Page 53 of The Seaside Cocktail Campervan

Ruby was positioned in the beautiful garden of a modestly grand country home. There was a marquee set up – he’d peeked in earlier – with circular tables, white tablecloths, and pretty floral displays of dark-green ivy with delicate white and yellow flowers edged with gold spray; the greenery was even intertwined down the marquee poles. Helen and David, whose home it was, had organised the party as a big family get-together for their grandson’s graduation and their Golden Wedding Anniversary. There was a buffet laid out within the marquee, as well as the fabulous All Fired Up horsebox parked alongside.

Helen had mentioned wanting ‘something more fun’ food-wise as an alternative for the youngsters; and Jack had known just where to send her. Though from the gathering at the counter, it wasn’t just the youngsters who were keen to try Papa’s pizzas; all ages were being drawn by the tantalising smells of hot, baked dough, tomatoes and cheese. Even Jack’s mouth was watering, and he knew exactly what to expect. At least the food was a lot more predictable than the owner, Jack mused wryly.

Back to his own clients, and this evening’s bar theme was classic, with G&T’s and Gin Fizzes, and chilled champagne on arrival. He’d also done a bit of research and found a gorgeous-looking shimmering Golden Champagne Cocktail to serve to those guests who fancied trying something a little different – which was elderflower liqueur fizz, stirred with edible gold-leaf flakes – just perfect for the occasion.

The marquee was buzzing from eight o’clock when a live band came on, giving a great show with plenty of toe-tapping tunes, both old and new. There was much dancing and merriment; the gathering really getting into the swing of it. It was such a lovely atmosphere, and Jack couldn’t help but wish to share some of those happy vibes with Lucy. He stole the odd glance Lucy’s way, but when she did finally catch sight of him, she seemed to immediately refocus, head down. And then again twenty minutes later, as their eyes met, she quickly turned and began talking to one of her customers. There was definitely something up with her – she’d been acting strangely ever since that kiss at the farm.

People were milling in and out of the marquee throughout the evening. They enjoyed Jack’s bar service and were drinking steadily, but not in any crazy can’t-get-them-down-quick-enough way, unlike a few of the guests at last week’s wedding. Oh yes, at the end of the night, he’d made sure that Tipsy Girl had got back safely, dropping her off at home. There was a great ambience here tonight, with little kids happily dancing along with parents and older family members. Good times, making memories, at least three generations of a family enjoying themselves with close friends – these were the events that Jack enjoyed working the most. He felt a part of their special celebration; chatting with the guests whilst making their favourite drinks.

A couple, who must have been in their late seventies, strolled up to Jack’s bar. The gentleman, who was white-haired and dressed in a beige linen suit, stood back, evidently admiring Ruby, and then moved in to pat her shiny paintwork with a smile.

‘My, she’s a real beauty, isn’t she? Someone’s done a grand job of the conversion, I must say.’

Jack stood proudly at his gleaming countertop. ‘Well, I did much of it myself, with a few technical tweaks here and there.’

‘You’ve done well, son.’

‘Thanks, so what can I get you both?’ Jack grinned.

‘Oh, I think we’ll stick with the G&T’s, shall we, Clive?’ the floral-dressed lady said.

‘Perfect,’ he agreed.

‘Coming right up.’

Whilst Jack fetched glasses and the Hepple Gin bottle, Clive continued, ‘I do love a Classic, that’s why I married my good lady here, Betty.’ He chuckled, whilst Betty gave a smile that crinkled around her kind blue eyes, well used to his chatter after all their years together. ‘Yes, we had some damned good times, didn’t we, Betty? Remember that summer we headed off to the continent? Top down in our vintage MX5 Mazda. Ah, those were the days.’ Clive’s eyes were a-sparkle as he reminisced.

Betty was nodding happily.

‘Oh, it sounds fabulous,’ Jack was genuinely interested.

‘Zipping through all those rustic French villages,’ Clive took up. ‘Oh, and those hairpin bends in the Pyrenees. Do you remember those, my love, and the sheer drops beside us? Now, that was exciting.’

His wife pulled a dramatic face at that, as though the hairpin bends had been particularly hair-raising, and perhaps not quite such fun from the passenger seat.

Jack had to laugh as he filled their gin globes. It was lovely to hear their tale, and they seemed such a sweet couple.

As he passed over their drinks, Clive ended with the story of them breaking down on a Tuscan hillside, which turned out to be rather a blessing in disguise, as the locals were so friendly, coming to their aid and hosting them royally for two days whilst the local garage waited for parts and then helped Clive to fix up the vehicle. Jack could just picture the pair of them, in their youth and their retirement enjoying the open road, and he couldn’t help but admire such a relationship – one that could stand the test of time yet still be filled with adventures.

The evening rolled on, and when he finally got a quiet moment, he decided to bite the bullet and call across to Lucy. ‘Hey, everything okay? Do you need a break at all? I can come across there and keep an eye on the oven if need be?’ He’d spotted that she was working on her own.

‘Ah, it’s okay, I’m fine, thanks.’ Lucy gave the coolest flicker of a smile, then set back to shaping her dough bases behind the counter.

‘Alright, well just shout if you need a hand at any point. It’s no problem,’ he persisted.

‘Thanks.’ Her eyes barely lifted.

Those gorgeous dark-brown eyes that had looked right into his on the night of that kiss. Refocus, Jack, refocus. He pushed on with his own tasks, slicing lemons and curling twists of lime peel. A few people strolled up, and an order came in for two Mojitos and a Sidecar, and he soon found himself chatting with a middle-aged guy at the counter, lost in his mixology moments once again.

The party continued in full swing with lots of fun, singing and dancing. Partygoers were spilling out of the marquee in search of a cool drink and a cool-down, whilst others were drifting back in. A young couple were sat at the little table beside his campervan, sipping their gin fizzes. Pizza aromas wafted enticingly on the evening breeze, whilst the pizza van owner carried on working, head down, rather aloofly. Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out from the front of the marquee. Jack looked up to see that someone was on the ground, their leg stuck out at a really awkward angle.

‘Oh my, oh my!’ A woman’s voice rang out in a sob.

Jack recognised her as the elderly lady from the vintage-car couple earlier. Betty, that was it. He dashed out of Ruby like a shot, rushing over to see if he could help, and was soon crouching beside her. A small gathering began to cluster around them, as Jack carefully assessed the injury. He didn’t want to yank at Betty’s leg, as it looked slightly displaced around the ankle. He’d done a First Aid course as part of some voluntary mountaineering work he’d undertaken with a youth group a few years back. There was no blood or bone showing, which was good, but the ankle seemed to be swelling already.

‘Okay, Betty, now just take a few deep breaths. Are you in much pain?’ Jack’s voice was soothing, calm. ‘Do you think you can move that leg at all? Just test it real slow to start, and stop straight away if it hurts.’

Betty, bless her, had tears in her eyes as she tried to move it, gasping in anguish. It wasn’t shifting easily, so she’d need to sit tight.