‘She was interfering while I was trying to talk to Maddie,’ Joel says in a tiny voice. I almost feel sorry for him.
Nah, only kidding. I don’t feel an ounce of sympathy at all. I’d quite like to see a damp patch growing between his legs, in fact. Where was my sympathy when he broke my heart? When he left me to cancel our wedding on my own and break the news to our family and friends?
‘I think it’s best if you left, don’t you?’ Owen asks and Joel throws me one last look before he scuttles out of the teashop. I grab a chair once he’s out of sight and sink into it. I can’t believe that just happened. I can’t believe Joel turned up here, wanting me back, and I wasn’t tempted. Not even a little bit.
‘Oh, Maddie.’ Mags crouches beside me and throws her arms around me. ‘I had no idea. I wouldn’t have served him if I had.’
‘Do you need me to go after him?’ Owen asks. ‘Rough him up a bit? I don’t know what’s happened but it’d be no trouble.’
This time I am tempted, but I shake my head. ‘Thanks, but I’m okay.’ I kiss Mags’s cheek and squeeze her back. ‘I only came back for some glasses but I ended up getting a blast from the past. But I really am okay. It’s strange, but it’s made everything clearer in my mind.’
‘You’re not going to go after him, are you?’ Mags asks. She’s released me and is standing again. I suspect she’s gearing herself up to block my path should I choose the route of stupidity.
‘Absolutely not.’ I stand up and head behind the counter to grab some glasses. ‘There’s a picnic happening across the road and I’m missing all the fun.’
Chapter Thirty-Five
‘That sounds so romantic. Why can’t I find a guy who’ll take me for a picnic?’ Nicky sighs and shoves half a jam tart into her mouth at once. We’re sitting in the office for a catch-up while the teashop’s quiet. We haven’t had many of these quiet periods since Neal’s article went out a couple of days ago so Nicky and I are cherishing the moment with plenty of tea and cake.
I was up even earlier this morning to start the baking as it’s Mags’s day off and Victoria – bless her – would cause more harm than good if she attempted to boost our products. I’ll no doubt have to have another session in the kitchen later, especially as Nicky and I have heaped a plate with baked goods to aid our gossip.
‘It was romantic,’ I say. ‘Until Joel showed up.’
Nicky eyes widen, her eyebrows jumping up to her hairline. ‘Your best-friend-shagging ex?’
I surreptitiously wipe the jam tart spray from my lap. ‘I wouldn’t necessarily put it that way myself, but yep, that’s the one.’
‘What on God’s green earth did he want?’ Nicky shoves the other half of the jam tart in her mouth and leans in towards me, elbows resting on her lap and ears poised for the hot goss.
‘He said he misses me and we were great together.’ I roll my eyes. I still can’t quite grasp Joel’s motivation after so long, but men can be mysterious creatures. Perhaps he’d simply caught the vibe that I’m ready to move on and wanted to swoop in and remind me what I’d been clinging on to for the past year. The trouble – for Joel, at least – was that his reappearance only reaffirmed my belief that it was time to let go.
‘As though I could forget what he did and get back together with him,’ I say, just in case Nicky was under the impression I’d completely lost my senses.
‘Ugh mar goff.’ Nicky covers her mouth and performs a quick chew-and-swallow of the tart. Being sticky with jam, it isn’t an easy task. ‘What a bellend! And so big-headed of him to expect you to drop everything and swoon just because he so happens to want you back. What did Caleb say?’
‘He wasn’t there. I’d nipped back here for some glasses and there he was, waiting for me.’
‘I hope you told him to jog on.’
‘I didn’t need to.’ I grin at the memory of Joel scarpering like a little weasel. It had been worth the year-long wait. ‘Owen did. And he called Mags his girlfriend.’
Nicky’s shoulders slump. ‘Why can’t I find a guy who’ll call me his girlfriend?’ She grabs a mini brownie bite from the plate and throws it into her mouth.
‘You will, especially now you’re being more picky about the men you date. It may take a bit of time, but the results will be worth it, I promise you.’
‘I hope so.’ Nicky grabs another brownie and chomps it down.
