Page 51 of Ask Another Day

‘I can’t believe you’ve dragged Mrs Becker into this, Rose.’

‘But she’s loved it - and she is really looking forward to tonight.’

‘I bet she is,’ Holly groaned again, her face in her hands now as she sank down onto the bed. ‘I can’t believe you thought any of this was acceptable, Rose.’

‘Everything else about him is perfect, though. Jurassic Park - your favourite.’ On that Rose was right. Holly loved Jurassic Park. Especially the third one - she had a soft spot for Alessandro Nivola.

‘But we can’t communicate with each other unless we’ve got an eighty year old scrabble player with us!’ Holly couldn’t believe she was having to justify her reluctance to go along with this ridiculous plan.

‘Who needs words?’

‘Me. Most people,’ Holly deadpanned.

Rose rolled her eyes before attempting a different tactic, ‘Honestly, Holly. I think you’re just sabotaging this now.’

‘Really? That’s what you’re taking from this?’

‘Nikolai has arrived,’ Luke announced from where he’d sidled off back into the pub.

‘Might as well give it a try?’ Rose nudged Holly’s good foot with her toe. A hopeful smile on her face.

‘Half an hour - not a minute more.’

‘Totally fair.’ Rose nodded seriously, but as Holly hobbled out of the room she caught sight of her doing a comical victory dance in the mirror.

*

‘А чем ты занимаешься в свободное время?’ Nikolai asked, then looked to Mrs Becker to translate.

‘He has asked what you like to do in your spare time,’ Mrs Becker relayed dutifully.

Holly fought the urge to sigh. It had only been ten minutes, but each second that ticked by had been excruciating.

‘Tell him I enjoy dancing naked on the beach in the early hours of the morning.’

Mrs Becker blushed, then leant forward to whisper, ‘I will not say that to him, Holly Loxley. Now answer the nice man, properly.’

‘Fine. Tell him about the brewery.’

Mrs Becker nodded, and launched into a careful explanation. Nikolai listened carefully and then followed up with another question.

‘Как твоя нога сегодня?’ He looked at Holly, and then down at her ankle whilst Mrs Becker worked out the translation.

‘He says, how is your leg doing today?’

‘Why is he asking about that, when you were telling him about the brewery?’ The random question had caught Holly off guard.

‘I added you’ve been a bit tied up, due to your injury, so haven’t been able to work there as much as you usually would.’

Holly shook her head a little, surprised Mrs Becker, knew this about her. She hadn’t been to the micro brewery as much as she would usually. Mainly due to her ankle, yes, but also because that is where Seb was now spending his time instead of being in the kitchen here. Images of him gatecrashed her thoughts and she had to will herself to think of something, anything else. She was thinking about him more and more these days. When she’d told him to stay away, it had been in the hope if she didn’t see him, she’d be able to forget about him. But it hadn’t worked. Just like it hadn’t worked when he’d left the Bay all those years ago. Thoughts of him flashed up, unbidden, all the time it seemed. And then there was Natalie. She kept asking about him. And each time Holly answered that she didn’t know when he’d be visiting, or what he was up to, Natalie’s face would drop. Holly forced herself to stop thinking about him now though. She gave herself a mental shake, and focussed her attention fully on Mrs. Becker.

‘Tell him it’s felt OK today and the ankle is improving.’

Mrs Becker nodded and started her translation. Nikolai was listening carefully, and then his gaze darted to her, choking on the beer he’d sipped.

‘Mrs Becker,’ Holly said, cautiously, ‘what did you just say to him?’

‘Well. I mean, my Russian is a little rusty.’