Stirred with Love (24 page)

Kate put a hand to her cheek as she walked across the room. Chloe was right, which had the added affect of making her blush even more.

‘Hi, Will. What can I get you?’

‘I’ll have a regular coffee and a cheese and tomato baguette please. No, actually, could you make that lemonade? It’s so warm today.’

‘It is, isn’t it?’ Kate busied herself writing down his order so that she couldn’t catch his eye, scared she’d blush even more. ‘It’s been a good week again so far but they’ve given out stormy weather for later. How about ice cream to follow?’

‘Sure….and, maybe – maybe I could take you out one night?’

Kate looked up as Will gave her that wonderful smile of his. Oh god, what was she going to do now? Her heart screamed yes, but her head said she wasn’t ready yet.

‘I’m sorry, I can’t,’ she told him.

Will’s smile faded and he started to fidget in his chair. ‘Oh, I…sorry. Just forget I said anything.’

‘No, I don’t mean…It’s just…’ Kate paused. What should she say? How could she get him to understand that it was too soon, yet she desperately wanted to go out with him too? ‘It’s just not perfect timing.’

Will raised his hands. ‘Hey, you don’t have to explain.’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. ‘But if you do change your mind, you can always –’

Kate had stopped listening. As Lily had got to her feet, all signs of colour drained from her face. She held out her arm to steady herself, lunged forwards towards the chair in front and sat down with a thud.

Alf moved to her first. ‘Lily? Are you okay?’

‘I think so.’ Lily put her hand to her forehead, catching Kate’s worried look when she joined the two of them. Will had come over too, although he had the manners to stand a little way back.

‘Really, I’m fine,’ Lily reiterated.

‘But you’ve gone so pale.’

‘It’s nothing that a lie down won’t cure. I’m sure it’ll pass.’

Kate touched Lily’s elbow. ‘I’ll help you to your room.’

‘For goodness’ sake,’ Lily snapped, getting to her feet unaided. ‘I’m not an invalid. I can manage perfectly well by myself.’

Chloe had been out at the bank when Lily had been taken ill. Kate relayed the tale on her return.

‘How is she now?’ Chloe said afterwards.

Kate shrugged and then sighed. ‘Some of her colour has returned but she still looks pale. I’ll take her another drink later. She barely touched the last one.’

Ignoring her protests, Kate had helped Lily to her room where she’d practically collapsed onto her bed. She hadn’t said a word as she’d pulled the duvet back for her to climb into fully clothed.

‘Do you think she’s lost weight?’ asked Chloe.

Kate nodded, worried that Chloe had noticed too.

‘And Alf says she’s doesn’t want to go to bingo with him.’

‘Maybe she doesn’t feel like company all of the time.’

‘But she sits with us night after night.’ Chloe ripped open a bag of pound coins and emptied them into the till. ‘Lily and Rosie are permanent fixtures in the living room. Even when there’s no one there, more likely than not she waits up for us.’

‘She’s been through a rough few months when you think about it, though,’ Kate reasoned. ‘She’s lost her husband and she’s opened the café again. It must have taken a lot out of her.’

Chloe had an idea. ‘Maybe you should try and talk to her. If you don’t pry too much, she might tell you something.’

But Kate shook her head. ‘I’ve tried twice already. She just changes the subject. I’m not sure what to do.’

‘What about having a quiet word with Alf?’

Kate purposely stopped at his table the following afternoon. After much persuasion, Lily had taken a day off to recuperate. Chloe had called on Harry for some magazines and Lily had been banned from entering the shop until tomorrow.

‘Do you think Lily looks a little down in the dumps?’ Kate asked, passing Alf a free piece of sponge cake to enjoy with his coffee.

‘It’s hard to tell. For the life of me, I’ve never been able to work her out. ‘She never lets on how she’s feeling, especially when she isn’t too good. That’s always been her problem.’

Kate pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him. ‘We’re worried about her, Alf.’ She flashed him her best convincing smile. ‘Maybe you could talk to her?’

‘And what makes you think she’ll open her heart to me?’

‘She’s known you longer than us. With Irene away in Australia, you’re one of her closest friends.’

Alf raised his bushy eyebrows. ‘There’s a lot that you don’t know about Lily if you’re asking me as a close friend. You know she thinks a lot of you girls.’

Kate leaned forward so that table eight wouldn’t be able to hear her. ‘I didn’t mean that kind of a friend.’

