Page 66 of Big Sexy Love
Then the screen goesblack.
She’sgone.
Stoopidstorm.
When I returnto the booth, Seth is sitting there, messing with his phone, two more beers on thetable.
‘It’s not working.’ He points to hisphone.
‘Me either,’ I say, holdingupmine.
‘So… are you going to tell me about this letter?’ he asks as I sit downoppositehim.
I bite my lip. ‘Okay.ButSeth?’
‘Olive?’
‘Everything I’m going to talk to you about is private. Please don’t tell anyone. Or writeaboutit.’
He holds up his hands. ‘We’re friends nowright?’
I feel a smile lift the corners of my mouth. ‘Well, I suppose we have survived a major stormtogether.’
‘Exactly.’ Seth holds his hand out for a high five, which I promptly return. ‘I only ever use the behaviour of complete strangers for comedy material. Not friends. Soyou’resafe.’
I spend the next thirty minutes telling Seth all about Birdie and the mysteriously vanished Chuck. How the whole reason for me being here is to get this letter to the love of Birdie’s life before she dies. He asks the usual questions about treatments and cures and how long she has left. To which I give him all the sad answers Birdie and I have known for a while. But mostly he just listens, his eyesserious.
‘My flight back to Manchester is early Thursday morning. And I’m not even a hundred per cent sure that Chuck works at Chimes Investment! Hence thefreak-out.’
‘Can’t you stay longer?’ Seth asks, drinking from his bottle and nudging mine overtome.
I shake my head. ‘Not really. Birdie’s kidney surgery is a week Monday. I need to be back to help her prepare. She has no one else,yousee.’
I lift my beer bottle and takeasip.
We both go quiet. Me thinking about what I’ve got to do. Seth thinking about whoknowswhat.
Eventually Seth speaks. ‘Why don’t you call the bank and speak to this Chuck fella. Check he’s definitely there? Arrange a time to meet him in themorning?’
I bang my hand against my head. ‘Of course! Duh. That’s a really sensible idea.Thankyou!’
‘I’ve never been called sensible before.’ Seth pulls a face. ‘I do notlikeit.’
I immediately pick my phone up off the booth table and Google ChimesInvestment.
And then I remember that my reception is totally down, as isSeth’s.
‘We’ll use the landline in the back,’Sethsays.
I follow him to the bar, were Phyllis cheerfully waves us through to a tiny storeroom, with a Barbie-pink 90s telephone set hanging on the wall. On the table below it is a thick paperphonebook.
‘This is amazing,’ I say gleefully, picking up the phone. ‘So retro. Andsopink!’
Seth flips through the book until he finds the number for the bank, reciting it as I push the buttons on thehandset.
After a few rings someoneanswers.
‘Good afternoon, Chimes Investment, how may I directyourcall?’
