The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

by Alison Sherlock

  ‘Do you want me to carry the box home for you?’ asked Amber.

  But Grandma Tilly shook her head and held up her shopping bag. ‘Fill her up, love.’

  After she had enjoyed her hot chocolate, Amber and Grandma Tilly watched a tutorial on YouTube about how to knit a pumpkin.

  ‘It should be easy enough,’ said Grandma Tilly.

  Amber thought that perhaps she had a bit more of a spring in her step as she left.

  Later on, Amber cut out bat silhouettes on some black card that she had found hidden in one of the boxes. She then hung them on some black string and lay them across the tops of the windows.

  ‘Nice,’ said Josh, nodding his approval.

  ‘I didn’t want to go too mad because some older people are a bit funny about Halloween,’ she said.

  ‘You’ve done really well,’ he told her.

  ‘Even the tractor?’ she asked.

  ‘Don’t push it,’ he said, grinning.

  Amber found she was also smiling as she went to refill the water in the machine, still somewhat amazed that her idea had not only been addressed but had also appeared to work. It had definitely drawn in the newspaper workers next door.

  Maybe, just maybe, the plan to redesign their shop would help.

  Their shop. She whispered it to herself as if it were a secret that only she knew. But each and every day it felt as if she were becoming a joint owner with Josh. Little by little, their lives were being entwined by the shop and she realised she liked that they were becoming closer day by day.

  26

  On the day before Halloween, Amber found herself run off her feet with customers dashing in for either pumpkins or sweets. Thankfully, they had plenty of both to keep everyone stocked up ready for the trick or treating the following evening.

  Even the pub landlord, Mike, came in, looking for bread rolls.

  ‘I’m doing a BBQ,’ he told Amber. ‘I’ve got some meat that needs using up from the freezer that’s defrosted.’

  She managed to stop herself shuddering just in time.

  ‘See you tonight!’ said Mike, giving Josh a wave as he left. ‘Don’t forget! The burgers will only be two quid!’

  ‘What was that about?’ asked Josh.

  ‘Possible food poisoning,’ Amber told him. ‘He’s got some kind of meat he wants to use up for a BBQ.’

  Josh grimaced. ‘Well, that sounds like a horror story that we don’t want to be a part of.’

  Amber thought how nice it was to be a ‘we’. Even though he was just talking generally, it gave her a warm feeling to be part of something.

  ‘Talking of BBQs, did you see the photo of our mums?’ asked Josh.

  Amber smiled and nodded. Her mum had sent them a photo of both her and Cathy grinning madly and looking thrilled to be together at last.

  ‘They looked so happy,’ she said.

  ‘Not sure how long it’ll be until Mum decides to head back,’ said Josh, looking at Amber. ‘Is that OK with you?’

  ‘It’s fine,’ she told him, to his obvious relief.

  Better than fine, she told herself in secret. She wasn’t quite ready to leave Cranbridge yet.

  Later on, once the shop was finally closed, she dashed upstairs to try on the black dress that Molly had leant her. Amber had only packed her casual clothes; her smarter dresses were still en route to New Zealand. So she had had to borrow from Molly, who was going to the party dressed as a Hogwarts student as apparently her little brother had plenty of Gryffindor scarves and so on. She had also leant Amber her spare witch’s hat. The trouble was that Molly was a lot shorter than Amber and consequently her dress barely reached the middle of her thighs. It was also very clingy.

  Amber peered at her reflection in the tiny dressing table mirror, swinging around left and right. ‘No visible panty line at least,’ she murmured.

  And some black tights covered the acreage of bare skin that the dress was revealing.

  ‘Oh well,’ she said to her own reflection, popping the witch’s hat on top of her long hair, which she was wearing loose. ‘At least it’s dark outside. It’ll just have to do.’

  For a second she hesitated. What if people laughed at her? What if they were mean and laughed behind her back? The old feeling of being an outsider came rushing back.

  She tried to take some deep breaths, reminding herself that Belle and Molly weren’t like that. But she was still feeling sick with nerves as she walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs.

