“Get a room,” Sukie muttered to Katie.
“Or at least a five-bed terrace,” agreed Katie.
Then their attention was seized by Paul, who stood on one of the tables. He tapped his glass with a fork. The room went quiet.
“Cheek,” whispered Sukie to Katie.
“Do you think he’s going to tell his fiancée he cheated on her?” whispered Katie back.
Paul coughed politely until there was complete silence.
“I would just like to say welcome to everyone.”
Katie scanned the room for Dan, but couldn’t find him. She saw Jon though, and if she wasn’t very much mistaken, he looked like a man possessed. As Paul started telling everyone just how much the café meant to him, and how he and his fiancée were delighted to be a part of something so special, Jon brushed past her to Sukie. Sukie was transfixed. As Paul began the tale of how he and Dan’s dream had taken shape, Katie watched as Jon edged his way into Sukie’s private space, bent slowly down so that their breaths mingled and, when he was convinced that he had not misread the signals and that she wasn’t going to run away screaming, kissed her. Katie felt tears well up in her eyes, then she suddenly realized everyone was looking at her. She blinked.
“What?” she asked the room, huffily. “What?”
Everyone laughed. Or rather, everyone had hysterics.
“You see?” laughed Paul. “The rudest waitress I’d ever seen.”
Katie gasped. And then suddenly Dan stood up on the counter, which was higher than the table Paul was standing on. Everyone turned to him.
“But it wasn’t until we properly got to know Katie,” he said, “that we began to learn exactly how much this café depended on her.”
“Yes,” said Paul. “Absolutely. I was—”
“And not just the café,” cut in Dan. He looked down at her. There was silence. “But me too.”
The room sighed as one.
“Katie,” he said. “I absolutely adore you.” He got down on one knee on the counter. The room hushed. “Paul may be my silent partner, but you are, without doubt, my outspoken one.” The audience gasped. “Without you, the café would be nothing.” The audience cheered. “Without you, I would be nothing. I know, without a doubt, that Paul will agree with me when I ask you, Katie Simmonds, please will you do me the honor of becoming my official business partner.”
The audience erupted. Katie couldn’t remember how she got up on to the counter with him, she just remembered being lifted up and then being held tight, while the sound of cheering drowned out her crying.
And finally, their third kiss. Which was a bit of a dark horse, because it overtook the other two and became the instant Best Kiss Ever. Ooh yes, she thought, tears running down her smiling face, as Dan picked her up and squeezed her to him. They just got better and better. She should definitely ask for the best of seven.
Epilogue
KATIE SAT IN THE CORNER OF THE CAFÉ, AN ESPRESSO ON THE TABLE in front of her, while Patsy showed the new boy how to work the coffee machine. Dan was due back from the jeweller’s later this afternoon—he’d insisted that even though they had chosen the ring together, he was the one to pick it up.
She’d waited a long time to open the letter. Great-Aunt Edna’s funeral had been surprisingly serene. It was hard to mourn for someone who had so clearly loved her life. There were no great surprises in the reading of the will and Katie’s share hadn’t amounted to much, just as her mother had predicted. And Katie had been glad. It meant she had no emotion to deal with other than bidding farewell to someone she had grown to love. When the solicitor had handed her the private letter, he had told her, most clearly, that this was not to be opened until she was somewhere that made her happy. That was her Great-Aunt’s wish. And so, here she was.
She tore open the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper.
Katherine Jane,
There are many sayings in this world: Life is not a rehearsal; What doesn’t kill us makes us strong; You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. All I know is that in a world where speed has overtaken sense, where money is all and where feeding one’s soul has become the last priority, you were strong enough to wait until you understood yourself. I did not want you to know the money was safe. I wanted to see if, as I thought, you would make “finding yourself” a priority over money. I wanted you to learn the value of independence, so that you could then appreciate the value of money. But I had no idea that I would learn from you. The more time you took to make your decision, the more I realized you didn’t need anyone to teach you what you knew instinctively. And the more I grew to love you. So I will add another saying that I’m sure you know well: “Good things come to those who wait.” If one is waiting for the right thing, this one is the truest of them all. And I should know, my love, because I waited until you were ready to know me for me, and not just for what I could offer you.
You have a trust fund in your name, my dear.
Be happy. God Bless,
Edna
Which was how, when Paul’s fiancée decided, upon reflection, that she really did need a house with a pool, Katie was only too happy to buy Paul out and become Dan’s partner. In every sense of the word.
Acknowledgments
It is a rare privilege to be able to genuinely thank someone for saving your life. Thank you, Alison Jones, for letting me see this year. Thank you all at 81, especially Marianne, Denise and Caroline, for making my visits as easy as possible.
Thank you, Rosy Daniel, for making Samuel more than just a dream.
Thank you, everyone at the amazing Waiting Rooms café in Palmers Green: Phillip Chard, who created its special, unique atmosphere; thank you, Destina Philippou, who taught me how to make capuccino and didn’t lose her temper when I burnt the toast, and also thanks to Angela Delusu and Nick Green. Please never forget that this is a work of fiction, and the only thing that remotely resembles your café is the sense of fun and friendship at Crichton Brown’s.
Thank you, Corinne Rodriguez, Sarah Sutcliffe and Rob Salter for your insights and anecdotes.
And, as ever, thank you to my fantastic teammates in this team effort: Kate Elton, my editor, who doesn’t let her keen eye and business mind get in the way of her infectious excitement and warm heart. And thank you to all at Random House, especially Georgina Hawtrey-Woore, Rina Gill, Jo Wheatley, Ron Beard, Susan Sandon, Rob Waddington and Faye Brewster.
Thank you, Maggie, for being more than my agent, and all at Ed Victor, for that perfect combination of professionalism and fun.
I am lucky enough to be surrounded by people who make my life a joy. Thank you, as ever, to Andrew, Mum, Dad, Jeremy and Deborah for helping me keep body and soul together. And thank you, Sammy Mark, for helping me keep going.
About the Author
MELISSA NATHAN was born and raised in Hertfordshire and now lives in north London with her husband and son. She was a journalist for ten years before writing novels full time. She is also the author of Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field, The Nanny, and Persuading Annie.
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By Melissa Nathan
THE WAITRESS
PERSUADING ANNIE
THE NANNY
PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND JASMIN FIELD
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE WAITRESS. Copyright © 2004 by Melissa Nathan. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and
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