‘No,’ I smiled tightly, shuffling closer to the window. ‘No one’s sitting there.’
Jacob was hard to miss as he stood waiting for me at the top of the stairs leading down to the lower promenade. He was wearing an oversized asymmetrical jumper made entirely of mohair or the pelt of some other poor innocent creature, the left side falling further down his ripped white jeans than the right, a line of tiny metal studs trailing down either arm. He tapped the screen of his phone to check the time, the toe of his neon-pink Converse drumming impatiently against the gum-strewn pavement.
‘Hey! Sorry I’m late.’ I grinned apologetically, pulling Jacob in for a hug before he could chastise me for my tardiness. As we pulled apart, he did a double take, his mouth opening as though about to say something, but nothing came out; instead, he silently gawped at me.
‘What?’ I asked, my hand automatically flying to my hair. ‘Is my hair doing that weird static thing?’
Jacob shook his head, mouth still opening and closing as though his brain were trying to remember how to form words. ‘Nope, your hair looks good. Your outfit looks good. Jenny Thompson, you lookhot!’
‘Shhhh!’ I shushed him, my cheeks burning as several headsturned in our direction, eyes travelling down my bare legs. I tugged at the distressed hem of my denim skirt, cursing the bold woman who’d strutted up and down in front of the hallway mirror an hour ago, a certain confidence to her that had abandoned me suddenly.
‘Say cheese.’ The flash of Jacob’s phone took me by surprise as he snapped a picture, a whooshing sound two seconds later confirming he’d already sent it to someone.
‘What are you doing?’ I asked, my cheeks flooding with heat. At this rate I needn’t have bothered with blusher.
‘Just keeping Alice up to speed.’ Jacob shrugged innocently, his phone buzzing in his hand.
‘Is she wearing lipstick??!! Aubergine emoji, tongue emoji, winky face emoji,’ I read over Jacob’s shoulder, rolling my eyes. ‘It’s tinted lip balm actually,’ I said pointedly, rubbing my lips together. Determined to change the subject, I nudged Jacob. ‘Anyway, what about you? I’m loving the outfit. It’s giving me chic but aggressive camel vibes.’
Jacob made a face. ‘I don’t like camels. Anything that can go a week without a drink can’t be trusted. Speaking of drinks, I might die of thirst shortly if we don’t find a beverage.’ Jacob bugged his eyes out and I rolled mine, linking my arm through his as we descended the stairs towards Brighton Music Hall.
In the alfresco venue, people were spilling off the ends of the wooden picnic benches that dotted the sea-facing terrace, all littered with empty beer glasses and perspiring wine coolers that sparkled beneath the festoon lights strung high above. It was still mild, the heat from earlier in the day warming the evening air as jackets lay abandoned on benches, sunburnt shoulders and candy-cane-striped tan lines on full display. Three hollowed-out beach huts on a raised wooden platform formed the stage, a neat row of fully functioning beach huts in cute pastel shades flanking it on either side. The sun shimmeredbehind the stage, ribbons of golden light streaming across an endless horizon of blue.
‘Jenny!Jenny, over here!’
‘Looks like someone’s trying to get your attention.’ Jacob nodded his head in the direction of one of the tables near the front where Jasmine was holding a wine glass aloft, beckoning us over.
‘Oh, that’s Jasmine, Luca’s cousin,’ I said, grabbing Jacob’s hand and navigating a safe path through the crowd.
‘Figures, with those cheekbones. Honestly, what is with the genes in that family?’ Jacob muttered, sounding half-impressed, half-irritated.
‘You made it! Luca said he’d invited you, but he wasn’t sure if you were going to come,’ Jasmine cried as we eventually emerged through a scrum of lads wielding Coronas, jumping to her feet and pulling me in for a hug. ‘And wow, you look a-mazing!’
‘Mhmm, doesn’t she?’ Jacob mumbled under his breath, raising an I-told-you-so eyebrow at me.
‘Well, you’ve only ever seen me in last night’s clothes with crazy bedhead, so I feel like the only way was up.’ I laughed nervously, letting my hair fall in front of my face.
‘Wait, what’s this about last night’s clothes?’ Jacob’s head appeared at my shoulder and I bit my tongue, forgetting I hadn’t told him or Alice about my accidental sleepover at Luca’s.
‘How rude of me. Jasmine, this is Jacob. Jacob, Jasmine,’ I said quickly, thrusting Jacob forwards in the hope that he wouldn’t ask any more questions.
‘I’m the best friend,’ Jacob announced, his hand hovering in the space between them. Jasmine ignored it, placing her tiny hands on his shoulders and planting a kiss on either cheek.
‘I’m the cousin,’ she declared, before producing two glasses of wine as if from nowhere. ‘And the fun one,’ she whispered with awink, pressing them into mine and Jacob’s hands.
‘A girl after my own heart,’ Jacob whooped with delight, raising the glass to his lips and taking a long sip. ‘I like this one, Jenny, we can keep her.’
Jasmine hooted with laughter, several men in the immediate vicinity shamelessly ogling her, not that she noticed. She flicked her long, black hair over one shoulder and gestured for us to sit.
‘I read your article about the community centre the other day,’ Jasmine said, her kohl-lined eyes closing briefly before flashing open with that same intensity that I recognised in Luca. ‘You clearly have a talent for writing, Jenny, just like my cousin.’ She turned and nodded in the direction of the stage. I followed her gaze, my stomach doing a little somersault when I realised that the music I’d been tapping my foot along to was Luca’s. He was stood in the middle of the stage, guitar slung over one shoulder on a worn leather strap, the smile of someone doing what they were born to do stretched wide across his face.
‘You seem to make a great team, you and Luca,’ Jasmine commented, her eyes creasing in a way that made me wonder whether Luca had told her about Joe.
‘Don’t they just,’ Jacob agreed, batting his eyelashes innocently at me across the table. I crossed my ankles, taking a sip of my wine to resist the urge to kick him under the table. If his jeans weren’t dry clean only, he might not have been so lucky.
The evening passed in a rosé-filled blur, the sun dipping further and further behind the horizon before it disappeared altogether. I slowly found myself relaxing, laughter bubbling freely out of me as though it had been contained for too long and was finally spilling over. It was so natural that I couldn’t help but think how different I felt, sat on that uneven wooden bench with a folded-up coaster wedged under one leg. I felt light and almost whole, not weighed down or ripped apart like I had for most of this year.
‘This final song’s for anyone out there who’s ever had their heart broken,’ Luca breathed into the microphone, his fingers picking lightly across the strings of his guitar as he spotted me in the crowd. He blinked, a look of surprise flashing across his face for the briefest of seconds before softening into a smile that made my insides fizz. He held my gaze as he started to sing and I found I couldn’t look away, everything and everyone around me seeming to fade.