  Josh was waiting in the shop for Amber so that they could walk over to the pub together.

  Hearing her come down the stairs in what sounded like heels as opposed to her normal trainers, he began to switch off the lights inside the shop.

  He flipped over the sign from Open to Closed and spun around just as he heard Amber come into the shop.

  He had been about to say something, but the words and all coherent thoughts flew from his mind instantly.

  With the light of the storeroom behind her, Amber was silhouetted in the dark. He found himself staring and couldn’t stop. He had a flashback to when she was standing in the middle of the shop in just a towel. Now she was fully dressed, he was even more mesmerised by her long legs. Her body was also looking far curvier than he remembered, with the dress clinging tightly to every inch.

  She walked into the shop, every step in her high heels emphasising her outfit.

  ‘So, do I look scary enough?’ she asked, fiddling with her witch’s hat nervously. Her smile faltered as she looked at his expression.

  ‘Of course!’ he told her, quickly. ‘You look great.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said, her voice filled with uncertainty. ‘Maybe I should get changed.’

  ‘You look fine,’ he said, his voice suddenly hoarse. ‘Let’s go.’

  He felt in a daze as they headed outside and hoped the cool night air might bring him to his senses. But as they walked across the bridge, she wobbled in her high heels and he found himself wrapping an arm around her waist so that she didn’t fall in the river.

  ‘As long as I don’t take you with me as well,’ she said, giggling a nervous laugh.

  He tried to join in with her soft laughter, but it caught in his throat. All he could think about was the feel of her warm skin through the cotton dress and the curve of her waist as he held her.

  Finally after what felt like hours, he let go of her to open the door of the pub.

  A series of wolf whistles rang out, at which point Amber bit her lip. Didn’t she realise that just made her look even sexier? thought Josh.

  ‘You look amazing,’ said Molly, coming up to them and smiling. She was wearing a long Hogwarts cloak and had drawn a lightning bolt on her forehead with eyeliner.

  ‘It’s a bit short,’ murmured Amber, tugging at the hem of the dress.

  ‘Who cares? You’ve got the legs for it,’ said Molly, putting on a pair of fake glasses. ‘Anyway, have some of Mike’s special punch and that’ll calm your nerves.’

  ‘Special punch?’ asked Josh, sensing that everyone’s eyes were on them. Or, more specifically, Amber.

  ‘I don’t know what’s in it,’ Molly told them, making a face. ‘It’s pretty disgusting, but after a couple of glasses you lose all feeling in your tongue so you don’t care!’

  She giggled and dragged Amber away to a nearby table, where Belle was pouring out drinks from the punch bowl. Belle was also dressed in a black dress and witch’s hat, but for some reason, it didn’t have quite the same effect on him as Amber’s outfit did.

  Josh watched them for a second before heading to the bar.

  ‘Pint,’ he croaked.

  ‘Wise choice,’ said Tom, who was sitting by the pillar. ‘That punch could strip paint off the walls. Although the wallpaper in here appears to be doing that all by itself.’

  Josh nodded and immediately took a sip of the beer that Mike had just handed over. He turned around to lean his back against the bar and looked over at Amber. He wasn’t the only one
, he realised. Nearly every red-blooded male in the room was looking at her, Molly and Belle.

  Josh glanced over to Tom, who was also looking to where the women stood, nodding thoughtfully to himself.

  ‘Well, you know what they say, it’s always the quiet ones,’ said Tom, before draining half of his drink in one go.

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Josh.

  ‘Sweet, quiet Amber turning up looking like a supermodel in that dress and living it up.’

  Josh grunted. She certainly looked amazing and he couldn’t understand why it rattled him so much.

  ‘Chances are she won’t stay single for long in that outfit,’ carried on Tom. ‘Perhaps I should have asked her out after all.’

  Josh was horrified. ‘No!’ he found himself blurting out.

  Tom looked at him, amazed.

  Josh sighed and cleared his throat. ‘Please don’t,’ he found himself pleading. ‘Just don’t.’

