Page 27 of One Golden Summer

They lived in different worlds.

So why was it that seeing her on the pages of a magazine with another woman felt like she’d been punched in the gut?

* * *

Dad turnedup just in time with a packet of Digestives.

Mum could barely hide her disgust. “Where are the iced buns?”

“They’d sold out.” Dad took off his sunhat, and scratched his bald head.

“There wasn’t even a cake of some sort? Have you learned nothing in our 50 years of marriage?”

Dad buried his head in his paper, clicking his pen to tackle the crossword.

Mum ate a Digestive, but her face said it was a protest biscuit.

Kirsty passed around the coffee, smiling at the normalcy of her parents’ interaction. She’d never quite had that with Anna. She wanted it in her life going forward.

An image of Saffron’s smile flashed into her mind, but vanished just as quickly, like one of those red dots in an eye test. Kirsty frowned at her thoughts. First, Saffron was a movie star. Second, she might be involved still.

“Kirsty!”

She stood up. All the hairs on the back of her neck did the same. Saffron’s face was now grinning up at her in real life from the promenade below.

Kirsty’s heart boomed.

Standing beside Saffron was Ginger, both wearing Aviator shades, black T-shirts and denim cut-off shorts like they were twins.

Kirsty waved and beckoned them up the slight incline to the hut.

“Mum, Dad, this is Ginger and Saffron. Ginger’s having the divorce party I’m organising. Saffron’s her sister and she’s renting the Beachcomber.”

They all shook hands, and Ginger and Saffron removed their sunglasses. Saffron clipped them over the neck of her T-shirt and raked a hand through her hair.

Kirsty blinked, remembering the magazine article and the way her spirits had slumped. Then again, maybe it was fake news? What had Saffron told her?“Don’t believe everything you read.”

Besides, it was pretty hard to be annoyed with Saffron when she was standing in front of her looking every inch the movie star. Kirsty should have put more make-up on this morning. Was Saffron even wearing any? Then again, she didn’t need to. She had youth on her side.

Dad was still shaking Saffron’s hand with his head tilted, trying to place her. “You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”

Saffron glanced at Kirsty. “You haven’t told them?” Her tone was amazed.

Kirsty shook her head. “You said to keep it on the down-low, so I did.”

Saffron opened her mouth, then closed it. Her lips glistened invitingly.

“Wow,” she said, giving Kirsty a look that made every muscle in her body tense. “Not many people listen.”

“I’m not many people.”

Time stood still as Saffron stared at her for a few more seconds, before her mum’s voice broke the moment.

“She told me you were Ginger’s sister, but that’s about it. But you do look familiar. Did you used to work at the Co-op?”

Kirsty swallowed down laughter. “She’s an actor, Mum.”

“Anything I would know?” Mum’s face lit up.