by Morgana Best
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think my girlfriend would approve,” Borage replied coolly.
Carl sighed, but didn’t seem too upset.
We followed Borage out of the shop. Carl grabbed my arm and held me back a little. “Narel, I think he likes me!”
“But I don’t think he’s gay,” I said. “He said he has a girlfriend.”
Carl laughed in return. “He has no girlfriend! He made that up. He might have a boyfriend, though.”
I was doubtful. “Are you sure he’s gay?”
Carl nodded. “My gaydar is impeccable.”
I thought it prudent to remain silent. I remembered all the times that Carl’s gaydar had in fact been wrong.
“Don’t be fooled because he was checking you out. He only did it to cover up the fact that he’s gay.” Carl looked thoughtful and rubbed his chin. “He can’t be out of the closet yet.”
“He was looking at me?” I asked. “I didn’t notice that he was looking at me.”
Carl chuckled. “That’s because you’re not used to men looking at you.”
“Yes, I am,” I said. “Kids used to stare at me all the time when I was in school. Don’t you remember?”
“They were staring at you because you were morbidly obese, if you don’t mind me saying so, and you were always stuffing chocolate in your face. On the other hand, this guy was staring at you because he thought you were super hot.” Carl shrugged.
“Surely that’s not right.”
Carl merely laughed. “Anyway, don’t you think he looks a little like Tom Fletcher?”
“Shush!” I said. “He’ll hear you. Yes, he does! Do you think it’s him?”
“Why would he change his name to Borage, of all names?”
I was about to reply, but by now we had caught up to Borage, who was unlocking the door to a store. I thought over what Carl had said. I was used to the males of the species looking at me and laughing. Borage certainly had laughed, but I hadn’t even noticed him looking at me. Of course, Carl was far more experienced than I was in the whole dating area.
And was I ‘super hot’ as Carl had called me? I supposed I was. It certainly was taking a lot of getting used to. I had always had long blonde hair, but then I used to be morbidly obese, as Carl had said. I also used to have a huge, crooked nose, and a big round face, and huge ears that stuck out a very long way to the sides, and well… I’m sure you get the idea. I looked the extreme opposite to a supermodel. However, now I had to admit that I looked pretty good, better than good. The extensive plastic surgery had seen to that. I hadn’t been able to stare at myself in the mirror yet, despite the wisdom of the hospital psychologist who had visited me once a week. Nevertheless, from my quick glances, I knew I still had the same long blonde hair, but now I had a cute little nose, high cheekbones, and a nicely shaped mouth. What’s more, my skin was smooth and glowing. I assumed it was because of all the anti-inflammatories they had packed into me for the last few months. There was not a sign of the deeply acne marked skin I’d had at the time of the car wreck. And now I had a figure to match that face. It was as if the plastic surgeons had free rein to make me look like what I assumed was their idea of the ideal woman.
Come to think of it, in the short time since I had escaped from the hospital, I had noticed men looking at me, but I had paid it no mind at the time. Perhaps they were looking at me because I was attractive, after all. It was certainly something to have to wrap my head around.
I looked up, realizing that Borage was trying to get my attention.
“Sorry, I was a million miles away,” I said, and walked through the door he was holding open for me. I took an instant dislike to the store. It was dark and dingy and had an overly gloomy atmosphere. I couldn’t tell what the store had been before, but it looked as though it had been vacant for quite some time. I tried to remember what it had been. I had a vague recollection that it had been some sort of gift store, and before that, a hairdressing salon. I was still having trouble with my memory, and the doctors had told me that this was likely to be just a temporary thing. Still, I had a very vivid memory of most things that had happened to me in high school. The therapist said it was selective memory. Just remembering what this store had been was making my head hurt.