Alf’s eyes began to twinkle. ‘She’s not interested in any more than friendship,’ he admitted, ‘though I have had some fun trying to persuade her otherwise.’

Kate got to her feet as the front door opened and two women rushed in from the rain shower. Then she sat down again.

‘Go on, please,’ she tried one last time. ‘Please see what’s bothering her. She won’t tell us.’

‘Have you tried hard enough?’

‘How hard is that?’

‘Extremely hard.’

‘I’ve tried a few times, but she changes the subject.’

‘Yes, she’s good at that.’ Pausing to stir his coffee before he spoke again, Alf continued. ‘Let me see what I can do.

‘Although I can’t promise anything,’ he warned quickly when he saw Kate’s face break into a smile.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Another week went by and as darker nights crept in slowly but surely, the clocks due to go back in a few weeks, trade at the coffee shop hadn’t slowed. Instead, Chloe had suggested hot chocolate and marshmallow specials at their last meeting, to start on the first of October. They’d produced flyers to pop on every table to raise a bit of interest.

At the end of her shift that day, Kate thankfully ushered the last two customers out and locked the door behind them. Busy daydreaming as she wiped clean the last two tables, Kate turned as she heard a noise behind her. She knew it wasn’t Chloe as she’d just gone upstairs.

Lily’s heels clicked slowly across the laminate flooring. Made up as immaculately as ever, her hair had been freshly set that morning when she’d popped into Hedworth to run some errands. But for all her radiant beauty, she still had a sad look in her eye.

‘All on your own?’ she asked as she got to Kate’s side.

‘Yes. What brings you down so late?’

‘I came to see how things are going with Chloe and Lucy.’

‘It’s got a little better,’ Kate answered. ‘And tonight will be a tester for them, I suppose. Can you believe I said I’d go out with the two of them on a Friday night? I must be mad. Still, if they bond over a dance and a drink, then it’ll be worth it.’

‘Sounds like fun. I hope it’s going to make things easier for you. I’m well aware that I can’t work as much as I used to.’

‘But we work for you! We enjoy it and we’re a team – well,’ Kate grinned, ‘most of the time we are.’

Lily leaned on the table for support and Kate drew out a chair for her. Lily sat down before continuing, ‘I feel like I’m not doing my share. It’s my business and I’m letting you do all the work.’

‘Isn’t that what you pay us to do?’

Lily smiled. ‘Let me help with the tables then,’ she tried instead. But she realised with a glance around that most of them had already been cleared. ‘By the way, have you decided what to do about Will yet?’

Kate had confided in Lily about her predicament but Lily had talked to her and made her see sense. Will was the first man to show an interest in Kate since she’d separated from Nick. It would have been hard for her, no matter who it was, but Lily said it was worth letting go every now and then, worth taking a chance. She reached into her apron pocket, her hand resting on the business card that Will had given to her. She’d been thinking of texting him all day.

‘Do you know what, Lily? I think I’m going to take a chance and go out with him for a drink. You never know – it might be fun.’ She grinned.

‘Well, the quicker you finish,’ Lily smiled before shooing her away as she got up again, ‘the quicker you can go and call him. Hand me that cloth.’

It had taken Kate an age to get ready before the three of them headed for Hedworth and Heroes Wine Bar. She’d been panicking all night about what the two younger women would be wearing. In the end, she’d chosen the easy way to be cool in dark skinny jeans and a deep orange top that accentuated the tone in her shoulders and upper arms. Still, she felt decidedly old as she watched a girl run along Hedworth High Street, her short, white skirt showing off toned legs, cropped top showing off her waist, blonde hair trailing behind her. The fella she was running towards came forward and twirled her round in his arms, the skirt leaving nothing to the imagination. Embarrassed – or was it jealous – she looked ahead of her, the sky revealing a menacing grey cloud between the buildings as they crossed over the road. At least it wasn’t raining yet.

‘What on earth’s that?’ Kate pointed down to Lucy’s hand, where there was a slither of leather in her palm. Lucy was as slightly dressed as the girl who had run past them earlier, in a denim mini skirt and ankle boots, her chest squashed into a tiny t-shirt.

‘My handbag,’ Lucy grinned. ‘Do you want to see what’s inside it?’

‘Is there room for anything?’

