Stirred with Love (17 page)

‘Look, we don’t need to panic yet.’ Kate tried to stay positive. ‘There are nearly five hours until we open. Let me speak to Terry first and see what he can suggest.’

While Lily started to pack things up, Chloe rushed upstairs to get changed. Kate was just finishing on the phone when she dashed back down again. Chloe sat on the bottom step to fasten her laces.

‘What did he say?’ she asked when Kate had been staring into space for a while.

Kate frowned. ‘Oh, that was Lucy. She was ringing to wish us luck before she left for the wedding. Terry’s wife says he’s on his way to Birmingham so I’m not going to try his mobile phone. But Alex has rung me back. He and Tom are on their way.’

‘Whoop-de-do,’ Chloe tried to make light of the situation. ‘It’s Batman and Robin to the rescue.’

Kate smiled. ‘Come on, you. Let’s go and see if Lily’s coping.’

Lily was muttering to herself in the kitchen as she loaded another box with cakes.

‘What was that?’ asked Chloe as she helped her close up the lid.

‘Oh, nothing,’ Lily laughed. ‘I was cursing Bernard. This fiasco must be all his doing.’

‘Oh, look!’ Kate pointed to the ceiling where the light was shining away. In all the commotion they’d missed it. ‘The electricity is back on.’

Lily sighed. ‘Thank goodness for that. Maybe things can become a little less manic now.’

But their good fortune didn’t last as over the next few minutes the electricity went off…then on again…then off again….and stayed off. At ten to eight, they decided that they couldn’t wait around for it to make up its mind.

Alex arrived a few minutes later. ‘Well, what do you know? We only leave you alone for a few hours and look at the state you’re in!’

‘Thank god you’re here,’ said Kate. ‘We don’t know what to do.’

Alex raised his hands. ‘I don’t know why you’re looking at me. I can’t conjure up electricity just like that. But I can try to get you a generator sorted out.’

‘No need, I’ve got one outside,’ a voice said from behind him.

‘Lucy!’ Kate rushed forward. ‘I thought you were on your way to London.’

‘I couldn’t let you down on your big day.’ She threw a thumb over her shoulder. ‘Karl’s outside. Apparently the generator he has won’t run everything but it will do most of it, for a while at least.’

‘That’s so kind of you,’ Lily told her with a huge sigh. ‘Thank you so much.’

‘I’ll go and help him,’ said Alex. ‘There’ll be lots of cable extensions to fit. And Tom’s on his way to the hire shop. I’d better ring him and let him know we might be fixed up.’

‘Where are you going to put it?’ asked Chloe.

‘It’ll have to stay outside on the forecourt.’

 ‘Why? Won’t it fit in the kitchen?’

Alex laughed before shaking his head. ‘I suppose it might, at a push, but have you thought about where the fumes will go? I didn’t know we were supplying smoked sandwiches.’

‘Sandwiches!’ Kate slapped her palm on her forehead. ‘We haven’t even started them yet.’

In a split second, Lucy pulled off her jacket and hung it on the back of the door. ‘I might as well help out while I wait for Karl, but don’t expect me to do anything that involves smell or colour. I’ve just had my nails done yesterday.’

‘Great!’ Chloe handed her a loaf of bread and grabbed Kate’s arm. ‘You can start buttering with Lily while Kate and I get the cakes shared out!’

By nine o’ clock, the cakes had been distributed around to anyone who would take them in. Kate didn’t even have to use persuasion tactics. Everyone was looking forward to the opening and commented that, as they were getting free coffee and cakes, it was the least they could do. Rachel from the tiny bank next to the Co-op lent them a tea urn and Ivy from the chemist said they could use their staff room if they needed to prepare anything. Kate couldn’t stop thanking everyone.

‘Right, I’m off to Harry’s,’ said Chloe, once they had returned to the shop. ‘He says I can use his iron and I’m taking my curling tongs.’

Kate looked on in astonishment. ‘You haven’t ironed your uniform?’

‘Of course I haven’t.’ Chloe shook her head, curls flailing. ‘I only iron things when I need them. How was I supposed to know there’d be no electricity on when I woke up?’

‘But we need you here to help out. There’s so much…’ Kate stopped, and ran a hand through her hair, rebellious at the moment without the means of straightening it. ‘That’s a great idea. Do me a favour, please, Chloe. Run upstairs and fetch my straighteners and take them across too. You know I can’t function if my hair’s a mess.’

Chloe took the stairs two at a time. She had just pushed everything into a carrier bag when her phone rang.

‘Hello, Chloe. How’s it going, today?’

