by Nicola May
‘Me? Little old me on the radio?’ She put down her piece of cake.
‘Rosa, I know you can do it. What’s the worst that can happen, other than you swearing, that is? You’ll come across great, I know you will.’
‘You reckon?’
Joe nodded. ‘I will write a script, so you can take chunks from that; you will have plenty to say.’
Rosa put both her hands to her face and jiggled her feet on the floor, making a funny noise as she did so. ‘This is all so surreal, but all so exciting. Thanks, Joe.’
‘All is I can say is, phew, as I’d already confirmed the interview. I just know it will be so good for you. I’ll come and pick you up, take you there and will wait with you until it’s over. You’ll be fine.’
‘That’s so kind of you.’
‘I am writing some editorial for it this week too, but what I do need is a name for your business. Oh, and a photo of you and Hot, if that’s all right?’
‘We will be mini-celebrities! But Joe, can’t I just call it the Corner Shop for now? I can’t afford to get the sign repainted anyway. I can also then change my mind on what I sell if it doesn’t work out.’
‘But if you’re selling pet stuff, surely you need some sort of pet name?’
‘Like Doggie Style or Cat’s Cradles.’ She laughed. ‘Actually, I quite like Doggie Style.’
‘Do you now?’ Joe raised his eyebrows meaningfully.
Rosa blushed. ‘I can’t believe I just said that.’
Joe couldn’t stop laughing. ‘Doggie Style! That is brilliant.’
‘Or maybe just plain and simple “Rosa’s”. I’d be proud of myself if we called it that.’
‘Great to hear the positive thinking. I watched a programme last night about recruiting for the SAS and you saying that made me think back to it.’
‘Joe, I’m opening a village shop, not saving a nation.’
‘Hear me out. You’ve got no parents, right?’
Rosa liked his northern twang. But she was startled at what he’d said. ‘How do you know that?’ she asked. She might have mentioned it to Jacob when she was drunk one night, but she never made a big thing about it.
Joe brushed her question aside, saying, ‘Anyway, this was the quote from the show and it brought me to tears. Some of the guys doing the training have such sad life-stories but despite it, have so much spirit. I actually wrote it down.’ Joe flicked through his notebook. ‘“When you succeed, there’s no one to be proud of you, when you fail or do something wrong, there’s no one to be disappointed in you. It’s down to you to put that pressure on yourself, to make yourself proud - and that’s when you find out who you truly are.”’
Joe put his hand on Rosa’s which caused the alien feeling of tears pricking her eyes.
‘You’re going soft on me, Joe Fox,’ she said, and blinked the tears away.
‘It must be hard, growing up without knowing where to turn.’
‘You know nothing about me.’
‘Well, maybe I’d like to know more.’
Rendering Rosa mute with this comment, Joe picked up his mug and raised it. ‘Cheers to the Grand Opening of the Corner Shop.’
CHAPTER 34
Titch came bounding up the stairs two by two, nearly knocking into Rosa who was holding a tray with her dinner on it.
‘Whoa, lady, that wouldn’t have been very clever.’
‘Sorry, sorry. I’m desperate for the loo.’ She eyed Rosa’s macaroni cheese hungrily. ‘Ooh, any more of that left?’
‘No, it’s a ready meal. I’ve had a busy day - and where have you been anyway? No – tell me when you’ve been to the loo.’
When Titch re-emerged, looking a lot calmer, she told Rosa: ‘I’ve done really well today. I got myself cleaning jobs at two pubs in Polhampton - early starts, but not on café days, so I’ll be raking it in. But that’s not all I’ve managed to do today.’ The young girl looked triumphant.
‘Look!’ She pulled a cheque from her bag and started waving it around. ‘Three grand! I knew it was just a matter of time.’
‘What - did you win the lottery or something?’
‘In a way.’
‘Titch, stop being annoying and tell me.’
‘It really is an “If I tell you, I have to kill you” scenario though, Rose.’
Rosa couldn’t even imagine what was going to come out of the wayward girl’s mouth this time. She shook her head. ‘What have you done now?’
