‘I want to be the first one to buy a cupcake from you,’ she said. Can I please have three of your finest cupcakes: two chocolate with vanilla icing and one vanilla with chocolate icing.’
‘Coming right up,’ said Camilla, so pleased with her new invention of a cupcake topper. She carefully swirled the cupcakes until they were covered with the creamy sweet topping.
‘Oh I’ve left my bag inside. I’ll pay you later.’
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ replied Camilla. ‘You are on my free cupcakes for life list, along with Gracie and Ron.’
‘Aw thank you, that’s so sweet, in more ways than one actually.’ She laughed at her unintentional pun. ‘I’m just going to pop in and get some cupcake boxes.’
‘Okay, I’ll carry on icing these.’ Camilla was so absorbed in what she was doing that she didn’t notice the lady standing at the window with a couple of toddlers until she cleared her throat to draw attention to herself. Camilla jumped, which resulted in a floppy piece of buttercream hanging off the cake like Wee Willie Winkie’s hat. ‘Oh I’m so sorry, I was in a world of my own there. Can I help you?’
‘That’s no problem at all. I was just wondering what this is as it’s obviously a bit too cold for ice creams but one of my observant kids noticed that they were cakes and not ice creams. Is this something new?’
Camilla stood tall, her shoulders back. She took a deep breath. ‘Yes this is my new business. Welcome to the cosy little cupcake van. Today we have chocolate or vanilla cupcakes with chocolate or vanilla topping. What would you like?’
The children began to eagerly shout what they would like and Camilla left it to their mum to decipher the instructions. ‘So that’s one vanilla with vanilla, one chocolate with chocolate and one vanilla with chocolate. Is that right, kids?’
‘Yeeees,’ they shouted. Lucy had arrived with the boxes and winked at Camilla when she saw that she already had a customer. Camilla smiled back and placed the cupcakes into the box and closed the lid.
‘That’s lovely,’ said the lady. ‘Now how much is that?’
‘That is free to you, lovely, as we’ve not really set up properly yet but here – please take a leaflet and if you enjoy them then please tell all of your friends.’
‘Oh, are you sure? Thank you so much – you’ve really made my day. It’s been a horrible morning so far, so thank you for brightening it up for us.’ The lady’s previously exasperated-looking face was now smiling and her children skipped along obediently next to her as they headed home with their pastel pink cupcake box.
It was only as she moved along and another customer appeared at the hatch that Camilla realised that they had a small queue. She served an elderly couple, then four schoolgirls and a few people who had just stepped off the train. Camilla sprang into action, fulfilling their orders efficiently, her conversation adapting easily to each customer she served. As soon as there was a gap in the customers, she closed the window over and she and Lucy headed back into the café laughing.
‘I’m going to have to do a few more batches now. I can’t believe we had a rush on and I haven’t even opened up shop yet.’
‘Imagine how busy you’ll be once those people have tasted them,’ Lucy said as she put the kettle on again. ‘Have you heard back from the council yet?’
‘Yes, they’re sending someone round tomorrow for the health and safety inspection so hopefully I’ll pass with flying colours and then I’m good to go. I’ve also created new social media accounts called The Cosy Little Cupcake Van.’
‘Well done. Here’s to the cosy little cupcake van,’ toasted Lucy as they chinked their coffee cups together.
Chapter 13
Having transport again was a joy for Camilla, especially such eye-catching transport that turned heads wherever she went in it. She had been putting off this visit for a while but decided she should make the effort to go and visit her Auntie Edie. As she pulled up outside her house, she couldn’t help but see the SOLD sign standing in her mum’s garden. Knives sliced into her stomach and took her breath away. She almost choked on the bile that rose in her throat on seeing the house that was rightfully hers but had been cruelly stolen from her. Her hands shook, rattling the keyrings as she turned the engine off.
Images of her mum looking out of the window before standing at the open front door eagerly waiting to greet her when she came to visit, flashed into her mind. She wished she’d known how little time she’d had left with her mum. Maybe they could have gone on more holidays together, had more adventures, maybe fulfilled her mum’s dream of going to Hawaii or even just spent more time doing nothing but chat, drink coffee and eat cake.
