A Home In Sunset Bay

Chapter Three

With Dolly’s Diner’s sixty-third anniversary coming up, Mia was busy trying to figure out how best to celebrate it. She couldn’t believe that the diner was nearly sixty-three years old for starters; it was crazy to think that it had been standing in place for such a long time. It had undergone a couple of refurbishments but Mia had ensured it hadn’t changed too much from its original layout and design. That was what people loved most about the place. Being in the diner felt like she and the customers had stepped back in time thanks to Grandma Dolly’s vision and keen eye for detail. Everywhere you looked there was something there to remind you that you were in a place like no other. The music that the jukebox played only added to the atmosphere and Mia couldn’t imagine herself working anywhere else.

Her protectiveness of the place had been cemented in her from a young age, and still firmly remained now. It stemmed from Grandma Dolly’s love for it, as well as her own. The diner was also the only thing which Mia had managed to succeed with in her life. She’d never seen the attraction of heading off to university. It would have been lovely, of course, to have all of those achievements under her belt but she’d never been academically ambitious. This was due to the fact that she’d done absolutely rubbish in school. The only thing she’d ever been remotely good at was maths, but never good enough to have wanted to make something out of it. The diner was something she’d watched grow and flourish, something which she’d felt a part of since the very first day she’d stepped inside. If other people had certificates and A-levels, then Mia had Dolly’s Diner. If they could be proud of their achievements academically, then she looked on the diner as if it were a certificate all of its own, framed and hung proudly on the wall. It was, she supposed, the only thing she’d ever done, ever been a part of, that she could truly be proud of.

Despite the refurbishments, the diner still had the fabulous booths with the slightly cracked, vinyl seating. The candyfloss-pink stools that were lined up against the serving counter had been updated a few years back but were almost identical to the previous set, again with the vinyl seating atop which made for very comfy seating while scoffing one of the many ice-cream sundaes on the diner’s menu. On each table, a laminated menu stood upright in a red, plastic holder, offering American-style delights from stacked pancakes to eggs sunny-side-up with streaks of crispy bacon and deliciously crisp onion rings. If any of the customers ordered one of the many burgers on offer with a side of fries, the fries would arrive in a basket with a red and white napkin beneath, just like they used to do back in the day. Behind the serving counter, framed vintage, black and white images hung, one of them a photograph of Grandma Dolly, back in her younger days. In the image, she’d been standing outside of the diner with a serving tray in one hand and her other propped cheekily on her hip. Mia loved that photo more than any of the others. Grandma Dolly had been beautiful back then, had been in her later years, too, but in her younger years she’d looked stunning, with bouncy blonde hair and a figure to die for. In the photograph, she wore a gorgeous, halter-neck, floral-printed dress, nipped in at the waist, giving her a perfectly proportioned hour-glass figure. No wonder Grandpa Robert had wanted her from the minute he’d set eyes on her. Mia could bet every man who had ever met Grandma Dolly had fallen a little bit in love with her. It would have been impossible not to.

Grandma Dolly had died three years previously and it gutted Mia that she would no longer be around to help celebrate the anniversaries of the diner she had loved so much, but the photograph behind the counter made her feel that perhaps Grandma Dolly was looking out from within it, keeping an eye on the comings and goings, on all of the happenings in the diner, ensuring everything was running smoothly in the same way it always had. Mia hoped she was doing a good job, hoped that if Grandma Dolly was looking down that she’d be proud of her and how far she and the diner had come.

During the reading of Grandma Dolly’s will, Mia had been overcome with emotion despite already knowing the words that were about to be spoken. When she heard her name being read out, quickly followed by the words ‘Dolly’s Diner’, she’d sent a silent prayer of thanks up to Grandma Dolly. It had been handed over to her, as well as Honeysuckle Cottage. Mia, by that point, had already been living in the cottage alongside Grandma Dolly, having moved in to help her in old age. They’d spent many warm, balmy summer evenings sitting out in the back garden, talking, laughing and reminiscing about days gone by. The beach was visible from the garden and provided a glorious view. Mia would keep those memories tight within her heart.

‘You look deep in thought.’

Mia glanced up and smiled as Pollyanna propped her chin up on her hands, grinning at her from the opposite side of the counter.

‘I’m trying to figure out how we can celebrate the upcoming anniversary. Any ideas?’ She should have known better than to ask Pollyanna. She was a sucker for any sort of celebration so the diner’s anniversary was sure to send her fanciful mind into overdrive, full of confetti and party poppers.

‘Erm, hello?’ Pollyanna rolled her eyes with a small shake of her head. ‘A 1950s costume party, right here in the diner?’ She said it as if Mia was beyond stupid for not having thought of it beforehand. ‘Can you imagine? Everybody dressed up in their best 50s finery, dancing, laughing and chatting the night away? All of us celebrating together? It would be fab!’

Mia laughed. ‘And you think everybody in Sunset Bay has 50s finery? I, for one, don’t have anything remotely 50srelated.’

‘So you order something online,’ Pollyanna replied with a shrug. ‘It’s a great idea. You’re welcome.’ She waltzed off to greet a couple who had just stepped into the diner and were taking a seat in the booth beside the door, her notepad and pen in hand ready to jot down their order.