‘Well, you know I told Sheila that the baby was Lucas’s.’
‘Yes. Oh God, Titch. I think I know what’s coming.’
‘She called me to go and see her, said she had spoken to Lucas and that he had admitted he’d had sex with me.’
‘But he would have known you’d used a condom.’
‘I told her it had split. He drove off so fast he wouldn’t have known that - bastard. Anyway, she believed me and then offered to pay for a private abortion out of the area. But I wasn’t happy with that. You see, I need more than that.’
‘Oh Titch, what else did you say?’
‘That if she wanted an alibi for the hit-and-run she could pay me more.’
‘But he was adamant it wasn’t him when we spoke about it,’ Rosa objected.
‘Don’t be too gullible, Rose. He asked if you could cover for him too, remember. His drink-drive story could be a complete ruse - and Madam Hannafore knows exactly what happened that night, I can feel it.’
‘Titch, isn’t that blackmail?’
‘I see it as a constructive deal.’
‘So, on a serious note, when are you having the abortion? You should arrange it soon.’
‘I’m not.’
‘OK.’ Rosa took a big slurp of her Diet Coke. Hot scratched at the balcony door to be let out.
‘Don’t worry. I don’t expect you to support me and a titchy Titch.’ The girl picked up Rosa’s can and took a swig. ‘I’ve got three grand here. I’ve now got two jobs. I am going to save and save so I can afford to rent a little place somewhere. This baby is going to have a blessed life. Well, as good as I can possibly make it anyway.’
‘But what happens when Sheila realises you haven’t had the abortion?’
‘I’ll worry about that when it comes to it. By that time, I will have paid a deposit and upfront rent on a place - and what is that saying? “You can’t sue a straw man” or something like that.’
‘You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.’
‘Also, as I’m so tiny I’m hoping I won’t start properly showing for months.’
‘It will be hard, Titch. Bringing up a child alone.’
‘Life is hard, Rosa, and after losing my brother and my dad I can’t even think about letting this little life go. I saw Mum today too. She’s calmed right down and believe it or not is quite excited about me having the baby.’
‘Does she know whose it is?’
‘Only that it was a random tourist who had come down at Christmas. I don’t want the father to be involved.’
‘Ah, so why couldn’t you tell me that?’ Rosa was glad finally to have some kind of an answer. But she could sense Titch’s agitation. ‘It’s a relief, that your mum has come round and is OK about it anyway. I’d love to meet her.’
‘She doesn’t go out much as she’s in a wheelchair, you see – has got MS. We have a bungalow up the top of the hill now, which helps, but even with a carer who pops in daily, I know she has missed me around the house.’
‘Your family certainly have had more than their fair share of lemons thrown their way, haven’t they?’
‘Yes. I should be face down on the ground with flailing arms banging on the floor screaming, “Why me!” But you and I are survivors, Rose. That’s why I love you. We get each other. But Rose . . .’
Rosa felt the strange tingling feeling again.
‘Titch, it’s fine. If you want to go back home, then you must go. Your mum needs you and you ne
ed to save the money now.’
‘If you’re sure?’
‘Of course I’m bloody sure. The peace will be nice, in fact,’ Rosa teased.
Titch poked her in the ribs. ‘Oi.’
‘We need to get the Titchy Titch Fund up and running, don’t we? So, once the shop is open, I’d love you to help out - if you want to, that is - and also at the launch on Valentine’s Day. I will pay you the going rate.’
‘That would be amazing. Thanks, Rose. Let me give you some extra money for rent before I go. Forty pounds was peanuts.’
Rosa thought back to Josh’s kindness when she was about to move down to Devon.
‘I wouldn’t think of it,’ she said. ‘It’s so important for you to get the best start for this little lad or lady.’ It was her turn to bite her lip.
Titch put her hand on Rosa’s arm. ‘I’m sure she loved you, Rose.’
Rosa got up hastily and walked out onto the balcony, allowing the crashing waves and cries of the gulls to drown out her full-blown sobs.
