After Sara Rose had gone, as soon as I could, I went back to waitressing. One weekend, I had a brief visit back to Manchester, where I met up with my old friends who were home for the holidays. If it felt right, I’d tell them what had happened.
We met in a pub in West Didsbury, and at first it was great to see them, all brimming over with excitement about their new lives and aspirations for when they’d finished their courses.
‘So, Mitch,’ said Jo, ‘what happened to your going-to-college plan?’
‘Er … not sure. To tell the truth I’ve been so caught up in London, I didn’t confirm my place and …’ They all looked surprised and it was partly true. College plans had been the last thing on my agenda.
‘I can’t say I blame you,’ said Sara. ‘Must be amazing being there, in the big city. It’s all happening in London, isn’t it?’
‘But don’t you get bored waitressing?’ Ally asked. ‘I mean, wasn’t it meant to be a stopgap year for you?’
‘More than a year now though isn’t it?’ said Jo.
‘It is but I’m … I’m not sure what I want to do any more. I’m not sure there’s much of a long-term future in dancing. A lot—’
‘I can understand that,’ said Jo. ‘I bet there are so many opportunities down in London. I say no harm in waiting, experience the world a bit, then I’m sure you’ll be clearer what direction you want to take.’
As I listened to Jo trying to be supportive in her way, I thought about one of our unspoken rules of friendship – that true friends don’t judge and can trust each other with painful secrets. These were my oldest friends. I could surely confide in them. ‘I er … I’ve been meaning to tell—’ I started.
‘Can’t see you waiting on tables for long,’ Sara interrupted. ‘You’re Michelle Blake, meant for better things. Watch out world, when you do decide what you want to do.’ She put her hand over mine. ‘Whatever it is, I know you’ll be amazing. You are amazing. Always were.’
I felt tears prick the back of my eyes. They were still seeing the old Mitch, but that girl had gone. I felt older than them. I couldn’t tell them about Sara Rose or Jack for fear that I’d break down and cry so, for me, it was an odd and uncomfortable reunion. Had I changed or was it them? Whichever, I didn’t feel I could be honest about the year I’d had, and I went back to my parents’ house later in the evening, feeling that, more than ever, we’d gone our separate ways.
Chapter Fifteen
Sara
2019, January
The Long Lost Friends series was well into development by the New Year, and research had thrown up some interesting results. There was a young and enthusiastic team working on programme possibilities, headed up by lead researcher Lauren Haines, whom Gary had asked to come along to give me an update at the offices. She was a pretty young thing in her twenties, long honey-coloured wavy hair, dressed in jeans, grey T-shirt and pink sparkly Converse sneakers. We met at the production company office in Soho one bright afternoon in February.
‘A few of the celebrities we’d hoped to get, turned us down, not interested,’ she said, ‘but there were enough on board who either liked the idea—’
‘Or want to keep their public profile alive,’ Gary interrupted. ‘First to be confirmed is sports personality and ex-cricketer Simon Redburn for the programme about men’s friendships.’
It was going to be called ‘Let’s Hear It for the Boys’, a look at men’s friendships and how they communicate, how they bond, that sort of thing. Nicholas had told me that when he’d had heart problems and had his stent put in, he’d got to hear about others who’d had the same. They called themselves The Stent Gents, and another, even older group he’d met in cardiac rehab had called themselves The Dicky Tickers, and had bonded over medical problems and gallows humour.
‘Fantastic,’ I said. I’d met him a few times – at six foot four, he was a great handsome hunk of a man. Although retired from sports for many a year, he was a regular on panel shows and fronted a series about fishing.
‘He wants to find his old friend Steve Barnett,’ said Lauren. ‘Hasn’t seen him since university, apparently.’
‘I’ll read you what Simon said,’ said Gary. ‘“Steve was a force to be reckoned with. I met him at university and we were the best of mates. We lost touch when he became hugely successful and travelled all over the world with his business ventures. Curiously, he’s been on my mind of late, so it’s timely that you have suggested a reunion. I’d like to reconnect. I want to know what happened to him. Where is he now? And how has he dealt with what life has thrown at him? Also, I’d like to see if we still connect the way we did. Can’t imagine we wouldn’t, no matter what he’s been through.”’
‘Sounds good to me,’ I said. Simon was a good choice, easy on the eye, charming and articulate, and his friendship sounded straightforward enough.
‘TV gold,’ Gary said. ‘And Simon’s presently single, a widower of four years.’
‘Stop that now, Gary. Nicholas and James are forever trying to pair me off, so I don’t need you on the case too. I am not interested in Simon.’ That was a lie. Who wouldn’t be interested in Simon Redburn? He was extremely attractive on many levels, but I wanted to make my own choices when it came to men and I certainly didn’t want half the production crew watching for a romance when it came to filming with him.
‘Word has got around about the series,’ said Gary. ‘Rhys Logan’s agent has been in touch to say that he’d be very
