strange studying of her had passed. ‘That was entirely my fault.’
Looking back now, perhaps she should have realised then that Neil was a bit of a slime-ball, because what had clearly happened was he’d been furious at first about his suit, but then after a quick study of her face and body, he’d swiftly changed his mind and turned on the charm. He really was all about appearances, and Laurie realised she’d fallen for every spell he’d ever cast, with the expensive dinners and regular holidays dragging her further into his game. She was seeing him in his true light for the first time ever and it was highlighting a very ugly-hearted, conniving man she hadn’t seen before. It was quite scary really, how much you thought you knew a person and then, out of the blue, they’d do something you’d never seen coming, hadn’t thought was even possible. All the flowers, chocolates and prettily wrapped jewellery boxes. Had he been keeping her sweet, while entertaining the red-head? Her stomach turned at the thought of it. How could she have been so stupid and naïve. She’d been played good and proper. Well, she wouldn’t fall for anything like that again. She’d learnt her lesson and, although a harsh one, it was a lesson she knew would serve her well in the future. She knew she’d become dependent on Neil, but how could she have done anything else when he’d been so gentlemanly and sure about taking care of her, spoiling her and treating her like a queen? Well, not any more. This was it. Laurie Chapman was going to become one of those independent women. Except she needed a job, a place to stay and to get her life in some sort of order first. As of right now, she was messy and tired and wanted to crawl into bed, allowing everything that had happened in London to settle down and not alarm her so much each time she thought about it.
***
Sometime after, Laurie indicated to exit the motorway and finally, after what felt like years, she was able to see something other than grey, monotonous asphalt. In the distance, shimmering as if teasing her, the sea was spread out along the horizon. Just seeing it let her know that she was heading in the right direction, that she was growing closer, and the thought urged her to grip the steering wheel extra tightly. She felt nervous and suddenly began to question her plans.
She passed through numerous towns and villages, followed twisting lanes until the land grew cliff-dotted and windswept. Hills surrounded the road on which she was travelling, and the sea was closer than ever. As she rounded a sharp bend in the road, Laurie realised that the hill she was now descending was leading her into Sunset Bay. A roadside sign flashed by but she didn’t have time to slow and check it to be doubly sure. But there was a strange sort of pressure making itself known in her chest. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly but as each second ticked by it became more pronounced, sitting heavy like a dull ache and refusing to leave.
The car managed the snake-like bends with ease and it wasn’t long until the beginnings of civilisation began to make an appearance. She passed by numerous pubs, B&Bs, shops and homes, but continued down to the sea. She wasn’t entirely sure why but it just seemed like a good idea, to clear her head and gather her thoughts before she put in an appearance.
The pier came into view at the bottom of Sunset Bay, the outline of the Ferris wheel towering and prominent against the darkening sky. Once she’d rolled the car to a stop, Laurie climbed out and glanced around. It wasn’t cold but a definite breeze was coming in from off the sea. She tugged her jacket a little more tightly around herself and took a path that she assumed would take her down to the sand. She followed it beneath the pier, the wood creaking and groaning above her, and then burst out onto the stretch of sand, the surge of freedom almost flooring her.
She’d been on plenty of holidays in her time, mostly paid for by idiot Neil, but there was something different about Sunset Beach. It wasn’t flashy or in-your-face. It just was. She took a slow walk along the shore, wringing her hands as she tried to figure out what to do next. Had she made a huge mistake in coming here? She hadn’t seen Mia since Grandma Dolly’s funeral, had been blanked out by her long ago, and although communication between the sisters had existed for a little while, it had slowly but surely petered out. Laurie wasn’t sure of what had gone wrong between them but she hoped Mia would allow bygones to be bygones and offer some sort of solace when she needed it most. She had to do. Laurie didn’t have anywhere else to go. There wasn’t a chance in hell she’d be going to her parents. What she needed was space and she wouldn’t get space at home with her mother, especially once she found out that Laurie had left her job temporarily and ditched her much-adored boyfriend in one fell swoop.
She paused and allowed the sea breeze to whip around her face. She had a feeling she’d be needing as much calm as she could get and was glad of the sea. Somehow, being beside such a huge expanse of natural creation made all of her problems suddenly feel tiny. It was a welcome feeling, one that she could get used to. All she wanted was to forget. Forget everything that had happened and take some time out of life for herself. She needed to think about what she’d do, because for the first time in forever, she didn’t have a plan.
Laurie walked back to the car at a slow and leisurely pace, her hands swinging by her sides, which already felt different to her usual power-walk that had helped her speed through the busy London streets. When she reached the car, she climbed in, sat still for a moment and allowed herself to take a few deep breaths. All those people from work who looked upon her with admiration and awe would be surprised to find her there like that, shoulders slumped and head resting against the steering wheel. The image was strange and out of the ordinary for someone so in control and sure of themselves.
Dolly’s Diner’s anniversary party was in full swing and Mia was having a complete blast. Although everyone was there to celebrate the diner, it was also the last day of June, meaning that preparations for summer would be taking place over the next couple of weeks. July and August always saw Sunset Bay swarming and this only added to the buzz of excitement in the air.
The 50s tracks were filling the diner up with music and the chatter and laughter of the party guests were almost competing with it in volume. There were people everywhere, drinks everywhere, and normally Mia would have been panicking about the diner getting into a state, but tonight she was relaxed and carefree and basking in the party-glow and atmosphere.
Johnno from the pub across the way, along with his lovely wife, Saffy, had offered to provide the food for the party and now each table in every booth was filled with foil trays full of all manner of buffet food. Cocktail sausages, chicken drumsticks, mini pizzas and quiches. It looked marvellous and Mia couldn’t thank them enough for helping her out at such short notice. Pollyanna and her mum had even made 50s-style cupcakes but they’d been snapped up almost as soon as the gaggle of party guests had arrived, much like the sausage rolls and variety of sandwiches. Despite the guests having descended upon the trays like greedy piglets, there was still quite a bit left, which Mia was glad of. People were still arriving and it really wouldn’t do to not have enough food for them, too.
Pollyanna was behind the serving counter, passing across drinks to the guests, although she was hovering between there and the makeshift dance floor that had apparently appeared in the middle of the diner where a few guests were having a boogie. Mia glanced across at her and admired how much the 50s look suited the diner’s young waitress. Pollyanna’s hair had been pinned into victory rolls and her make-up looked superb; it was almost as if she’d stepped right out of a vintage poster. Her lips were a dark red, the liner across her eyelids veered off into a perfect flick, and the dress? Well, it was perfect for her.
‘Mia!’
Jack Nelson and his wife stood before her, thankfully without the ever-energetic Willie. ‘Oh, I’m so pleased you’re here. Thank you for coming.’ Mia passed pleasantries with the old couple before indicating the food and drink. ‘Please, help yourselves and have a wonderful evening.’
‘It
