I look around for Jason, but he doesn’t seem to be here. Wise man. He must have come up with a solid excuse because I can’t imagine Lucy letting him off lightly.
Paloma does a supple jog on the spot.
‘Don’t.’ I glare at her. ‘Just don’t.’
She grins. ‘Okay. Keep your hair on. Christ, I wonder what torture Lucy has in store for us.’
We soon find out. After a group session of stretches, led by Olivia, Lucy announces that we’re going to attempt a five-mile run through the lanes around Hart’s End.
‘The route is clearly marked. Just look for the yellow stickers on fences and tree trunks.’ Lucy raises her slightly screechy voice to be heard at the back and I want to put my fingers in my ears. ‘Although if you follow the person in front, you’re not likely to get lost. And it goes without saying, you should all run at your own pace. If you’ve been sticking to our suggested training schedule for the past few weeks, you should be getting into fairly good shape by now.’ She glances at Olivia. ‘We’ve seen a lot of you out running through the village in the evenings and at weekends, so well done! Although I have heard through the grapevine that some of you seem determined to remain couch potatoes.’
A titter goes round the assembled group and there are a few guilty smiles.
‘I’ve heard a few interesting excuses why people haven’t got time to exercise. But being forced to bake cakes all day, every day, is probably the best one.’
Lucy looks ‘jokingly’ in my direction as she says this, and more people laugh. A few who know about me setting up the café turn to grin at me, and my face flushes the colour of pickled beetroot.
Then I catch a familiar eye and wish the ground could swallow me and my blushes right up. Theo Steel is grinning over at me, having clearly got the joke.
‘You know who I’m talking about – Twilight!’ calls Lucy as I grit my teeth. More laughter. ‘But hey, listen, don’t worry about it. Just take it slowly. Even if you have to walk all the way, that’s absolutely fine.’ She’s talking directly to me now, which is so bloody mortifying. ‘Remember, finishing the course is the important thing. All right?’ She cocks her head to the side and smiles at me as if I’m five years old.
‘Fine,’ I mumble.
‘Great!’ She rubs her hands together, murmurs something to Olivia, then announces, ‘Okay, let’s get going. Remember it’s not a race. This way, people!’
‘God, she’s loving this.’ Paloma grins as we set off. ‘Being in charge.’
I curl my lip moodily in the direction of Lucy’s slender form as she runs effortlessly towards the group of trees at the edge of the village green, pursued by her eager band of followers, including Theo Steel near the head of the pack. ‘Why am I doing this?’
‘You’ll be fine. Exercise is a fantastic stress reliever,’ says Paloma. ‘It’ll give you a lift. Help you meet the challenge of your café opening next week head-on.’
‘Hm.’
‘Are you all right?’ she asks a minute later, looking genuinely concerned, and I nod. I’d like to expand on this, but I’ve run about fifty paces and already breathing has become a scarily strenuous effort.
‘Listen, I might … walk a bit,’ I gasp. ‘You … just run on ahead. I don’t … want to hold you up.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes.’ I attempt a grin, although it takes up far too much energy. ‘Go on … bugger off … you’re showing me up.’
She laughs and accelerates off. ‘See you at the finish line,’ she calls, turning to smile then sprinting for the trees.
I want to shout, Yes. A week next Tuesday! But I fear the effort would finish me off. Panting along resignedly, I stare after Paloma.
Lucy, Olivia and Theo have disappeared into the trees, but my heart is going to literally explode out of my chest if I don’t slow down a bit. I keep up the pretence of jogging normally until everyone else has overtaken me – even old Stan, who has dodgy joints and celebrated his ninetieth birthday last week. He gives me a cheery wave as he power walks past.
I come to an abrupt halt then start walking very slowly to get my breath back. It’s my own fault. I should have kept training like Paloma, who’s probably halfway round the course by now. It’s just every time I think of the gym, I remember the look on Theo Steel’s face when I barged into the changing room and I cringe with embarrassment all over again. One thing’s for sure: I definitely haven’t got stamina! I can no longer rely on that stupid myth to get me through. I need to actually get out there and move to get myself fit, and I will. I definitely will. I’m not having bloody Lucy Slater making a show of me again.
For now, though, my aim is to get round this 5k course without expiring in the process.
The route is nicely scenic, winding in and out of the trees by the village green then along country lanes in the direction of Lake Heath. I walk at a brisk pace, keeping my eye on Stan up ahead. He keeps disappearing round a bend and at those moments I start to feel uneasy, wondering if I’ll be doomed to pound the lanes around Hart’s End forever, totally lost, like the conclusion to some weird horror film. Then Stan pops up again in the distance and my panic subsides.
At one point, the route takes us up quite a steep incline, which slows me down a bit. I’m sweaty and out of breath when I get to the top, but it’s worth it for the lovely view over Lake Heath. I’m getting the hang of spotting Lucy’s markers now, on trees and churchyard walls, and a few of the runners who
