Five Go Glamping (16 page)

I thought about it for a minute. I didn’t know if I wanted to speak to Connor right now, although I did want to spend time with my friends. But I’d started doing this now and I wanted to see it through. I wanted to see if I could make a success of it and actually do a day’s work that felt like I was achieving something. I wanted to see if anyone liked my cooking. I cooked so much at home that I hardly ever got to see anyone enjoy it. It would be fun serving food up to other people.

‘Come on Fi, you can’t stay in here all day, you’re on your holidays.’ pleaded Steph. ‘You want to have a good time, don’t you?’

‘I am having a good time,’ I muttered.

‘What did you say?’ said Kirk.

‘I am having a good time,’ I said, embarrassed because I didn’t want Sam to hear. I looked over to see if he had heard and he gave a generous and sympathetic smile which made me feel even more foolish.

‘Well, will you come down later?’ said Steph.

‘Yeah, I will, not much will be happening at the moment, will it? I’ll come down later.’ I said.

‘Promise?’ said Steph?

‘I promise.’ I said.

‘Okay then.’ She looked at Sam suspiciously who raised his eyes and jutted his chin upwards in acknowledgement and then they all left, along with Brian Harvey.

After they left and the door swung shut, Sam wrote the word ‘FOOD’ on a piece of paper and taped it to the window.

‘Is that all you are going to write on it?’ I said.

‘You’re right,’ he said and he took it down and changed it to ‘HOT FOOD’ instead.

I shook my head at him.

As it turned out he needn’t have bothered because I could see from the window that they were coming. Like a very hungover zombie apocalypse, a steady stream of dishevelled festival goers were making their way up the hill all in search of tasty food.

‘Yikes, they are coming.’ I shouted.

Sam jumped up and down on the spot like he was preparing for a boxing match. Then he turned to me and breathed out slowly.

‘You ready, then?’ he said.

‘Yes,’ I said, not feeling ready at all.

Chapter Fifteen

The first two customers slowly approached the bar.

‘You doing food, mate?’

Sam nodded. ‘We are indeed,’ he announced proudly.

As more and more customers began to fill up the pub and Sam served them drinks, I retreated to the tiny kitchen, pulled some plates down from the now sparkling shelves, and waited – with my fish slice at the ready – for Sam to shout the orders through. Within a couple of minutes I was serving up the first cottage pies and chillis, lasagnes and toad in the holes.

Sam looked flustered at first but we soon got into the swing of things, he poured drinks as they approached the counter and the customers started to pile round tables waiting for their food. Some of them piled out into the beer garden.

We were still a bit short handed but Sam dispensed with the waiter service by dishing out knives and forks to the customers and when I’d dished up the food he shouted ‘Oi, mate, here ‘ to them and none of them seemed to mind collecting their own food. As they finished their meals and left, more customers piled in, all of them hungry and depleted of energy after a few days’ partying. All of it was amazing. I hadn’t had so much fun in as long as I could remember and I was getting paid for it too, although I would have happily done it free. Sam was so easy to work with – despite the pressures, he always managed to keep a clear head and inject humour into everything.

More and more of them came in; Sam shouted the orders through to me and I plated them up and brought them out to the counter. This went on for hours and hours until very slowly, it started to empty out again. As the customers dwindled, I poked my head out of the kitchen and rested against the doorframe for a minute, my feet were killing me and I was surprised to see it was getting on for six o’clock.

Just when we thought the hungry hordes were dying away, one last customer came to the counter and asked Sam if he had any vegetarian options.

Sam held up the poster he’d scrawled the options on earlier and said ‘Mate, you can have meat, meat and more meat, failing that you can have a packet of smoky bacon crisps which…’ Sam studied the packet, ‘…also has meat in it.’

‘No, wait,’ I said. ‘I’ll make you something,’ I shouted over to the customer.

I dashed back into the kitchen and checked out what I had available. I had some rice prepared and some broad beans blanched which I had been serving with some of the main meals and still some of the chilli sauce I’d blended. I heated some olive oil in a pan and threw some chopped garlic in there along with the piles of broad beans. The smell was incredible. I decided it needed something else, so I grabbed a bottle of wine from under Sam’s counter and added a splash. Within minutes it was ready and I served it with the fresh salad and rice from earlier. I took it out into the bar and presented it to the customer.