CHAPTER 35
Just as Rosa was getting worried that her Open Day flyers weren’t going to arrive on time, there was the sound of some post being forced through the letterbox, to land heavily on the front door mat.
She ran downstairs and was delighted to see a thick brown envelope lying there. The flyers! Without hesitation, she ripped open the Jiffy bag and felt quite chuffed. Even though it was one of those ‘design your own’ quick-print companies that she’d used, the flyers did look really professional.
‘Come on, boy, I need to saddle you up,’ she told her trusty hound. ‘We are going on a long walk up and down the street.’
Jacob was watering his plants outside as they marched their way to the top of the hill.
‘Hello, you two.’ He got down to make a fuss of Hot. ‘Notice something different about me?’ he asked Rosa when he stood up again.
Rosa squinted at his face. He pointed to his foot. ‘Plaster off. Game on.’
She laughed. ‘Aw, that’s fab news. Now don’t be camping it up in stilettos for a while, eh?’
‘Alas, I fear my Louboutin days may be numbered, darling. Well, for a few months anyway. The young physio they’ve given me at the hospital is quite cute though, which is always a bonus.’
‘What are you like! So, the flyers have come through for my grand opening.’
‘Your grand opening, dear? Wouldn’t miss it for the world.’ He pursed his lips and winked. ‘Hand some of them over and I shall get touting for you - and of course we will be there to support you. We being me, Raff, and Ugly and Pongo, of course. I will get Alyson to pop down too. Rent a crowd is necessary, especially if the Gazette photographer is coming.’
Jacob gave Hot a treat from his pocket and continued, ‘Rosa dear, I was going to ask if you’d like Raff to make some snacks for you? I’m thinking a few canapes and he does a mean homemade scotch egg. On me, of course, as it’s a special day.’
Rosa was overcome by his kindness. ‘Jacob, that is so bloody sweet of you and the answer is yes, please. I’m down to my last pennies, until I start selling stock that is, so that will be a great help. I’m getting a few bottles of fizz in, and squash for the kids.’
‘It will be fun, and I can’t wait to see the flower power doggy butt-plugs.’ He winked.
After an hour or so, Rosa had got rid of nearly all the leaflets and was heartened by how friendly everyone in the shops and eateries appeared to be. As she approached Seaspray Cottage, she noticed Mary cleaning her front windows. The woman halted her work the moment she spotted Rosa and Hot. Merlin must have got wind of a pooch on his manor and tore out of the wedged-open front door, screeching his indignation and disappearing down the street.
‘Off goes Merlinite mad cat.’ Mary tucked her duster and window cleaner into the pocket of her waist apron.
‘Don’t you worry about him on the road?’ Rosa couldn’t bear to think of Hot running free anywhere that might be dangerous.
Mary coughed. ‘Gosh no, he’s got more than nine lives, that one. Anyway, how are you today, Rosa? You two look like you’re up to mischief.’ She bent down and stroked the dachshund’s smooth, quivering body.
Rosa smiled. ‘No, we’ve just been delivering leaflets to promote the shop opening on Valentine’s Day. I would love you to come, and Queenie - if she’s up to it, of course. You can join me for a glass of fizz.’
‘Oh, I don’t know, and you know Gran doesn’t leave the house.’
‘We have soft drinks too, that’s fine. I’d love you to come. Actually, I saw an old lady in the pub the other night who . . .’
Suddenly, the slightly hunched, deeply wrinkled, dark-glasses-wearing figure of Queenie Cobb was standing at the door. Her long grey hair was neatly tied in a grey plait that reached down to her bottom.
‘Tittle-tattle is futile, Rosa. Always listen to your heart and your gut. Sometimes things aren’t always as they seem.’ She picked a purple crystal up from the windowsill and cupped both hands right around it, murmuring, ‘Even dolphins get caught when they swim upstream, you know.’
With that, the old lady disappeared inside as quickly as she had appeared.
Mary started to rub her ear and shift uncomfortably from foot to foot.
‘It’s fine, Mary, your gran is a wonderful character and the world would be a better place with more of her kind in it.’