Lost in her own thoughts she jumped as she heard a banging on the window and smiled on seeing the octogenarian’s face peering in at her. She slid open the window so she could hear what Edie was saying.
‘What’s all this then? Are you an ice cream man now?’ She lifted her glasses up to peer closer at the designs on the van.
Camilla laughed. ‘No I’m a cupcake lady actually; and look, I’ve brought some for you.’ She turned the chimes on and handed the old lady a box of assorted cakes through the hatch.
Edie laughed and took the box delightedly. She didn’t have many visitors and even fewer presents so this was a real treat. ‘It’s a darling little van isn’t it, love? And I’m hoping that this means you’re baking again.’
‘Just cupcakes for now but I’m getting there slowly.’ She locked up the van and followed Auntie Edie into the small bungalow.
She could hear her African grey parrots squawking from the front garden. As she got closer, she could make out the profanities from one of them. ‘Piss off, blue nose.’ Camilla laughed remembering Uncle Albert telling her that Bertie didn’t like Evertonians but as she got older, she realised it was he who didn’t like them. After all, Bertie had to have learned it from somewhere.
She went up to the large cage and put her finger in. ‘Hello, Bertie; hello, Bella.’ Bella trilled tunefully, her head tilted to one side so she could see who was talking to her. Bertie did his notorious wolf whistle then turned his back to her. Although the loudest of the two he was the shyest.
‘You can let them out if you want, love,’ said Edie as she went through to the small kitchen. Camilla opened the cage and sat on the floral armchair with her back to the window, so she didn’t have to look at her mum’s house. It was simply too painful. Bella flew out and landed on the back of the chair. She sang to Camilla as she gently nibbled at her hair. Camilla relaxed; she found it so soothing. She knew they wouldn’t hurt her.
Bertie eventually plucked up courage to fly out. He landed on the floor and began to push around a little plastic yellow ball. ‘Goooaaaal,’ he squawked every few minutes.
Camilla looked around the familiar little room with fondness. She and her mum had often had tea here with Edie and Bella and Bertie. The kind old lady had also offered for her to sleep on her sofa when she first lost her home and was still storing her things for her in a shed in the small garden. She had been so good to her. The fond memories brought tears to her eyes; she sniffed and took a tissue from her bag to wipe them away. She had to smile as she could hear Auntie Edie clattering about in the kitchen, putting cups and saucers on the tray. When she heard the kettle whistling, she knew the tea would be ready soon.
Auntie Edie entered the room, tra la la-ing to the tune of ‘Teddy Bears’ Picnic’.
‘Oh you’ve got that song stuck in my head now.’ She placed the tray on the coffee table; the teapot had a green tea cosy with crocheted peonies decorating the top of it. She placed a cup and saucer and a plate of chocolate biscuits in front of Camilla, tipped a drop of milk in her cup then topped it up with the tea. The noise of it sploshing into the cup always reminded her of Auntie Edie. ‘Is that strong enough for you, love?’ she asked.
‘That’s perfect thanks.’ Camilla was usually a coffee kind of girl but always drank tea at Auntie Edie’s. It was a childhood comfort. Edie poured out
her own tea then sat on the couch, reaching over to the box of cupcakes. She opened them and her face lit up as though the box contained sunshine.
‘Ooh, love, these look divine. Now what have we got here?’
‘I’ve been practising with some autumnal recipes so there’s two each of: pumpkin spiced cupcake with a cream cheese topping, spiced apple with salted caramel topping and blood orange with a marshmallow topping.’ She pointed to each one as she described them.
‘Which one do you recommend? They all look so delicious. Which one will you have?’
‘Oh no, I couldn’t possibly have one; I brought them for you. I’ve got cupcakes coming out of my ears so I’m going to have a chocolate biscuit instead.’ She chose a biscuit, peeled off the wrapper and placed it on the plate.
After a long while contemplating, Edie chose the pumpkin spiced cake, she lifted it carefully out of the box as though it were something precious and fragile and placed it on a plate. She raised her fork and hovered it over the cake. ‘It seems such a shame to break into it doesn’t it?’
