Page 29 of The Seaside Cocktail Campervan

‘Ah, about four, no five, months ago now.’ Time was rolling on, thank heavens, putting space and distance between her and Liam and all the hurt that had gone with that.

‘Where were you before that, then?’

‘Ah …’ she shifted a little in her seat. ‘Well, I had a house, in Morpeth, with my boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.’ She didn’t mention the word ‘fiancé’. There was no need to go into any of that.

‘Right-o. Sorry, I’m not prying … So, how’s the drink?’ He deftly switched the conversation, sensing her unease.

‘Delicious. Really refreshing, even without ice. And at least I’m not going to get brain freeze.’

‘Cool.’ He took a slug of his beer from his bottle. ‘So Lucy, where are your dreams taking you?’

‘Ah … what do you mean?’ Lucy was taken aback for a second. Who asked that kind of question of someone they hardly knew? Hmm, Jack, evidently. She didn’t think Liam had ever asked that question of her, he’d just assumed their dreams were the same … the sensible house, quality car, dual income in good steady jobs. Hah, they hardly sounded like dreams at all, did they?

She still hadn’t answered.

‘Okay, well what did you want to do when you were a kid then? What was the burning ambition? What did you want to be?’ Jack fired on.

Nothing had been particularly burning, and she had to laugh out loud as she confessed, ‘Well, I certainly didn’t harbour any dreams about becoming an accountant.’

‘Is that what you were doing before this?’ Jack quirked an eyebrow.

‘It wasn’t that bad … just …’

‘Boring?’ The eyebrow quirked higher.

‘Exactly. And stifling.’ She couldn’t help but smile as she said it, opening up to this guy.

‘Hah, well I can probably match you there. I was training to be a lawyer, many moons ago.’

‘Really?’ Lucy couldn’t imagine that at all.

‘Yep, had started uni and everything … but god, it just wasn’t me. Would have sent me demented, I think. All those hefty tomes to study … the case law, and then a life trapped in court rooms and smart stuffy offices.’ He paused, taking in the beautiful azure of the sky, the rush of rolling surf. ‘My parents didn’t quite see it that way, mind you,’ he continued. ‘Especially when they’d helped support me that first year …’ He still felt bad that he’d disappointed them, but had managed to pay back most of the money over time.

‘Oh, don’t suppose that was cheap … Well, my dad’s still reeling from me leaving the accountancy job.’

‘Ouch.’

‘Yeah, it’s like everyone wants what’s best for you … only maybe it isn’t,’ the words spilled from Lucy’s mouth.

Jack was nodding thoughtfully. ‘Anyway, you never said what your real dreams were?’ he continued.

‘Ah, well,’ she smiled, thinking back. ‘I did always make my dolls play restaurants. And I always pictured having my own fabulous eatery that overlooked the sea … by a beautiful beach somewhere. Where people would love to come and eat and, well, just enjoy themselves. Hah, I think some of Papa’s dreams must have rubbed off on me.’ She paused. When had she stopped imagining that?

How big were their dreams, how little their lives. The words flitted hauntingly in her mind. Had she read that in a book somewhere?

‘Well, you’re nearly there then, aren’t you?’ Jack cut in.

Lucy’s brow creased, not sure what he was getting at. Was he being sarcastic?

‘Your pizza horsebox … you can pull up at all these fabulous places, park up at events that are right by the sea. You’re just not stuck at any one. And hey, you’re already serving fantastic food. You’re living the life, Luce. Well, almost …’ he was smiling earnestly.

Wow, he suddenly made her see things so differently. ‘Well, if you put it that way …’ But her sensible-self reminded her, she still had a long way to go, for sure. Her business was only just finding its feet, but hey-ho. Onwards and upwards and all that.

‘Just keep moving forward, Lucy. You really are getting there,’ Jack flashed her a supportive grin. ‘But for now, let’s just kick back and enjoy the sunshine and this glorious view.’

‘Yeah.’ That sounded perfect – time to let her anxieties over the business drift away on the sea breeze, for a little while at least.

Daisy had snuck under Lucy’s chair, making the most of the shady spot. She soon started to snore. ‘Did you hear that?’ Lucy asked with a smile.