Fern Britton - A Good Catch

Jesse and Mickey were sitting either side of Loveday on the harbour wall. Greer glanced across at Loveday. They were best friends, of course, but Greer felt sorry for her, really. Loveday, with her ample frame, a face full of freckles and her yokelish ways. She was pretending to read Mickey’s palm. ‘Ooh, now, Mickey. You’re going to ’ave three children and a long life.’ With his hand in hers she traced a line across his palm. ‘There may be some unhappiness in your thirties, but you’ll travel to faraway places and live to be an old man.’

‘’Ow old will I be when I die?’

She held his hand up to her face and squinted. ‘At least sixty-five.’

Jesse was getting impatient. ‘Do me now, Loveday. What do you see?’

‘Well now, let’s ’ave a look.’ She held his hand softly in hers and looked into his sea-green eyes. Without looking at his palm she said, ‘I feel you ’ave met the woman you will marry. There’ll be two beautiful boys and you’ll have lots of money.’

Jesse looked down into Loveday’s mischievous green eyes; it took all of his restraint not to reach out to her and kiss her like he longed to.

‘Is that right?’ They held each other’s gaze steadily and, for a moment, Mickey and Greer faded out and it was as if they were alone on the quay.

‘Aye.’ Loveday wanted more than anything for Jesse to kiss her, but not here in front of Mickey. She adored Mickey and he made no bones about his feelings for her. She’d do anything not to break his heart, but Jesse was the boy she loved and he was looking at her now with such a look …

Greer stepped forward from the cold metal railing she’d been leaning against. ‘Let me read yours, Loveday.’

The spell was broken and Jesse pulled away.

Loveday laughed good-naturedly, ‘OK, Greer. What do you see?’ and stretched her hand towards her friend.

Greer had no idea what she ‘saw’ but she said, ‘Hmm. I see you married to a really nice man. I see the initials C and M and …’ She folded Loveday’s hand into a fist and examined the creases that her palm made by her little finger. ‘I see three children.’

Loveday was impressed. ‘Really? I’d love three children. I wish I had brothers and sisters, but when Dad died … Mum would love to have lots of grandchildren.’

Mickey was thinking who they knew whose initials were CM. ‘Who’s this CM bloke?’

‘Dunno,’ said Loveday, thinking that Jesse’s initials were JB.

Greer helped them to figure it out. ‘Well, it might be MC, I suppose.’

Mickey’s face lit up. ‘Those are my initials!’ He looked as pleased as punch and Greer felt, for the second time that evening, a pang of guilt.

‘Read my palm, Greer.’ Jesse opened his hand to her.

She took it happily, touching his warm, dry skin and smoothing her fingertips over the calluses caused from helping his father on the boats.

‘Well, I see a very happy marriage for you and lots of children. Your wife will love you with all her heart.’

‘Can you see any initials?’ Jesse asked. Greer thought for a moment; she knew she couldn’t say her own so she truthfully said, ‘No. I can’t see any letters this time.’

Mickey let out a big laugh and started to play-fight with Jesse. ‘No letters for you! And French letters don’t count.’

Across the harbour car park, the door of the Golden Hind opened and Bryn Clovelly stepped out. He looked across to see where the laughter was coming from.

‘Greer? Is that you?’

‘Yes, Dad.’

‘Come on then. Time you were home. Your mother’ll be mithering me else.’

The pain in Greer’s heart seared again. The last thing she wanted to do was go home now. Why wasn’t she allowed to stay out, like her friends were?

‘I can walk up later.’

‘Get in the car now.’

Greer was far too well behaved to either make a scene or to defy her father, no matter how crestfallen she felt at having to leave. ‘OK, Dad,’ she acquiesced.

She hugged Loveday, who clung onto her dramatically. ‘Bye, Greer, and thanks for helping me get ready tonight.’

‘Night, G,’ said the boys.

‘Night, Mickey, goodnight, Jesse.’

Greer lingered momentarily and cast a meaningful glance at Jesse, but he was looking beyond her and watching her father as he walked towards his new BMW, casually pointing the automatic key fob at it. Four orange lights flickered twice as the car made a beeping sound and the locks clunked open.

‘That’s frickin’ awesome,’ declared Mickey.

‘Gonna get some on the Honda, are you, Mick?’ laughed Jesse.

Greer walked towards the car and heard more laughter from her friends, knowing that they had already closed the gap that she had occupied. She climbed into the car.

Her father started the engine, steering the car away from the harbour towards home. From the depths of the leather front seat, Greer craned her neck to wave at her friends, but they weren’t looking at her now. Loveday was walking on the sharp upturned stones of a low wall and flapping her arms to keep her balance. Jesse went to help her but, to Greer’s satisfaction, Mickey beat him to it.

As both Mickey and Loveday lost their balance and slipped off the wall, Greer couldn’t help but notice Loveday’s ample bum and bosom wobble as she clumsily tried to regain her balance. Greer looked down at her own slim thighs and taut stomach, feeling pleased with what she saw and vowing that she was never, ever going to let herself end up like poor Loveday. But as the threesome slipped out of view, Greer wondered again what it would take to capture Jesse’s undivided attention once and for all.

‘Mickey, you want to come fishing with me tonight? Celebrate the last of the exams?’

Jesse was pulling off his school tie as he walked out of the school gates for the last time. It was a momentous day; along with many others he had finished his final O level, and the occasion was marked by the usual flour and egg fight, ended only when the deputy head raged at the rabble-rousers for covering her car in cake ingredients and escorted them off the school grounds. The long hot summer lay, full of promise, ahead of Jesse.

Mickey shook his head disappointedly. ‘I’ve got to help my dad on the boat.’

Jesse put his arm round his friend. ‘Tell you what, I’ll help you and we’ll go out later.’

‘Would you?’ Mickey said gratefully, picking bits of batter off his shirt.

‘Yeah. Donna at the Spar shop fancies me. She might sell us some tins of cider with our pasties.’

Mickey smiled gratefully at his best and oldest friend. They’d navigated school life pretty well together. Football, detentions and girls. He was still hopelessly in love with Loveday, but she never seemed to take him seriously. He’d found comfort with females who were more than willing.

And now school was over and out. He didn’t have to worry himself with further education. He had no need. He’d been offered a job as deckhand on Our Mermaid , one of the newest boats on the Behenna fleet and skippered by his dad.

Meanwhile, Jesse was being groomed to take over the fleet when his own father eventually retired. He had to start at the bottom, though, and was to be deckhand on The Lobster Pot , the flagship of the fleet, skippered by Edward Behenna himself.

As the boys loped down the hill from school towards the harbour, they heard Loveday’s voice calling to them breathlessly.

‘Boys. Wait up!’ Loveday was galloping towards them, her school skirt covered in flour and rolled up at the waistband to reveal wobbly thighs, her white shirt pulling at the buttons as her bosoms jiggled invitingly with every pace. A little way ahead of her, Greer was jogging effortlessly in her spotless school uniform.