‹ Prequel: Warmness on the Soul
The Way You Look Tonight
California!
With her newly dyed blonde hair Grace felt Californian again. Being in this alien country was, well, alien to her. Unlike California people were more likely to walk around with a scowl on their faces than a smile and Grace wondered whether the weather really affected people this much. She could see why though, instead of everything being a brilliant sunny yellow, Leith looked grey. It could be the season, Grace supposed but she wasn’t getting her hopes up, life here was hard.
Thanking her cousin, Louise, who happened to be a hairdresser, she left the salon with one of the only smiles she’d smiled since arriving. It wasn’t that Grace wasn’t happy, the exact opposite actually, being with family while she was still grieving really helped her. The thing was though, Grace wasn’t sure what she was grieving for the most. There was the obvious, her father, the gaping hole in her heart still there, no way of being sealed off, but there was also her friends, her mom, her brothers… her Brian. Grace didn’t like to admit she actually missed him. She’d sat with Jen, who she was living with, and their other roommate Ruby, the first couple of nights getting to know each other. When she’d mentioned her situation with Brian, the girls were shocked, they thought she had her head screwed on tighter than that. After showing them pictures of the two of them together and the description of how he made her feel the girls eased up on her a bit. Grace realised however, that he really wasn’t what she needed. What Grace wanted, what she needed, was stability, was someone to love her the way she loved him.
The reason Grace didn’t smile? She didn’t want to stand out. With her glowing tan and newly dyed blonde hair, it wasn’t easy to blend in.
Her work was easy and fun most of the time. Jenny’s friend owned a gay bar, CC Blooms on Leith Walk, neighbouring the famous Edinburgh Playhouse, where Grace had once wanted to act and sing, until she realised her acting skills were nonexistent.
The guy from the airport, Brian, had turned up one night at the bar, he wasn’t a regular, but some of his friends were and they dragged him out to meet the new barmaid who was causing a stir. When he’d seen her he’d exclaimed ‘California!’ and the name stuck.
Grace wasn’t too pleased with him about that, but damn he was cute. She could forgive and forget. Just this once…
Thanking her cousin, Louise, who happened to be a hairdresser, she left the salon with one of the only smiles she’d smiled since arriving. It wasn’t that Grace wasn’t happy, the exact opposite actually, being with family while she was still grieving really helped her. The thing was though, Grace wasn’t sure what she was grieving for the most. There was the obvious, her father, the gaping hole in her heart still there, no way of being sealed off, but there was also her friends, her mom, her brothers… her Brian. Grace didn’t like to admit she actually missed him. She’d sat with Jen, who she was living with, and their other roommate Ruby, the first couple of nights getting to know each other. When she’d mentioned her situation with Brian, the girls were shocked, they thought she had her head screwed on tighter than that. After showing them pictures of the two of them together and the description of how he made her feel the girls eased up on her a bit. Grace realised however, that he really wasn’t what she needed. What Grace wanted, what she needed, was stability, was someone to love her the way she loved him.
The reason Grace didn’t smile? She didn’t want to stand out. With her glowing tan and newly dyed blonde hair, it wasn’t easy to blend in.
Her work was easy and fun most of the time. Jenny’s friend owned a gay bar, CC Blooms on Leith Walk, neighbouring the famous Edinburgh Playhouse, where Grace had once wanted to act and sing, until she realised her acting skills were nonexistent.
The guy from the airport, Brian, had turned up one night at the bar, he wasn’t a regular, but some of his friends were and they dragged him out to meet the new barmaid who was causing a stir. When he’d seen her he’d exclaimed ‘California!’ and the name stuck.
Grace wasn’t too pleased with him about that, but damn he was cute. She could forgive and forget. Just this once…