‘Oh, Dad, we’re in a right mess. We’ve had a power cut. The electricity is likely to be off for most of the day. Lucy’s husband, Karl, has loaned us a generator. Kate and I have been taking all the cakes and sandwiches around to the other shops and stashing them in there. It’s only the two streets, you see. Typical we had to be one of them. There’s an underground fault.’

‘Oh dear, I won’t keep you long, then. I just wanted to wish you luck and to see if you’d had any more thoughts about which university you’re going to choose. You know there isn’t long to go before you’re off.’

‘Oh, Dad,’ Chloe sighed loudly. ‘I told you on Sunday, my exam papers are barely dry.’

‘I know that, but every time I speak to you, you seem like you’re settling in there. You sound so excited.’

‘It’s not so much excitement that you can hear in my voice. I’m in a mad panic. If we don’t get on, there’ll be no opening today. And we’ve worked so hard to make sure –’

‘I’m worried that you’re getting too attached.’

‘I’m getting
involved,
Dad. The coffee shop looks fantastic now, far better than I ever imagined it would. You should be proud of what I’ve achieved.’

‘I am, but I’ll be prouder still when you wear your cap and gown. You’ll have better prospects. Just you wait and see.’

Chloe sighed again. ‘I’ve got to go now, Dad,’ she finished off when she knew he wasn’t to be fobbed off. ‘I can’t talk now. I need to help out.’ She paused. ‘Wish me luck then?’

‘Luck? Chloe, you were born under a star.’

Hearing him laugh made Chloe smile, but as she disconnected the call his words echoed through her head. Why did he have to spoil her mood, today of all days?

‘Are you finished in there yet?’ Kate banged on the bathroom door an hour later. ‘Hurry up, will you!’

Chloe appeared within seconds. ‘Keep your knickers on, I’m done. I can’t remember the last time I had a strip down wash at the sink.’

Kate sighed. ‘No shower - I forgot. Was that your Dad I heard you talking to earlier on?’

‘Yep, I’ve only been here for four weeks and already he’s hounding me to leave.’

‘You can’t do that! Not today anyway.’

‘He’s still going on about uni. This job is meant to be a stopgap but I want to have some fun too. And there’s all the customer research to do as well.’

‘Customer research?’ Kate frowned. Lily hadn’t mentioned anything to her.

Chloe rolled her eyes. ‘Keeping an eye on the talent coming into the shop. I’ve got some serious flirting to catch up on.’

Back in her bedroom, Chloe tried to detach herself from the noise, and the smell, caused by the generator. Hopefully, she flicked the light switch but the electricity was still off. She doubted it would return in time for the opening. It was quarter past eleven now.

She stood in the middle of the room, wanting to savour the moment as she examined her reflection in the wardrobe mirror. This was the first time she’d seen her outfit altogether. Black skirt, newly ironed crisp, white shirt topped with black waistcoat, neat black apron practically unnoticeable as it blended in with the skirt, note pad and pencils pushed into its deep pockets out of the way.

Proudly, she fingered the purple and lilac embroidered logo and then pinned on her name badge. Finally, she brushed an imaginary speck of dust off her shoulder, scrutinized her eyeliner, pouted her lips and pronounced herself ready to go.

‘Chloe!’ Alex gestured to her when she joined everyone downstairs. ‘There’s someone here to see you.’

‘Dad!’ Chloe ran into his open arms. ‘But I only spoke to you earlier…you never said you were coming. Is Ben with you?’

Graham released his grip and smiled at his daughter. ‘No, I’ve brought Maddy along with me. She’s just parking the car. Ah, here she is now.’

‘Hello, Chloe,’ said Maddy as she joined them, linking her arm through Graham’s. ‘We thought we’d surprise you.’

‘Hi, Maddy.’ Chloe nodded curtly, at the same time noticing how fresh and youthful she looked in her outfit of dark jeans and a plain red t-shirt. She had her hair tied back from her face in a French plait, her brown eyes not really needing any make up as they sparkled of their own accord. Even her red lipstick was the right shade of young.

Trust her to come and poke her nose in on the opening day, Chloe thought.

She turned back to her father and took his free hand. ‘Have you met everyone?’

‘Not yet. I –’

‘Kate, come and meet my father.’

Kate slid a tray of sandwiches onto the counter alongside the sausage rolls and wiped her hands on a tea towel before going over to them. As she moved closer, she took in how his style of clothes suited his slim build. His checked shirt hung over the top of his jeans, open at the neck, it showed a tanned neckline. Apart from a few lines around his eyes and forehead, nothing about him stated he was in his fifties.

