The Single Mums' Picnic Club

by Jennifer Joyce

  ‘Are we ready?’ Katie asked as she pulled away from the school.

  George swallowed hard. ‘I think so.’

  Frankie twisted in her seat so she could smile at her friend. ‘It’ll be fine. We’ve got this.’

  They arrived at the bank with plenty of time to spare. George didn’t know whether this was a good thing as they had more time to prepare, or a bad thing as they had more time to panic. Eventually, however, they were led into the manager’s office.

  ‘Did you manage to read our business plan?’ Katie asked as they sat on the cushioned seats in front of his desk.

  He nodded and opened the familiar file on his desk. ‘I did, but I obviously have a few questions.’ He looked up at the women. ‘Have any of you ever run a business before?’

  Frankie shifted in her seat. ‘I’ve been self-employed for the past eighteen months, running my own branding design company, and Katie has been in charge of renting out a holiday let for a number of years, overseeing the accounts and customer service. The three of us have a broad range of skills required: George has catering experience, Katie is a qualified bookkeeper and, as I said earlier, I’m a freelance branding designer.’

  ‘Yes.’ The manager placed the palm of his hand down on their business plan. His facial expression gave nothing away. Was he satisfied with the answer? Impressed, even? Or did he feel they were wasting his time? ‘Do you think the amount you’ve requested is realistic?’

  This time Katie took the lead, explaining their figures and how they expected to pay back the loan over the specified time.

  ‘And what is your five-year plan?’

  George sank down in her chair. Right now, she didn’t even have a five-minute plan. But with Frankie and Katie taking the lead, they somehow got through the meeting and were pretty confident it went well by the end.

  ‘Let’s go back to the beach hut,’ George said as they emerged relatively unscathed from the meeting. ‘I put a bottle of fizz in there, just in case.’

  The next few days were agony as they waited for the bank’s decision, but it was nothing compared to the punch in the gut when they opened the letter declining the loan request.

  ‘I don’t understand.’ Frankie re-read the letter, her hand trembling slightly.

  ‘I thought we put ourselves across really well, and the figures all add up.’ Katie placed a hand on her stomach. ‘I feel a bit sick.’

  Frankie slammed the letter down on Katie’s kitchen table. ‘I guess this is it, then. Goodbye, Little Seaside Picnics.’

  ‘Not quite,’ George said. ‘We’ve promised Cecily a party for her granddaughter, and we have to honour that. The invitations have already gone out.’

  It would be a bittersweet moment – their first and last event – but they’d put a lot of work into planning the party and they couldn’t let Cecily or Marinette down.

  Cecily’s back garden had been transformed into a child’s fantasy land, with pastel-coloured bunting and polka-dotted paperchains strung across the garden, and bunches of balloons attached to teddy bear-shaped weights dotted around the lawn. Six red gingham blankets had been set out, with a picnic basket sitting in the centre, packed with the food George – with the help of Katie and Frankie – had created. There were pitta pockets and homemade sausage rolls, mini pasta pots, hummus and veggie sticks and bite-sized pinwheel pizzas as well as teddy-bear-shaped cake pops, individual portions of fruit and jelly, and paw-shaped biscuits.

  Jack had helped to make a wooden signpost for the event and George had painted ‘Marinette’s Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ onto the slats. Chalk footprints led away from the sign post, across the garden path to a table filled with goodies for the children; felt headbands with teddy bear ears, homemade paper windmills and pots of bubbles.

  ‘This is all looking beautiful.’ Cecily stepped out into the garden, her face lighting up as she took in the setting of her granddaughter’s party. ‘Marinette will adore this. You ladies are very talented.’

  ‘This is all down to George,’ Frankie said as she smoothed out a wrinkle in one of the tablecloths. ‘We just do as we’re told.’

