said Gemma, ‘ghost, skeleton, zombie?’

‘You’ve lost me,’ I said with a frown.

She rolled her eyes. ‘Aidan, of course. What do you think he’ll dress up as?’

My stomach lurched just thinking about him. After seven long days, the wait was finally over. ‘I don’t care as long as he’s still recognizable,’ I giggled. ‘Gosh, I don’t even know what car he drives. How am I going to pick the right windscreen to leave the note?’

We’d reached the pavilion steps and a sudden bout of cold feet took hold and stopped me in my tracks.

‘Gemma,’ I groaned, ‘what if this plan goes spectacularly wrong? What if I make a mistake?’

She rested her pumpkin on the top step and stood up to catch her breath. ‘Relax, Tills. You look gorgeous, you know he likes you, so, you know, just go with your heart.’

I took a deep breath, put on a bright smile and walked up the steps and into the pavilion.

I arranged our party food contributions at the buffet table, lit a candle in my pumpkin lantern and left it to be judged while I chatted to everyone there, comparing outfits and listening to them moan about Trick or Treaters, but all the while only giving ninety per cent of my attention. The other ten per cent was scanning the room nervously looking for Aidan. But unless his fancy dress costume was exceptionally shape-altering, he hadn’t arrived.

My spirits drooped a little and I accepted a glass of witch’s brew from Rosemary to cheer myself up.

‘No Colin tonight?’ I asked, smiling at Rosemary’s Catwoman outfit.

She shook her head. ‘He’s away on a photo-shoot,’ she said proudly. ‘For men’s underwear,’ she added, lowering her voice.

‘Wow, how exciting!’ I said, taking a sip. It tasted sweet and fruity and if there was any alcohol in it, I was sure it was fairly innocuous.

‘Although I hope he doesn’t bring any of it home with him, there was nothing in the catalogue he showed me that I should be able to hang on the washing line!’

I smiled at her. So Colin had finally trusted his mother with the truth about his job. ‘Any idea what Peter is dressed as?’ I said, searching in vain amongst the bats, ghosts and skeletons. ‘I need a word.’ He would know what had happened to Aidan.

‘A gorilla,’ she laughed, shaking her head.

I found Peter glass in hand talking to Nigel, who was dressed as Frankenstein, and Christine, who was in a black polo neck jumper and jogging bottoms, her black wellies and a bat mask.

I cleared my throat and tapped him on the shoulder. ‘Peter, have you heard from Aidan?’ I whispered. ‘Is he still coming?’

The gorilla’s shoulders slumped. ‘How did you guess it was me?’

‘You’re holding your little finger away from your glass.’ I grinned. ‘I’ve never seen an ape with such manners. It could only be you.’

‘Ah, of course.’ The gorilla nodded slowly. He leaned forward and hissed vaguely in the direction of my ear. ‘He’s running late. Bad traffic, apparently.’

But he was still coming. I exhaled with relief. Hayley caught my eye and waved me over.

She and Helen had set up a table selling freshly made juices. The business idea appeared to have come on leaps and bounds since September.

‘What do you think?’ said Helen, extending a hand to her new logo, pinned to the front of the table.
Nature’s Nectar
, it read and then in smaller letters underneath,
Organic juices.
‘Hayley designed it for me,’ she said, passing me a leaflet, ‘and this.’

I gazed at Hayley proudly. She had come a long way since her first day at Ivy Lane. She had finished her community service now and I had to admit, I was going to miss her. ‘You, young lady, are a woman of many talents.’

She rubbed her neck and stared at the floor. ‘Cheers. It’s something to put on my CV, which let’s be honest isn’t very impressive at the moment.’

‘I’ve got a stall at a farmers’ market in a few weeks,’ said Helen, tucking her hair behind her ears. She pointed at the leaflet in my hand. ‘The address is on here. It was Gemma’s idea. I can’t believe it, my own business – it’s a dream come true!’

‘I’ll come and support you.’ I swallowed. That could be my first outing in my new car. Yikes.

Helen smiled shyly. ‘Thank you, Tilly I’d like that. Graham will be there too, but he’ll mostly be looking after Honey and it will be lovely to see you.’

I turned back to Hayley. ‘So, what about you? What’s your dream?’

‘I quite fancy being a chef.’ She shrugged. ‘Any job in food would do. I like helping Helen, but she can’t afford staff at the moment.’

A ghost with Brenda’s unmistakable red lipstick poking through a hole in its white shroud wafted over. ‘Hiya, I’ll have banana and strawberry please.’ She handed over some money and Helen leapt into action with the blender.

‘I might be able to help you out there, Hayley,’ said Brenda, adjusting her sheet to get a better look at her. ‘Fancy a few hours at the potato oven? Full training provided. Month’s trial and then see how we go.’

Hayley and I exchanged looks. That was unexpected.

Brenda cleared her throat. ‘You youngsters need a bit of a leg-up to get your careers started,’ she said, paraphrasing Alf all those weeks ago, ‘and I’ve noticed you’re a hard worker. What do you say?’