The next store was even worse, with a very narrow front that nevertheless extended deep out the back. I was beginning to be a bit worried that I wouldn’t find a suitable store. This had been one of two bakeries in town, and had closed down, some time ago by the look of it. The bakery fittings had been removed, but the walls were somewhere between mustard and beige, and there was the smell of damp. I looked up at the high pressed metal ceilings, and although I appreciated that they were an original feature, I did not appreciate the hideous shade of pink in which they were painted. The store wasn’t light enough, and it felt claustrophobic.
I turned to Borage. “I don’t like this one either. It’s a bit depressing. Don’t you have anything that’s nice and light?”
He nodded. “There’s a little one up the other end of town. It used to be a chocolate shop, but in more recent times it was a café.”
“Was that the one that closed only recently?” Carl asked.
“That’s right,” Borage said.
I tried to remember the store so hard that my head actually hurt. I rubbed my temples furiously, but that didn’t help. I remembered the chocolate shop where Guy had humiliated me, but that one had shut down years ago. “When was it a chocolate shop?” I asked Borage.
Carl answered for him. “It started when you were in the hospital, Narel,” he said. “It was only open for about three months.”
Boris shot me a curious look. I expected he wondered why I had been in the hospital for so long. Clearly he was too polite to mention it, as he merely asked if we’d like to see the old chocolate shop now.
“Yes,” I said. “But why did it shut down? That doesn’t bode well for me opening a chocolate shop in the same town.”
Borage hurried to reassure me. “The lady who opened it was married to a farmer, and she only opened on Tuesdays and Thursdays to start with. Then she started opening at various hours at her whim. For example, sometimes she only opened on Saturdays, and sometimes she didn’t open it all through the week. They lived a long way out of town, and if she was busy with the farm, then she just didn’t show up.”
“That’s right,” Carl said. “I often used to buy chocolates from there to send you, Narel, but half the time I went, it wasn’t open. That’s why she didn’t succeed.”
I was relieved. I followed Carl and Borage up the road. I found myself checking out Borage. I had never really looked at attractive men before, not in that way. They were always so far out of my league that staring at them seemed to be an exercise in futility.
My thoughts turned to Tom Fletcher. The Populars in high school had been cruel to me, but to Tom particularly so. The memory of Ridgewell Dugan came to me. He was the reason I was afraid to go to the gym. On one occasion, Ridgewell swapped my shampoo for brown hair dye and when I came out of the showers after gym class, my normally blonde hair was a ghastly shade of brown. Ridgewell told everyone I had turned into a giant chocolate because I ate so much of it. It took at least two months for the color to fade despite me washing it about twenty times the first night. Ridgewell had once swapped the clothes in Tom Fletcher’s gym bag for girls’ clothes. As poor Tom had nothing else to wear, he had come out of the gym shower in girls’ clothes. The principal had been walking past and had given him detention for impersonating a girl.
I wondered if the attractive Borage Fletcher was in fact Tom. High school was over ten years ago, and people’s appearance can change in ten years. I certainly looked different now, but I assumed that Borage hadn’t had a car wreck and had reconstructive surgery on his face.
I had a good vibe about the store as soon as we arrived and stood in front of it. For a start, the best coffee in town was at the café next door. There was good parking outside, unus
ual for this town, and huge glass windows comprised the front. Carl and I followed Borage inside.
“I’ll take it,” I said upon entering. “How much is it again?” I supposed I should’ve asked that question before I said I’d have it, but I had told Borage my price range, and I didn’t think he’d show me anything too much over my budget.
He turned to me with a surprised look on his face. “Don’t you want to look over the whole premises first?”
“Sure.” I said that in order to appear businesslike, but I was going with my gut, and my gut told me that this was the ideal place. It was in the Main Street and all traffic had to pass right by it. It was light and airy, and had a decidedly cheerful feel. I followed Borage into the back room, with Carl traipsing along behind me. The back room was simply a combination office and small kitchen, and there was a long corridor behind which led down to a tiny bathroom. The back door opened onto a lawn which seemed to double as a parking area. At least the grass had been cut recently.
