Summer Evenings at the Seafront Hotel: Exclusive Short Story (2 page)

‘Ah, you’ve got an intolerance?’ Cally said.

‘Sí, sí
.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll speak to our chef about it and let you know what’s OK for you to eat tonight.’

The woman smiled gratefully and went on her way.

The hotel felt strangely quiet when the group had left. Cally walked down to the kitchen and put her head around the door. The room was warm and steamy and she immediately felt her cheeks get hot. To her right, the head chef, Anton, was chopping garlic at a countertop. He looked up at her and smiled, wiping a trace of sweat from his brow. ‘Hi. It’s Cally, right?’

She nodded, feeling suddenly shy.

‘What can I help you with?’ He put the knife down.

‘I just wanted to check this evening’s menu over with you – if you’ve got a minute.’

‘Sure,’ he replied.

‘One of the Spanish group has a gluten intolerance, so wanted to know what each dish includes.’

He called out behind him, ‘Valerie, have you got a copy of the menu for tonight?’

Valerie, a pretty French woman and a friend of Liliana’s, brought him the laminated menu and smiled at Cally.

‘They shouldn’t eat the chicken, as the sauce has wheat flour in it, but the fish should be fine. The pie obviously they’ll have to avoid …’ he scanned over the remaining items, and shook his head. ‘Hmm … not good news with the puddings, but I could make up a sorbet or ice cream for them. Perhaps a pear and elderflower one?’

‘Sounds great,’ Cally said, relieved. ‘I’ll let her know. Thank you.’ As she walked up the stairs, she recalled her conversation with Liliana.
Dragon, indeed
.

At 7pm, the group returned from their trip out, carrying sticks of rock and postcards. After going briefly upstairs, they filed into the dining room in a buzz of excited chatter.

‘Surviving?’ Joe said, stopping by her desk. He was dressed in a black shirt, and there was a trace of stubble on his jaw, something he’d never had when he was working with her.

‘Just about,’ Cally said, smiling. ‘Actually – famous last words – but they seem like a nice group. How are you doing, anyway, you deserter?’

‘Good,’ Joe laughed. ‘I was sorry to leave you.’ His brown eyes met hers.

‘Don’t try and charm your way out of it.’

‘OK. I won’t lie. Cocktail-making definitely beats dragging suitcases up the stairs.’

‘All right, I won’t hold it against you. Provided I get a freebie at some point, that is.’

‘It would be a pleasure,’ he said, glancing up at the lobby clock. ‘Listen, I should run, my shift’s about to start. But Liliana asked me to pass you this.’ He gave her a piece of folded paper. ‘She’s knee-deep in bedsheets upstairs.’

‘Thanks.’

Joe left the lobby, and she opened the note.

Room 14. Join me at ten? Lx

Cally smiled. It had been a hectic day, and she could really do with a break. Room 14 was one of the rooms on the first floor that had been prepared for the builders to begin work, but with progress slow on the other rooms, it hadn’t been touched yet. Liliana and Cally had adopted it as a place to hang out on their breaks, giving them a rare moment of peace. Cally would make a cup of tea, and Liliana would lean out of the window and feed her nicotine habit.

At ten Cally left a note on reception and walked up the red-velvet-covered stairs. She knocked quietly on the door of Room 14 and Liliana opened it.

‘You made it,’ she said with a smile. ‘Great.’

Cally stepped over the dustsheets, and Liliana beckoned her over to the open French doors leading out onto the balcony.

‘What’s all this?’

‘I found the key,’ Liliana smiled, holding it up. ‘It’s so beautiful tonight.’

The evening was balmy and warm, and the stars were bright. Below them, waves landed on the shore with a gentle shhhing sound.

‘And here’s the highlight. Ta-da!’ Liliana said, pointing to a small table in the middle of the balcony. On it was a plate with two chocolate eclairs, pistachio, chocolate and raspberry macaroons and a selection of other petit fours.

‘Wow.’

‘They were left over from afternoon tea.’

‘But how did you get them? Surely Anton didn’t let you …’

‘No, of course not. Valerie put them aside for us. Always good to have friends in high places.’ She laughed. ‘Sit down then, I can’t eat these all myself.’

Cally took a seat and picked up a miniature strawberry tart from the plate. ‘Mmm,’ she said, flakes falling from her lips. ‘These are delicious.’

‘Delicious,’ Liliana agreed, savouring a mouthful. ‘I need that after today.’

‘What’s happened?’

‘A couple of young guys left their rooms in chaos, and when I let Stuart know, they accused me of stealing from them. Nightmare.’ She rolled her eyes wearily.

