Another Cup of Coffee (38 page)

‘Won't they mind?' Amy wasn't sure, ‘I mean, this is partly their welcome home dinner.'

‘Tough! Anyway this isn't only for them; they should have been here on time. I said eight, and it's nearly nine o'clock already.' Scott stood up and waved to Megan, who started to dish up the food as quickly as she could.

Their plates were piled high with Scott's delicious cooking, and the chatter was flowing like the fast-disappearing Merlot, when the door opened and Jack walked in. ‘Sorry everyone.' He sat straight down at the table and helped himself to some wine. ‘I lost track of time. Food smells incredible, any for me?'

Scott raised an eyebrow and Rob looked at him questioningly. Jack was alone.

‘I'll fetch your plate from the oven.' Peggy spoke tartly as she headed to the kitchen.

‘Do we need to ask where Toby is?' Paul passed the wine bottle back towards Amy for a top up.

‘He's out with his mates, of course. Just like I'm out with mine.'

Amy's palms instantly began to prickle with perspiration.
Is this a dressing-up game to him? Would he rather be out with Toby and his other mates? Are we an inconvenience
? ‘Peggy and Scott,' she glanced at their hosts, whose smiles had faded, ‘have provided food for ten people. We were all under the impression that Toby was coming with you.'

Jack took in the eight sets of enquiring eyes, and had the decency to seem abashed. ‘Come on, guys. He hasn't seen his friends for months!'

‘True,' Amy's voice remained calm even as she continued as unelected spokesperson, ‘and it is totally understandable that he wants to see them. All you had to do was call Peggy, or any of us, and say he wasn't coming. Not a big thing, just courtesy. That's all.'

After a brief lapse into stunned silence Jack said, as he respectfully regarded Amy in full Property Manager mode, ‘I didn't think any of you would mind.'

‘You didn't think at all,' Amy stared defiantly into his eyes, daring him to turn away from her.

Jack turned to Scott, ‘I'm sorry. Amy's right. I should have called you. Sorry.'

A few seconds passed before Scott broke the tension ‘Well, you've said sorry now.' He looked wryly at his guest. ‘Now, come on everyone, we're here to enjoy ourselves. Eat up!'

He raised his glass, and the moment's discomfort was broken. ‘To us.'

‘To us,' they chorused, before tucking back into the feast.

As the last of the plates were cleared away and the glasses were refilled, Scott stood before the assembled friends.

‘I haven't got a long speech prepared, so don't worry! But we arranged all this, not just to welcome Jack and Toby home, not so we had an excuse to dress in posh clothes for a change, but because I believe we all have something to celebrate. And Peggy and I,' he took his wife's hand, ‘wanted to say thank you properly.' Scott put up a hand to stop the general murmurings of “there's no need.”

‘You'll notice,' he continued, ‘that I'm standing to say all this. You will also notice that my crutches are well out of reach. So first, to you Amy, for working stupid hours on so little pay with no complaints. To you Kit, for helping Amy totally unpaid, and to Jack for the same. Not to forget you, Rob, for running the bookshop alone so that Jack could help out, and you, Debbie, for not strangling Jack for taking advantage of your husband. Finally, to you all, for your visits to the hospital, your messages of support, and your love. We couldn't be more grateful. Thank you.'

Scott sat down to choruses of ‘
No problem!
' and ‘
Don't mention it!
' before Phil pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. ‘If this is the time for speeches, then I feel I should also raise a glass. I would like to propose a toast, to Kit.'

Kit blustered as she looked up at her husband, ‘Phil, honestly, you don't need to.'

‘Oh, but I do. You've achieved something incredible.' Phil turned back to their friends, ‘Kit, as you know, has recently started a novel. I believe she is about halfway through?' He turned back to Kit, who almost imperceptibly inclined her head. ‘And, even more than that, her book,
The Anthology of Forbidden Secrets
, is to hit the streets in four months time. I trust, despite our varying sexual dispositions and tastes, that you will all be buying a copy! So, would you raise your glasses to Kit, and toast the success of her short stories and her future blockbuster!'

‘Here, here!' Taking the floor, Jack echoed Phil's sentiments. ‘And a toast to Phil himself.' Phil looked puzzled, as Jack took his turn. ‘For saving my business.'

