‘That doesn’t make sense in terms of economics or brand identity, Ron. It will all be packaged as a whole.’ She made the last sentence as firm as she could, so he understood her mind was made up and this was happening.
‘It’s just change for change’s sake,’ he insisted, shaking his head, like he despaired of her. It frustrated her that he couldn’t see this was the better future-proofing strategy. It pushed her to grasp the nettle; if she was going to lose her coach she’d be better off knowing sooner rather than later.
‘I need to know Ron, whether you’re on board. I need to know if you can work for me, and within my plans. I need everyone singing off the same hymn sheet.’ Please say you’ll stay, she willed him. He was a stubborn miserable arse, but she needed him.
Ron slowly downed his tea, taking his own good time and without stopping to answer. Getting up, he looked at her. ‘So now we know what you’re doing and what you need. I’ll have a think about what I need and what I’m doing.’
As he made for the door she stood up. ‘I need your answer by Monday.’
Three days, she thought. Three days she could wait, and three days should be enough.
Only, in three days she might be without a trainer and in three days the gossip could be out that the staff had no faith in her.
*
‘Get you!’ Shelby applauded, when Tiff finished her account.
‘I know,’ Tiff said feeling a weeny bit proud, ‘but I was at full bum-clench trying to stop my legs shaking.’
The pub was buzzing, being a Friday night and Shelby had her eyes firmly set on a lanky chap who was milking the quiz machine.
‘Adrenaline,’ said Shelby, swallowing a third of her Breezer in one swig. ‘That’s good.’
‘Only the atmosphere’s even mardier now. Doubt it’ll improve if he stays.’ It was getting late and while a break from the gym had been great, Tiff was beginning to flag.
‘He’ll stay. And he’ll get used to it.’ Tiff wished she had her friend’s faith. Shelby did her failsafe prolonged gaze at the trivia-genius, who returned it with a wolfish smile. Shelby immediately started pulling her belongings together, dropping her purse into her tote then checking the box of condoms for ample contents. ‘Babe,’ she said, resolute.
‘S’all right,’ Tiff said, not that Shelby had shown any guilt. ‘I’m headed off now, anyway.’
‘Want us to walk you to the hotel?’
Tiff ducked her head into her own bag, looking for her keys, hiding her blush. She still hadn’t told Shelby. ‘Stay and have a drink with him. It’s only a street away. I’ll be fine.’ Conveniently the pub was a street away from both gym and hotel, albeit in different directions, so no actual lies there.
The air was crisp as Tiff stepped out. She pulled her coat around her and started off up the street, head down, thinking about the gym. She was gearing up to implementing her plans. She needed something to show Gavin, but so far hadn’t quite built up the nerve.
Dirty Doc Martens appeared in front of her feet, bringing her up short. He’d appeared out of nowhere and she swore at herself for not being more vigilant. She took a step backwards, but he moved forwards, effectively corralling her towards a side alley. Crap.
‘What do you want, Aaron?’ She tried to steady her voice.
‘You know what I want.’
Tiff hazarded her guess more as a hope; the alternative being too vile to contemplate. ‘The gym?’ She took a quick squiz down the alley; it ended with bins and a brick wall. The glass shards set into the top glinted menacingly at her. Keen to stay close to the illuminated main road, she let him manoeuvre her to the near wall.
‘It should have been mine,’ he snarled. It twisted his mouth in an ugly way.
‘Yeah, you said that before, but I don’t see why?’ She didn’t want him to think she was scared, but the hammering of her heart wasn’t helping.
‘I was family.’ He breathed it right into her face. Jesus, gross.
‘Not much. Blackie and your mum divorced and you weren’t his son.’
Aaron pulled up. He knew she was right. Then a lightbulb appeared to switch on.
‘He said it would be mine.’
Tiff couldn’t hold back her sarcasm. ‘Really?’
‘He said I could have it.’
‘Blackie would never have just said you could have it. It wasn’t a random item. He loved that place. It was everything to him. You don’t know the first thing about how it works.’ She moved to push past him, back to the empty street. He pressed her back.
