The previous year Molly and Danny had only been at Cliff Haven for a few days so didn’t do Halloween or Guy Fawkes, but this year was different, so on Monday Molly said
“We need to get the sweets
for Halloween”
So after breakfast they drove
up to Stephenson’s Supermarket in St Pierre to stock up.
On the same day Tree Surgeon
Nathan Baker was also in St Pierre, though much later in the day and for a very
different reason.
He was one of five siblings
in the Baker family, but only two of them were tree surgeons, and they lived
together in St Pierre in a large Victorian house, with rooms over 4 floors
since the substantial loft space had been converted into another bedroom, and
there was also a cellar that was used as the movie/games room.
Their parents had retired to
Spain and left the house to the five children equally, it was built by one of
their ancestors, and was something of a monstrosity, but it was home.
Two of his sisters Vicki and
Morgan had now found new loves and although he was happy for them, it did
remind him of the fact that he didn’t have anyone special himself.
Not
that he didn’t have someone in his sights, because he did and the fact that he
hadn’t done anything about it grated on him.
So
he headed for Beth’s Coffee House which was located on the town square next to
the Church and opposite the Forum Cinema.
There
were no shops around the square anymore, it was virtually all eateries, café
and bars and the cinema and a small theatre, so it was a sort of leisure haven.
When he walked into Beth’s it
wasn’t for the coffee, even though there was nothing wrong with it, he was
there for the person who it was named after, Beth Brine, and he had decided to
ask her out, he had even decided where he wanted to take her.
Which was why, as he was sat
waiting to be served, he was Googling the Forum to see what films were showing.
“Bloody Halloween!” he
exclaimed
“Do you hate Halloween as
well?” Beth asked as she arrived at his table
“Of course I hate Halloween,
why wouldn’t I, why doesn’t everyone, all those ghastly trick or treaters
begging door to door”
He ranted
“And then there are the
implied threats of violence and vandalism” Beth added
He looked at her and raised
his eyebrows and she laughed
“So what upset you about
Halloween?” Beth teased him when she brought his coffee
“Well if you must know I was
going to ask you out to the pictures, but all they have is stupid Halloween
nonsense all week”
“You were going to ask me
out?” Beth asked and she sat down opposite him
“Erm um yes” he replied
“Excellent” she retorted
smugly
While she watched him drink
his coffee she asked
“So what do you normally do
on Halloween when you’re not taking attractive Coffee Shop owners to the
pictures?”
“I normally stay indoors with
the curtains shut and pretend I’m not in” he replied
“Interesting strategy” she
mused
“So why don’t come to my
place and we can have a movie night,” she suggested “Then we can close the
curtains, and pretend not to be in together”
“That sounds like a great
idea” he responded
“I’ll bring the wine and
snacks”
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