‘Too right,' Rob chipped in, ‘You've turned that place around. We're doing far better than ever before.'

‘Which is why,' Jack picked up the lead, ‘Rob and I wondered if you'd like in properly?'

‘Really?' Phil's face lit up.

‘Yep,' Jack looked hopefully at Phil, as he continued, ‘I'm thinking of selling up. What do you think? Fancy buying me out?'

Phil glanced at Kit, the satisfied expression on her face telling him she loved the idea. ‘I think I'll need to think about it. But don't you dare offer it to anyone else!'

Jack laughed. ‘As if I would!'

Phil stood up again, ‘Well, if we're going down that line, then I think a glass should be raised to Amy. Without her, so Chris tells me, Home Hunters wouldn't be doing so well.'

Amy's cheeks coloured a pleasing ruby that was only partly due to the wine she'd drunk. ‘Thanks. Um, actually I have a bit of an announcement about that.'

‘What is it?' Kit leant forward.

Amy spoke quietly, unused to being in the limelight, even before friends. ‘I've secured a contract today. A big one, with a company in Texas. I feel I've maybe earned my place at Home Hunters properly at last.'

Paul looked on with pride and admiration as, once she was thoroughly flushed from everyone's congratulations, Amy said, ‘As this appears to be the time, I would like to propose another vote of thanks, if that's all right.'

The general babble died down, and all eyes focussed on Amy, who took Paul's hand for support. ‘Firstly, I would like to thank Jack for …'

Jack interrupted, ‘You have
got
to be joking! I've only ever caused you hassle, I –'

Amy cut back in, her eye shining, her voice warm, ‘… for sending back my tape. If you hadn't, well, I wouldn't be here now, amongst friends. Perhaps you wouldn't have met Toby. I certainly wouldn't have re-met Paul, and right now that thought is unbearable.' She held his hand tighter, and Paul realised, as she turned towards him, that she loved him for real, not just because he desperately wanted her to. His face shone with happiness.

‘It's the little things that make the big things happen. My Grandpa used to say that, and he was right.' Amy turned to Peggy, sounding for all the world as if she was gracefully accepting an Oscar, ‘I'd also like to thank Peggy and Scott for giving me a job in this, the best of coffee shops, Kit for her unexpected friendship, and Phil, for giving me the chance to have a career I already love. Finally, to Rob and Debbie, for their constant friendship and support. They don't know it, but without them I would have fled back to Scotland months ago.'

Amy picked up her glass, ‘Now, is there any pudding, or are we all going to sit here and drown in a pool of sentiment?'

Their desserts devoured and the coffee brewed, the nine friends relaxed back against their seats. Bellies full, their bodies and inhibitions freed by too much alcohol, a comfortable hush fell around the table as Peggy pushed down the plunger of the huge coffee pot, which was then manoeuvred from place to place.

When all the cups were full, and Phil had scooted out to the kitchen to fetch his lone cup of tea, Jack stood up.

‘Come on Jack, we've done all the soppy speech stuff,' Kit beckoned for him to sit down again, but he shook his head.

‘I've something to share with you all. If that's all right?' He glanced around the table, looking at the faces before him. They all shrugged, each trying to guess what bombshell Jack was going to drop on them now.

‘Although Toby and I have been back for a week, I've not been in touch with you. You may have wondered why.' Jack turned to Amy, but as her face gave nothing away. ‘There is a reason. I hope you will think it's a good one.'

He rummaged in his coat pocket, pulled out an unmarked CD, and placed it on the table mat before him. Amy and Kit's eyes flickered to it instantly, both feeling their own private horror rising.

‘As Amy said earlier, this all started with a tape. A blank tape her brother gave to her before she set off to university for the first time, over sixteen years ago.'

Amy's mouth had gone dry.

‘And Amy did record a couple of songs, but then I ruined it. I messed up everything, including her tape.' Jack spoke fast, not wanting to dwell on any specific event, ‘I took it away, not returning it for years and years. Of course, you know all of this …'

‘Jack, really …' Amy found her voice, but he interrupted.