‘How about this?’ I said.

‘Great, thank you.’ He said, his eyes widened and I stood back a little and watched as he dug in. The look on his face was nothing short of ecstasy and it was incredible to watch. He paused for a second and took his phone out and photographed it. I’d never felt such a sense of satisfaction.

The festival goer polished off his food, making appreciative noises as he ate it and giving me the thumbs up as I helped Sam collect the glasses in.

‘You okay?’ said Sam, with a hint of concern on his face.

‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘I’ve been wondering where the time’s gone.’

‘You can get off if you want.’ And he looked at me in that way he’d done before, with curiosity, the same way he’d looked at me yesterday. But this time it was a little different, it was like he knew me really well. Had it only been yesterday when I’d met him? I felt like I had known him forever.

‘Nah, it’s all right, I’m going to see if there’s any food left. I’m starving. Want some?’ I said. I wanted to stay a little while longer. I didn’t think there was anything for me down at the festival, but there was lots for me here.

My broad bean customer finished up and said ‘That was gorgeous, cheers.’

‘Nothing to do with me, mate,’ Sam said and raised an arm in my direction.

‘Thanks,’ I said, feeling proud and accomplished. I even gave a curtsey at which Sam laughed but I didn’t care, it was incredible receiving such praise. It made such a change from having customers shout at me in caps lock.

When the customer left, the pub felt huge and empty. There were still glasses all over the place and plates we hadn’t managed to clear up. I went to go and collect them but Sam stood in front of me. ‘Leave that,’ he said and rang the till open. ‘You’ve done plenty already today.’

Then he counted out a huge pile of cash. ‘Should keep me open for another month at least,’ he said. He counted out a big pile of twenties and handed them to me. A lot more than we’d agreed.

‘Really?’ I said, after counting it.

‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘You’ve saved me a fortune. Now how about a slice of that lasagne?’

‘Okay,’ I grinned, ‘good idea.’

I dished us up a plate each of the last of the lasagne and Sam took them off me and walked out the back to the beer garden, shouting at me to pour the drinks. I rather inexpertly poured us a couple of beers with massive heads on them, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt as it all tasted the same anyway. Sam laughed as he saw the drinks. ‘You’re obviously best suited to the cooking,’

‘I just need a bit of practice,’ I said, feeling sad I might not have another opportunity.

He raised his glass and said cheers and we clinked our glasses together.

‘Cheers,’ I said. ‘To a job well done.’

‘Certainly was,’ he said. ‘What a team. Now let’s see what the fuss is all about.’

He took his fork and dug into the lasagne, raising his eyebrows in anticipation before he ate it.

‘Mmm, this is pretty good.’

‘Thanks,’ I said, doing the same and tucking in.

‘Today’s been great,’ he said. ‘You’ve got me thinking how I could maybe make a success of this place again. And this food is
really
good. Where did you learn to cook like that?’

‘I’ve always liked cooking, since school. Plus I’m saving, so I buy loads of ingredients and cook things in batches. So I’ve had lots of practice.’

‘What are you saving for?’ he said.

‘You know what? I don’t actually know any more.’ Everything used to be so clear to me, but I wasn’t sure if the Millennium Apartments with the fancy swimming pool was for me and I was even more uncertain about being with Connor. I’d barely thought about him all day.

After I’d eaten, and drunk what was left of my frothy beer, I sat back and admired the view. I could see for miles and could see a thin strip of the blue sea. I reached into my phone and took a snap.

‘Not going to tell me off, this time?’ I said.

‘Nah, you’re all right.’ he smiled.

‘It’s all right for you,’ I said ‘You get to look at it all the time.’

‘Yep,’ he said leaning back in his seat, turning slightly to the side to look at me.

‘Fancy saying that to the “I don’t like meat” man.’

He laughed remembering it.

‘You can have meat, meat or meat,’ I said, mimicking what Sam said to the very tired vegetarian.

Sam threw his head back and laughed loudly.