‘That’s terrible.’

‘Luckily Stuart took my side. He’s not bad, as bosses go – and I’m lucky he’s been so patient with Giovanni.’

‘Yes. He’s fair. What about your acting work – have you had any auditions lately?’

‘I’ve got one coming up. An car advert. Keep your fingers crossed for me.’ Liliana pressed her fingers together and held them up. There was hope in her eyes.

‘I will.’

A knock came at the hotel room door and Cally jumped in her seat.

‘It’s OK,’ Liliana smiled, putting a hand gently on her arm. ‘Another surprise. A good one. Go on, you open it.’

Cally walked cautiously over to the door, not knowing who to expect.

She twisted the brass handle and opened the door to reveal Joe, holding out a silver tray with two tall cocktails on it.

‘Your order, signorina,’ he said, with a smile. ‘Two Sea Breezes.’

‘For us?’

‘Yes,’ he said, with a warm smile. ‘I hope they’re OK, I only just learned how to make them.’

‘They look great,’ Cally said. ‘Come on through.’

Joe walked in with her and brought the drinks out to the balcony. He had an easy confidence and as always in his company, she felt more relaxed.

‘Hey, Joe,’ Liliana said. She took one of the cocktails off the tray and took a sip. ‘Quite nice,’ she said, with a subtle nod. ‘You could almost get a job making these.’

Cally laughed and took a sip of her own. Sweet and fresh, the fruit flavours danced on her tongue. After a long day, the cool drink revived her.

Liliana put her glass down, took a box of Camel Lights out of her bag and sparked one up. She took a drag, blowing the smoke slowly out through her lips.

‘You look like an actress.’ Cally said. ‘A young Isabella Rossellini.’

‘Ha,’ Liliana smiled. ‘Thank you. Well one day, I hope. You’d never guess I spent my days cleaning toilets, right?’

Cally sipped from her drink. ‘Never. Far too glamorous.’

‘I’ll get there,’ Liliana said, her full lips pressed together, determined. ‘That was always the plan. Leave home and go to Rome, see my name up in lights.’ She smiled wryly. ‘Instead I fell in love and ended up here.’

‘Do you regret it?’ Cally asked.

‘I regret him, yes. But not coming here. How could I?’ She motioned to her two friends and smiled.

‘Well, you two, I wish I could stay,’ Joe said, ‘but the bar was getting busy downstairs when I left. Those Spaniards certainly like a drink.’

Cally offered him the plate of sweet things. ‘For your trouble.’

‘Thanks,’ Joe took a macaroon from the plate, and put it in his mouth.

‘See you down there later,’ Liliana said. Joe nodded goodbye and left.

‘Later?’ Cally said, looking from Liliana to the now-closed hotel room door. She felt a pang of jealousy.

‘I go to the bar for a drink sometimes, when my shift’s finished and it’s empty.’

‘Sounds cosy.’ Cally tried to ignore her feelings of being left out, but they nagged at her. ‘Is something going on between you two?’

Liliana laughed. ‘With Joe? No. He’s sweet, but …’

Cally waited.

‘Just a friend.’ Liliana said. She lowered her thick dark lashes and ground out her cigarette stub on the floor of the balcony. ‘Romance isn’t for me.’

‘Why?’

‘It complicates things,’ Liliana said, picking a slice of sachertorte, and eating it with visible delight. ‘These days I like my pleasures a little simpler.’

Cally laughed.

‘Anyway, what about you?’ Liliana asked. ‘Young, pretty and single.’

‘Ha. Thanks. But I’m only a couple of years younger than you, and not half as pretty.’

‘Oh, whatever,’ she waved her hand dismissively. ‘You don’t realise your own charms. So, what’s the story?’

‘The story,’ Cally considered the question. ‘I’m guess I’m taking a break too.’

‘A broken heart?’

‘Something like that,’ Cally said. ‘I broke up with my boyfriend Ryan back in March, just before I started working here, and he’s in Australia now. He wanted me to go with him.’ She recalled the fraught late-night conversations they’d had and tried to stop the emotion coming into her voice. ‘But I couldn’t. Actually, for a couple of reasons, I didn’t even want to.’

Liliana nodded for her to continue, at the same time passing her a plate with a slice of rich chocolate cake. ‘Have some. This stuff is healing, believe me.’

Cally took the plate. ‘It sounds stupid now, but we’d been together so long I just assumed it would be for ever. But I guess it wasn’t.’