Mia thought about the idea of a costume party. Would the locals go for it? She jotted it down in her notebook to make sure she remembered to ask a few customers for their ideas, too. Most of the locals had been around when Grandma Dolly had been here, so Dolly’s Diner was home to them. Mia was sure they’d want to join in with the celebrations, dressed in costume or not. She couldn’t allow them to feel as if they weren’t included because they were and always would be. The diner was special to all of them, not just Mia, and to have them all celebrating together would be perfect in Mia’s eyes. The best way to celebrate the years of success so far, and hopefully more years to come, too!

As the tracks changed on the jukebox, and as customers came and went, the day rolled by and before she knew it Mia was mopping the diner floor and humming along to the tune that was playing quietly in the background. She didn’t stop until the black and white tiles were shining beneath the lights, and even then she carried on. She was never in a rush to finish up and leave anyway; she didn’t really have much else to do.

‘Is Cal finished yet?’

Mia knew who it was without looking up. Hannah White, Cal’s girlfriend. She was a Sunset Bay local through and through. Her father, Mick White, owned one of the most popular fishmonger’s in Sunset Bay, providing leading restaurants with fresh fish on a daily basis. He was a big, burly man, with a monstrous beard and glassy blue eyes, which was where Hannah got hers from, except hers had a touch more ‘ice’ about them.

‘Erm, yeah, he’s just finishing up in the kitchen,’ Mia explained, pausing in her mopping duties to look up at Hannah who, as always, was the very image of perfection. ‘He shouldn’t be too long,’ she added. ‘Take a seat if you like.’ She waved a hand towards the sparkling clean booths and smiled, but the smile slipped from her face when she noticed the look that Hannah threw towards the booths, as if the mere thought of sitting on the red vinyl was beyond grotesque.

‘No, thanks.’ Flicking her long, blonde hair behind her shoulder, Hannah remained standing and stared ahead at the kitchen doors, as if willing Cal to appear through the force of mind-power.

‘Suit yourself,’ Mia muttered under her breath. Pollyanna had already left for the night and so had Marco. Cal usually stayed behind with Mia on a Friday to clean and lock up, but ever since Hannah had appeared on the scene, he’d been hurrying off earlier and earlier. Mia wasn’t bothered but it was obvious that Hannah had some weird issue with her. She was so impatient and often groaned if Cal took a few more minutes than usual. It was ridiculous.

As Mia continued to mop, she covertly looked at her nails after catching a glimpse of Hannah’s talons, and almost winced at them. They were awful, short stubby little things with not a lick of paint or shiny gloss on them. She’d never been that sort of woman, though. The way of life in Sunset Bay was relaxed, calm, not bothered with keeping up appearances, which she supposed was why Hannah stood out so much. That probably explained why she’d caught Cal’s eye, too. Still, who Cal decided to spend his free time with was none of Mia’s business and that was that.

‘All done!’ Cal burst through the swinging doors of the kitchen and clapped his hands together. ‘Anything else you need me to do, Mia?’ He arrived beside her and smiled.

‘Erm, hello?’ Hannah pouted. ‘We have dinner reservations at eight-thirty. If you want to go home and get ready, then we should probably leave now. Sorry to steal him away’ – Hannah directed this at Mia complete with sly smirk – ‘but you can manage on your own, right?’

‘Sure. Go on, Cal. I’ll be leaving in a minute anyway. Enjoy your evening.’

‘Yeah, you, too, Mia. See you later.’

Mia waved them off. Well, she waved Cal off. She didn’t care about waving Hannah off. She hadn’t realised that it was already Friday night; the days seemed to fly by and she was losing track of them more often than not. Mia returned the sopping wet mop to its green bucket and took it to the stockroom after rinsing it out. She ensured everything was switched off, locked the diner and went home.

***

The next day Mia, Pollyanna and Marco were met with a busy Saturday morning. Out-of-towners would often spend a weekend in Sunset Bay when the weather forecast promised sunshine and heatwaves, renting rooms in one of the many local B&BS that sat nestled in the town. The beach attracted attention from near and far, as did the clifftop walks and charming narrow streets with shops tucked away in the corners.

As Marco began preparing for a busy morning, golden-stacked pancakes no doubt appearing in orders regularly, Mia spotted Cal entering the diner with Hannah’s hand tucked within his. She looked away quickly, hoping she hadn’t been caught, and then smiled as they approached, as if she’d only just noticed they’d come in.

‘All right, Mia!’ Hopping up onto a barstool, as cool and casual as always, he ordered himself and Hannah a strawberry milkshake to share. ‘Busy this morning.’ His eyebrows rose as he glanced around the diner. ‘Sure you don’t want me to work a few extra hours to help you out?’

‘Cal!’ Hannah squeaked with a slap to his arm. ‘We’re going for a picnic today. You’re not working. I won’t let you.’ She folded her arms petulantly like a spoilt brat and pouted. Mia forced her eyes not to roll and instead smiled sweetly at Cal.

