The California Club Part 4

'Always burgundy lipstick and little gold hoops in her ears,' I fill in the details. 'Beauty spot just below her left eye.'

'I never noticed that.' Elliot scrunches his brow. 'Like the one on your lip?'

My hand goes to my mouth. He noticed mine!

'I thought she'd be standing here with a clipboard ready to tick us all off.' Elliot pictures the scene.

'Handing out copies of the itinerary ...' I have the same image in my head.

'Does anyone know what she's got planned for us?' Sasha queries.

'She was really vague when I asked her,' I admit, only now realizing how out of character that was. 'She just kept saying she'd tell us when we got here.'

I don't want to say this out loud but I have a suspicion that my impending birthday has got something to do with the secrecy I turn thirty in a few days and there's no way Helen is going to let that milestone go by without a bang. I grin to myself-how fun that it's going to be as much of a surprise for the others as it will be for me. I don't mind what we do, I'm just chuffed that we'll all be doing it together.

No sooner has that thought formed in my head than Elise shoots it down.

'I suppose we'll be doing our own thing most days,' she predicts with an underlying threat. 'I mean, you can't expect six individuals to all be satisfied doing the same things.'

'It's never been a problem before,' Sasha counters, instantly wise to Elise's Elliot-s.n.a.t.c.hing plan.

'Yeah, we have a good time whatever we do,' Zo and I agree, keen to let her know we won't be letting Elliot go without a fight.

'Well, I'm sure we'll meet up in the evenings,' Elise faux-soothes, retreating behind Elliot.

Sasha, Zo and myself exchange a dubious look. She'll never make a musketeer, that one.

Elliot, meanwhile, is oblivious to the tug-of-war going on around him, his mind still on Helen. 'I wonder if she's going to cook for us,' he ponders. 'I've had dreams about her Sunday roasts!'

'Oooooh!' We all go ga-ga at the memory. And not just of the food. We used to have quite a routine going. While Helen set a-basting Elliot would get the papers, then once we'd eaten ourselves silly Sasha would offload the freebie beauty products she'd acquired that week and Zo would apply them to us all, Elliot included, while we read the papers to her. Early evening I'd go down the video shop and choose three movies one comedy, one indie, one cla.s.sic that everyone except me would intermittently kip through.

It was then my job to fill in any gaps in the plot succinctly and evocatively. I loved it! I was the sentry who would not sleep!

'Remember how we'd swear we wouldn't eat another thing all day and then come teatime Helen would get out all those homemade cakes...'

'And now she's doing it as a job!'

'I can't believe she's given up a career in the board room to make cupcakes,' Elliot laughs.

'G.o.d, I know I'd be a complete ball if I was a pastry chef,' Zo groans.

'Is Helen overweight?' Elise perks up.

'Just a regular size 10,' I happily rain on her parade. 'She's actually ideally suited to the job because she never eats dessert.'

'Yeah, she used to cook us these amazing chocolate mousse cakes and never so much as dip her little finger,' Elliot confirms.

'And it's not that she hasn't got a sweet tooth,' Zo chips in, 'she's just got this amazing self-discipline.'

Elise frowns, 'I don't get it. Why would she surround herself with all that temptation? Are you sure she hasn't got some kind of eating disorder?'

'Definitely not,' I shake my head. 'It's only sweets she avoids.'

'And yet she cooks them on a daily basis?' Elise is still struggling with the concept.

'The thing is, she's good at it,' I explain. 'And she likes to bring people pleasure like with us, it was enough just to see the look on our faces when we'd take a bite of her latest creation.'

'That's Helen, isn't it?' Sasha sighs. 'She loves to see her friends happy. I miss her worrying for us and interfering in our lives. It's not the same over email.'

We all concur and then look hopefully for a sign saying Hel's Beau-Belles amid the Mr Esposito and Clark Family cards. Nothing.

'If she's going to be a while, I'm going to the restroom.' Elliot darts off.

Elise watches him until he disappears from view and then tugs at Sasha's peasant sleeve: 'Got any more candy?'

I'm desperate for her to say: 'No, and you should know because you scoffed the last handful!' but of course Sasha's far too pa.s.sive and settles for a simple, 'Sorry, all gone!'

'I don't know where you put it all!' Elise chimes in, before continuing her cadging mission with a request for chewing gum.

'There's a kiosk right there,' I say, pointing behind her.

'Oh, I can wait. I'll get some later.' She dismisses my suggestion until Elliot rejoins us. 'Unless you want something, bunny?'

'What's that?'

'You want some gum?' she coos, pinching his chin.

'That'd be great, I can still taste that burrito from the plane,' he grimaces.

'Can you get me some while you're there?' Elise propels him in the direction of the kiosk.

That woman seems to have a serious aversion to buying anything with her own money.

'Wait! I'll come with you,' I volunteer. 'Anyone else want anything?'

'Just water, sparkling if they've got it,' says Sasha, reaching into her purse.

