by Sherri Bryan
“You look incredible, Olivia. Absolutely gorgeous. Who’d have thought there was such a beautiful woman hiding under all those chef’s whites, combat trousers, and tee-shirts?”
Olivia looked at her reflection in the mirror. “Roy isn’t going to believe it when he sees me. I mean… just look at me. For the first time in my life, no one could ever mistake me for a man.”
“His eyes are going to pop out of his head,” said Charlotte.
As if to remind Charlotte that she was still the same old Olivia, despite being dressed in her full wedding regalia, she turned and clutched her in a massive bear hug that almost crushed her ribs. “You know I didn’t want a lot of fuss with pageboys and bridesmaids, but thank you for agreeing to be my Matron of Honour. And thank you for everything else. I don’t know what I would have done without you these past few months. You’ve been so good to me.”
Charlotte shook her head. “Don’t be daft, I haven’t done anything no one else would have done. And, anyway, look at what you did for me!”
“That’s because I care about you, and I knew you had to get help.”
“But that’s what friends do, isn’t it?” said Charlotte. “They look out for one another.”
Olivia shrugged. “I ‘spose, but as I’ve never really had any friends, I’m not used to it.”
Charlotte gulped. She was as surprised as Olivia that they’d become so close. And the once-surly chef’s sudden show of affection had left her unexpectedly emotional. “Well, you’ve got one now. And Roy, of course… and don’t forget Ava—she’s been very supportive, too.”
Olivia nodded. “Yes, she has. I’ll be sure to thank her. You know, I wish there were more people I could have invited. The church is going to look so empty on my side. Not that it matters, I suppose, but it would have been nice if there’d been a few more than just my mum, dad, a few ancient aunts and uncles and you, Nathan, Ava, Harriett and Betty.”
Charlotte settled the back of Olivia’s veil. “That’s the last thing you want to be worrying about today, of all days. It doesn’t matter a jot how many people are on either side of the church. What matters most is that you and Roy will be there for each other, with the people you love. It doesn’t matter if nobody else turns up.” She noticed the look of panic on Olivia’s face. “Not that that’s going to happen,” she said, quickly.
The door flew open and Olivia’s parents burst in.
“Sorry we’re late. We realised ten minutes ago that your dad had pig poo on the bottom of his shoe,” said Penelope, brushing frantically at the clump of dog hairs she was attempting to remove from her skirt. “We had to pull over to get rid of the damn-awful smell.”
“Heavens above!” Grantley came to a grinding halt.
“What? What is it?” said Penelope, grabbing his arm. “Your hip hasn’t popped out again, has it?”
Grantley pointed a shaky finger. “Look at her, Penny, just look at our girl.”
Having never seen Olivia in a dress, let alone one as beautiful as her wedding gown, he was stunned beyond belief. He took a timid step towards his daughter, as if it was the first time they’d ever met. “I can’t believe it. Olivia, my darling, you look beautiful. There’s just no other word for it.” He shook his head. “Not that you haven’t always been beautiful to me, of course, but you’ve never looked so radiant.” He clapped his hands together. “I can’t wait to see Roy’s face when he sets eyes on you.”
Olivia threw her arms around him, not caring that her tears might ruin her makeup.
“Me neither, Dad.”
____________
The first bars of the wedding march announced the arrival of Olivia and Grantley. The church doors swung open and they began their slow walk up the aisle.
Gripped with sudden anxiety, Olivia raised her eyes from the floor to Roy’s side of the church. As she’d expected, it was filled, almost to the back pew, with his family and friends. Her heart fell a little as she turned her head to the other side of the church, and did a double-take.
There wasn’t a seat, or a space to be had.
Smiling and waving at her from every pew were customers from The President she’d known for years, all of whom had come along to wish her well on her wedding day, and her kitchen staff, who’d seen a transformation in Olivia they never thought possible, were there in force. Since Olivia had found contentment, the hotel kitchens had been much better places to work.