  He didn’t know why it felt so necessary that Tom didn’t date Amber, but he just couldn’t bear the thought.

  Tom raised his eyebrows at him in question before understanding crossed his face. ‘Ah. I get it.’ He nodded. ‘Hey, no worries. Anyway, I’m much too cynical and miserable for anyone as sweet as your lovely Amber to be interested in. There’s far too much anger and hate in my heart for my ex-wife to fit in someone as nice as Amber.’ He took another drink. ‘Thankfully the call isn’t mine to make as she’s far more interested in you instead.’

  Josh gave a start. ‘How do you make that out?’

  ‘I know people,’ said Tom, with a shrug. ‘It’s my job. And trust me when I tell you that girl likes you.’

  Josh turned to look once more at Amber when Tom spoke again.

  ‘A word of advice, friend. Blondes are always the worst heartbreakers. Trust me.’

  Josh looked back as Tom twirled his wedding ring round and around on his finger. ‘Why do you wear that if your ex-wife caused you so much pain?’ he asked.

  ‘To remind me not to be as stupid as to fall for anyone ever again,’ said Tom, letting go of his finger to pick up his drink once more and drain his glass. It was obvious that he was getting blind drunk very quickly. From what Josh had heard, this was a daily occurrence where Tom was concerned.

  Josh took a gulp of his beer as he digested what Tom had told him. He had tried so long to deny that there was any attraction between him and Amber. Besides, working together would be too hard if they let any chemistry between them get out of hand. It was probably best that he just bury his feelings and hope that she didn’t feel the same way about him.

  But he couldn’t prevent his eyes straying over to where Amber was, whenever he had the chance.

  27

  A few hours later, Amber was having a lovely time at the party. A very happy, wonderful time with her new friends!

  Or it would be if she could just stand up properly.

  It must be her high heels, she told herself. Was she so over New York that she could no longer walk in heels?

  It didn’t matter. She kicked them off and found that she could dance much more easily without them in her bare stockinged feet.

  Everything was lovely. Cranbridge was lovely. The shop was lovely. Even the pub was lovely that evening.

  Molly giggled as they bumped into each other whilst they danced.

  ‘That punch is so tasty,’ said Molly, laughing above the disco music that they had insisted Mike put on the loudspeaker.

  ‘Isn’t it?’ said Amber, finding her tongue was slightly numb and her words coming out a little thick.

  ‘I told you,’ carried on Molly, spinning around on the spot. ‘After the first couple of glasses, you don’t even taste how disgusting it is.’

  Amber giggled, her hair flopping around her face as she carried on moving. It struck her that she was really quite drunk, but it was a party, wasn’t it? Everyone was drunk.

  Tom certainly was as he had joined them in the middle of the floor a few minutes ago, although when Molly tried to teach him the moves to Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’ he lost his balance and nearly took all three of them out. As it was, Amber managed to land softly somewhere.

  It wasn’t until she looked around that she realised that it was Josh’s lap which had softened the blow.

  ‘Hello,’ she said, smiling. She hadn’t even realised that he had been sitting near to them until just then. He really was very handsome when you sat this close to him.

  ‘Hello yourself,’ he said, smiling.

  ‘You have very nice eyes,’ she told him, folding her hands around the back of his neck to stop herself from swaying.

  And it was true. His eyes were blue with a tiny fleck of yellow around the outside of the iris, if you peered very closely, which she realised she must be because she could feel his breath on her cheek.

  She leaned back and smiled at him again.

  ‘How much of Mike’s punch did you drink?’ he asked, laughing.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ she said, sticking out her tongue and pinching it with her fingers. ‘But I can’t feel my tongue.’

  ‘Then I would say it’s probably time to call it a night,’ he said.

  ‘Call what a night?’ she asked, frowning.

  He gave her a gentle push as he moved and she suddenly found herself standing up. Although she was aware that Josh was holding on to her.

  ‘Why is the room swaying?’ she asked. ‘Is it an earthquake? Another tractor?’