'That's okay!' I wave her hand away.

'Get us some water too,' Elise calls after Elliot.

Get us some water! What are you two humps, one camel?

Duds. Nips. Tootsie Rolls. American candy sure has some funny names.

'Look at this who are they marketing to with a bar called Big Hunk?'

'Why you as a present for me, of course!' Elliot reasons.

I chuckle then get a stab of nerves. This is my first moment alone with Elliot since The Announcement and I feel I should really say something poignant and congratulatory. I quickly try out a few test runs in my mind but I can't seem to give any sentence that contains the words 'Elise' and 'engagement' a positive spin. There's only one thing for it bravado!

'You're getting married!' I give Elliot what I mean to be a playful punch on the arm but my true feelings turbo-charge my fist.

'Ow!' he yelps, nursing his biceps. 'Yes, I am. Since when did that warrant a.s.sault?'

I laugh along but think to myself: 'When the groom needs some sense knocking into him.'

'So, what do you think?' he asks, turning to me and looking for a second as if my opinion might make a difference.

I look away, not wanting him to read my expression.

'It's disgusting!' I cry.

'What?!' Elliot gasps.

'That gum, it's wintergreen!' I point to the pack he's just picked up.

'It's all the same, isn't it?' Elliot frowns, trying to find the ingredients.

'Tastes like Germolene mixed with minicab air freshener,' I a.s.sure him, grateful for the diversion.

Before Elliot can steer me back on topic Elise barges between us.

'What's taking so long?' she whinges, s.n.a.t.c.hing the gum out of Elliot's hand.

I watch with bemus.e.m.e.nt as she scrumples through the wrapping as if in search of w.i.l.l.y Wonka's golden ticket.

'Lara and I were just talking about the wedding,' he informs her.

'You haven't told her?' Elise halts before the gum reaches her mouth.

'Nooo,' Elliot shakes his head.

'Told me what?' I croak. Can it get any worse?

'Nothing!' they chorus.

I feel uneasy. I can't even begin to imagine the wedding day Elise might have in mind but I suspect the guests would have to supply their own dinner, after 'crowd-funding' her dress.

'Urgh!' Elise spits, mouth shriveling to a shrewish pinch. 'What flavor is this?'

I smile to myself - I think I'm about to acquire a new taste.

We're just heading back to rejoin Sasha and Zo when we're ambushed by a flap of flip-flops and flail of arms. I try to focus but all I can see is a blur of sun-streaked, sea-straggled hair whinnying with glee.

We recoil as one, causing the blonde banshee to cease pogoing. She stands panting and grinning before us, seemingly awaiting a reaction.

I see freckles. New ones her skin has a brown base but strong pink accents as though some rays snuck through sunscreen this very morning and she hasn't had a chance to bronze over them. Her outfit is a tangy selection of citrus brights. She looks s.h.i.+ny and fresh and supernaturally happy.

Elliot is the first to speak, gingerly trying out the word: 'Helen?'

'Come here, you!' She flings her arms around Elliot, squeezing him as if she's trying to pop a beanbag.

We gawp and peer closer, hands reaching out to touch her, as if that might prompt some sensory recognition.

'Is it really you?' I locate her beauty spot amid the freckles.

'Lara!' she cheers, throwing herself at me.

Though semi-obscured by the hood of her top, I see Sasha and Zo approach, exchange an incredulous look, then merge squealing and bouncing into the hug.

Elise just looks confused, as if peeved that she wasn't in on the 'before' shots of the transformation.

'And you must be the future Mrs Harvey!'

Elise takes my smile and smears it over her own face. Helen knows? She knows they're engaged! She must have given her seal of approval, not that she's ever met Elise ... I don't understand. Why would Elliot tell her before the rest of us? And how could Helen have kept such a bombsh.e.l.l to herself? Surely she could have warned me? I watch her take Elise's arm and think, Who is this woman?

'Don't worry, they haven't been playing a trick on you!' Helen comforts Elise. 'I'm not quite the same person I was a year ago.'

'Is that a real tattoo?' I notice the wave motif on her ankle.

'How does that jewel stay on your toe?' Zo magpies in on the twinkles.

'You look amazing!' Elliot speaks for all of us.

'Nearly as blonde as you now, Sash,' Helen smooths Sasha's silky veil.

'And nearly as tanned as me!' Zo giggles, comparing an arm.

Helen takes a deep breath, a.s.sessing us one by one, looking fit to burst. 'So!' she grins, keen eyes sparkling. 'How was the flight?'

'Forget the flight! What's going on with you? What's happened?'

She goes to speak, then checks herself. 'I'll tell you later.'

'Tell us now!' Zo insists.

'I'll tell you over tea,' she negotiates. 'The top of the Jensens' wedding cake got dive-bombed by a seagull so we've got loads of free cake.'

And, just like that, things take a turn for the better.

Chapter 5.