‘He said it was mine.’ He ground out each word.
‘Strange how no-one else witnessed that, and it wasn’t mentioned in the will.’
‘The will’s wrong.’ If he hadn’t been in her face, Tiff would have been tempted to sigh at him for being such a prat.
‘You didn’t mention it at Leonards’.’
‘I was in shock. And the grief.’ Tiff couldn’t imagine Aaron being shocked at much, such was his sense of superiority. ‘The will’s wrong.’
‘Then take it up with Leonards.’ It was like reasoning with a child. Only a big one, who smelled of beer and BO.
‘That old duffer doesn’t know what Blackie said to me.’
‘Probably because it’s a figment of your imagination.’
‘Blackie wanted me to have it.’
‘And yet he didn’t change his will. I wonder why that was? Oh yeah, because you’re making it up.’ Tiff knew she shouldn’t wind him up, but he was too much of a tosser not to.
His hand slammed into the wall by the side of her face, missing her cheek by a fraction. It stopped any further sass she had brewing. He lowered his face even closer to hers, nose to nose, his rank breath making her do a small sick in her mouth.
‘I. Want. The. Business.’
Tiff tried to subtly swallow her fear.
‘It’s mine,’ she said as bravely as she could muster. ‘Blackie gave it to me.’
‘Then you can give it to me.’ He apparently believed she might comply, prior to hell freezing over.
‘Not going to happen. Not while I’m still breathing.’
Tiff’s chin hurtled upwards as her ponytail was suddenly yanked down her back. She couldn’t hold in her yelp.
‘Be careful what ideas you put in my head, bitch.’ He didn’t let go and the pain in her scalp narrowed Tiff’s focus on how vulnerable she and her exposed throat were. He was bigger, stronger and clearly a psycho. He definitely had that on his side.
Voices grew nearer and Tiff had never been happier to see a bunch of pissed rugby lads, winding their way up the street.
‘Oi oi!’ one shouted spotting them. ‘Get a room.’
The thought of someone assuming she and Aaron were in the alley for a rummage made her stomach turn, but Tiff recognised her opportunity to escape and grabbed it. She pushed him aside with all her might. He gripped her arm, squeezing hard.
‘You don’t want me to get nasty. Sign the business over.’
She yanked her arm free, keen to keep within sight of the rugby lads. She’d rather take her chances with their leeriness than risk another moment with Aaron.
‘Stay away from me and stay away from my club,’ she growled, but it felt more like a plea. And then she walked, as fast as she could, trying to hold her spine straight, her chin up and her tears in.
Chapter 14
‘Seriously, you have to get past this,’ Shelby scolded, wafting her hand at the open tabs on Tiff’s desktop. ‘If you’re going to do this, Tiff, you need to start buying the stuff and spending the money.’
‘But it feels funny,’ Tiff wheedled, ‘It feels like I’m spending someone else’s money.’ No doubt Aaron would agree, not that she was willing to give him much thought. She hadn’t told anyone about their ‘meeting’. Talking about it would give it more validity and she was determined to view it as purely drunken dickheadishness.
Ron would agree about the money too. Blackie had always said it was amazing the di
fference a day could make. Well, two weeks had now passed, and Tiff thought things were still as awkward as hell between them. He’d given her a sullen shrug by way of an agreement to stay, after his three days of thinking.
His staying hadn’t been the encouragement it might have been. She doubted he’d had a change of heart, more a reluctant acceptance. He still didn’t think she was capable. It eroded her self-confidence and underpinned her insecurities. What if he was right? How would she show Gavin what she could do if Ron was right? Those thoughts had stymied her courage, hence Shelby appearing at the gym in bossy mode.
‘It’s your money. The solicitor said so, yes?’
‘Yes,’ Tiff nodded sullenly. She’d double-checked with Leonards again. Twice.
‘Then start spending.’ Shelby gesticulated again at the equipment sites Tiff was resisting. ‘You can’t have a gym without kit. Skipping ropes are not going to cut it, and to be honest those need updating too.’
Another thing on the shopping list then.