‘So you’ve completely given up on the idea of Neal?’ I ask and Nicky nods her head, though she doesn’t look happy about the decision.
‘He’s just not into me. We’ve flirted a little bit and our little spats are so hot, but he’s never tried to take it any further.’
‘And you’ve never thought of making a move yourself?’ Nicky isn’t shy, especially when it comes to men, but she shakes her head and grabs a third brownie. I’m now thinking the mound of cakes wasn’t such a good idea. I should have added a bit of fresh fruit, at least.
‘There’s no point,’ Nicky says. ‘I’m not Victoria.’ She must be getting full as she tears the brownie in little chunks, only popping one morsel into her mouth at a time.
‘You still think he’s interested in Victoria?’
‘Absolutely. He goes out of his way to come and see her and he’s been helping her out loads. I know men and they don’t pull off the damsel in distress rescue mission unless they want a happily ever after with the girl.’
‘I don’t see it,’ I say as Nicky pops the last of the brownie into her mouth. ‘Yes, he’s been helping her out, but I think he genuinely felt bad about the Nathan interview and when I look at the two of them together, I don’t see any attraction there. They’re mates, but I don’t see anything else happening between them.’
Nicky offers me the last brownie on the plate, but I shake my head. I’ve nibbled at a jam tart but I’m too nervous to eat anything more. This evening is the opening night of The Sweetest Kiss and although I’m doing my best to appear calm and collected on the outside, inside I’m like a washing machine on a fast spin cycle, with my stomach churning round and round like a drum full of damp clothes. With a shrug, Nicky pops the brownie in her mouth, washing it down with a couple of slurps of tea.
‘So, anyway,’ she says once she’s finished, ‘back to the picnic. How did it go after the bellend had run along home? Did you and Caleb kiss?’ She pushes her lips into a pout and makes kissy noises while batting her eyelashes.
I find myself blushing, even though we didn’t actually kiss. ‘Cara was with us. I hardly think we want to share our first kiss with his four-year-old as an audience.’
‘I suppose not,’ Nicky says. ‘This is why I never date men who already have children.’
‘Like you have dating restrictions,’ I tease.
‘I do now,’ Nicky says. ‘I’m picky now, remember?’
‘So what are your picky preferences?’ I ask.
Nicky takes a sip of tea while she considers her answer. ‘He’s got to be older than me. I’ve gone for younger guys before and while they were fun, I’m getting serious now and I want someone more mature. Someone who’s at least thinking about settling down in the near future.’
‘Not Neal then,’ I say. ‘Judging by what he said the other week. Unless you think you’re the one who can tame him …?’
I’m teasing but Nicky avoids eye contact. ‘I’m not talking about Neal. I’ve moved away from that idea.’
‘Of course. Silly me.’
‘I have!’ Nicky insists, but she still won’t look at me.
‘So what else is on your list?’ I ask.
Nicky holds out a hand so she can tick the items off on her fingers. ‘He has to have an interesting job. I don’t want someone with a boring, nine-to-five desk job. And he’s got to be adventurous and up for a laugh. I want to settle down eventually, but that doesn’t mean we have to be miserable and tucked up in bed with cocoa by nine o’clock.’
That actually sounds pretty good to me. I love a mug of cocoa and an early night, especially wh
en I have to be up before the birds to bake.
‘And he can’t still live at home with his parents.’ Nicky pulls a face at the very idea.
‘Nicky,’ I say slowly, ‘you still live at home with your parents.’
‘Exactly!’ Nicky throws her hands up in the air. ‘We need some privacy to do what nature intended hot couples to do, and we can hardly go at it with Mum and Dad in the next room. If he has his own place, we can do it there.’
‘What else?’
‘He has to like animals, especially domesticated ones. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat animals.’
I smile to myself, matching Neal up to all of these points so far.
‘And I know looks shouldn’t be the deciding factor, but I’ve got to be attracted to the guy. I quite like a ginger. I know red-headed blokes have taken a lot of stick over the years, but I think they can be quite sexy. Like Greg Rutherford.’
‘Or Neal Fisher,’ I say, unable to keep a straight face any longer. ‘You do realise you’re basically describing him, don’t you?’
