Page 6 of From Scotland with Love

“Of course!” Frankie straightened her jacket and nudged Lori playfully on the elbow as she passed.

“You have a good time. Come back refreshed!”

Lori had been relieved at the outcome, though it had not brought the same feeling to her department.

She turned to face Michael, his lips pinched tightly. “Your sister is getting her own way then?” He shook his head slightly, clearly not impressed with Lori’s original news.

“If she doesn’t get her own way for her wedding, when else should she?” Lori couldn’t help but be exasperated at his tone. “You’ve never met her, or even spoken to her. Why do you say that?”

He squinted at her with surprise. “It’s just how you speak about her.” He moved his glass in gentle circles making his ice cubes knock together with a tinkle. “How long will you be away?” His eyes remained on the glass as he spoke, and Lori had to stop herself from becoming even more frustrated.

“A couple of weeks.”

“It’ll take a full day just to get back to Australia!” He looked at her, earnestly this time, and Lori’s heart stopped. She had been sure he knew where she came from! How on earth had they come so far together without ever getting round to her hometown?

“Michael… hun... I’m not sure you know everything about me....”

The next day allowed Lori to catch up on her chores for the week. Usually she worked her weekends, but now she needed to organise her trip back to Scotland; there was no time for conference calls. She had already booked her flight by 8am, and had started packing, rummaging around in her large wardrobe wondering what one wore in Scotland nowadays? The last time she had gone home was years ago, and usually she’d borrow clothes from her sisters, but things were different now. As she pulled out various examples of Versace, Armani, Dior and Westwood, all beautiful and luxurious, she smiled at how successful she felt just wearing them. On this occasion, however, they wouldn’t be suitable: in the Highlands of Scotland it rained almost every day, and the thought of getting her Dior silk hacking jacket ruined couldn’t be imagined! She put the majority of them back, and opted for the most practical clothing she could find. Perhaps a few dresses would be nice too? She folded everything in neat piles on her bed, as the sun streamed through the small window, casting its light over her calmly, warming her. Lori took packing suitcases very seriously; time and effort were important if you wanted the least amount of ironing, and the maximum out of the case’s capacity. There was a system of packing she always followed whenever herself and Michael would leave the city for a quick getaway, and shoes were always to be packed first. She bent down on her knees and sifted through all the many pairs she had on the base of the wardrobe. She mostly came across high heels, which were all fabulous, but she knew that stilettos were not the best type of footwear to take. Lori grunted and padded her hands into the darker nooks, delving further into the back of her wardrobe. Her only find was a box hidden under a few scarves that must have fallen from their hooks. Her heart fluttered as she pulled it towards her; it was her old memory box. She lifted the lid, and gently brushed the photographs of her parents, her gran and her sisters. She smiled at a photo of her mum and dad cuddling her on the beach, her dad sporting a large moustache, which must have been the fashion at the time, her mum in a light, yellow flowery dress. It must have been taken at the beach near their village of Arlochy, years before the boat accident. A very small Lori sat beside them on a tartan rug, and from her expression, a little too distracted by the sandwich in her hand to smile at the camera. Her hair matched her father’s almost identically. The colour of a rusty iron shed, exposed to the elements for a decade or so. A trait that passed to her sisters also. Lori smiled to herself; her parents had been truly in love, she had known that even at four years old, on the picnic blanket. Her mother and father did everything together; even on that fateful day out on the boat, they were together to the end. After all the many years that passed, Lori still felt a longing to know them more. But in the scheme of things, she had accepted the loss of her parents as one could, and now cherished the memories she had of them. They remained in the back of her mind, almost exactly as they were in the photograph; smiling on the beach. She flipped the photo over and visualised them for a moment, focusing on their features and characteristics as best she could. As much in love as they had been, she could still recall the fights they would often have. Her father had been laid off from his well-paid job at the forestry commission, which came as a blow to her mother, and for years afterwards he struggled to find work. He had taken up various subsequent notions of working for himself, from a stint as a very bad carpenter, to another as a sea-sick fisherman. He lacked the direction and drive that Lori’s mother had. Whom if given the chance, would have got herself a good job no matter what, letting her father be a stay at home dad. But it was another time back then, the idea of a stay at home dad would have been unthinkable: a man’s duty was to be the breadwinner, and the woman made the home. Lori hated the idea of society moulding her into someone she wasn’t, just as she knew she could never allow herself to be unemployed, even the idea made her palms sweat. If she had not got her golden ticket with Costner’s, she would have followed most careers, taking any work that she found. Thankfully, she need not rely on anyone else, only herself and she knew her sheer drive would steer her upwards. A part of Lori couldn’t shake the thought that if her mother had supported them financially, things might have been different. Even though her father was the glorified breadwinner, the last few months before their death, the bread, so to speak, had disappeared almost completely. It was so long ago now, she had been very young when the news had come through. But her gran was there to take care of them all, and from then on they had lived with her in their parents’ house. Dearest Gran. Lori hadn’t spoken to her in a few weeks, but was undeniably excited to see her again and be enveloped in her loving arms.

