The Faerie Tree by Jane Cable Page A

didn’t even recognise me.
    A few paces on at the top of the hill I turned left towards Megan’s shop. I wavered again. On the one hand it would be nice to pop in and say hello, but on the other I didn’t want to seem needy. In the end I decided to ask her if she minded me putting up a picture or two in my bedroom – it was a good excuse, anyway.
    As it happened the shop was busy so I slunk away to where the surfboards were lined up along the back wall. A boy of about nine or ten was trying to persuade his mother to buy a full size adult long board; it could be a costly mistake and I found myself asking the lad how much surfing he’d done.
    â€œNone – as yet,” his mother answered. “I’ve booked some lessons for the Easter holidays but he’s adamant he wants his own board.”
    I looked at the boy. “Wow – you sure, dude? Never surfed and you pick the toughest board going? You’ll still be dragging it down the beach when the other guys are catching their first waves.”
    His mouth set into a hard line. “I don’t want a baby’s board.”
    â€œI’m not saying that, but a long board? Jeez – I’d think twice before handling one of those – they’re just too much hard work to be fun.”
    His mother pounced. “What board do you have?”
    My eyes flicked over Megan’s stock. “A real light one. Much more manoeuvrable. I mean, mine’s a bit old now – but something like this?”
    It was lucky I’d been a bit of a gear freak when I was a student surfer. We went through a few boards and the lad finally chose one and I also managed to persuade him into some neoprene gloves – his hands would have frozen otherwise. I felt a bit sheepish taking them to the till and offloading them to Megan to take the money, but she played along with the idea that I worked for her and I drifted off to tidy a pile of sweatshirts.
    There was one more customer then the shop was empty. I turned to Megan. “Sorry if I interfered…”
    â€œIt’s fine – I had half an eye on you and you seemed to know what you were doing. It’s been manic this morning – any chance you can help me out for the rest of the day? I’ll pay you a tenner.” I had nothing else to do so I agreed.
    Which was how I ended up with a part time job in Megan’s shop. She asked me while she drove us home if I’d work Fridays and Saturdays, just until I found something else, and then sheasked me to supper the next night. She was nice, I was lonely, and I ended up saying yes to both.
    It never entered my head she was being anything other than kind. I spent some of my ten pound note on a bottle of wine and we drunk more than half of it before she got around to serving up the fish pie she’d cooked. She told me she’d not long inherited the house and was letting the rooms because it was too big for one person. We talked about Newquay in the summer. We talked about surfing and about the sea. We opened a second bottle of wine but didn’t finish it because one thing led to another and we ended up in bed.
    I’d got out of the habit of drinking so I don’t remember much about our first night together, but I will never forget waking the next morning. The sound of a milk float and a car door slamming in the street. Opening my eyes and for a moment or two not knowing where I was. Looking across at Megan’s hair spread across the pillow and wanting Izzie with a pain so intense that bile filled my throat.
    I rolled over with my back to Megan and curled into a ball. What the hell had I done?
    I didn’t have too long to think about it before the room was filled with Madonna mingling with the seven o’clock pips. Megan reached over me to turn the volume down.
    â€œGood morning, Robin.”
    â€œI’m so sorry, I…”
    Her eyes were above mine, deep lined and almost black. “Regrets,