  ‘Too much punch,’ he told her, bending down to pick up something.

  Her shoes materialised in front of her face. She looked down at them and then back up at him.

  ‘Don’t you think you should put these on?’ he asked.

  It took Amber a while to put her shoes on as the room spun every time she bent down. In the end, Josh crouched down to slip them onto her feet.

  ‘Cinderella,’ she said, giggling.

  ‘As long as I’m not the Ugly Sister,’ he told her, straightening up to put an arm around her shoulders. ‘Goodnight all,’ he called out as they headed out of the door.

  She just about heard them all shout goodnight before the door to the pub closed behind them.

  ‘Oh, you’re definitely not ugly,’ she said, thinking that it was important that he knew this.

  He stopped and smiled at her. ‘Thank you. Come on, it’s cold.’

  She had a sudden thought. ‘You didn’t dance with me.’

  ‘I thought Tom would enjoy it more.’

  She frowned up at him. ‘I don’t like him the way I like you.’

  He tugged at her to start moving, but she found she was having trouble walking.

  ‘My feet aren’t working properly.’

  ‘I’m not surprised,’ he told her, with a sigh.

  To her amazement, the next moment she found that she was in his arms as he carried her across the bridge.

  ‘Don’t drop me in,’ she said, clutching his neck tightly as she glanced down at the water.

  ‘It might sober you up,’ she thought she heard him say.

  She yawned as he placed her on the veranda next to him whilst he fiddled with the key and let them into the shop.

  ‘In you go,’ he said, as he opened the door.

  ‘My feet still don’t work,’ she told him.

  ‘I thought they wouldn’t,’ he replied, picking her up once more and carrying her over the threshold.

  ‘Like a bride,’ she said. ‘Mr and Mrs Kennedy!’

  He raised an eyebrow at her as he locked the door behind them. ‘I thought that was my parents.’

  ‘If you marry, you’ll be Mr and Mrs Kennedy as well.’

  ‘I guess so,’ he replied. ‘I’d have to find someone to marry me first, of course.’

  They slowly went up the stairs, step by step, with Amber still in his arms as he carried her.

  ‘I’d marry you,’ she told him, as he put her down next to what appeared to be her bedroom.

  He leant against the door frame and swe
pt something off her face. She thought it was a lock of hair. ‘You would?’ he asked softly.

  ‘Oh yes,’ she said, reaching out to stroke his face. His chin was rough where he hadn’t shaved since that morning, but it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling beneath her fingers. ‘You’re really very nice.’

  His eyes twinkled. ‘Gee. Thanks. I’m just nice, am I?’

  ‘No! You’re more than that! You’re hot!’ she laughed before suddenly feeling perfectly miserable. ‘Not that you would think the same about me.’

  ‘You obviously didn’t look in the mirror before we came out,’ he told her.

  ‘I did!’ she replied. ‘I had to check no VPL.’

  He shook his head. ‘That wasn’t what I meant.’

  ‘Well, you should say what you mean,’ she told him, feeling a bit cross-eyed. ‘It’s very confusing otherwise.’

  ‘And you should go to bed,’ he told her. ‘You’re going to feel ghastly in the morning.’

  ‘But I feel lovely now. Do I get a goodnight’s kiss?’ she asked, feeling hopeful. After all, it was dark and they were alone.

  She felt brave and full of confidence as she looked up at him expectantly.

  He stared at her for a very long time as if struggling internally with some monumental decision. Then he bent forward.

  Amber found herself holding her breath and opening up her lips slightly.

  But at the last second, he moved his face and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

  Even in her drunken state, she could feel the disappointment seep through her.

  He stepped backwards, his face almost hidden in the dark shadow of the door now.

  ‘Goodnight, Amber,’ he said.

  ‘Goodnight,’ she replied, hoping her words weren’t quite as slurring to his ears as they were to hers.

  Then she went into her bedroom, lay down on the bed fully clothed and passed out, still wearing her witch’s hat.

  28