Josh was not entirely surprised to find that he was alone for the first hour or two in the shop the morning after the Halloween party. But he was feeling cheerful as he reflected back on the previous evening. Whatever truth serum Mike had put in his Halloween punch had certainly brought out a completely different side of Amber. He smiled to himself as he thought about her staggering around on the dance floor before asking him for a kiss when they had returned back to the flat.
Well, at least he knew that she liked him romantically on some level, he thought. Whether she would regret the whole evening remained to be seen.
Although he got the answer to that half an hour later when Amber appeared at the bottom of the stairs at the back of the shop. She was walking extremely slowly, as if she was in danger of falling over.
‘Good morning!’ he called out, deliberately loudly.
She immediately staggered, clutching her head. ‘Not so loud,’ she moaned, hanging on to the door frame for support.
She slowly drew up her head and gazed at Josh, who stared at her red-rimmed eyes and pale face.
‘Coffee? Paracetamol?’ he offered. ‘Or do you want to choose a painless death instead?’
‘Definitely death,’ she groaned, slowly walking over to the counter and feeling her way around until she sank onto the chair behind.
He made her a coffee from the machine, glancing over at her once in a while. She really did look very pale.
‘Good morning!’
Amber jumped at the cheery greeting that came from Tom in the doorway and gave a soft cry out in pain.
‘Ah, I see Mike’s home-made punch has left its mark on you,’ he said, grinning. ‘At least you made it into work. Molly called in sick!’
‘Well, it is Saturday,’ groaned Amber. ‘Lucky her.’
Josh handed her a cup of coffee which she held between her hands.
‘I recommend a plate of bacon sandwiches and an awful lot of water,’ said Tom.
Amber shook her head. ‘Don’t think I could eat anything,’ she muttered.
The doorbell rang and Belle walked very slowly into the shop before pausing to lean against the gleaming red tractor.
‘Help me,’ she whispered.
Amber looked at her. ‘You too?’ she moaned.
Belle nodded before wincing.
‘Listen,’ Josh told her. ‘Why don’t you both take a coffee out into the fresh air? It might help wake you up.’
‘What about the shop?’ asked Amber, looking at him through bloodshot eyes.
‘Yes, you really look as if you’d be up for the job this morning,’ Josh told her.
She shuddered, shaking her head. ‘Maybe you’re right. Are you sure you’ll be OK on your own?’
‘I’m sure.’
She gave him a small smile and then very slowly rose from her chair and moved back around the counter, still clutching her coffee.
Amber made it as far as the tractor before reaching out to hang on to Belle. Then, clutching onto each other, they slowly made their way outside.
Once they had left, Tom turned around to face him, grinning. ‘I must say, it makes a change for someone else to be suffering with a hangover around here. You’re OK, I take it?’
Josh nodded. ‘I stuck to the beer.’
‘Wise move.’ Tom glanced at the front veranda where Amber and Belle were now sitting on one of the benches. ‘It could work, you know,’ he added softly. ‘The two of you working and living together.’
‘We do that anyway,’ Josh told him.
‘You know what I meant,’ said Tom in a pointed tone. ‘She’s lovely, single and she’s a great partner for you here in the shop.’
But Josh found he was shaking his head. ‘She’s just passing through. As soon as my mum gets home, Amber will be off to join her parents in New Zealand.’
Tom frowned. ‘Has she booked her plane ticket yet?’
Josh shook his head. ‘No. I don’t think so.’
‘You’d think if she really wanted to leave, she’d have booked it by now,’ said Tom. ‘You know, if she wasn’t enjoying her time here? She looked pretty happy last night, don’t you think?’
Josh had a brief memory of her asking him to kiss him in the darkness of the flat upstairs. It had taken every bit of his self-control to not take her in his arms. It was the fact that she’d asked for a kiss when she was drunk that was the problem. And he was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of her like that.