‘Thanks for the offer, Cal, but we’ll manage. Don’t worry.’ Cal and Marco each had a day off over the weekend. Cal worked the Sunday while Marco worked the Saturday. They’d agreed on the days themselves and Mia had been grateful for no fist-fights taking place. Pollyanna was happy-go-lucky and didn’t mind working throughout the weekend. She was off on her travels soon anyway, so needed all of the working hours she could get.

Mia moved away from the couple and began preparing the strawberry milkshake. The diner was buzzing with chatter and laughter, and it was one of Mia’s favourite things to listen to. She knew that Grandma Dolly had loved to see her diner in such a way, a hive of activity, a mixture of visitors and locals alike filling up the booths.

‘Thought any more about the anniversary party yet?’ Pollyanna popped up beside Mia. ‘Please say we can dress up. It can be, like, half an anniversary, half my leaving party? I’ve already been looking at dresses online and have found the most gorgeous polka-dot one. It’s got my name written all over it.’ She winked. ‘So, what’s the verdict?’

‘I haven’t had chance to ask anyone yet. Fancy having a word with the locals for me and seeing what they think? It’s been non-stop this morning, plus you visit the tables more than me.’

‘Okay!’ Pollyanna picked up the coffee jug and did a round of refilling mugs, while at the same time pinpointing the locals and asking for their opinion.

Mia delivered the strawberry milkshake to Cal and Hannah once she had finished decorating it. It was rosy pink with a delicious mound of heavenly, squirty cream on top, completed with a single cherry glistening beneath the diner lights. ‘There you go. Enjoy.’

As Mia wiped and cleaned, made more milkshakes and ice-cream sundaes, she couldn’t help but keep one eye trained on the couple at the counter. There was no denying they made an attractive pair: Cal, with his shimmery brown hair and green eyes, Hannah with her bright blonde locks and big blue eyes. It’s not bloody fair, Mia grumbled in her head. She comforted herself with the fact that she’d never have time for a partner anyway, not with working in the diner non-stop. It soothed her, she supposed, to know that even if Cal had been interested in her, she wouldn’t be able to begin a relationship with him anyway. Okay. What was she saying? Of course it didn’t bloody soothe her. She watched, admittedly full of greener than green jealousy, as Cal and Hannah slurped their milkshake through their straws at the same time, faces close together, blonde and brown hair mingling.

‘So!’ Pollyanna, as always, seemed to appear out of thin air. ‘It turns out that the locals are quite fond of the 50s costume party idea, and are eager to know when it will be happening.’ Pollyanna’s eyes were lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning. ‘Does that mean that the costume party idea is a yes?’ she squealed quietly, trying desperately to contain her mounting excitement.

Mia thought about it. The date of the anniversary was over a week away. That was enough time to gather everything she’d need, wasn’t it? Sure it was. It just meant that she’d need to order her dress ASAP to ensure it arrived before the evening of the party. ‘We’re going to need to send out invitations,’ Mia said slowly, hoping Pollyanna would catch on but without giving the game away too much.

‘Does that mean what I think it means?’ She was wriggling on the spot now, her mouth gradually widening into a huge, excited smile.

Mia nodded with her own grin in place. ‘It does.’

‘YAY!’

Chapter Four

As Laurie sped down the motorway towards her destination, she couldn’t help but take a trip down memory lane.

She’d left London a bit later than she’d originally planned. What was supposed to have been two days in the hotel had turned into almost a week mainly because she’d grown nervous about her decision and had spent ages dithering over it. In the end, though, she had picked up her bags, checked out and forced herself to follow through with what she’d planned. Better late than never, she reasoned.

There hadn’t been anything magical about her and Neil’s relationship; they’d just been two people who’d met and happened to hit it off. Neil was attractive in that overly confident, huge-ego kind of way, with his expensive suits, whiter-than-white shirts and impeccably shiny shoes. Thinking about him now, feeling stronger than ever as she increased the distance between them, Laurie saw his hair as being too neatly cut, his nails too carefully trimmed and his breath a little overly done on the mints. It was as if catching him in bed with the nameless red-head had shone a different sort of spotlight on him. No longer was he the macho man who had everything going for him and who everyone, including her parents, thought was the best thing since sliced bread. Now he appeared to Laurie as an incredibly skilled liar with just the right amount of slimy charm to pull the wool over her eyes, his appearance and manner all joining in as part of the trickery.

The first time she’d met Neil, she’d been striding down the high street towards the tube with a takeout coffee clutched in one hand, her holdall in the other. She’d rounded a corner and bang. They’d smacked right into each other and the coffee had splattered all over his expensive suit. She’d been mortified, although in all fairness he hadn’t been looking where he was going, so engrossed was he in his phone. She’d apologised profusely to him while he’d stared down at his coffee-stained shirt aghast, as if he couldn’t quite believe that it had happened. ‘Do you have any idea how much this suit …’ And then he’d looked up, locked eyes with her and taken her in properly. They’d watched each other for a few moments. Laurie had wondered what on earth he’d been doing as he stood there, evidently sizing her up, eyes rolling from the bottom to the top of her repeatedly. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he’d gasped after the 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.