Lola was silent.
‘You haven’t, have you?’
‘Not quite. I told him to get rid of her, but he doesn’t seem to have managed that. It’s really shaken me. What if he does choose her?’
‘Uh-uh, not happening, no way.’ Freya shook her head. ‘I’ve not met her, but he is besotted with you. It’s obvious.’
Lola smiled her gratitude at Freya but decided not to explain that Anna was determined to get her little claws back into her man at any cost. ‘Let’s just concentrate on getting this bonfire built and the ritual going well.’
Freya clapped her gloved hands together. ‘Woohoo! That’s more like it! The sooner Steve arrives with the mulled wine, the better.’
‘Oi, you’re meant to be warmed up with the fire and the setting of good intentions, not by half a barrel of rum and some dodgy Shiraz.’ Lola linked her arm through her friends. ‘We all need clear minds to focus on what we wish to manifest.’
They followed Angelo and Tristan onto the beach and once they’d found the perfect position for the fire bowl, started to fill it up with logs before Tristan, Freya and Angelo rushed back to behind the café where the excess wood they’d collected was waiting to be burned. Lola burrowed into her coat and wished she’d squeezed on an extra layer. The air was biting and the fire not yet large enough to take off the chill. She was transfixed as the orange flames licked at the wood and the fire began to tentatively take hold until it was glowing like a beacon to show everyone the way.
When the others returned, they started to feed in the extra wood and for a few moments simply stood watching the bonfire, collectively admiring their work. There was something calming about the crackle of flames against the splash of the waves. Primal, ancient. Lola imagined their ancestors gathered in similar fashion and the thought gave her comfort. She didn’t mind if no one else turned up, if the ritual had poor attendance, standing in front of her solstice fire with three of the people who’d come to mean everything to her over the recent months set peace in her heart. Taking some deep calming breaths, Lola dragged the winter coldness into her body, allowing it to centre her.
‘I hope you’ve all wrapped up warm,’ she said to break the silence.
Tristan waved his thick gloved hands in Lola’s direction as if seeking approval for his attire. ‘If anything I’m starting to feel a bit too warm.’
Angelo patted his coat. ‘Three layers. Freya is the one who’s living dangerously with less. I keep telling her it’s not London out here.’
Freya stuck her tongue out at him. ‘I’ll just have to snuggle up to you if I get too cold, won’t I?’
‘Just save the canoodling until later, please,’ Lola advised them.
Sue was the first attendee to arrive. Wrapped in a furry hat, two hand-knitted scarves and leather gloves, she brimmed with excitement. ‘I’ve never done anything like this before, it makes a change from all the other Christmas stuff.’ She plonked down a picnic bag. ‘I didn’t want to be presumptuous, but I brought some flasks of non-alcoholic mulled punch. We all experienced Steve’s mulled wine back at the carol concert and the rumours he was going to make it stronger had me worried.’
‘It’s all tittle-tattle,’ an old voice dismissed.
Lola turned to see Alf ambling across the sand all bundled up.
‘Alf! You should’ve said you were coming, I’d have got a chair for you.’
‘Pft, I’m almost ninety, not an invalid, you don’t think I can’t stand round a bonfire for half an hour or so?’ He shook his head and Lola knew he was determined to prove to everyone that age was just a number. Still, Tristan took a blanket over to him and a bit of fussing took place until Alf allowed the vicar to wrap it around his shoulders to keep him extra snug.
More people began to gather, some boldly crossing the sand, others approaching more nervously, as if they weren’t too sure what to expect. Lola greeted them all, welcomed them, and pulled the few who had come from outside the village into the local embrace. She noticed Anna, in full fake fur regalia, tiptoeing across the sand, clutching onto her sister’s arm. Tristan was too busy talking to Alf to notice.
Anna came straight over to Lola. ‘Isn’t this romantic,’ she sighed as her eyes began to dart around, looking for Tristan.
Lola fought the urge to tell her to back off.
‘I guess, but it’s not meant to be romantic,’ Lola pointed out. ‘This is a way for us all to feel calmer, more in touch with our inner selves,’ she said, but Anna was only half listening as she scanned the crowd. ‘I’ll be starting soon but there’s a couple of people who I know said they were coming but are yet to arrive. Go and circulate.’
Anna didn’t need to be told twice, she grabbed her sister’s arm and marched her over to Tristan, immediately engaging him in conversation. Hmm .?.?. Lola’s brow furrowed and her hackles rose as she noticed Anna briefly touch his arm as she laughed extra loudly at something he said. Tristan had the good grace to take a step back. As she watched Anna step closer to Tristan, Lola wondered why on earth she hadn’t just told Anna to get lost.
‘Where do you want this?’ Steve caught her attention by dumping something at her feet. He’d invested in an insulated urn to keep the mulled wine warm for the occasion. ‘It’s super strength to get the naked dancing going. I reckon if that fire gets any bigger we’ll all be stripping off.’
Lola rolled her eyes. ‘How many times do I have to tell you there’s no naked dancing, it’s a solstice ritual not a nudist one. But you know, if that’s how you wish to express your gratitude for the year, then by all means go ahead.’
Steve laughed. ‘Let’s see how the evening pans out. Shall I just leave this here or do you want me to start serving?’
‘Leave it there. It’s important to approach the ritual with a clear mind, it’s all about grounding yourself, reaching deep inside and getting in touch with nature.’
Steve looked at her as if she was crazy, which made Lola chuckle. With an affectionate pat on his arm she sent him off in the direction of Alf and then took her place at the fire. Lola scanned the crowd and counted roughly twenty people, which was more than she had expected. She allowed everyone a few moments to greet each other and settle down. When she was sure no one else was coming, she clapped her hands together to get their attention. ‘Welcome everyone. Come on, let’s all sit down, huddle up, it’s going to be cold.’
As people settled onto the blankets they’d brought, the chattering dropped to anticipated whispers until the loudest sounds were the whoosh of the waves and the crackling of the fire. Lola knelt in front of it and fed some more wood to the flames, transfixed by the way they leapt hungrily, taking her time to give gratitude that so many people were supporting her event. Lola paused, glanced around at the gathering and smiled warmly at everyone.