‘Think about it, yeah?’ said Tom, whilst Josh stayed silent. ‘Don’t become full of bitterness and regrets like me. There’s only room in this village for one broken heart at a time.’ He picked up his coffee and walked out of the shop, leaving Josh still standing behind the counter.
Was Tom right? Was Amber really delaying booking her ticket because she wanted to stay? Had drunken Amber revealed her innermost feelings by asking him to kiss her? Or was it just the home-made punch putting words in her mouth?
Josh hoped he would find out sooner or later. And that it hadn’t just been the punch. Amber had got under his skin. And he found he rather liked it.
29
‘Whose stupid idea was it to come outside?’ said Belle, closing her eyes to the bright daylight as they sank onto the bench together with a groan.
‘Not mine,’ muttered Amber, pulling Grandma Tilly’s blanket around her shoulders in deference to the cold air. ‘What on earth was in that punch?’
‘Not my fault,’ moaned Belle. ‘My relatives can take the full blame for that monstrosity. I don’t know what they put in there.’
Amber leant back against the seat and sighed. She didn’t want to admit it, but she did feel a little better for being outside. She listened to the birdsong and felt the gentle breeze across her face. The countryside was certainly growing on her.
‘Hi.’ They both looked up to see Molly hanging onto the handrail of the steps. ‘Help me.’
‘You look like I feel,’ Belle told her, smiling despite her pain.
Molly grimaced. ‘I feel so rubbish,’ she said, climbing up the steps to lean against the rail in front of them.
‘Tom said you called in sick,’ said Amber.
‘I had to come in,’ said Molly, rolling her eyes. ‘Kate said she needed some photocopying done and it was urgent.’
‘Snotty cow,’ muttered Belle.
Amber turned to look at her, surprised. ‘Who’s Kate?’
‘Our senior journalist,’ said Molly.
‘I don’t think she’s come into the shop yet,’ said Amber.
‘Don’t expect smiles and compliments. She told me that our pub was a joke,’ said Belle. ‘I mean, she’s got a point, but nobody’s ever rude enough to say it out loud.’
‘She’s not that bad,’ said Molly, although she didn’t sound as if she meant it. ‘And Tom says she’s a really good journalist.’
‘Well, you should have told her to do her own bloomin’ photocopying,’ said Belle.
‘It doesn’t matter anyway,’ said Molly, sinking down slowly to sit on the steps of the veranda. ‘My flatmate has got her boyfriend around for a sneaky morning in bed. So she told me to hop it.’
‘How charming,’ drawled Belle. ‘You should have told her to get stuffed. It’s your flat as well.’
Molly shook her head. ‘Oh no! I can’t do that. She’s been my best friend since we first went to school.’
‘But surely your best friend would understand about you feeling hungover?’ said Amber.
Molly frowned. ‘It’s more important that she spends some time with Taylor. That’s her boyfriend. They don’t get much time together on account of his wife being around so often.’
‘Nice girl,’ muttered Belle, giving Amber a pointed look.
‘My head!’ moaned Molly, holding her forehead. ‘I don’t think I’m going to feel well ever again. What about you?’
‘Same,’ said Amber. ‘I made it downstairs and then Josh sent me outside because I looked so rough.’
; ‘He’s quite the he-man, isn’t he?’ said Molly, in a dreamy voice.
Amber frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I think the last time I saw you was when he was carrying you across the bridge,’ said Molly. ‘It was like something from the movies.’
Amber sat bolt upright. ‘I’d forgotten all about that!’ she gasped, horrified.
‘Wish I knew someone who could pick me up like that,’ said Belle with a sigh.
‘Oh God,’ moaned Amber, looking at the two other women in horror. ‘I hadn’t really remembered leaving the pub. How am I going to look him in the eye after that?’
‘It doesn’t matter, does it?’ said Belle, with a shrug. ‘We all made fools of ourselves. I even contemplated kissing Dodgy Del before thankfully my last shred of sanity reminded me that it was the worst idea ever.’