‘With Toby's and my dad's help, I got a lot of things straight in my head while I was away. I did a lot of thinking. Not just about Amy's tape, but about another tape that I never recorded, even though I promised I would. And about all of you, my friends, who I know I frequently take for granted.' Kit clenched her hands in her lap, not daring to look at Phil as Jack went on.

‘You all know I'm crap at expressing myself, and I've always relied on song lyrics to help me out. Well, I've done it again.' He picked up the CD case and passed it to Scott. ‘The first tune is for Amy, the second for Kit, the third for Paul, Rob and Debbie, the fourth for Peggy and Scott. The fifth and final track is for you all. I chose very,
very
carefully. I listened to and assessed every single word. It has taken me all week. Every song says what I'd like to be able to say, but without screwing it up, which, let's face it, I would. Scott, will you put it on? Will you play it for me?'

Glancing again at the assembled faces, Scott waited for their unanimous approval before he moved towards the stereo. No one spoke. Amy instinctively put her hand out to Paul, who took it, the gesture helping to calm her feelings of trepidation.

As the first track came on, Amy felt relief sweep through her.

Jack turned to Paul, ‘If it's all right with you, I'd like to ask Amy to dance.'

Paul agreed with only slight reluctance. Understanding and accepting that this was Jack's way of finally giving her up, as he passed Amy's hand over to his.

As Robbie Williams sang ‘Angels
'
, Jack whispered the lyrics with him into Amy's ear. ‘If ever a girl was an angel, Amy, it's you', he murmured softly.

Amy and Jack danced slowly. They knew that this was when it ended; this was when they let go of each other properly. Amy wasn't sure if she felt sad, happy, or immensely relieved as she let silent tears fall freely down her smiling face.

By the time Kit and Jack were to dancing to the perfect, melodic sounds of ‘God Only Knows
'
by the Beach Boys, the whole room was on its feet, swaying around the café, each person eager to hear the tune that Jack had chosen for them.

EPILOGUE

In which we say goodbye…

October

Three Years Later

In spite of the optimistic forecast, it was drizzling, and the sky was grey. To Amy, though, it was a beautiful day. Her dress hung expectantly against the wardrobe door. Cream, simply cut, and stunning.

Rob had already popped in to see her, a visit to wish her luck and lots of love, and to deliver a single red rose from Paul, before he dashed off to perform his best man's duties.

Kit and Debbie were downstairs with Amy's parents, fussing over their five children in their bridesmaid and pageboy outfits, checking there were enough buttonhole flowers, and generally worrying about anything and everything.

Amy, content to escape the chaos, walked over to her bedroom window. The view looked pretty much the same as it had the first time she'd stared down at Richmond's back streets almost four years ago. Damp, dull, but somehow full of hope. Full of future.

Peggy and Scott would be busily preparing last minute items for the buffet, which was to be held at Pickwicks when the simple ceremony was over.

Phil had left Reading Nature in the care of the newly-appointed Saturday girl, and was currently helping Chris to clean their cars, which were to be used to ferry the bride and bridesmaids to Richmond's registry office.

She thought of Jack. Alone again. Toby and Jack's initial happiness had begun to wane for reasons that Jack was, beyond quoting a couple of obscure song lyrics at Amy, keeping to himself. He'd taken Toby's defection a month or so ago, to a charismatic assistant bank manager, surprisingly well. Amy hadn't liked to point out to him that Toby seemed inexplicably drawn to men with money. It wouldn't have helped.

Jack wasn't coming today. He'd said, honestly and openly, that he couldn't watch her get married, not even to a friend. He just couldn't, and hoped Amy wouldn't mind and could understand. She minded very much, and hadn't understood at all. It wasn't even as if he wanted her for himself. Still, Amy told Jack, he should do what was best for him. So he'd gone to stay with his dad and Jane for a while, and thought that maybe he'd come home and do something with the horticultural qualification he'd worked for at college over the past two years. Or perhaps he'd travel some more, try America or Australia? He wasn't sure really. He'd come back, though; he always came back.

Amy glanced at the clock. She had two hours of being Miss Amy Crane left. After that she would be Mrs Amy Donahue. It felt strange as she played her future title around her tongue.

Excitement gripped Amy as she headed towards the kitchen.