Isabel toyed with her glass. ‘It’s hard to explain, but when it comes to some things I can push myself out of my comfort zone, but when it comes to singing that’s strictly relegated to the privacy of the bathroom.’
The smile Rhodri had given her across the table reassured her he wasn’t judging her, so she’d carried on. ‘I never found anything else I was passionate about other than singing, and after I left school, I worked here and there and went out with my friends and had fun.’ She paused before blurting, ‘Then I met Connor. I thought he might be ‘the one’ until I surprised him one night and found him shagging Ashley, one of my best friends. I took off for Australia after that.’
‘I don’t blame you. That’s awful. But you know shit happens, and you move on.’
‘It does, and I did, or I thought I’d put it all behind me while I was away. I mean I’m over Connor; he was an arse and Ashley, well, she was never really my friend. Not if she could do that to me. The thing is I ran into another friend a couple of days after I arrived home. To cut a long story short, she’s getting married, and Ashley is one of her bridesmaids. She asked me if I’d try and patch things up with her so I could be in the bridal party too.’ This time it had been Isabel who shook her head. ‘There’s just no way. I can’t forgive either Connor or Ashley for what they did. If I’m honest, it was a relief to get on the ferry away from all of them, so here I am pulling pints on Wight. Speaking of which,’ she said, getting up from the table and carrying her empty bowl over to the sink. ‘Now you know my life story, I’d better wash this lot up and get back to work.’
Now, with the smell of toast and coffee hovering in the air, Rhodri nodded toward the paper Isabel had spread across the table. ‘It’s not that scintillating surely?’
Isabel realized she’d been staring at a headline emblazoned with the news that a Green Party MP was due to visit the island.
‘No it’s not. I’m away with the fairies, sorry.’ The week had whizzed by thanks to her busy shifts at the Rum Den, and she was just about used to the long hours and late finishes. Her mind before Rhodri’s appearance had been on Constance. She’d decided she’d call in at the shop where she’d brought her herbs and honey and pop in on Constance before she was due at the Rum Den at lunchtime—let Delwyn and Constance know how she’d gotten on with her concoctions.
Rhodri moved toward the kettle, but the bell at the top of the stairs that was connected to the front door rang, signalling somebody had just walked into the gallery. ‘Bugger, I was going to make a cup of tea.’
‘Go. I’ll bring you one down on my way out.’ Isabel raised a smile.
By the time she’d finished getting ready and had taken the tea down to the gallery, it was empty save for Rhodri.
‘It was just a courier.’ He pointed at a box by his feet before taking the mug from her. ‘Thanks for this, just what the doctor ordered. How was last night’s shift?’
Isabel was about to fill him in on her rather uneventful evening at the Rum Den when the door jangling interrupted her. A woman appeared looking impossibly ethereal as she called out hello to them both before gliding toward the counter. She was clutching a Grecian blue bowl, and Isabel couldn’t help but think she looked as though she would kneel down when she got to the counter and make an offering to the Gods. She was blonde and beautiful, and Isabel was instantly reminded of Ashley.
The woman didn’t kneel but rather placed the misshapen bowl on the counter. ‘You left this in the studio Rhodri. I meant to give it to you the other night but forgot. I was passing so I thought I’d drop it in. It’s a bit of a masterpiece.’ She smiled, and her accent made Isabel think of posh parts of Southern England. ‘I’m Nico, Rhodri’s pottery tutor.’
The famous love scene in a movie her mum loved, Ghost flashed before her eyes except instead of Demi and Patrick in the lead roles it was this Ashley impersonator and Rhodri. It took her a second before she saw that the woman was staring at her expectantly.
‘Oh sorry, I’m—’
‘She’s away with the fairies thanks to a late night shift at the Rum Den,’ Rhodri interjected with a laugh. ‘Nico this is my new flatmate, Isabel.’
‘Hi, Nico. Nice to meet you.’
Nico smiled back at her.
‘Thanks for dropping this in. This was my very first attempt,’ he said to Isabel. ‘Pottery is not easy the wheel has a mind of its own.’
‘It’s cute,’ Isabel said, picking up the bowl and pretending not to notice its odd shape. ‘I love the colour.’
‘It’s rubbish, but I can only get better. Right, Nico?’
‘Right.’
Isabel laughed. ‘I remember having a go on a potter’s wheel in art at high school. It was fun getting all messy, but I don’t think I came home with anything worth shouting about.’ Isabel inhaled reminding herself that this woman was not Ashley and to be nice. ‘Where are your classes held, Nico?’
‘I have a little studio at the bottom of my garden, and I’m pretty flexible with whatever works with my students, time wise. You’re welcome to pop along sometime with Rhodri and have a turn. I love your hair by the way.’
‘Oh, thanks and thanks for the offer.
