by Fay Keenan
35
That evening, Jonathan went straight from work to the pub. There he stayed, drinking steadily, until Vern had discreetly alerted Matthew to Jonathan’s inebriated state. Matthew was not habitually a pub drinker but walked across to The Stationmaster to see what was going on with his brother. Mindful of the other drinkers, Jonathan told Matthew in a gruff undertone to mind his own business and leave him alone. He then got another pint in.
So now, here he was, reeling from drink, ego bruised and heart feeling decidedly more sore than it had that morning. But why? Caroline had obviously moved on. Why couldn’t he? He was not by nature a brooder, but his pride had definitely been injured by happening upon the scene at the restaurant this morning, and the argument didn’t make him feel any better. Caroline, of course, was entitled to sleep with whomever she wanted, whenever she wanted. They’d had two one night stands and a lot of banter; she’d said no strings on both occasions and he was king of the commitment-free romp. So why was he still dwelling on it? Motioning to the bartender to fill up his pint, he pulled out his phone and considered texting one of his former dates again. As he looked up from his phone, he saw probably the last person on earth he wanted to see standing next to him at the bar.
‘Can I have a pint of Amstel please, Vern?’ Gino asked as the landlord ambled over. He gave Jonathan a friendly smile, which was not returned.
‘Coming up,’ Vern replied. ‘Emma’ll be home soon, if you want to pop in and see her.’
Gino nodded. ‘Might do. Got a few things to discuss with her.’
Jonathan snorted, then muttered something loudly enough for Gino to glance back at him. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t quite catch that.’
Jonathan raised his gaze from his pint to the young chef in front of him. ‘I would have thought you’d have been worn out,’ he said. ‘After your, er, heavy night.’
Gino looked blank. ‘You mean tonight? It was Emma’s night on at The Cider Kitchen, so I’m not sure how busy it was.’
Jonathan shook his head, which was spinning slightly from the lager. ‘I meant last night. Taking your responsibilities to the place a little too seriously, aren’t you, spending the entire night there. With the manager.’
A flash of irritation crossed Gino’s features before he remembered who he was talking to. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Must have been very cosy up there all night, just you and Caroline.’
Gino’s hand clenched slightly around his pint glass but he didn’t reply.
‘Don’t be coy,’ Jonathan said softly. ‘I saw you coming out of there first thing this morning. Hugs on the doorstep; very friendly, I thought.’
Playing for time, Gino took a sip of his pint. ‘I’m not sure I like what you’re implying, Mr Carter.’
‘Then let me spell it out for you,’ Jonathan spoke a little more loudly. ‘Did you or did you not spend the night at Caroline’s place?’
Gino put his pint back on the bar with a thump. ‘Because you’re my boss,’ he said softly, ‘I’m going to assume that you don’t mean any offence. Because I’m your employee, I’m not going to tell you that it’s none of your fucking business where I spend my nights. After all, I value my job.’
‘Oh, spare me,’ Jonathan sneered. ‘I’m a big boy. I can cope.’
Gino looked squarely at Jonathan. From the look on his face, it probably wasn’t a good idea to bait him. He drew a breath. ‘You’ve got it wrong, whatever it is you’re thinking. And you don’t need to know that, because you don’t, as far as I know, have any claim on Caroline other than a professional one. So, I’m telling you this out of respect for that arrangement. But you do also know Caroline’s not my type, right? I did spend the night with her, but not in the way that you seem to be thinking.’
Jonathan paused, pint glass halfway to his lips. ‘Could have fooled me.’
‘Honestly,’ Gino said, taking a sip of his pint. ‘She’s about as far from my type as it’s possible to be.’
‘She’s beautiful and female,’ Jonathan snapped. ‘I don’t see what your problem is.’
Gino shook his head. ‘I don’t have a problem,’ he said gently. ‘But you do, if you think there’s anything between Caroline and me. So you don’t need to worry about us working late together. I love her, but as my boss and a friend. Nothing else. And if you really want to know why…’ he looked Jonathan straight in the eye, ‘it’s because she’s entirely the wrong sex for me. I’m not into women.’
