Page 55 of One Golden Summer

Dangling from the ceiling were strings with randomly coloured puffy balls spaced an inch apart, reaching nearly to the floor.

“Are you joining the dark side?”

Saffron whipped around, nearly taking Kirsty out. “Jesus! You startled me.”

“I’m sorry.” Kirsty laughed, darting her hands up in adon’t shootway.

Saffron placed a hand on her chest, in an effort to steady her pounding heart. “Don’t be. It’s nice to see you. Can’t you tell how excited I am?”

Kirsty offered a timid smile, but didn’t say the same.

“Er, what did you mean about the dark side?”

“Oh, just a lame joke.”

“AboutStar Wars?” Saffron scrunched her brow.

Kirsty held one of the larger sized puffy balls on the string dangling between them. “Wasn’t gunning for Darth Vader but referencing a lesbian checking out artwork with 20 or so balls. Seems a bit much.”

“Right! Now I get it.” Saffron laughed at herself. “I was thinking of getting some of these for Ginger. Enough to cover a doorway, like those beaded curtains that were popular in the sixties. Or was it the seventies?”

“Why are you asking me? Are you being ageist?” Kirsty challenged, her face frustratingly devoid of emotion.

Was she mad? Teasing? Better to act neutral but close to apologising. “What? No! It was me talking out loud.”

“How else do you talk?”

Saffron inspected Kirsty’s grey eyes, unable to decipher the tone of the conversation. Christ, the woman could be infuriating, keeping everything bottled up. “Are you giving me a hard time, or have I upset you?”

Kirsty’s easy-going smile, with a pinch of snark, put Saffron at ease. “Just teasing. I promise. What have you been up to since we last saw each other?”

Saffron leaned against one of the dangling strings, nearly losing her balance. Kirsty reached out to prevent Saffron from toppling over.

“Thanks.” Saffron licked some spilled coffee off the back of her hand. “FYI: these are not a good substitute for a wall.”

“Duly noted. It’s good to have you around to test these things out.”

“Glad my stupidity serves a purpose.”

“You made me smile.” Kirsty treated Saffron with another killer one.

“Then it was worth it. You have a lovely smile.”

Kirsty’s eyes dropped to the worn wooden planks under their feet.

“To answer your question, I haven’t been up to much. Unless pottering about my house counts as something.”

“Is that right? You better watch out. That can lead to slowing down and enjoying life. Before you know it, you’ll be strolling the High Street like a local without a care in the world.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Maybe it’s something you can do for a bit, but it’s hard to see Saffron Oliver settling down, not jet setting around the world, filming movies.” Kirsty blinked. “You aren’t wearing a baseball hat.”

“Not needed during the week. It’s only on the weekends when the Down From London types invade. Most around these parts have grown used to me and simply say hi and move on with their lives. It’s so refreshing.” Saffron’s massage therapist would be shocked by the looseness of her shoulders and might not feel needed anymore.

“Is it? You don’t miss people surreptitiously snapping your photo? Or staring with adoring eyes?” Kirsty batted her lashes.

“I’ve told you before that type of attention makes me uncomfortable.”