  ‘If only,’ George said, but she was only teasing. They’d all worked so hard to create a party that Marinette would love. They’d planned games to keep the children entertained; pass-the-parcel, with a teddy bear’s face on each layer of brown paper, a garden scavenger hunt, a craft station, and a bean toss game that they’d made by stacking old tins they’d painted with pastel colours into pyramid structures. George had made the bean bags using scraps of mismatched fabrics.

  Cecily laughed as Frankie stuck her tongue out at George. ‘Would you like some refreshments? You’ve been working away all morning. I bet you could murder a tea or coffee.’

  Katie sighed as Cecily disappeared back inside to put the kettle on. ‘It’s a shame we can’t get the funding. Look at all this. It looks perfect.’

  Frankie smile sadly. ‘I know. Finn and Skye would love this.’

  ‘It’s been so much fun too.’ George had loved every minute of planning the party, and it was heart breaking that she wouldn’t get to follow her dream after all. ‘But let’s not dwell. Let’s give a little girl an amazing day to remember.’ She clapped her hands together as she swallowed the lump in her throat. ‘We need to put the finishing touches to the favour boxes before the guests start to arrive.’

  George had created little rectangular boxes out of brown card, attaching a strip to the sides to create a handle for her mini picnic baskets. The three women had a little production line going at Cecily’s breakfast bar, popping in little bags of gummy bears, iced, bear-shaped biscuits wrapped in cellophane and finished off with gingham ribbon, and packs of crayons George had made by melting regular crayons in bear-shaped silicone moulds in the oven. Later, slices of the beautiful cake George had baked would be added once Marinette had blown out her candles. The cake was a fluffy Victorian sandwich filled with buttercream and raspberry jam and covered with pale green icing. On top of the cake she’d added two sugar paste teddy bears sitting on a red gingham blanket.

  They’d barely finished drinking their tea when Marinette and her parents arrived, followed shortly by bursts of guests. The garden was a hive of activity as the children played the games and filled the space with bubbles.

  ‘Well, I think this is going rather well.’ George peered out of the French doors, the smile on her face stretching when she saw how much Cecily, Marinette and the guests were enjoying the party.

  ‘All thanks to you.’ Frankie raised her empty cup for a toast.

  ‘Thanks to the three of us.’ George raised her own cup, and Katie followed suit.

  ‘To Little Seaside Picnics. We sent her off in style.’

  ‘You’ve done such a wonderful job. I can’t thank you enough.’ Cecily squeezed George hard before finally releasing her. ‘Marinette is having a blast. You’ve really made her day.’

  ‘I’m glad she’s enjoying the party.’ George tried to smile, but she was finding it difficult. She wanted to make people happy all the time with her creations, but it seemed it wasn’t destined to be.

  ‘Don’t forget to leave your business cards.’ Cecily clutched George’s arm, her eyes shining. ‘Loads of people have been asking about the catering and party planning, so you’ll definitely drum up some business today. If you give them to me, I can pass them round for you.’

  George winced. She hadn’t passed the news on yet. ‘Actually, this is our debut party – and our last. We didn’t manage to get the loan we needed to fund the business, so it won’t be going ahead.’

  Cecily frowned. ‘But you were so excited about it. So passionate.’ She indicated the party beyond the French doors. ‘You’re seriously going to give up on something that you’re really good at?’

  George shrugged. ‘We can’t run the business without money behind us.’

  ‘But look at what you created.’ Cecily stepped behind George, turning her body so she was facing the French doors. Outs
ide, the children were laughing and chatting as they sat on the blankets to eat their picnic lunches.

  ‘I wish there was something more we could do, but if we can’t raise the funds, we can’t go ahead with the business. It’s as simple as that, however much it makes me want to cry that all our hard work has come to nothing.’

  ‘What if there was a way to raise funds?’ Cecily pressed her lips together, her eyes narrowing slightly. ‘What if you found an investor? Someone to loan you the money?’

  ‘Like who? One of those payday loan companies?’ George shook her head. No matter how much it ached to give up her dream, she couldn’t go down that route. It was too risky. Foolish.

  ‘No.’ Cecily clutched her arm again. ‘I’m talking about me.’