Jonathan’s stomach clenched, and he almost choked on his beer. ‘Why are you telling me this?’ he asked when he finally had a clear mouth, and a moderately clearer head.
Gino regarded him coolly. ‘Chefs notice things,’ he said. ‘Attention to detail is what makes us so good at what we do. You two have clearly got some serious issues to sort out, and it’s going to make life at the restaurant very tricky for everyone unless you do.’ He shook his head. ‘You’ve every right to bollock me for being cheeky if you want, but that’s how it looks from the outside.’
Jonathan regarded the young chef for a moment. ‘So…’ he said eventually, ‘nothing’s happened between you and Caroline, then?’
‘Frankly, I’d be more likely to shag you. I’ve always been attracted to older men.’
Jonathan’s frown turned into a grin. ‘It’s strange,’ he said. ‘And don’t take this the wrong way, but I’d never have guessed.’
‘What, because I’m not humming Lady Gaga songs and constantly working on my abs?’ Gino shot back. ‘After all, there’s really no need to go shouting about who I prefer to sleep with from the rooftops, don’t you think?’
‘You’re right,’ Jonathan, sensing there was more humour than irritation in Gino’s response, kept smiling. ‘So why were you hugging Caroline on the doorstep?’
‘Didn’t she tell you? Someone killed her cat, Scrumpy, and left her body outside the restaurant. I just happened to have forgotten my phone and when I went back for it I found them both on the doorstep.’ Gino shook his head. ‘I couldn’t leave Caroline after that; she was in a bad way, so I crashed on the sofa to make sure whoever had done it didn’t decide to come back. My boyfriend wasn’t too chuffed to be stood up that night but what else could I do?’
‘Why didn’t she tell me?’ Jonathan asked, only too late realising he’d said it out loud.
‘You know what she’s like,’ Gino said. ‘She jumps on the defensive the whole time.’
Jonathan shook his head. ‘I didn’t even give her the chance to explain. I just assumed she’d moved on.’
‘And that’s why you two really need to clear the air,’ Gino said.
Jonathan smiled at the young chef. ‘I appreciate your honesty, Gino. You’re a bloody good chef and The Cider Kitchen would be mad to lose you, or Emma. And,’ he paused, a twinkle in his eye, ‘I’m also flattered. But I’m afraid if Caroline’s not your type, she might just be mine.’
‘You don’t say,’ Gino rolled his eyes. ‘Emma and I have been saying that from the day the place opened.’
‘Why do I feel like I’m being completely out manoeuvred again?’ Jonathan grumbled.
‘If you want my advice,’ Gino said, with all the authority of his twenty-two years, ‘you’ll get over there tonight and clear the air with Caroline. She’s in a bad place over that cat of hers, and I think she’d appreciate it.’
‘You’re right,’ Jonathan said. He finished his pint. ‘And thank you for being so honest with me. You’ve got a wise head on your shoulders.’ He grimaced. ‘Sorry. That sounds ridiculously patronising, doesn’t it?’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Gino said. ‘Growing up gay in a small village, with that Matt Lucas character all over the television… you tend to learn a lot about human nature very fast.’ He stood up from the table. ‘I’d better get going, too. I owe my boyfriend a bit of time after leaving him in the lurch last night.’
‘I’ll see you at the restaurant,’ Jonathan said, sobered up by the conversati
on. As he walked out of the pub, he saw Gino waving goodbye to Vern before he disappeared out of the pub. Gino was definitely an asset The Cider Kitchen needed to hang on to. He hoped it wasn’t too late to level with Caroline.
36
The walk from The Stationmaster to The Cider Kitchen was just about far enough to begin to sober Jonathan up. He hoped he’d be able to slip into the restaurant unnoticed before Caroline locked the door. The Cider Kitchen was winding down; a large group of customers were merrily making their way down the path back to the car park and Jonathan managed to slip inside the building unnoticed by the waiting staff. Immediately he spotted Caroline, logging off the till and calling over her shoulder at the same time to her kitchen staff. He stopped and observed her; that deep red hair, getting a little bit longer now but still falling to just under her ears. He imagined lifting it at the back of her neck, kissing her there until she shivered. Those green eyes, flashing fiercely one minute but with the telltale laughter lines at the corners. And that body underneath her strappy black shift dress; a body that he craved to feel next to his with every breath.