I could really stamp my mark on this place, and I wouldn’t have to rush into doing anything. It seemed to be in good condition and the floorboards had been painted white, as had the walls. I liked the look. It was bright and airy. There was nothing that needed replacing, fixing, or renovating. I had spent so many months in the hospital, and as I started to recover, I had focused on my dream of opening a designer chocolate shop. I had looked through magazine after magazine. This place would do nicely. I was impressed with the size and the character, as well as the location. It seemed just right.
“Well, it’s quite lovely,” Carl said. “You won’t need to do any work on it and you can move straight in.”
“That’s just what I was thinking,” I said. I turned to Borage. “Where do I sign?”
Carl tapped my elbow. “You’re supposed to haggle,” he said in a stage whisper.
“Not with commercial leases,” Borage said. “It’s not like buying something. People don’t usually haggle on commercial leases.”
I spoke before Carl had a chance to. “No, it’s perfect. I love it.”
Borage looked pleased. “Well then, let’s go back to the office. That is, unless you want to see other properties?”
I shook my head. The store was on the small side, but I knew I wouldn’t need a whole lot of space, and this saved on costs. It was also quite a well-visited public location, without being so central that it would be overwhelmed by other stores. It was perfect.
“Let’s go back to my office and sign the paperwork,” Borage said.
“Why don’t I buy us all coffee from this cafe?” Carl said, winking at Borage who shuffled uneasily from one foot to the other.
“I’ve already had five,” I said, “so not for me. Thanks anyway, Carl.”
“Well, I’ll buy you a coffee, Borage,” Carl said insistently.
I stood on the pavement with Borage while Carl went into the café to buy coffees. I took the chance to study Borage a little more closely. Was he Tom Fletcher? He did look similar to him. He was tall and he looked like he worked out. He had the same type of face shape, but I suppose that could be said for many men. Plus, if he was going to change his name from Tom, Carl had a valid point. Why would someone change his name from Tom to Borage?
Tom too had been overweight, and like me, he had been hopeless at sports. I’d had quite a crush on him back in the day. I wondered whatever had become of him.
Carl emerged triumphantly from the café and handed the coffee to Borage, who accepted it, but then snatched his hand away and Carl’s fingers lingered a little too long on his.
Soon I was sitting back in Borage’s office, reading the paperwork before I signed it. I signed the paperwork and duly handed over a security check which amounted to two months’ rent.
Borage said I could start decorating immediately. “We don’t have any problems here such as waiting times, the usual kinds of problems.” He took a sip of coffee and continued. “I know the landowner personally. I know the lease starts in two weeks, but the landlord won’t mind if you start setting up now. I’ll text you as soon I have a chance to talk to him about it, but I think he’d allow you to start setting up today, if you wanted to.”
I was more than a little overwhelmed. This morning I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to find a place to lease, and now I was being told that I could start setting up immediately. I didn’t know how to react, though there was no denying that the premise was exciting.
I’d settled on a store, and it all looked like it was going ahead extremely quickly, though without any problems. My anxiety started to give way to excitement.
Carl sat in his car and patted my shoulder. “Congratulations, Narel! How exciting!”
“Sorry you struck out with Borage, though.”
Carl pulled a face. “I figured it was a long shot, as he didn’t strike me as my type, if you catch my drift. He’s handsome, though.” Carl had said it almost absent-mindedly as he turned the ignition, and it was hard to disagree. Still, I had a lot more on my mind than men at the moment. As a matter of fact, after the whole fiasco with Guy, dating was the last thing I wanted to do.
“Where to?” Carl asked.
“To the center of town!” I declared. “It’s time to do some shopping.” Carl laughed as I said it and drove off.
It was an amazing feeling to know that my business was becoming more than just an idea.
We went to a furniture store first. It occurred to me, again, that I didn’t really know what I was doing. How many tables did I need? What kind? Was there a special kind of wood that was better suited for public spaces? I sighed aloud and decided just to have a look. I didn’t need to buy anything today.