  ‘You?’ George shook her head. ‘I couldn’t ask that of you.’

  ‘But you’re not asking, are you? I’m offering to lend you the money to set up your business, because I believe in it. So, what do you say?’

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Katie

  Sunlight was streaming through the windows, filling Katie’s kitchen with light and warmth as the Little Seaside Picnic trio gathered for their latest meeting around the table. It was mid-June now, two months since Cecily’s offer to invest in their business and two months since George, Frankie and Katie had accepted her generous offer and signed the contract that made the deal formal. Cecily wasn’t a partner in the business; she was simply putting up the money, which they’d pay back as part of a structured repayment scheme. They’d been busy over the past couple months, making sure they’d filled out the correct registration forms, had the appropriate licences, and their website and social media channels were properly up and running. Next weekend, they would be launching Little Seaside Picnics with a party on the beach. Their business cards and leaflets were all ready to be distributed on the day, picnic blankets and all the reusable plastic cups and plates they’d need had been sourced, along with the ingredients for the delicious menu George had devised, miniature versions of which would be given out as samples on the day. They’d advertised in the local newspaper, in shops and businesses throughout the town, as well as shouting about the event on Facebook, Twitter and their new YouTube channel, where George had filmed and uploaded vlogs demonstrating some of her dishes.

  ‘I’m picking up the van on Wednesday.’ Katie ringed the item on her agenda. ‘So we’ll be able to transport the food down to the beach all at once instead of making several trips in our cars.’

  ‘Wednesday?’ Frankie flicked through her diary. ‘Don’t we have something else going on then? Or is that when you have a viewing for the house?’ She tapped Wednesday’s section in her diary. ‘Because I can pick the van up if you need me to?’

  Katie grabbed her cup, but it was drained of tea. ‘No, it’s fine.’ She moved across the kitchen to place her empty cup in the sink. ‘The viewing’s on Monday.’

  Her parents’ house hadn’t sold as quickly as the estate agent had anticipated, but Jo’s hope had been restored when a potential buyer had requested a second viewing. While Jo had been performing cartwheels in her head as she relayed the information, a part of Katie had withered inside. Still, it would all be over soon; she’d already received her decree nisi, so she was just waiting for the decree absolute to signal the end of her marriage.

  Now that was a sobering thought.

  ‘Are you okay?’ George reached out to rub Katie’s back as she passed on her way back to her seat.

  Katie nodded, but found she had no words on the matter, as though she’d used them up during those lengthy battles with Rob during their mediation sessions. ‘What else do we need to do before next Saturday?’

  Frankie consulted her list. ‘We should have the logo and contact details on the sides of the van by Friday at the latest. And don’t forget our interview on Thursday. Shall we meet here at quarter past nine?’ She looked at George, who should have time to drop Thomas off at school first, but she was pulling a face. ‘Too early? How about half past? That’s still doable, right?’

  ‘It’s not that.’ George placed a hand on her forehead. ‘It’s the interview. I’m really nervous. What if I stuff it up?’

  Katie reached out to pat her on the hand. ‘You were brilliant when we were interviewed for the Clifton Chronicle.’

  ‘That was different.’ George placed a hand on her stomach. ‘That was for the newspaper and that lovely reporter went away afterwards to make it all coherent. This is radio.’

  ‘It’s only a small, local station,’ Frankie said. ‘Besides, you’re a natural on the vlogs.’

  George gave a one-shouldered shrug. ‘You edit those for me. Take out all the bits when I fluff my words. Or get the giggles.’

  ‘You’ll be fine.’ Katie patted her hand again. ‘Seriously. And we’ll be there, holding your hand.’

  George nodded. ‘You’re right. I’m just having a wobble.’

  ‘Don’t worry.’ Frankie started to gather up her things after checking the time. ‘We’ve all had those over the past few months, but this is it now.’

  ‘We’re really doing this, aren’t we?’ George, too, started to gather her files together.