‘Caroline?’ he spoke softly, not wanting to make her jump. She was absorbed in her counting.
She waited until she’d finished the notes from the till before looking up. ‘What do you want?’
Jonathan was taken aback by her directness. He’d got so used to their verbal sparring, that he missed the initial barbs. He cleared his throat. ‘I, er, wanted to apologise for this morning. I was out of order.’
Caroline’s gaze had returned to the cash in the till drawer. ‘Fine. Apology accepted. Was there anything else?’
An instinct told Jonathan that there was more to this than met the eye; but then he supposed he deserved the silent treatment. ‘I’m sorry about Scrumpy,’ he said softly.
Caroline’s head snapped back up. ‘Gino told you?’
‘I saw him in the pub earlier. He told me all about what happened last night. I’m really sorry I was so short with you this morning. If I’d known about the cat, I’d never have been so offhand.’
Caroline slammed the till drawer shut. ‘I bet you are. You never wanted me to keep the kittens here anyway.’
‘Caroline, please.’ Jonathan was unaccustomed to begging. ‘Can we get a coffee and talk?’
‘I’m tired, Jonathan,’ Caroline said. And she did indeed look weary. ‘I just want to go to bed. And we do have a meeting in the morning anyway. Perhaps that’s how we should keep things from now on. It might save a lot of complications.’
Jonathan was stabbed in the gut with disappointment. ‘If that’s what you want,’ he said softly.
‘It is,’ she said, her tone a little gentler. She rubbed a hand over her eyes and Jonathan noticed that she’d smudged her mascara. He longed to take her face in his hands and plant a kiss square on her mouth before she could come up with any more reasons why he shouldn’t. ‘I think it’s better for now. Don’t you?’
No! Jonathan wanted to scream. No, it’s not better. Out loud he merely said, ‘Fine. Well, I’ll see you in the morning, then.’
Caroline nodded without looking back up at him.
Jonathan strode out of the restaurant, willing himself to look straight ahead. Had he glanced back at Caroline, he’d have seen the tears dripping down her face, the hand clapped to her mouth in an effort not to call him back.
37
Jonathan knew it was unprofessional, but he cancelled the meeting with Caroline the next morning and then, for the next few weeks, he kept as far away from The Cider Kitchen as possible, addressing anything that arose by email. Although he remained horrified by the killing of the cat, Caroline had pretty conclusively shut him down when he’d tried to discuss it with her. He felt sure that there was far more to it than met the eye, but he didn’t want to start grilling her when relations were so strained. For the good of the restaurant, he decided to act on her words and keep things purely professional for the time being.
Matthew had also handed over much of the legwork for the Buckthorn takeover proposal to Jonathan, too. Weary of waging war on all fronts, Matthew was finally learning to delegate. Not, Jonathan reflected, that it was going to make a scrap of difference in the long run. Matthew would never agree to hand the family business over to Buckthorn, no matter how much money was offered. Once again Jonathan had tried to broach the subject with his father, but Jack had stonewalled him. That morning they hadn’t parted amicably and Jonathan knew when he got back to Orchard Cottage that night he needed to make amends.
He’d been poring over The Cider Kitchen’s quarterly performance figures, and was pleased to see that turnover had been increasing steadily. If nothing else he could say to Caroline could make her happy, he thought, the fact that the restaurant was making a fair profit should do. Perhaps it was time to break the stalemate and arrange a meeting. He typed out another quick email and fired it off before he could change his mind. Involved in the message, it was with some surprise that Jonathan looked up from his desk to find Matthew standing the other side of it.
‘Hey,’ Jonathan said. ‘Wasn’t expecting to see you until later.’
Matthew looked grim faced. ‘We need to talk about the restaurant.’
Jonathan shut the lid of his laptop and sat up straighter. ‘What’s up?’
‘May I?’ Matthew gestured to the chair in front of Jonathan’s desk.
‘Of course.’