Lori continued to pick through the contents of her memory box, and soon discovered several old envelopes addressed to Australia. They were from Callum. Lori shook her head slowly with a small grin; she hadn’t thought of him in a long time. Callum, the gorgeous boy from her local school, who she had thought was “out of her league”, but who had turned out by the end of school, to have the very same opinion of her. They had spent the most amazing summer together, before Lori had left for Australia. She opened the first envelope, and seeing his scrawl still made her heart flutter. She bit her lip, shaking her head again with a fond smile, and summoned the courage to read.

Dear Lori,

I hope you landed safely, and are settling well into life “down under”. I can’t imagine how it must feel being in such an exciting place! Are you traveling around or staying in the same spot? It’s bleak and miserable here, you really left at the best time - I believe it’s summer with you now? Not much has changed since you left, I’ve been working at the fish farm – pretty dull work but the pay is good. I’m still playing shinty, last week we won a match against Newtonmore, so it was a crazy night celebrating – it’s been years since we won a game against them!

I’m thinking of saving some cash and maybe do a wee trip too, suggest anywhere? Your gran got a new puppy the other day I’m sure she’s probably told you, the cutest little collie. She took pity on old farmer MacAulay, he had a litter of 8 puppies he needed to re-home. I was tempted myself, but thought it best to stay free at the moment, see where things take me.

Anyway, let me know how you are. I have been thinking of you, and missing your laugh.

From Scotland with love,

Callum

Lori crawled towards the bed and sat resting her back against the frame. Was Callum her first love? She didn’t know; all those explosive emotions were at a time when the only thing she wanted was to get away from her tiny hometown and explore the rest of the world. It was a rare thing to find a man writing letters, and reading the words now Lori felt a little guilty at how she had treated him. She hadn’t wanted to stay and settle down in Arlochy right after high school. She knew deep down that she had to spread her wings. The idea of finding a mediocre local job, forever struggling to pay bills hadn’t tempted her. And she was glad she had moved; not only was she living in the best city in the world, she had a dream job, a successful boyfriend and the luxury of being able to buy whatever she wanted. She had always yearned to live somewhere like New York ever since watching movies as a child. To live a glamorous life. And now she was.

Lori tucked away the few letters into her suitcase and finished packing; extinguishing any old memories before they came to the surface.