Tiff didn’t like shopping. She had once upon a time. She’d loved shopping with her mother, as a child. Davida Trent had always been a sharp-tongued, hard-to-please woman, but when they were shopping, as they did most Saturday afternoons while Tiff’s father played golf, a serenity descended on her. She sailed between shops, buying items briskly and with confidence. Tiff had loved seeing her mother so happy, so entranced. She knew she’d be bought something along the way, but that was secondary. She savoured her mother being… well, nice.
Her father’s disgrace had brought a swift crushing end to all of that. The money wasn’t there anymore of course, but also with the name of Trent being dirt all over town, her mother had hidden away, brooding in the house, pacing like a caged animal, lashing out when Tiff put a foot wrong. Tiff had begged her mother to move to a different town, but she point blank refused. Her family had lived there for centuries. The shame might have driven her in, she said, but it wouldn’t drive her out. Which was all very well, Tiff reflected as she was sent to school and for the groceries, but her mother wasn’t the one on the front line.
Shopping, therefore, had become tainted for Tiff. Sticking with online shopping, which saved her the looks, whispers and nudges, Tiff never developed an extravagant taste – in her head it was part of a lifestyle that lead to disaster. Gradually her shopping needs reduced to only a few work dresses immediately swapped for leggings and a jumper at home. Not glamorous, true, but Tiff had thought she and Gavin were beyond all that.
‘Buy something. Now. Go on, stick something in the basket and keep going.’
‘I’m not doing it online.’ Online was not for purchases of this size in Tiff’s head.
‘Why not?’
‘Blackie would have done it by phone, he liked the personal service. If I’m spending this sort of money, I’m at least going to have the benefit of their customer care and expertise.’
‘You’re feeling out of your depth and want your hand held.’
‘Totally.’
‘Fair enough.’ Shelby nodded and Tiff sighed in relief as she was cut some slack. ‘So make the call. Now. Buy something.’ Shelby drummed her fingers on her crossed arms.
The desk phone rang. Saved by the bell. Picking it up she was met by silence. About to replace the receiver, Shelby stayed her hand.
‘The phone in your hand is the first step. Well done.’ Dammit. ‘Look, we’ll do one together,’ Shelby said kindly, pulling over a chair. ‘What’s an easy one? Not too expensive but essential.’
Tiff handed Shelby the spreadsheet shopping list. She’d printed it off for the satisfaction of striking things through and to procrastinate a little while longer. ‘You look at that while I make some tea.’ She stealthily laid the phone back in its cradle. ‘I need fortification.’
‘Wuss,’ muttered Shelby, perusing the page.
‘Easy for you to say.’ By the time she made it back, Shelby had already circled twenty aerobic steps and twenty roll-up mats, plus added twenty Pilates balls and a stack of stretch bands.
‘How do you know what to get? I’ve never seen you in a gym,’ Tiff asked, alarmed at how easy Shelby was making it look.
‘The library has Men’s Fitness magazines. All this stuff is in the pictures.’
‘Men’s Fitness?’
‘You should see the abs in there. Buff central without being porny. You need a subscription for your new Reception.’ Shelby glanced up from the list at Tiff, who was looking a tad peaky. ‘Look, this is basic stuff. It’ll store easily while everything else arrives. Well, maybe not the balls, but don’t inflate them. Order these now and you’ll know you can do it. Then you can get onto the big stuff when you’re in the swing of it. When did your builder lady say things should be finished?’
‘Three weeks.’ Saying it aloud made it scarier. In three weeks, she’d be ready to start classes – classes, which other than Aerobics and Step, courtesy of Amina’s sister, she didn’t actually have yet.
‘These are the best prices, right?’ Shelby said, scrutinizing the spreadsheet. Shelby was not one for paying full price on anything.
‘Yes,’ Tiff said, rolling her eyes. She’d spent the last few nights trawling the internet. It kept her mind off Gavin. She hadn’t heard from him and she really thought she would have done. His interest in her inheritance was rather crucial to her plan, but on the other hand she supposed it bought her more time; time to get this right so she could wow his socks right off. Meanwhile, keeping busy had forced her heart to move from the incessant pining to a constant dull ache. She didn’t know if that was a win. ‘I’ve picked the quality kit, but I did all the price comparisons. Those three things all come from the same place. See their colour coding? Same colour, same supplier, so I’ll try for a decent discount.’