Matthew sat down heavily. ‘Sam from Finance, who as you know has been handling the restaurant’s accounts, has noticed a few odd looking payments over the past couple of weeks. He did some digging and it looks as though someone has been making payments that don’t match the invoices or purchase orders. It’s not been going on for long, thankfully, but there’s a fair chunk of money that’s unaccounted for, even in that short time.’
‘It could be an oversight,’ Jonathan said. ‘You know what it’s like when you’re setting up something new. Caroline probably forgot to raise a purchase order before making a payment to a supplier.’
Matthew shook his head. ‘Ordinarily I’d agree with you, but when I say a fair chunk of money, it’s not just a few hundred quid. I’m talking thousands.’
Jonathan’s heart lurched. ‘Really?’
Matthew nodded. ‘I think we need to call her in for a meeting. This afternoon.’
Mind racing, Jonathan sat forward in his chair. ‘Let me go and see her first. Perhaps I can find out what’s been going on before you strap her to a chair and interrogate her.’
‘From what Finance have been telling me, it’s gone somewhat beyond the cosy chat stage, Jonno,’ Matthew said. ‘I think we need to get her in here, and possibly contact our legal department.’
Jonathan stood up quickly. ‘You gave me responsibility for the restaurant project, Matthew, so let me do it my way first. I’ll go and see her, and if there’s anything you and the company should be properly concerned about, I’ll let you know.’
‘Are you serious?’ Matthew snapped. He jumped up and started to pace the short distance from desk to window. ‘It’s not like it’s few quid out of petty cash, Jonathan. There’s thousands missing and Caroline’s the only one, apart from you, who has the authority to move money like that.’
‘Have you spoken to Caroline about it? Or are you just trusting the word of that number cruncher in accounts?’ Jonathan could feel his own temper rising.
‘I don’t need to.’ Matthew could be mercurial at the best of times, but his irritation at, yet again, being blindsided by the mix of business and family was clearly getting to him. ‘The figures speak for themselves.’
‘What about Anna? Does she know anything that could shed any light on it?’
‘I didn’t want to bother her with it.’ Matthew turned back from the window. ‘She’s getting pretty tired. And she’s up to her ears in preparations for the murder mystery evening. Besides, she’s not seen Caroline for a while.’
‘We live in the same fucking village, Matt! The Cider
Kitchen’s a stone’s throw from all of us. How have none of us picked this up until now?’
‘What about you?’ Matthew poured himself a cup of coffee from the cafetiere on Jonathan’s desk. ‘It’s not like you haven’t been spending enough time there lately to warrant at least a cursory investigation about how things were going business wise.’
Jonathan winced, remembering his and Caroline’s last encounter, and how short she had been with him. Was that all to do with the death of her cat, or did she have something else to hide? ‘I haven’t seen her for a while,’ he admitted.
‘So once again you’ve lost interest in a woman and everyone else has to duck the fallout? Christ, Jonathan, when the fuck are you going to learn?’
‘This has nothing to do with my interest, or otherwise, in Caroline.’ Jonathan couldn’t quite meet his brother’s gaze.
‘Really? Because from where I’m standing, it looks as though you were the one who took your eye off the ball.’ Matthew finished his coffee and then swiftly poured another one. Anna wasn’t the only one who was tired. ‘As soon as she moved to the village you were spending no end of time there, and now you’re telling me you didn’t have the faintest idea this was coming?’
‘What exactly are you accusing me of, Matthew?’ Jonathan’s voice had taken on a dangerous edge. ‘Are you suggesting I have something to do with the missing cash?’
‘Well it wouldn’t be the first time you walked off with something that wasn’t yours, would it?’ As soon as the words were out, Matthew looked horrified. ‘Christ, Jonathan, I’m sorry. That was completely out of order. I’m really tired. Forgive me.’
Jonathan carefully placed his coffee mug down on the desk and looked his brother straight in the eye. ‘You’re right. It was. So listen to me very carefully. I am going to the restaurant now and I will sort this out. I will speak to you later.’ Not sparing his brother another glance, or waiting for him to leave, he walked out of the office.