‘I am not,’ Nicky says, but she knows there’s little point in denying it too vehemently. ‘Okay, maybe I am a little bit. But there are loads of guys out there who will match up too. Maybe I’ll find one at The Sweetest Kiss.’
My internal spin cycle speeds up even further and I clutch my stomach as it turns uncomfortably. In nine hours, I’ll find out whether my new business venture is viable and whether all the preparations and costs have been worth it.
There’s a tap at the office door and Victoria pops her head in.
‘Are we busy?’ I ask, already standing up.
‘Nothing I can’t handle,’ she tells me. ‘But I thought I’d let you know that your dad and Birdie are here.’
‘Already?’ I look at my watch, surprised to see how fast the morning is flying by. It seems like we’ve only just ploughed through the breakfast rush but it’s already mid-morning. I’ll need to check our stock levels to make sure we have enough to cover the lunchtime trade, which has picked up dramatically over the past couple of days. I don’t want to run out of cakes and treats and face hordes of hungry customers, so I may need to do a top-up bake beforehand.
‘I’d better be going anyway,’ Nicky says as Victoria slips back into the teashop. ‘I’ve got a facial at quarter past and I haven’t even set up my station yet. I’ll pop by this evening and help you set up if you’d like.’
‘That’d be great.’ I squeeze past a large sack of flour so I can give Nicky a hug. ‘I could also do with some moral support. I’m so nervous.’ I lift up a hand, giggling as it vibrates in front of me.
‘You have nothing to feel nervous about,’ Nicky assures me. ‘It’s going to be great.’
We head out into the teashop, which is ticking along nicely. Dad and Birdie are sitting by the window, with Robbie and his milkshake taking up a second table and a young couple taking a third. There are two shopping-bags-laden women at the counter, chatting away while Victoria pops their cakes into a paper bag. The teashop has a lovely, happy vibe with the radio playing an uplifting song from the nineties while the conversations taking place create a cheery background buzz. It is everything I ever hoped for the teashop and I have to pinch myself to believe it’s finally happening.
‘How do you feel about those two being a couple now you and Caleb are dating?’ Nicky whispers, her eyes falling on Dad and Birdie. Birdie’s face is lit up as Dad regales her with a tale that is making him chuckle.
I’m not entirely comfortable with the situation, if I’m honest. I still think it’s icky and keeping it in the family shouldn’t apply to relationships, but I’m falling for Caleb and I don’t think I could put a stop to it even if I wanted to. I practically bounced out of bed this morning with a smile on my face despite the gruesome hour, and all because I was remembering our picnic the day before. Even Joel’s ill-timed resurface couldn’t put a dampener on the experience. It had been perfect and sweet and fun and everything I’d wish for in a first, super-casual date. Some people may not have been keen on having a four-year-old chaperone, but Cara is delightful and her cute chatter put us both at ease and totally wiped out any pressure the date may otherwise have been weighed down by.
On the other hand, I couldn’t wish Dad and Birdie’s relationship away either. I haven’t seen Dad this content for years and I only hope it lasts and lasts, despite the icky feeling I’m trying hard to ignore.
‘I’m trying not to dwell on it,’ I tell Nicky.
It’s the only thing I can do under the circumstances.
Chapter Thirty-Six
‘What can I get you?’ I ask Dad and Birdie, pen poised over my little notepad as I stand by their table. As if I couldn’t guess. I have a massive apple crumble waiting in the kitchen that I haven’t dared to add to the menu in case it sold out before their arrival. I could perhaps face the wrath of one of them on their own, but as a double act ganging up on me? No chance.
‘Nothing for me just yet,’ Birdie says, scraping back her chair. ‘I’m just dropping your dad off while I go and have my hair seen to.’
This seems to be part of their new ritual; Dad will sit and have a cup of tea while Birdie pops over to the salon and then they enjoy their apple crumble together. I love how they’ve quickly fallen into a companionable routine, as though they’ve known each other for ever.
‘I won’t be long and then I want to hear all about your date with my grandson.’ Birdie winks at me as she passes, chuckling at my shocked face as she steps out of the teashop.