Molly giggled. ‘And I danced all the way down the lane before they managed to get me in the back of the taxi to take me back to the flat.’
But Amber was feeling sick to her stomach. ‘But now he’ll think badly of me. He’ll think that I’m an idiot. Which I am, obviously.’
‘What are you talking about?’ said Belle, shaking her head. ‘So you got a bit drunk and he had to carry you home? Most men I’ve dated would have let me fall into the river and then laugh at me.’
But that wasn’t what Amber was thinking. She was now remembering asking him to kiss her. She groaned and sank backwards onto the bench once more.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ urged Molly.
But Amber couldn’t do anything but feel anxious and upset about the way she had acted. The fact that Josh had rejected her on top of everything else made her feel like she had made an even bigger fool of herself.
Despite her hangover, Amber kept busy all day, managing to hide her confused feelings inside.
She would certainly be steering clear of any alcohol from this day forth. Of course, the drink was to blame. When had she ever let go like that? Made a fool of herself? Not for a very long time, she knew.
She wished she could talk to Josh about it but knew that was impossible. He was her friend, that much she hoped after their time together.
But she had crossed a line in asking him to kiss her. She didn’t know what the future held, but she was pretty sure that it wouldn’t involve the both of them working together in the shop.
She was so cross with herself for ruining what had been a perfectly nice friendship. And for what reason?
Because you wanted to kiss him, said her innermost thoughts. And you’ve wanted him to kiss you for a long time.
She gulped back her feelings, trying to wish them away. But it was no good. She’d have to face him at some point.
Thankfully it was Halloween and they had quite a few people coming into the shop for sweets and pumpkins. Amber found she could keep busy serving them, as well as preparing a tub full of jellied spiders and chocolate frogs to give away to any trick or treaters later that evening.
In fact, she managed to have avoided talking to Josh about anything other than work for the whole day, mainly by way of leaving a room every time he entered it. Once or twice she had caught him looking at her and he even began to make conversation, but she had quickly made the excuse of having to restock some shelves.
It was only once she was standing on the veranda with Josh, saying goodbye to the last of the trick or treaters that they were finally alone.
For a second there was silence and then Amber went to turn around. ‘That was fun,’ she said, her words coming out in a rush with nerves. ‘I think I’ll head up and have an early night.’
But he was too fast for her and had already moved to block the doorway into the shop.
‘We’ve hardly spoken all day,’ he told her.
‘I just feel rubbish, that’s all,’ she said.
He stared down at her, his eyes boring into the top of her head as she looked anywhere but at him. ‘Amber.’
She gave a small start as he took her chin in his fingers and slowly drew up her chin so that her face was close to his.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, finally, when she could bear the silence no longer.
‘For what?’ he asked, smiling.
‘Last night. All of it,’ she said, closing her eyes in mortification.
‘Well, everyone was drunk,’ he said softly.
Her eyes flew back open at that. Perhaps she hadn’t been the only one to make a complete fool of herself.
‘Of course, nobody else asked me for a goodnight kiss,’ he added.
She groaned, blushing. ‘Oh God, it was the punch. That stuff was lethal.’
He stared down at her for a long time. ‘I’m sorry to hear you say that,’ he said finally.
‘Why?’ she whispered.
He smiled. ‘Because I was hoping that it wasn’t just the punch,’ he said softly, his thumb brushing her lower lip.
Then he let go of her and left her even more confused than ever.
30
The following morning, at his usual time of half past nine, Stanley arrived with his travel mug.
‘Black, no milk, please,’ he said.
Amber was pleased that he was getting into the habit of ordering a coffee along with his daily newspaper. He seemed to be a little lighter in spirits with an excuse to linger in the shop for a while.
After Amber had poured out his drink, Stanley took a sip. ‘Oh, that’s good,’ he told her. ‘It’s always a luxury to have nice coffee. I used to treat myself to a cup of coffee when I was at the hospital with my late wife. Feels like I’m in an American movie somehow.’
