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The boy took the napkin and held it against his mouth.
‘Oh, thank you.’ The mum lowered her handbag before taking the napkin and cleaning up her son’s face. ‘There you are. All nice and smart again.’
‘I hope you both have a lovely afternoon.’ Layla held her hand out for the dirty napkin before taking it and throwing it in the bin.
‘Oh, I’m sure this one will, being spoilt by his grandparents all afternoon. As for me, I’ve an interview for a job so I don’t think I’ll be having any fun.’ Straightening her back, the woman looked at Layla and grimaced.
‘Well, good luck and I hope it goes well.’
‘Thank you. I think I’m going to need it.’ The woman held her hand out for her son before nodding at Layla and heading to the door.
‘I’ll just pop out the back and check on those rolls I have in the oven. Are you okay for a couple of minutes, love?’ Elsie picked up the near-empty bread baskets from the end of the counter.
‘Yes, I’ll be fine.’ Layla nodded just as the bakery door opened again and Diane rushed in, closely followed by Wendy.
‘Guess what? Guess what?’ With a huge grin spreading across her face, Diane stopped on the other side of the counter, a large white dress bag hung over her arm.
‘You’ve got it?’ Hurrying around the counter, Elsie looked at the bag.
‘I do! I do!’ Diane glanced at Wendy. ‘It was amazing, wasn’t it? The dress sale. There were tons of them, literally hundreds, all in different colours, styles, materials, everything.’
‘There was. There were more than I thought they’d be.’ Wendy smiled.
‘There was so much choice.’ Diane’s eyes were gleaming. ‘Literally loads of choice and I must have tried on at least ten gorgeous dresses until I came to this one. As soon as I saw it, I was one hundred percent sure it’s the dress I want to marry Harry in. It’s perfect.’
‘It really is. It really suits you.’ Wendy placed her handbag on top of the counter.
‘Ooh, don’t keep me in suspense! Can I see it?’ Elsie clasped her hands together.
‘What a question to ask!’ Diane laughed. ‘Of course you can. That’s why I’ve brought it here instead of taking it straight home. Come on, I’ll try it on.’
‘Okay, love.’ Elsie glanced at Layla. ‘Are you okay if I go upstairs with Diane?’
‘Yes, of course. I’ll be fine.’ Layla grinned as she watched Diane and Elsie hurry through the door up to the flat.
‘I’ll take over for a bit while you have your lunch break if you like?’ Wendy took her coat off and swapped it for an apron.
‘Are you sure? You haven’t had a break yet either, have you?’
‘To be honest, I don’t feel as though I’ve actually been at work, not hanging around a wedding dress sale with a friend.’ Wendy laughed. ‘You go and then I’ll cover for Teresa so she can have her break.’
‘Okay, thanks.’ Layla pulled her apron over her head. The bakery was lovely, but she’d be glad to go and take a look at the beach, even if the break in the rain didn’t look as though it would last long.
PULLING HER GLOVES off, Layla pulled out the baguette she’d bought from the café next door to the bakery and sunk her teeth into it. Yum, brie and caramelised onion. Her favourite.
She looked across at the ocean in front of her; the waves lapping gently across the sand despite the weather. The beach was deserted, not another person in sight. She assumed the coach trip had decided to set off early due to the morning’s rain, but now it had dried up, the air was fresh and crisp. Perfect.
After finishing her baguette, she scrunched up the paper bag and shoved it into her coat pocket before pulling out her mobile.
Eli still hadn’t responded to the photo she’d sent him. He was active too. She could see that. She checked the group chat she was in with the rest of the old team and, yep, sure enough, he had answered a question someone else had asked. So why was he ignoring her?
Layla pocketed her phone and walked closer to the edge of the water, the gentle waves touching her trainers. Was he literally ignoring her? Or had he simply looked at the photo, been called away and forgotten he hadn’t responded?
She kicked at the water, immediately regretting it as the cold seeped through the material of her trainers. She should have taken her mum’s advice and bought new ones before traveling here. New trainers and a new coat, that’s what her parents had said she’d need and they’d been right.
No, Eli wouldn’t be ignoring her. They’d always been close. Whenever they’d been on a shift together, he’d always grinned and told her he was glad he would be spending the next few hours with her. They’d always gone out together, exploring the local towns and villages around the ports they’d stopped at. Why would he have spent so much time with her, only to drop her now?
Staring at the horizon, Layla looked at the dark clouds clinging to the sky. There was more rain to come then. Not that it mattered. Penworth Bay was beautiful, and she’d only actually seen it in the grotty weather.
