Page 22 of All Wrapped Up

‘Ohhh,’ Hayley then said, drawing the word out as she glanced to the other side of the room where her friend was now looking out of the window towards town.

‘It was Molly, wasn’t it? What did she say to you?

Something lovely, I hope. She doesn’t always engage the old filter when she feels the need to share whatever it is she’s… received.’

‘Received?’ Ash questioned. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Nothing,’ I said, with a quick glance at Molly myself. ‘It was nothing.’

‘She’s already told me the autumn festival is going to be a huge success.’ Hayley grinned. ‘So, I hope it was something along those lines.’

‘Beautiful branding will help make it a success,’ I said, as I tried to pull myself together and change the subject. ‘So, come on, let’s look at what you’ve so kindly designed.’

‘Here you go then,’ said Hayley, as she pulled some sheets from an A3 notepad towards us with a flourish. ‘Take a look at these.’

‘Wow!’ I said as I made the hugest effort to forget Molly and focus on Hayley’s art.

We loved everything she had come up with, but in the end, between us Ash and I settled on a banner featuring entwined autumn leaves and pumpkins and a simple, but bold font to go with it.

‘That’s it. That’s perfect,’ Ash said excitedly, as a few minutes later, Hayley expertly melded the two together via her laptop and then mocked up a poster so we could see the overall effect.

‘And the colours?’ Hayley prompted.

‘Perfect,’ I confirmed, admiring the red, orange, brown and mustard hues. ‘Classy and classic, exactly the aesthetic I was hoping for.’

They were very similar to those I’d used to decorate the rooms at Rowan Cottage and the palette I favoured for AutumnEverything, but obviously, I kept that to myself.

‘In that case, I’ll mail them to you now,’ Hayley said, suiting the action to the words. ‘And once you’ve got all of the events confirmed, you can start advertising them using the designs you’ve settled on.’

It was all going to look beautiful.

‘And not a moment too soon,’ I said with a glance at the schedule I’d spread out on the table for us to refer to. ‘We’re launching in just over a week, so we need to keep pushing on now. Thank you so much, Hayley. You’re incredibly talented and your design is perfect.’

‘It was a pleasure to come up with it,’ she smiled, while she also looked at the calendar of events I was hoping to soon confirm. ‘But how are on earth are you going to oversee all of this lot, Clemmie? There’s so much here.’

‘I’m helping,’ said Ash.

‘And I’m not actually running the events myself,’ I told her.

‘I’m pulling it all together and keeping everyone up to date online, but the events, workshops, clubs etc are being completely overseen by the person or people hosting them.

I’m just doing the admin stuff and running the calendar and, so far, it’s under control… ’

‘So,’ Ash nudged. ‘Does that mean that you might end up not needing me after all?’

‘Want you rather than need you, might be a better way of putting it,’ said Molly as she joined us at the table. ‘And she’ll certainly do that.’

‘She’s off again,’ said Hayley, rolling her eyes.

‘Do you want me, Clemmie?’ Ash asked.

‘Of course I do,’ I stoically said, ignoring the impossible implications of Molly’s words. ‘You’re my right-hand man and I’m going to delegate all the trickiest stuff to you.’

‘Great,’ Ash snorted. ‘I’ll look forward to that.’

‘That’s not quite what I meant,’ Molly whispered while Ash helped Hayley pack everything away.

I hadn’t for one second really thought it was.

‘What do you think of the schedule, Molly?’ Hayley then asked her and I got the impression that Hayley knew I was feeling more than a little uncomfortable with her friend’s presence and pronouncements.

Molly picked the sheet up and glanced down it.

‘Absolutely perfect,’ she said. ‘Autumn is such a special season and it looks like you’ve thought of everything we could possibly wish for to celebrate it, Clemmie.’

‘It’s not all me,’ I was quick to say. ‘If people hadn’t put themselves forward to take the ideas on, then lots of the things on the list wouldn’t be happening.’

‘Don’t underestimate your hard work,’ Ash said giving me a nudge. ‘You’ve put hours into this already.’

‘I just hope it’s all a success,’ I puffed. ‘Then the time spent on it will be totally worth it.’

‘There is one thing that might not work out,’ Molly said, her gaze flicking up to mine. ‘Do you mind if I mention it?’

‘Of course not,’ I told her. ‘I’d rather know sooner than later. What is it?’

‘The Draconid meteor shower suggestion.’

‘The stargazing nights.’ Ash frowned. ‘Don’t you think they’re a good idea?’

‘A wonderful idea,’ she nodded. ‘But—’

‘I know cloud cover could be an issue,’ I started to say, but she shook her head.

‘It’s not that,’ she said.

‘What then?’ Hayley asked.

‘It’s going to be a full moon on the seventh,’ Molly told us. ‘Right at the peak of the meteor shower, the moon will be at its brightest.’

Ash and Hayley exchanged a blank look.

‘Oh,’ I said. ‘I see. That’s definitely not going to work then, is it?’

‘Why not?’ Ash asked.

‘Because the brightness of the moon will impact on how many stars we can see,’ I sighed. ‘Okay, I’ll take that off the schedule.’

It was disappointing, but couldn’t be helped. Even if it wasn’t cloudy, it would be hard to spot shooting stars with the moon lighting up the night sky.

‘I had a feeling you’d understand.’ Molly smiled at me.

‘Oh, great,’ tutted Hayley, but I could tell she was teasing. ‘Another moon lover in our midst!’

‘What’s not to love?’ I shrugged, returning Molly’s smile for the first time, but given what she’d previously said, still feeling a little uncertain about her.

‘Maybe next year,’ she smiled back.

‘Yes,’ I agreed. ‘Maybe next year.’

‘What did Molly say to you?’ Ash asked, once we’d collected a much sprightlier Pixie, said our goodbyes in the library and were back on the road. ‘I know she said something to unsettle you because all of the colour had drained from your face when you came over to the table.’

‘Do you think she really is a witch?’ I asked, as I looked out of the truck window. ‘Do you believe in that sort of thing?’

I felt Ash’s eyes on me in the mirror for a moment.

‘Absolutely,’ he said seriously, taking me by surprise. ‘She is and yes, I do. Don’t you?’

‘I can’t say I’ve ever given it much thought,’ I said, as we left the town behind. The view was soon a windswept expanse of fields which stretched as far as the horizon. ‘Has she ever said anything to you to make the colour drain from your face?’

‘Me?’ Ash laughed.

‘Yes.’

‘No,’ he said, with a chuckle. ‘I’m not interesting enough.’

‘Of course you are.’

‘I’m really not.’

I looked at the mirror and then immediately away, because he was staring at me again.

‘I wish you’d watch the road,’ I rather tersely snapped.

‘Are you telling me off?’ he grinned.

‘A bit,’ I said, trying not to smile back.

‘Thinking back,’ he then ponderously said, ‘Molly did say something when we first met.’

‘Oh? Go on.’

‘She said that I’m an open book,’ he shrugged. ‘What you see is what you get. I’ve got no baggage, nothing to hide and no skeletons in my cupboard.’

‘I don’t believe that,’ I protested. ‘Everyone has baggage of some sort or another.’

‘Not me,’ he said and I could tell he was still smiling. ‘Do you?’

‘Like I said, we all have something.’

‘In that case,’ he said teasingly, ‘my guess is that Molly’s winkled yours out of you already.’

‘She has not,’ I hotly protested.

‘But there is… something?’ he more gently asked.

‘Nope,’ I said, blinking hard. ‘Just like you, I’m an open book, too.’