Shelby totted up all the light blue items. ‘Okie dokie then. That’s more stuff then, but like you say you want the best discount. Get to it.’ She placed the phone to Tiff’s ear and pointed to the list, before settling into her chair with her tea. Twenty minutes later Tiff found herself hanging up, and sweating profusely. Martin the salesman was possibly her new best friend having advised her to start with fifteen mats, balls and steps, based on the space she’d have, whilst convincing her to up the spec on the multigym equipment. She didn’t feel savvy to this part of business yet. Her business purchasing to date had stretched as far as a laptop, bag and Post-it notes. ‘I think he got the better of me.’
‘You’re just used to moving numbers around,’ Shelby soothed, giving her an impromptu shoulder massage. Tiff felt like one of the boxers sitting in the corner of the ring between bouts. ‘You’ll get used to this. You didn’t spend more money than you’d intended, you just adjusted the order.’
‘But the steps…?’
‘Tiff, the classes don’t exist yet, you can make them as big as you like. You aren’t going to fill them straight off anyway, so by the time the classes are getting full, you’ll have a cash flow to cover the extras. It was a sound call,’ she encouraged, ‘And the last thing you want is the multigym being crappy. No-one wants to hurt themselves on substandard kit. That’s a lawsuit right there.’ Tiff didn’t even want to think about that scenario. Pep talk done, Shelby sat herself back down and picked up her copy of heat magazine.
‘Right,’ Tiff agreed, but she didn’t sound too confident. In fact, she thought she might have a panic attack.
‘Breathe, Tiff,’ Shelby didn’t even look up from her magazine, as if this occurred all the time. ‘You’re over-analysing the purchase. It can all be returned, nobody’s died. Well, except Blackie obvs, but he’s in on the plan.’
The phone rang again making her jump. What were the chances it was Martin ringing to say Congratulations, as our thousandth customer you get your entire order for free? He didn’t, as the line was silent again. She really did not need faulty phone issues on top of everything else.
A confirmation email popped up on her computer screen. Martin wasn’t wasting any time. She had
mats, bands, steps and a multigym. And she had balls. She was doing it. She could do this.
She clicked another tab; the company for treadmills, rowing machines and spinning bikes.
‘Go on, Tiff, fill your boots.’ Shelby turned the page on Ryan Gosling. ‘You’ve already done the multigym. That’s like the spine of the equipment. Now you need all the other stuff. In for a penny, in for a pound.’
‘Don’t say that. It’s shed loads of pounds,’ sniped Tiff, ‘and don’t think I don’t know you’re getting off on spending someone else’s money.’
‘Hey! Unfair. If the evil witch would let me spend her money, she’d have a better salon.’
‘And why exactly aren’t you there right now? Tiff asked.
‘Publicity shoot for the local paper. Suddenly Lorraine can haul her sorry arse into the shop and my services aren’t needed for the afternoon. I’m telling you, that woman—’
Tiff shushed her as the call was picked up and she found herself in the hands of equally slick Colin. She’d picked his website based on his being a local independent and his bragging about how competitive his prices were. As well as sorting her a new ring, he tried to convince her he could offer an even better deal if she also took a Pilates reformer machine. Tiff quickly Googled one, thought it looked like some inquisition torture contraption and said she’d save it for the second phase of her acquisitions strategy. Thank god for the hours she’d invested in watching The Apprentice with Gavin.
After that, Tiff had to lie down on the sofa. For once she found its lumps, bumps and protesting springs comforting. Shelby massaging her feet didn’t help much to quell the anxiety.
‘Argh, what am I doing?’ she groaned.
‘Building a business, babes. You need to speculate to accumulate. That’s what Lord Sugar says.’ She gave Tiff a calming pat on the shin. ‘If you’re worried about the money, you should stop paying for the bloody Premiere Lodge and move in at mine while you flat hunt.’
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