‘Hello, Graham,’ Kate greeted. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you at last. I’ve heard so much about you.’ She turned to the smart looking woman by his side. ‘And you must be Maddy?’

Maddy smiled apologetically as she held out a manicured hand. ‘I suppose you’ve heard a lot about me, too?’

An awkward silence descended. Graham looked at Chloe, his eyes twinkling with mischief. ‘You never told me how beautiful Kate was.’

‘I…I…why, thank you,’ Kate stuttered, feeling her face colour rapidly.

‘The uniform looks great.’ Graham switched his gaze between them and then stopped at Kate. ‘I hear you’ve had a disastrous morning?’

‘Oh, I’m sure everything will work out as planned. We’re starting as we aim to go on, spitting in the face of catastrophe. Can I get you both a coffee?’

Chloe stepped forward. ‘No,
I’ll
do that.’ She dragged her father over to the window seat. Maddy followed behind like a sheep.

Kate left her to it and joined Alex and Tom at the counter, both in white shirts and black trousers. ‘Nice togs,’ she said approvingly. ‘You actually do scrub up well.’

‘But of course,’ said Alex. ‘Would you really expect anything else?’

Kate smiled. Suddenly, as she stood there, with twenty minutes to go, after the mad rush of the morning, there seemed to be a sense of calm in the shop. Whatever could go wrong had gone wrong. With a rush of emotion, she realised that they were still going to open on time.

‘This wasn’t how I’d envisioned the start of our first day in business,’ she said when Chloe came over to them a few minutes later. ‘I do hope the electricity comes on soon. I know we’ll be able to shift all the sandwiches we’ve made but I don’t want anything to –’

Chloe nudged Kate as Lily entered the room. She looked up just in time to see a picture of health in a blue shift dress and matching jacket walk slowly, yet proudly, towards them. Lily pulled the open jacket towards her middle, then let it fall defiantly as she reached them. Low-heeled navy court shoes finished off the outfit, as too the diamante brooch pinned to her collar. Nervously, she reached up to her neck. Fingering the blue and lilac scarf, she smiled hesitantly.

‘Do I look all right?’

Before Kate or Chloe could speak, Alex sighed in dramatic fashion. ‘As beautiful as a real flower, Lily,’ he said.

‘An absolute picture,’ agreed Tom.

Lily beamed. ‘Actually, I hate to admit this to you both, for fear of what comment will come from it, but you look very smart, for a change.’

‘Didn’t we tell you that we loved dressing up?’ Tom gave her a twirl.

‘Yeah, but we look more like James Bond today than what you normally have in mind!’ quipped Alex.

As everyone laughed, Kate signalled to Chloe. ‘Before we open,’ she announced to the room, ‘there’s one thing we’d like to do.’

Chloe took Lily’s hand, walked with her behind the counter and presented her with the photograph she’d shown to her during her first week in Somerley. Kate had managed to find a frame with a lilac insert that complimented the style of the coffee shop, surrounding the picture of them both.

‘We think Bernard should be here too,’ said Chloe.

‘Yes, we thought you could hang it over the mirrored tiles so that you can see him every day,’ said Kate.

Tenderly, Lily ran a finger over the image. Even after all those sleepless nights, she could still remember his every crease and wrinkle, still remember the touch of his hands as he cupped her face. The clean smell after he’d taken a shower.

‘Thank you,’ she managed to say eventually. Before turning back to face them all, she wiped away a lone tear. ‘This means so much to me.’

Kate had tears in her own eyes as Lily tried desperately to compose herself. Her expression gave away just how hard today was going to be and she admired her for the courage she was showing. She was a remarkable lady. Not much like a boss, more like a hen clucking around her chicks. It must have been agony for her not to have her own children, she reflected now. She knew Lily would have been a superb mother.

Lily took a deep breath, anxious to move things along. If she didn’t have to think about Bernard for a while, it would be better. She checked her watch and took a quick glance around the room. Apart from the noise of the generator outside, everything was as it should be.

She looked up at them. ‘Shall we do it then?’

‘You bet!’ Chloe held up her hand for Kate to high five as she walked past. ‘Let’s declare this place open!’

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The grand opening seemed to go as expected after the chaotic start to the day. Chloe ushered Graham and Maddy outside so that the shop would be completely empty. She and Kate held a ribbon across the front of the double doors while Lily cut through it with a pair of scissors. Already a dozen people had congregated on the forecourt. The good old British weather turned and the light rain that had started twenty minutes ago lasted another two minutes before a burst of thunder ushered them all indoors.