Mary looked directly into Rosa’s green eyes with her own of the same colour. ‘I will be there on the fourteenth, just briefly. I’m not one for crowds, me. And I know there will be one.’
‘Thanks, Mary. The more the merrier.’
Back home, Rosa opened the front door to the shop and let out a sigh of relief. ‘Nearly there, Hot. This promoting business is a little more time-consuming than I thought.’
She went upstairs and threw her keys on the kitchen worktop. Queenie was a strange old thing. And what was all that about dolphins? It was as if she’d been listening to their conversation and had interrupted because she didn’t want Rosa to mention what the old woman had said in the pub. Poor Mary; her gran was protecting her from whatever had happened to her. But Queenie had a point: tittle-tattle did have no use. She would let it lie.
CHAPTER 36
On approaching the South Cliffs Today radio station, Rosa was experiencing nerves like she’d never experienced them before.
‘Did you not get this nervous when you did your exams at school?’ Joe asked, reverse-parking into a visitor’s space.
’I didn’t do any exams at school.’
‘Oh. Well, honestly, don’t worry. You will be in a room with Barry Savage and his producer, so just pretend you are chatting to them and no one else. Are you prepped with what you want to say?’
‘Yes, so I should be all right.’
‘I did give him a background brief to what was happening.’
‘Good. I will be fine then. I know what I’m selling, I know all about the launch - so what could he possibly ask me that I can’t answer?’
Rosa jumped down from Joe’s smart Jeep and brushed at her coat. Joe’s Great Dane, Suggs, whom she had just met today, was sitting upright, like a human passenger, in the back seat. She was quite glad she hadn’t brought Hot along, as she wasn’t sure how he’d have reacted to such a big dog.
‘Let me come in with you and then I will go and take Suggs for a walk and listen to you through my phone. Have you got anyone else you know listening?’
‘Oh yes. Mary, Queenie, Titch and the Lobster Pot are all tuning in. And my mate Josh will be listening on his way down here.’
‘And in the Gazette article, I mentioned you’d be speaking today too, so fingers crossed we should get some more Opening Day punters from it.’
‘Rosa Larkin?’ A smart, bespectacled woman appeared in reception with a clipboard. Rosa nodded. ‘Great, follow me.’
Joe put his right thumb up as she followed the woman through to the studio.
The two of them got cosy on the sofa in the lounge of their huge sea-facing house in Polhampton.
The news came to an end. ‘Here’s our girl now,’ Jacob said. Ugly and Pongo scrabbled up on the sofa and snuggled between them. ‘Ssh too, boys.’
The DJ started to talk, and Jacob groaned. ‘Oh, it’s that awful Barry Savage, standing in for Terry Logan. Remember when we had the fire?’ Raffaele nodded. ‘Rather than promote the fact that we were open again, all he wanted to do was talk about who might have caused it, almost insinuating that it had been an insurance job on our part.’
‘Si, si, yes. He is a nasty man. Oh shit, but Rosa is strong. She will be fine.’
‘So, I’m here with Rosa Larkin, who is the new owner of the Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. Welcome, Rosa.’
Barry Savage was the image of Mr Toad of Toad Hall, Rosa thought, with his beige-and-white checked three-piece suit which was stretched to capacity over his large stomach.
A unified ‘Hurrah!’ came from all those who knew her and were listening.
‘Oh hi.’ Rosa took a swig of water from the white plastic cup she had been given. She never said hi! Remembering Joe’s pre-radio pep talk, she took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.
‘How amazing it must have been to find out you’d inherited the shop,’ Barry began, smiling at her over his rimless glasses, and suddenly reminding her of the equally smarmy solicitor who had handed over the battered case to her, just eight weeks ago.
‘Yes, amazing, surprising, slightly scary - all of those things.’ The last thing she wanted to do was to open a can of worms about who had left it to her. Surely Joe wouldn’t have briefed him to that effect?
‘Is it right that you don’t know who left it to you?’
‘That’s right, yes, but I’m sure your listeners don’t want to hear about that. It’s the grand opening tomorrow, and I have lots of fun things planned for all ages.’