‘Just go for it, Auntie Edie. There’s plenty more where that came from,’ said Camilla, excited to see her reaction. She wasn’t disappointed as she watched Edie’s face melt into a look of pure ecstasy.
Camilla spoke whilst Edie ate her cake slowly and luxuriously. She could see she needed a moment to enjoy it so was filling her in on how she came to be in possession of the cupcake van.
‘You’ve done an amazing job and what lovely friends you have,’ said Edie. She finished the cake, wiped her mouth with a napkin and topped up their tea.
‘Yes I do and you are included in that sentiment. I’m very lucky to have you all and will be eternally grateful to you for what you’ve done for me.’
Edie looked sad. ‘I’m sorry for what happened to you, darling. No one deserves to be treated like you were but I’m sure karma will catch him and bite him on the arse one day – just you wait and see.’
‘I hope so, but anyway I can’t dwell on all that anymore, otherwise I’ll get ill again, and I won’t let him affect me in that way. I just wish my mum had never met him in the first place.’
‘You and me both, love. Ooh anyway before I forget I’ve got a message for you. Now where did I put that piece of paper with his number on?’ She stood up and began to search through the drawers in the sideboard. ‘No, it’s not in here.’ She started to pull the contents out and was sifting through various bits of paper, receipts and flyers. ‘Ah wait, I think I put it on the fridge behind that magnet you got me from France.’ She disappeared into the kitchen, her slippers shuffling along the floor as she went.
‘Who was it?’ Camilla called to her.
‘Oh you know, now, whatshisname?’ Edie shouted back. Camilla could hear her filling the kettle again and had a feeling she’d been distracted. She gathered the tea things together on the tray and carried it out to the kitchen, being careful not to trip over Bertie as he continued his game of football. Edie lit the gas and began to fill the sink with soapy water to wash the cups and rinse out the teapot.
‘You know the one I mean; I always used to say he had those come-to-bed eyes.’
Camilla laughed at the old lady as she fluttered her eyelashes behind her glasses.
Edie rinsed out the cups and headed to the fridge where she found the note. She looked through the bottom half of her bifocals. ‘That’s it, Blake, Blake Daniels – the one you were sweet on many years ago.’ She crushed the paper into Camilla’s hand and squeezed her fingers closed over it. She continued preparing the pot of tea while Camilla’s world stood still for a little while.
It had been years since she’d heard his name. Just hearing it now made her heart want to burst out of her chest. She felt inanimate, almost ghostlike, as though she wasn’t part of the real world. She remembered vividly the feel of his lips on hers, a softness surrounded by stubble, which scratched a little, the feel of his hands on her body, her hands on his body, the contours of him, the broad back and muscular arms, his skin on her skin. Those brown eyes with flecks of hazel, dark and brooding, could always see through her.
She unfurled the note in her hand and looked at it. The handwriting she could never forget, as she still had letters from him from long ago, though she hadn’t read them recently. Questions spun around her head: what was he doing back here? Why would he be getting in touch with her? The last she’d heard he was married – that was through a friend of a friend of a friend. She was so lost in thought that she hadn’t heard what Edie was saying. ‘Sorry, Auntie Edie, what was that?’
Edie was carrying the tray back into the living room, once again laden with tea things.
‘I said he’s still bloody gorgeous. I don’t know why you ever let him go. He’ll always be your one that got away you know. That’s why it never worked out with whatshisname.’ She placed the tray on the coffee table and began to pour. ‘You know I don’t know why this is called a coffee table. I don’t ever drink coffee; it should be called a tea table. I don’t know why it’s taken me eighty-odd years to work that one out. But anyway, as I was saying, that’s why it never worked out with…’ She paused to think again.
Camilla helped her out: ‘You mean Freddy I think, and I don’t know, after losing my mum I wasn’t in a good place and things just didn’t feel right with Freddy.’
Edie rolled her eyes. ‘They don’t make men like they used to you know, not like my Albert. Now he was almost my one that got away but he saw sense and came back for me and we were married for fifty very happy years. God rest his soul.’ She blessed herself as she said it. ‘He got my lovely Liver birds for our tenth wedding anniversary. Rescued them from a container on Liverpool docks he did when he worked for Cunard.’