‘How does she know about that?’ I ask Dad as I slip into her vacated seat. News travels fast in Caleb’s family, it seems.
‘Cara told her this morning,’ Dad tells me. ‘Her before-school club was closed due to a leak, so Birdie said she’d take her to school this morning. She told her while they were on the way.’
‘And Birdie told you.’ I look at Dad closely, waiting for the ick factor to register. It doesn’t, which is slightly worrying. ‘Don’t you mind that I’m dating Caleb? Isn’t it a bit weird?’
‘You’re my daughter,’ Dad says. ‘I try not to think too much about your love life.’
There’s the ick factor, displayed fully on both our faces. No father should ever utter those words in relation to his offspring. Love life. Shudder.
‘Cup of tea?’ I ask and Dad nods, grateful for both the offer and the change of subject. I scurry behind the counter, where Victoria is busy serving another new customer.
‘This is such a sweet little place,’ the woman is saying as Victoria grabs a jam tart with a pair of tongs and places it into a paper bag. ‘I never knew it was here until my friend mentioned it yesterday. She said I had to come and try your cakes.’ I want to jump into the air with a raised fist. Yes! Publicity via word of mouth is exactly what we need. Whose word are you most likely to take to heart – those from a loved one or a printed flyer shoved through every other letterbox on your street?
‘Do you do parties?’ the woman asks and Victoria turns to me for the answer. I think about the failed summer party we held a few weeks ago, but decide not to divulge this to the customer. ‘It’s just I was thinking about putting on a princess tea party for my daughter. She’ll be turning six in a few weeks and I was going to have a few of her friends over to the house, but I think somewhere like this would be much nicer. It wouldn’t be anything too elaborate – a bit of bunting, teapots filled with juice, a few sandwiches and cakes. Is that something you could arrange?’
‘Absolutely,’ I say without hesitation. ‘It sounds like a gorgeous party for a little girl.’
Why didn’t I think of offering parties? Princess-themed tea parties, sophisticated hen parties, bake-your-own-cake birthday parties. The possibilities are endless if I put my mind to it. This is definitely another service I’m adding to the website!
I reach under the counter and grab one of the business cards I had printed last year. I ordered a box of five hundred and there are
still over four hundred and ninety left. ‘Why don’t you pop back in when you have more time and we can sit down and discuss it in more detail? If you need to get in touch in the meantime, you can reach me on this number.’ I hand the card over with the bagged jam tart, somehow managing to hold back from giving a happy squeal until she’s paid and left the teashop.
‘It’s finally happening,’ I tell Victoria. ‘The business is finally taking off. All our hard work is going to be worth it.’
‘I’m glad,’ Victoria says. ‘You deserve this.’
I’m about to throw my arms around Victoria, but then I remember who is standing in front of me and how little she would appreciate the fuss. Instead, I make Dad’s cup of tea and sit down with him, filling him in on the potential new custom coming my way.
‘So how did your first official date go?’ I ask once I’ve finished gushing about the teashop.
Dad takes a sip of tea, his cheeks turning pink. ‘Good. I think.’
‘You think?’ It can’t have gone too wrong if they were still an item.
‘We had a nice evening,’ Dad says, bobbing his head up and down. ‘The food was nice. We’re going out again tomorrow.’
‘That’s brilliant.’ I reach across the table and give Dad’s hand a squeeze. ‘I’m happy for you. For both of you. You make a lovely couple.’
‘Steady on,’ Dad says, but he looks pleased.
A tame-haired Birdie returns twenty minutes later and I serve them generous helpings of apple crumble and custard. The teashop has quietened down, so I send Victoria on her break before trade picks up again. I’m in the middle of deciding whether to bake a batch of cupcakes or a rocky road tray bake once she returns when the door swings open and Mum steps hesitantly inside. I see her scan the teashop, her eyes falling on Dad and Birdie’s table, before she inches her way towards the counter.
‘Hello, Mum.’ I try not to sound cold, but I’m still angry with her for taking Penny’s side, as well as falling for Don while she was still married to Dad.
The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts Page 24