Lucy opened a zip at the side of the tiny black purse and pulled out a lipstick. ‘My key is in there,’ she pointed to another zip ‘and my money is in there. What more do I need?’

Kate gave her a blank look. ‘Hair brush, hair spray, blusher and brush. Mobile phone, credit card for emergencies.’

‘You bring all that with you on a night out?’ Chloe marvelled. ‘No wonder you’re tired at the end of it, with all that weight to haul around.’

‘That’s my summer essentials. There’s more in winter. Spare stockings, umbrella…’

The thud, thud of the lively up-tempo music meant all dialogue had to be suspended as they went into the venue.
Heroes
seemed to be as popular as they’d heard. Not a single inch of floor was left uncovered as they pushed their way to the bar. The drinks flowing freely, half-past eleven came round only too quickly. Kate took no persuading when Chloe suggested going on to a club. Stumbling as they walked to Rembrandts, they tried in vain to keep their hair in some sort of style as the shower that had been forecast turned nasty. Once inside, they flew up two flights of stairs to the first of three dance floors and made their way through the crowds until they found a space.

‘This is terrific,’ Lucy screamed at Kate over the sound of the music. ‘I’ve really enjoyed myself with you two tonight.’

Kate’s face lit up as if she hadn’t seen her in ages, rather than the minute or so it had been. ‘Hiya, Lucy,’ she slurred. ‘Where’ve you been?’

‘To the loo.’

‘Toodle-do?’ Kate laughed.

‘Where’s Chloe?’

Lucy pointed to her right where Chloe was dancing with a man who could really move around the floor. Her hair was being tossed provocatively in every direction as she worked her stuff.

‘Whoops.’ Kate felt herself fall forward again but managed to stay upright. God, she was wasted. She focused on Lucy and, when she could see only one of her, flung one arm around her neck and hugged her fiercely.

‘Whose round is it next?’

Lily switched on her bedside lamp, put on her reading glasses and looked at the clock. It only revealed what she already knew since she’d looked at it five minutes earlier. It was twenty to two in the morning. Even the mug of tea she’d got up to make hadn't settled her.

The girls must be enjoying themselves, she thought, as she propped herself up and punched at her pillows. Kate had told her not to wait up as they’d gone through the door. She could still hear them heading down the stairs, chattering nineteen to the dozen. And then there had been silence.

Aware she wasn’t going to get any more sleep until she knew they were back home safe and sound, she slid her legs round to the side of the bed and pulled herself up. Not knowing what to do next, she parted the curtains and stood staring out into the street.

Where were they? She opened the window but all she heard was the usual noises of the night. Reluctantly, she climbed back into bed.

Finally, three quarters of an hour later, they were home. Lily couldn’t help but smile as she listened to them trying to keep the noise down.

‘Be quiet!’ yelled Kate. ‘You’ll wake Lily.’

‘We are being quiet!’ laughed Lucy as she missed the top stair and fell onto her knees. She lost the grip on her shoes, now in her hands, and they clattered on every step before they reached the bottom. Chloe tried to pull her up straight and instead collapsed in a heap of giggles by her side.

‘Shush!’ cried Kate. ‘You’ll wake the whole street.’

‘Not before you do.’ Lucy slowly got to her feet and balanced hazardously at the top of the stairs before Chloe pulled her arm and she flew forward into the wall.

‘Ow!’

‘Go to bed, you two!’ shouted Kate again. ‘See you tomorrow.’ Her final words as she slammed the bathroom door.

Lily felt herself relax at last. They were noisy but they were safe. And pretty soon they’d be in bed. Then maybe she could get some sleep!

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

The next morning, Kate turned over and flinched as she connected with the pain in her head. Gradually, the clock came into focus and as quick as her body would allow, she dragged herself up. She was late for work – very late.

‘You look like I feel,’ Lucy sympathised when Kate made it downstairs with Rosie in her arms. Lucy had ended up sharing Chloe’s bed and had hardly had a minute’s sleep. Kate remembered something about telling them to quieten down when she’d gone to the bathroom again.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. She placed Rosie onto the floor and attached her lead to her collar. ‘Give me a few minutes and I’ll be back.’

Even the fresh air didn’t do anything to alleviate her headache so, with Rosie settled upstairs again, Kate sat with her head in her hands at the counter as Lucy took care of the small queue of takeaway orders. Chloe came out of the kitchen and purposely wafted a bacon buttie she’d made for herself under Kate’s nose.