‘Or you can have these smoky bacon crisps,’ I said, mimicking him again but I had to stop because I was laughing as well, and then we both creased up so we couldn’t stop and I was doubled over and whacking him on the arm trying to get him to stop. He grabbed my hand to stop me and shoved it away but when he let go of it, he quickly took hold of it again. He stopped laughing and he looked at me for a little longer than he had before and said ‘… thanks.’

‘You’re welcome’ I said and then he leaned in a little bit, and while I was unsure the last time whether he was going to kiss me or not, this time, I knew he wanted to. He was reaching his other hand up to my face when we heard voices.

It was Steph. ‘I knew you’d still be here,’ she said. ‘Look who I found.’

*

‘Connor,’ I said.

It had been only a day since I had seen him, just over twenty-four hours, but I felt like I hadn’t seen him in years. Even his face looked different to me. I wondered how much he’d seen of me and Sam talking before. The two of them being together sent my head into a spin and made the feelings I was having for Sam seem all the more real, like a tangible thing I could almost touch.

‘What’s going on?’ he said to me and then added ‘All right, mate,’ to Sam.

‘Well,’ I said,’ ‘I have been working.’ I didn’t add that I had been having the time of my life. I took a quick glance at Sam for a little reassurance.

‘Working?’ he said ‘In here? This your place, mate?’

Sam stretched back and said ‘Certainly is. And your girlfriend has saved my life today.’

‘Yeah?’ said Connor ‘Any chance of a pint then?’

‘Sorry. Bar’s closed,’ said Sam.

‘I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight.’ I said to Connor.

‘Looks like it,’ he said, giving a sideways glance to Sam. ‘I thought I’d come and surprise you. Steph said you were here. She said you wanted to have a chat.’ I looked over at Steph who opened her hands as if to say, ‘well you did’.

‘So, ready to make a move then?’ said Connor.

‘Yeah,’ I said.

Sam stood up to let me out and I tried not to make any contact with him as I passed.

‘Thanks,’ I said.

‘Cheers for your help,’ he said ‘I’ll see you.’

‘Yeah, bye’ I said. This wasn’t how I wanted to end the day with Sam. I felt resentful that Connor had turned up but that feeling was overwhelmed by the guilt I felt. What was I thinking, letting these feelings for Sam get out of hand? I’d just been about to kiss him and I had a boyfriend. Connor had been a fairly useless boyfriend, yes, but he had been trying to make an effort the last few days. I took one last look at Sam, and then Connor took my hand. His car was parked out the front; Steph and Weird Beard said they would walk back.

‘Bit of a weird thing to do wasn’t it? Working there. What were you doing anyway?’ he said when we were in the car.

‘I was cooking. Anyway, what else was I meant to do? You were busy. Sinead, as you will see, has gone full New Age traveller. Steph as you know has been sucking face with that weirdy beardy. Kirk has been veering between full on party animal and nervous breakdown. And you didn’t seem to want me near you yesterday.’

‘I told you before,’ he said ‘It was important. I was working. Anyway, I’m here now aren’t I?’ He smiled at me and his eyes twinkled.

We pulled into our campsite and he pulled up outside our yurt. ‘This where you are staying?’ he said.

‘Think again’ I said, ‘I’m more often in here’ and I pointed to the pink polka dot tent.

He laughed.

‘It’s not that funny’ I said.

‘It is a bit,’ he said and carried on laughing as I let myself out of the car.

I wondered where he had been staying and I flinched a little bit when I thought he might have been in one of those fancy campervans with Genna.

‘What did you want to talk to me about anyway?’ he said.

I wondered whether to tell him what had happened at work and what his reaction would be. I thought it was nice that he came to see me, but even though he was being nice I could guarantee he’d over react if I told him I might be out of a job. Part of me wanted to tell him and for him to be so cross with me that he’d end things between us there and then, and then I wouldn’t feel so guilty about the way I was feeling about Sam.

The sun was going down now and the sky was turning red. After all the hard work of the day I was feeling tired. I didn’t have the energy for an argument with him now.

I sat down on the grass in front of the tent by the fire pit and Brian Harvey came running over to me. I picked him up and sat him on my lap. Connor sat behind me and put his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder. I flinched. It all felt so alien to me.

‘Maybe we could get a little fire pit for the balcony in the apartment,’ he said. I imagined the two of us sat on the balcony of the apartment together and it didn’t seem right.