Ivy Lane: Autumn: by Cathy Bramley Page A

in food technology and one in IT – were not totally wasted.’
    ‘Mine looks pathetic in comparison,’ said Mia gloomily. She had carved slanting, menacing eyes and a shark-like mouth full of pointed teeth.
    ‘I think it looks well evil,’ said Hayley.
    ‘Really?’ Mia glowed with delight.
    ‘I hope I won’t be penalized for having a small pumpkin,’ I said, frowning at the size of my home-grown one compared to everyone else’s shop-bought monsters. It was too small to risk carving a face into it, so I’d settled for an all-round pattern instead. Cute, but not scary.
    Gemma shot me a sly smile. ‘Seeing as the judge is a certain TV director, I don’t think you need worry. There,’ she sat up and swivelled her pumpkin towards me, ‘what do you think?’
    ‘Very you,’ I said, smiling at its happy face.
    My phone started to ring and I walked to the far side of the kitchen to answer it still smiling; only my mum used the landline, everyone else I knew rang me on my mobile.
    ‘Hi, Mum!’
    Mia and Hayley burst into laughter and I turned to see them trying to balance their pumpkins on their heads. Gemma rolled her eyes at me good-naturedly.
    ‘Tilly, darling! How are you? Goodness, it sounds like you’re having a party!’
    ‘Great, thanks! I’ve got the girls round and actually we’re getting ready for a Hallowe’en party at the allotment tonight.’
    ‘Oh, no men then?’
    ‘Mum!’ I laughed, shaking my head at the disappointment in her voice. I didn’t dare confide in her that with any luck my single days might soon be over; I didn’t want to get her hopes up and I didn’t want to tempt fate either.
    ‘Anyway, how are you?’ I asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from my love life.
    ‘Fine, fine,’ she said dismissively. I could envisage her flapping a free hand at the phone. ‘It’s just that . . . well.’ She paused to clear her throat. ‘Women have . . . certain needs, you know.’
    Oh God. I closed my eyes. I knew she meant well but I could really do without going into this at this precise moment, particularly with Mia and Hayley in the room.
    ‘It’s not healthy to be on your own for too long and sometimes . . .’
    I smiled. Hopefully I wouldn’t be on my own for too much longer. ‘Mum, I appreciate your concern, really.’
    Gemma’s chair scraped on the kitchen tiles as she pushed herself up. She tapped her watch as she caught my eye. Time was ticking on and we still had to get into our fancy dress outfits.
    ‘And you’re right,’ I continued. ‘But could we talk about this later, do you think?’
    ‘Oh. Of course, if you’re too busy . . .’ Mum sighed. ‘But I really did need a chat.’
    My heart sank. Now I felt guilty. ‘I’ll call you again soon, Mum, I promise.’
    ‘All right, darling. Tonight perhaps?’
    ‘Yes, when I get home, if it’s not too late,’ I said.
And if I’m alone
, I added mentally. My stomach fluttered with nerves as I told my mum that I loved her and ended the call.
    At seven o’clock, two witches, a pumpkin and a vampire made our way to Ivy Lane allotments in Gemma’s car. Hayley’s sexy witch outfit would definitely turn heads. No wonder she hadn’t wanted to walk through the streets on her own. My outfit, everyone agreed, was lovely. Call me vain, but I just couldn’t bring myself to look ugly at a fancy dress party, regardless of the theme – not when the man I fancied would be there. I’d opted for a costume entitled ‘cute witch’, comprising purple and pink over-the-knee socks, a similarly coloured hat and a wench-style satin dress with a criss-cross bodice. My pocket-sized pumpkin completed the look perfectly.
    Gemma was already pumpkin-shaped (her words, not mine) and all it had taken was to pull on an orange dress and a green bobble hat and she was ready. Quite frankly, Mia was too scary for my liking; not only had she dressed the part with white face, pointed teeth and a black cape, but she had assumed