‘More like a disaster movie out there with all this rain,’ said Josh, who had just arrived back from the cash and carry. ‘The roads are getting quite bad.’ His hair was glistening wet from the rain and Amber had to turn away in order not to linger on how attractive it made him look.
‘The local radio station said that the road to Aldwych is flooded halfway across and that the traffic is terrible,’ said Stanley.
Josh nodded. ‘It was. I was OK in the van, but if we get this storm later in the week that they’re predicting, I reckon it’ll be impassable.’
Stanley nodded. ‘The fields are saturated. I don’t remember the river looking this high for a long time. It used to be so shallow. I even skated on it in the winter when I was younger.’
‘How lovely,’ said Amber. ‘Your very own skating rink.’
She had been to see the Rockefeller Center skating rink when she had been in New York, but she had never skated on there. Filled with couples and families at Christmastime, it had almost seemed to emphasise her loneliness and she had left almost as soon as she had arrived.
In Cranbridge, she realised she didn’t feel that way. She knew that living with Josh in the flat meant that she wasn’t living alone, but it wasn’t just that. It was the interactions with the customers that was helping. As Stanley stayed on to enjoy his coffee, she wondered how many other people in the village could be lonely as well.
Amber wandered over to look at the river through the window. ‘Has the river ever flooded Riverside Lane?’ she asked. It was nearly level with the bottom of the bank and rushing through at quite a fast current.
‘Oh yes,’ said Stanley. ‘It’s been a few good years though since then. At least ten, from what I remember. But it only laps the lane just at the riverbank. Hopefully all those works on the locks lower down the river will help the water flow away.’
Amber looked across at the river once more before turning to look at the shop which they had worked so hard on. Then she mentally crossed her fingers that the river would stay contained.
Because what on earth would happen if it flooded its banks?
‘I can’t believe they’ve named the first big storm of autumn Storm Amber,’ said Tom, with a grin the following morning.
Josh watched as Amber’s cheeks immediately flooded pink with embarrassment.
‘Ha ha,’ she said, rolling her eyes as she took his money
from him to put into the till. ‘Very funny.’
Tom carried on smiling as he picked up his steaming hot coffee. ‘No, seriously. Just how dangerous are you?’
‘Very dangerous, especially if you’re anywhere near open water on a bridge,’ said Josh, giving her a knowing look.
‘Shut up, both of you,’ she told them, blushing and busying herself with going over to put another log into the wood-burning stove.
Josh could smile now in memory of that time a few weeks ago. Was that all it had been? It seemed sometimes as if Amber had been in his life for a lot longer.
As she straightened up, he saw Amber glance out of the window. His gaze followed hers as he saw the branches in the trees outside bend and wave in the stiff breeze, causing a flurry of yellow and russet leaves to be tossed around in the air.
The wind was certainly strengthening, he thought, ducking down to look up at the grey clouds. The rain was continuing to fall, but it was nothing like the monsoon conditions that the weather forecasters were threatening later in the day. They had already had a rush on both candles and matches in case of any power cuts.
‘Perhaps they’ve got it wrong,’ said Josh. ‘The storm, I mean. It doesn’t look that bad.’
‘I hope not,’ said Tom, as he brought out his phone. ‘Misery and chaos make for good headlines.’
Amber spun around and raised her eyebrows at him in surprise.
‘Just a little chaos for the headlines,’ said Tom, holding up his hand. ‘Nothing life-threatening or anything like that.’
Amber continued to look worried as she looked out of the window once more.
‘They’re saying the worst of it should miss us,’ said Josh, joining her by the window.
‘Not according to my best source,’ said Tom, glancing down at his phone once more. ‘Micky Magic is his twitter handle. He’s a bloke in a shed somewhere outside of Aldwych. Contrary to what the Met Office, Flood Advisory and all the official chaps are saying, Micky assures me that his barometer never lies and that we’ll get hit full in the face here with the heaviest rain.’ Tom grimaced. ‘So it must be true.’
The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts Page 18