Gordon and his gentle-faced wife, Melanie, sat halfway down the church. His hair was neatly trimmed, and his face had filled out, and it cheered Olivia to think he must be eating regular, home cooked meals. But better than anything, he looked happy—like he didn’t have a care in the world.
And as Olivia made her way up the aisle to where Roy was waiting with tears dripping from his chin, neither did she.
Epilogue
Olivia’s kitchen table was full.
Roy and Olivia had invited Charlotte, Nathan, Molly and Oliver, along with Ava, Derek, Harriett, Leo, Harry, Betty, Pippin and Panda, to join them for a post-honeymoon lunch.
“Have you seen the postcard we got from Gordon and Melanie?” said Roy, passing it across the table to Charlotte.
“Are they enjoying themselves?” said Ava.
“They say they’re having a fantastic time, and Gordon’s surgery to repair the nerve damage to his nose is scheduled for next week. Apparently, if they can fix that – which should hopefully give him back his sense of smell - then his sense of taste may come back on its own. If not, they’ll try something else. The surgeons are hopeful, in any case.”
“And what about his knee?” said Nathan, as he rocked Oliver to sleep.
“He’s already had that done,” said Roy, “and Melanie’s having a job keeping up with him, apparently. He’s racing around like the bionic man.”
“Amen to that,” said Betty, raising her glass to Olivia, who was multi-tasking in the kitchen, moving between basting a rib of beef, chopping vegetables, and stirring a sauce.
“When are you going back to work?” asked Derek. “The guests at the hotel must be missing you.”
“Well, I’m going back next week,” said Olivia, “but only until the spring.”
“What do you mean, only till the spring?” said Charlotte.
“I mean, that’s when I’ll be leaving the hotel.”
“Leaving?” said everyone at once.
Olivia nodded. “Roy and I have talked about it a lot, and I’ve discussed it with Simon and my sous-chef. They weren’t very happy about it, but it’s what I want. It’s been agreed that I’ll stay on at the hotel for six months to work with each member of the kitchen teams individually, and that’ll be it. After that, The President will have a new Executive Chef.
“I never thought I’d want to leave, but I want to give my marriage a proper chance, and I can’t do that if I only ever see Roy for a few hours here and there because I don’t get home till midnight. The thought of leaving the hotel makes me feel so weird, but excited, too. I can’t wait.” She sent Roy a smile across the kitchen.
“They’re going to miss you,” said Leo. “You’re like a piece of the furniture. It’ll take them a long time to get used to not having you around.”
“What are you going to do with yourself all day?” said Harry. “I’ve never had you down as a lady of leisure.”
“Well, amongst other things, I’m thinking about writing my autobiography. I hadn’t even given it a thought, but I was talking to Dirk Boulder in the restaurant the other day, and he said he thought I had an interesting story to tell. He’s right, too, I have. I’ve done things you wouldn’t believe, led a life that many could only wish for, had opportunities that most people wait a lifetime for, and met people that others only dream of meeting. Plus, with everything that’s happened recently, and all the inaccurate stuff that’s been reported in some of the papers, I’d like the opportunity to tell my side of the story.”
“Who on earth is Dirk Boulder?” said Betty, chomping on a
handful of peanuts.
“Isn’t he the chap who bought a place in St. Eves last year?” said Harriett. “He’s the lead singer of that heavy metal band, isn’t he? What’s it called?”
“Nails Down a Chalkboard,” said Olivia. “Yes, he’s still settling in, but he told me he’s in the middle of writing his own autobiography, and he’s finding it very therapeutic. He’s had a lot of problems with drugs and all sorts, but he’s clean now. He was telling me that he doesn’t even have to type—he got this piece of kit that records everything he says and transcribes it onto his computer. Anyway, hearing what Dirk had to say made me think I’d quite like to write my story.”
“And she’s going to donate all the royalties to charity, aren’t you, Liv?” said Roy.
Olivia blushed. “You didn’t have to tell them that.”