That night Cally walked back along the seafront, silent apart from the sound of the waves coming onto the shore. The bars and restaurants were closed, but up on the cliffside she could still see a glow of light from the Seafront Tea Rooms. She remembered the sweet comfort of Letty’s scones and tea, and craved them.

Talking to Liliana had stirred up thoughts of Ryan again. He was over in Sydney, starting his new life. She’d seen the pictures on Facebook – he looked different, his hair sun-lightened, drinking beer on boats and beaches with new friends. It pained her to admit it, but he looked more relaxed. Happier.

When Cally had told her about Ryan, Liliana had urged her to move on. She’d made it sound easy – but it wasn’t. At the touch of a screen, that familiar blue square on her iPhone, she could watch his life unfold in real time. Cally kept meaning to hide his updates, or unfriend him, but something held her back. It seemed so final, to cut off that last strand of contact and then know nothing about his life any more. But at the same time, she knew it was bad for her, an addictive kind of torture – seeing him with new friends, some of them women in bikinis. She couldn’t help but scrutinise the images, wondering if he’d moved on, and if so, who with. She didn’t like the side of her that it brought out.

Did Ryan even still think of her? They’d spent so many nights walking together along the shore. But she was walking on her own now, and maybe Liliana was right – it was time to get used to that.

‘There’s some quiche in the fridge for your lunch, and Auntie Sue said she’d pop around this morning …’ Cally poured out some Cheerios into a bowl, and added milk.

‘That’s good,’ her dad said gently, looking up from his tea. Behind his wire-framed glasses, there were shadows under his eyes, but apart from that, he looked the same as he always had; relaxed, at ease.

‘You’ll be all right until I get back?’

‘Of course. I’m fine. You do know that, love, don’t you?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Cally got a spoon out of the drawer and sat down opposite him at the kitchen table with her cereal.

‘These new meds are agreeing with me a lot better. I can cook, go to the shops – everything apart from work.’

‘I know that. But I like doing things for you.’

‘Thank you, love.’ Her dad was still looking at her, as if there was something else he wanted to say.

‘What is it?’

‘It’s just … I don’t mean this unkindly. But I don’t need you fussing.’

‘Fussing?’ The word stung.

‘Sorry, that didn’t come out quite how I meant it to.’ His brown eyes were kind. ‘But you’re young, love. You don’t want to be running around after an old codger like me. You deserve to have your own life.’

‘Is this about my course? I told you, I wanted to leave – I don’t know if I was really cut out for being a midwife anyway.’

‘But you’ve talked about it since you were young, back when your mum was alive,’ he said.

‘Things change.’ Cally shrugged.

‘I’ve worked hard so that you’d be free to do what you want to do. Now I feel like I’m standing in your way.’

‘You’re not, Dad. And you never will be. I promise you.’

‘Good Morning, South Cliff Hotel.’

Cally listened to the new guest’s requirements and added details to the bookings database on autopilot. It was nearly lunchtime, but her dad’s words were still ringing in her ears. She’d just wanted to help make his life a little easier, but maybe she’d been doing the opposite. Had she really been fussing, like he said?

‘It’s your anniversary? Lovely. Well the Duchess suite is really generous, if you wanted somewhere special. Shall I book that for you?’

She clicked update on the bookings screen, then finished the call.

‘Hi, Cally.’

She looked up to see Valerie, her chestnut hair swept back in a sleek chignon and a glow in her cheeks.

‘Have you got five minutes?’ Valerie asked.

‘Sure.’

‘Some almond slices downstairs I thought you might be interested in.’

‘That sounds worth a trip,’ Cally said, getting to her feet.

Over the past week, Cally and Liliana had met every night up on the balcony of Room 14, trying out Joe’s new cocktail creations and the treats that Valerie put aside for them. The evenings were still warm, and each time they met up there was something new from the kitchen to taste – mini Battenbergs, chocolate-covered candied orange peel, or salted caramel brittle.

As the sun set on the sea, Liliana and Cally talked over the comings and goings in the hotel. The Spanish group had left, and after a sole quiet evening, two coaches of Chinese visitors had arrived, filling almost the entire hotel. The building work exposed new damp, and the first floor rooms remained uninhabitable – Cally tried to calm her bosses’ nerves by ensuring everything else at the hotel went smoothly. Liliana hadn’t got the acting work she’d been hoping for, but it had only taken a sip of Singapore Sling before she was over that. One night, they’d persuaded Valerie to join them, but she’d sat quietly and seemed a little distant. Perhaps she was just one of those people who preferred to listen to others talk.