Michael walked under the rich green trees that lined the walkway, with the busy traffic passing on one side and the bright central park on the other, he stayed anchored to the street between quiet and chaos. He let his mind drift. He couldn’t ignore his feelings another second more. Lori had never told him about her past, shouldn’t the fact that she had lied to him all these years be a concern? He scratched his chin, which unusually sported a day’s worth of stubble. She admitted that she was not in fact from Australia, but from Scotland - the other side of the world. She had stipulated it shouldn’t matter where she was from, she was still the same person to him, but as Michael walked on the feeling of unease clung to him. She had lied. She was not the person he had thought she was. He remembered Lori’s talk of going to the beach often as a child, which he always imagined as a place of white sands, and shark-filled waters. He had pictured Australia, because she had told him that was where she was from. How could he trust her now? What stories did she tell his colleagues when he wasn’t there? He had wanted to be with someone who had an uncomplicated life, and thought Lori ticked that box. He needed a relaxed and peaceful home to return to each evening, with a wife who supported him without anything hidden in the closet. With the coming years ahead, he would need to focus more on his career, he needed someone who wouldn’t cause any drama. Was Lori that woman? Or was she simply carrying around too much baggage for him to welcome into his life? Last night she had told him about Arlochy and about her mother and father dying in a tragic boat accident when she and her two sisters were young – Christ, that explained why the youngest always got her way! The story was sad, and he was sorry for her loss, but what still niggled away at him was the idea of trust. Could he trust her, or would she be forever hiding herself from him? Why hadn't she mentioned it all before? Michael walked on, passing chattering families, and couples strolling in the warm afternoon sun. He took off his blazer and folded it over his arm, turning onto a quiet path through the park. He wandered aimlessly around the reservoir and walked over The Gothic Bridge, pausing in the centre. Leaning on his jacket, he reached into the inside pocket, and opened the small box with its diamond ring nestled on a red velvet cushion. He had almost proposed to her before all this, and though a part of him felt he had escaped something unpleasant, another part of him felt an aching pang of disappointment. He stood still, watching ducks glide on the water in the far distance. If only he could have no cares in the world, just like one of those ducks, content to just drift on by, and bob down for the occasional grub. But he was a Hadley, and Hadley’s didn’t drift, they succeeded. His grandfather had made his money in the car industry, then sold the business in favour of buying property. From then on, the Hadley men didn’t flounder; they were focused, and had nothing to want for besides ever-increasing ambition. Michael had initially imagined himself running away after his studies had finished, with ideas of backpacking. But when the day of his graduation drew nearer, he found he no longer had the desire to be sleeping in flea-invested beds, or mixing with people he would never meet again. His world was in New York. Everyone and everything that mattered was here. Eventually, opportunities had presented themselves often in the circles he moved in, and with time he had gained employment at a very exclusive firm in which he hoped he would continue to thrive. It was the way things should be, for people like him. Michael scratched his chin again, deciding to go home and shave before the day was over. Lori would be leaving soon, and as he put the box back into his pocket, he thought perhaps it was best that she did take some time off after all. At least so he could have space to think. He could set some new goals for his future, and decide what he wanted - and if that included Lori after all.

5

Before take-off, Lori scrolled through her messages on her phone. Since arriving at the airport she had received so many calls and messages from Julian, that she had lost count how often she swiped upward to hear his high-pitched 'Lori?' on the end of the line. Even after sending her own work to the other buyers, Julian still persisted in calling her instead of asking them for guidance. Although Lori didn’t mind his troubled loyalty; she had thrown everyone in at the deep end and would do whatever she could to be reachable. But now, as the air hostess signalled for her to switch off her phone, she begrudgingly did so and focused her attentions on some paperwork instead. This trip would not be a complete waste of her professional time she vowed, she would still remain involved with the company. She would show Frankie her commitment, and would succeed, and as a result she would never want for anything - her job would be secure, and her salary generous.

Lori ventured out of the tiny Inverness airport and immediately switched on her phone to find a message from Tammy:

“Sorry sis, too much going on here for anyone to come to the airport! But you could get the bus and we’ll pick you up in Fort William? Soz! xxx”

Lori suppressed the anger that immediately flared up inside her; this was just how her sister was. Even the way she had worded the message: trying to be so nice that it just ended up sounding passive aggressive. Against her better judgement, Lori stomped her foot like a child throwing a tantrum.

This was typical Tammy, her sister was so thoughtless at times. Even when they were little girls she was the same. One Christmas Lori got a long awaited and loved Barbie, only for her little sister to steal it, then hand it back to her come January - with one arm missing and ripped clothing! “So soz!” She could hear Tammy’s voice ring in her ears. Well, there was no way she was getting the bus, even if Tammy did plan to pick her up from the bus station, so grudgingly. Lori huffed as she dragged her luggage to the car-hire desk.

“Hello lovey, can I help you?” A middle-aged man in a green and black uniform looked up over his computer.

“Yes - a car please, maybe automatic if you have one?” Lori realised her accent was still very much American, and she consciously made an effort to revert back to her old tones.

“OK then... do you have a booking?”

“No booking I’m afraid.” She rummaged around in her bag for her driver’s license.