“Why not? I’m proud of you, and I want everyone to know you’re doing good things. Not everyone who makes mistakes tries to put them right, you know.” Roy strolled into the kitchen to fetch another bottle of wine and looked over his shoulder at his guests. “And she’s going to teach me how to cook!”
“And what are you going to do for Olivia?” asked Harriett.
“I’m going to look after her, and teach her how to have fun,” said Roy, creeping up behind his wife and sneaking his arms around her waist. “She’s never had anyone to do either, but I plan to change that. And I’m going to help out with fixing the library roof—they put out a call for volunteers, so that’ll keep me busy for a while. And when that’s finished, I’m taking a course in dog grooming, so I can get a job and do my bit. I’m not going to be a kept man.”
“Dog grooming?” said Ava. “Well, that’s a career change, if ever I heard one. You’ve gone from being a medical supplies salesman, to working in a care home kitchen, to dog grooming.”
“Actually, I’ve wanted to do it for years,” said Roy, “but I rarely did anything I wanted to do in my last marriage because I usually ended up doing what Becky wanted. Anyway, we’ve got lots of plans, haven’t we love?”
“You could take up Ju-Jitsu with Harriett and Leo,” said Ava. “They’re looking for new members to join the club. Isn’t that what you said? Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Finally!” said Harriett, raising her glass. “You got the name right.”
“I knew it’d get through that thick skull of hers sooner or later,” said Leo, with a chuckle, as he dodged the serviette that came flying his way.
“I doubt joining a Ju-Jitsu club is the sort of thing Roy was referring to when he said he and Olivia have lots of plans,” said Harry.
Olivia laughed. “Not really, but I’ll have to do something because sitting at home all day writing would drive me round the bend. Something that allows me to keep cooking - but not so much that it takes up all my time – would suit me perfectly. I’d love a little place like yours, Charlotte, but there’s no way I’d open one in St. Eves. It would be too much like competition and I don’t want to get into that.”
As the chatter flowed, a thought entered Charlotte’s mind for a fleeting moment, before she dismissed it and joined in with the conversation.
____________
“We’re so lucky, aren’t we?” said Charlotte, that evening, gazing at Molly who’d fallen asleep in the armchair next to Oliver’s cot.
“Yes, we are.” Nathan put his arm around her and moved a little closer on the couch. “You’ve been a bit quiet since we got back from Olivia’s. Is everything okay?”
Charlotte nodded. “Yes. Actually, no.”
Nathan turned to face her. “What’s up?”
“I don’t know… it’ll probably pass.”
“Come on, tell me.”
“I missed out on so much with Molly,” said Charlotte. “I know we were really fortunate that we had Ava and Laura to look after her while I was working, but I missed out on so many things because I wasn’t with her. I don’t want to miss out on anything with Oliver.”
“So… what are you saying?”
She looked up at Nathan, her eyes filled with tears. “I want to sell the café.”
Nathan’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. “What?”
“As soon as Oliver was born, I knew it was what I wanted. I want to be at home for him and Molly as much as I can. I can’t expect Laura to cover for me at the café until they’re grown-up, can I? She’s only standing in because she thought I’d be back at work in a few months, not years. It’s Jess I feel terrible about. She’s worked with me since the beginning. What if she can’t get another job?” Charlotte blew her nose and blinked back the tears.
“Well, if this is what you want, you don’t look very happy about it,” said Nathan, pulling her to him. “Are you absolutely sure?”
She nodded and wiped her eyes. “I wouldn’t make a decision like this lightly, Nathan. You know how much that café means to me, but Molly and Oliver mean more. I should never have gone back to work so soon after Molly was born, but she seemed so happy with Ava and Laura, I let it go. But I don’t want to let it go this time. Selling the café will break my heart, but not being there for the kids will be worse.” She burst into tears and buried her face in Nathan’s shirt.
“I haven’t said anything about it before, because I couldn’t bring myself to put the café up for sale. I don’t want strangers trudging through it; people who don’t know how special it is and who might not look after it. But when Olivia said she’d like to have a place of her own, it suddenly seemed like the obvious solution. She’d appreciate it, and maybe she could even keep Jess on?”