Camilla shrieked with laughter, causing the two birds to fly back into their cage in a flurry of feathers. ‘I can’t believe you’re dropping the F-bomb again, Auntie Edie.’
‘What do you mean? A what bomb?’
‘The F-bomb,’ Camilla replied. ‘You just said Uncle Albert worked effing hard.’ She stood up to lock the cage door as Bertie and Bella were back on their perches.
‘Did I? I don’t remember that.’ Edie frowned before realisation hit. She cackled. ‘No I said he worked for Cunard – C. U. N. A. R. D – not fucking hard. Oops I suppose I did drop the F-bomb then.’ She chuckled. ‘Well if you can’t drop it when you’re in your eighties then when can you drop it?’
Camilla was howling. Oh how she loved coming to Auntie Edie’s. She always did cheer her up.
‘Anyhow, enough of these swearing shenanigans. You get on and ring your Blake before he changes his mind or sods off back to Canada again.’ She ended her conversation abruptly by biting into the moistness of the salted caramel topping of a cupcake she had cut in half. Camilla was glad of the silence, as the thought of ringing him, hearing his voice – so deep and with that Canadian lilt that she’d always found so sexy – reduced her insides to mush. She plucked up the courage to find out more.
‘So, what did he say exactly?’ She held the cup to her face, trying to act nonchalant and hide her blushes.
Edie licked her lips. ‘You know I swear you whip up a little piece of heaven in every cake you make, Camilla love.’ She wiped her hand on a napkin. ‘He was shocked to see your mum’s house was sold and was hoping to see you just to catch up. I didn’t tell him too much, as I know you prefer to keep things private.’
‘Yes I do, thank you for that. Did he say why he was here and for how long for?’ She fiddled with a chocolate biscuit on the plate, almost unwrapping it but deciding against it. The thought of seeing Blake again made her instinctively hold her stomach muscles in.
Edie sipped her tea and placed the cup delicately back onto the china saucer. ‘Ooh let me think. I think he said he was here on business but didn’t say how long.’
‘How did he look?’ Camilla looked into her cup, as she couldn’t bring her eyes up to meet Edie’s.
‘Put it this way, with that g
orgeous thick dark hair and those mesmerising eyes I wouldn’t kick him out of my bed.’ She chuckled.
Camilla’s eyes opened wide and she almost spilt her tea. ‘Auntie Edie, you’re so bad.’ She laughed at her antics. Edie may be in her eighties with a pink rinse on her hair, but she still had a twinkle in her faded green eyes, and she loved to shock.
Camilla pushed the note into her jeans pocket where she could feel it burning into her skin. Could she ring him? Was his marriage over? How would she feel if she saw him again?
For a long time after he left, she’d felt as though a piece of her was missing. Whilst her mind was reluctant and frankly too scared to contact him, she remembered how she had longed for him. Her eyes desperate to see him, her ears wanting to hear his voice just one more time, her lips needing to feel his kiss and her body…well that was another story, her body had craved every inch of him. But that was ten years ago, a whole decade. They must surely be two different people now. No one ever stays the same; of that she was certain. Her heart agreed with her mind and was on high alert. She could almost imagine it flashing red warning lights, shouting at her through a megaphone: ‘Please don’t put me through that trauma again.’
Still deep in thought she placed some of her cake-making equipment that had been stored at Edie’s in the van and waved to her old friend who would stand at the door until she was out of sight. She always did that. Camilla smiled as she saw her through the rear-view mirror, still waving; both had thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Camilla felt loved; she might not have her childhood home anymore, but Auntie Edie was a precious link to her mum and to Blake and carefree times.
Chapter 14
The Charming Man was a quaint establishment a couple of miles away from home. Before being converted to a restaurant it had originally been the gatehouse for Belvedere Manor, a mansion house that had been around for hundreds of years. It had once been the residence of the Belvedere family but generations later the family occupied only part of it, and they hired out the function rooms for parties and celebrations.
The Cosy Little Cupcake Van: A deliciously feel-good romance Page 8