“Do you think this would look good?” Carl asked, pointing to some kind of nightmarish concoction of wood and steel that was labeled as a table. I’d always wondered how such hideous furnishing could be designed in the first place. What was wrong with just a bit of wood with legs on it?
As I wondered about it, I received the text from Borage giving me the go ahead to start furnishing the shop. I couldn’t believe it. “Yes!” I shrieked, grinning broadly.
“Okay, Narel, if you’re sure. I was actually joking, though.” Carl said, shrugging.
“Oh, no, not the table,” I said as quickly as I could. “I got the text! We can start furnishing today.”
Carl cheered and hugged me tightly. “Congratulations! Let’s get food.”
I laughed. As excited as I was to begin decorating the store as soon as possible, I could never deny Carl—or myself—some celebration nourishment. Especially if there would be chocolate involved, and when Carl was around, that was practically a guarantee. We left the store, looking for somewhere to celebrate. I could still scarcely believe it.
Chapter 6
I had made a list of shop fittings while I was in the hospital, and I hoped it would stand me in good stead. The store was quite clean inside, and I was measuring everything so I would know just where to put it. The glass display cabinet I had found online would look wonderful in the front of the store.
I was bending over, wielding the tape measure once more and wishing Carl hadn’t had to work today and could’ve helped me, when two overly posh women entered the store.
“I’m not open yet,” I said, stating the obvious. After all, the store was empty. I did a double take when I recognized them: Lucinda Shaw-Smythe and Mandy Makim. They stared through me blankly, so I figured they hadn’t recognized me. And why would they? I could easily slip into the Federal Witness Protection Program as I looked nothing like my former self.
Lucinda looked down her long pointed nose at me. “And what sort of store will it be? I hope it won’t be another café. The town already has a surplus of those.”
Mandy giggled. I looked at Mandy appraisingly. I had not seen her in years, while I had seen Lucinda on a rare occasion. I had stuck around town, whereas Mandy and Lucinda had left straight after school. Still, there was no mistaking Mandy: the narrow, cold grey ey
es, the haughty expression, the stick thin figure. Had she been wearing green, I would have mistaken her for a praying mantis.
“A chocolate shop,” I said abruptly. “I have a small sign in the window.”
Lucinda waved one hand at me. “I can’t see properly at the moment. I’ve just had my eyelids lifted and it’s affecting my vision. Anyway, there have been chocolate shops in this town and they’ve never succeeded.”
I shrugged, and went back to measuring. That appeared to annoy them, as they walked over to me. “Where are you from?” Lucinda demanded.
“I arrived from Sydney the other day,” I said. That part that was true after all. I had no desire to tell her I was Cocoa Narel. She would find out soon enough, and then all the taunting would begin.
I shuddered as I remembered the cruel pranks that Lucinda and Mandy had played on me in high school. The worst one was when they had set up a fake MySpace account for me. This was, of course, in the days before Facebook. I hadn’t even been on MySpace at the time, yet they took photos of me when I wasn’t looking and put them on MySpace. They had my fake profile saying all sorts of horrible things about the other kids. I had been ostracized even before that, but after the fake MySpace account, all the kids shot me horrible looks. My life had been an utter misery.
Then there was the time that they sent the chemistry teacher roses with a highly suggestive and explicit note pretending to be from me. I had been unable to convince the principal that I’d been set up, and he had given me detention. Lucinda and Mandy had made my life a living hell. Luckily, Mandy had left town and I only had to rub shoulders with Lucinda when she came back to town for opening nights of the art gallery, but even then I always managed to keep out of her way.
I looked up to see Lucinda and Mandy looking me up and down. Was that grudging admiration I could see in their eyes? “It’s a shame you’re not open now,” Lucinda said. “I wanted to buy Mandy something to cheer her up.”
“Why, what’s the matter?” I said automatically, and then instantly wished I hadn’t.