  ‘We really are.’ Katie saw Frankie and George to the door, waving them off as they hurried along the path. She waited until they’d disappeared from view before she closed the door and returned to the kitchen to pack her things away. It was a late Saturday afternoon, but as part of their childcare arrangements, Rob now had Elliot and Lizzie for dinner twice a week and every Friday night, plus they also stayed an extra evening every other weekend, which gave Katie huge chunks of time she hadn’t been sure how to fill to begin with. Her earlier solution of hooking up with the young but handsome teacher had been hugely enjoyable, but it wasn’t something she was eager to repeat with anybody else. She hadn’t contacted her former lover in months, and he’d made no attempt to contact her, so that was another relationship over, however flimsy and superficial it had been. Still, Katie could smile as she looked back on those amazing nights with him now. And maybe one day she’d have that kind of connection with someone again. Who knew what the future held?

  With the kitchen cleared, Katie decided to make the most of the warm afternoon. Grabbing a light cardigan, she headed down to the promenade, watching the happy families laugh, play and relax on the sand, the chill of the previous months long forgotten as they lounged in shorts and T-shirts and kicked about in the waves. The donkeys were back, which was a true sign of the glorious summer months ahead, and Katie gave a contented sigh as she leaned against the railing, watching them plod along with little children on their backs. It seemed like only yesterday that she was plodding alongside them as they carried Elliot and Lizzie across the sand, their faces lit up with the simple pleasure of a donkey ride. But still, they had a lot to look forward to, the three of them. Lizzie would be turning thirteen in a few weeks, which was a huge milestone and she was busy planning a huge party to celebrate. It would be the first family gathering Katie and Rob would have attended since they split up, so Katie was looking forward to and dreading the event with equal measure. Elliot would be bringing Zara, his first ‘serious’ girlfriend. Katie really shouldn’t think of the word with inverted commas, knowing that teenagers could have long-term relationships; just look at her and Rob – it may have ended now, but they’d loved each other for a long, long time. But she couldn’t help still seeing her son as the little boy who’d begged to have one more donkey ride before they went home, instead of the young man who’d be starting college in September.

  She pushed away from the promenade’s railing and set off again, closing her eyes briefly as she breathed in the salty air. Life was moving on, away from the bitter rows and resentment. A few months ago, she hadn’t known who the Katie post-Rob was, but she was beginning to find her. She already knew she had amazingly talented friends who she couldn’t imagine not being part of her life now, and she was so excited about launching their business in a wee
k’s time. She knew all their hard work would be worth it.

  Crossing over the road, she turned onto one of the side streets, heading for the mini market on the corner, where she picked up a pre-packed chicken salad (George would scold her if she knew) and a couple of bottles of white wine. Once home again, the wine went straight in the fridge while Katie sat on the sofa with the salad, a fork held in one hand, a book in the other. She was almost at the end – just twenty or so pages to go – but her book group was meeting in an hour so she needed to finish it quickly. This was only the second meeting she would have attended as a newbie member, but she’d already volunteered to host, and the others would be there soon. She’d learned about the group from her colleague at the golf club, when she’d been spotted reading during her lunch break, and she found she could switch off from the stresses of motherhood, divorce, and setting up a business when she had a book in her hand. She’d often take her book across to the beach now they had the warmer weather, which gave her an added fresh air boost.

  She finished the book, pressing it to her chest as the happily-ever-after warmed her heart. It gave her hope that she would find one of her own one day.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Frankie

  Frankie had chosen her outfit carefully, slipping on a black lace, sleeveless dress with a thin, patent belt to cinch in her waist, which was perhaps a bit fancy for a trip to the cinema, but Frankie was hoping the date wouldn’t end as the credits rolled. Frankie and Alex had been seeing each other for quite a while now, but their relationship had yet to progress past their friendship pact. Frankie had thought they’d been close to sharing a kiss a few times, but Alex always shifted at the last second, planting a friendly kiss on her cheek instead and she worried she’d painted herself into the friendzone with no hope of escape.