“Look, why don’t you sleep on it?” said Nathan. “You don’t want to rush into a decision like this.”
“It won’t make any difference,” said Charlotte. “And I’m not rushing into it. I’ve been thinking about it for ages and I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to ask Olivia if she wants to buy the café and, if she does, I’m selling.”
____________
Early one spring Saturday morning, Charlotte slid the key into the lock of her little café one last time.
Usually, a smile curled her lips when she stepped through the doors but, today, her heart was heavy.
Hoisting herself onto a stool at the maple and limestone bar, she ran her hand over the old wood, cool under her fingers. She looked around, her eyes taking in every detail of the place she’d owned and loved for so many years.
This place - in which lifelong friendships had been forged, and lifelong memories made – had helped to heal her following the loss of her parents. It had brought her comfort, friendship, happiness and love, and saying goodbye to it was breaking her heart.
She wiped a tear from her cheek and laughed as memories flooded her thoughts; the best of times with the best of friends.
“Room for another at the bar?”
Charlotte turned to see Jess poking her head around the door.
“For you, always,” she said, holding out her arms to draw her friend to her in a hug.
“I’m going to miss you so much,” said Jess, with a gulp. “I know we’ll still see each other all the time, but not working together is going to be so weird. It’s always been me and you.”
“I know, but you can come and visit any time. And if you don’t, Molly will come looking for you.” Charlotte grinned and pulled a fresh tissue from her pocket. “I’m so glad Olivia wanted you to stay on, and that Laura can still do the odd shift if she wants to. D’you still feel okay about working with her?”
“Surprisingly, I do. She was a nightmare at school, and even worse afterwards, but she’s changed so much for the better since Roy came along. I think we’re going to be just fine. She’s not you, though.”
Charlotte waved a hand. “Don’t start me off again, please—although I didn’t think I had any more tears left after yesterday. Honestly, it was amazing; I couldn’t have wished for a better last day at work.”
“I was concerned the customers would be a bit anti-Olivia when they f
irst heard about her taking over,” said Jess, “but they’ve all been fine about it. I think they can all see how different she is now. And The President is okay about it, too, because this place won’t be any competition to them.”
“Mummy! Mummy, where are you?”
Molly’s voice echoed along the footpath at the side of the café, her footsteps getting closer before she appeared in the doorway. “There you are! Hi, Jess. Are you coming for breakfast with us?” She skipped towards Charlotte and peered at her with a frown. “Hmm, Daddy was right. He said you’d be crying.”
Charlotte put her arms around her and held her close. As she dried her eyes again, Nathan appeared outside with Oliver in his pushchair, and blew her a kiss. Molly ran out to them, bending to give her brother a kiss. He puffed out bubbles from between his rosebud lips and giggled.
“Hurry up, Mummy! Oliver’s here!” called Molly.
Olivia looked around the door with a grin. “Now that there’s someone who actually is called Oliver, I think it’s about time Molly learned how to say Olivia, or it’s going to get confusing. Is it okay to come in?”
“Of course it is. This place is almost yours now. I was just saying goodbye before I hand the keys over. I know it probably sounds silly to you that I’d want to, but I couldn’t leave if I hadn’t.”
Olivia sat down next to her. “I’ll look after it well, you know. I know what a special place this is.”
Charlotte nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“I’ll wait outside so you can finish your goodbyes in peace,” said Olivia.
Jess slid off the stool. “I’ll come with you.”
Charlotte cast her eyes around the café once more, and locked the doors for the final time.
She looked at Oliver, gurgling with delight at a dance Molly was performing for him, and at Nathan, laughing at them both. She laughed too. They were her future, and she couldn’t wait to start the new chapter in her life with them.
She would never forget her past, though. And she knew it wouldn’t have been nearly as happy as it had been without the café. She turned, one last time, and laid a hand on its cool stone wall.