Page 29 of The Second Chance Supper Club
All dressed up with somewhere to go, Cath walked up the village street carrying a wicker basket filled with six mini-bottles of Babycham (which she’d been delighted to find online) and a hand-tied posy of pink roses from her garden for Nikki.
She felt a little warm in her tall leather boots on this balmy summer’s evening, with her knee-length green-and-red floral dress swishing about her, but looked very much the Seventies part.
She was pretty happy with her new look, but also a little nervous about arriving in this alternative guise.
Was it too much? Mutton dressed as lamb, perhaps?
The knees were out, plus a fair amount of decolletage in this hippie dress, and her hair, well …
Louise, at the hairdresser’s, had performed miracles indeed.
‘Wow, well who do we have here?’ Nikki, in full Abba-style white-and-blue-trimmed kimono plus long blonde wig, stood open-mouthed. And, on her feet, the charity shop white lace-up boots! They’d found their perfect home. ‘Goodness, Cath, you look amazing.’
‘Hah, well I could say the same about you. A real Dancing Queen. Brilliant. And those boots – Kirkton Charity Shop by any chance? They look fantastic on you.’
‘Yes! Come on through. The lads are here, and Lily.’
‘Oh my! Cath, is that you? You look fabulous, darling. And the hair, is that real?’ Dan leaned across to stroke her lovely locks.
‘Has to be, it’s far too good to be a wig …
I love it.’ He was dressed in orange corduroy flares teamed with a black silk shirt, open-necked beneath a hilariously dreadful patterned tank top.
Andreas, who stood beside him, had gone full ‘Magnum Pi’ Tom Selleck style, his naturally dark hair in a bouffant, and a bushy fake moustache in place, above flared denim trousers and a Hawaiian-style red floral shirt.
It made Cath chuckle seeing the pair of them.
Cath’s hair had indeed gone from hanging in a shaggy greying mop to a wavy shoulder-length bob that was now a glossy mid-brown shade.
It might need a bit of root work doing now and again to keep it in order, but she felt so much more like her old self that it’d be more than worth it.
The colourist at the salon had advised that full brunette might be a step too far, but a mid-brown with some lighter tones through it would be ‘a gorgeous and more natural-looking alternative’.
‘Drinks anyone? I’ve made a jug of Blue Lagoon cocktail. Or there’s a G some of the lads sporting football trophies, a holiday snap of them all in Tenerife.
And there was a wedding photo of Nikki and Kevin stood outside Tilldale’s village church, both looking extremely young.
Nikki caught Cath’s gaze. ‘Yep, that’s us pair on our wedding day. And look at Kev with a full head of hair – his brown locks have receded these past few years, he’s now sporting a buzz cut.’
They were frames filled with love, and tales of a busy family life.
‘Lads, I’ve got you two at the far side. Lily, you’re that end, Will and Cath over here, and I’ll take the other table end for easy access to the kitchen.’
Nikki might not be saying a thing but the cheeky look in her eye told Cath that the table seating was by design.
Cath took a breath and settled herself beside Will.
The table wasn’t the biggest, so they found themselves sitting quite snugly side by side.
If she moved an inch her thigh would in fact be brushing his, she realised, feeling the heat rise through her at the mere thought.
She swiftly poured herself a glass of water, taking a cooling glug.
‘Oh, I may as well serve the Babycham at this point,’ said Nikki. ‘Lily, before you sit down, petal, could you help get the Prosecco flutes? Top right-hand cupboard, above the kettle. Thanks.’
Soon, everyone had one of Cath’s individual bottles before them, and they all unscrewed the tops at virtually the same time, with a hearty ‘Cheers.’
‘It’s a shame I haven’t got the proper little glasses.’
‘Ah yes, those circular low-sided ones with the little deer on.’ Cath remembered them well.