by Katie Ginger
‘Oh, so we’ll be seeing a lot of each other then.’ She dipped her head so she was looking at him from under her long eyelashes. Stella couldn’t do that sort of thing. It just made her double chin stand out. Josie’s voice became a bit huskier. ‘That’ll be nice.’ Was she flirting? With Miles? She’d only just laid eyes on him. Fair enough he was attractive but still, that was fast work. Josie turned back to Stella. ‘So we’ll expect the DVDs shortly then? An hour is quite a long time to wait.’
‘Okay,’ Stella replied, remembering that no matter how hateful her customers might be they were her source of income and had to be looked after. She gave her best, happy grin and hoped she didn’t look like a lunatic. ‘Yes. I’ll drop them in in a few minutes.’
‘Are we going out?’ asked Taylor from her seat on the floor at the end of the counter and Stella gave her a smile. It looked like they were. Josie left with a curt nod towards Stella and a lingering look at Miles. Poor Vivien was ignored completely.
‘Well, she was awful,’ said Vivien as Josie walked past the window back to the apartments. ‘Thinks quite a lot of herself, doesn’t she?’ Taylor and Ralph giggled.
‘You’re funny when you’re mean, Vivien,’ said Taylor.
‘They do require a lot of looking after,’ Stella replied tactfully. ‘But to be fair she’s right. Most of the DVDs are quite old and for younger kids. I’ve been meaning to get some other ones but haven’t got round to it yet.’
‘I’ve got some you can have,’ said Miles. ‘I’ve got all The Avengers ones, but I’ll leave out Deadpool if you want? I don’t think it’s appropriate for ten-year-olds. You can keep them, if you like.’
‘Oh.’ Stella was completely thrown. ‘Umm, thanks. That’d be great.’
‘I’m not allowed to watch Deadpool,’ said Ralph looking very solemn indeed. ‘Mummy says it’s not appropriate.’
‘Mummy’s right, darling,’ said Vivien, kindly. ‘She always knows best.’
Miles nodded his agreement. ‘Mummy’s definitely right on that one, Ralph.’ He turned to Stella. ‘I’ll run and get them now for you while Vivien finishes up. Bye, kids. See you soon.’ He walked out of the shop and began a slow jog to his house. Stella watched him go, admiring his tall frame and muscular thighs, wondering how and when Miles had been taken over by aliens. Vivien placed her now empty glass of water on the counter. She had a lot more colour in her cheeks and her skin had lost the horrible grey, transparent tinge it had when she’d walked in.
Eyeing Stella, Vivien said, ‘See he’s a lovely man, really.’
Stella gave a quick smile and bent down to hide behind the counter, giving Frank a quick cuddle. Taylor and Ralph really were the loveliest of kids and she made a mental note to tell Lexi how good they’d been when she saw her. A moment later she stood up. ‘Right, kids, can you go and put everything away in your school bags ready for Mummy – and make sure you’ve had a nice big drink.’
Vivien sat a little straighter. ‘And I’d like a hug please.’
Both obliged and Stella watched a warm light fill Vivien’s face. She hoped one day she’d get hugs like that off these two.
‘Can we have another biscuit?’ asked Ralph on his way back around the counter.
‘I know where they are,’ added Taylor, helpfully.
Stella grinned. ‘Yes, of course you can. Go on then, quick sticks.’ When they’d gone she checked Vivien over once more. ‘You’re looking much better now. Have you been to the doctor’s?’
‘Oh, I don’t need that. What’s he going to say? He’ll tell me I’m ancient and it’s to be expected at my age. And look, here’s my knight in shining armour bringing the car round. I used to have a chauffeur in my heyday you know. Handsome man. Very much in love with me. See you later, my dear.’ Stella helped her out of her chair then assisted her to the door.
‘You take care of yourself, Vivien.’ Miles took over and steadied Vivien as she lowered herself into his car, then from the backseat grabbed a stack of DVDs, including all the ones Josie had asked for. ‘Thanks, Miles. This has really saved my skin. I’ll give you some money for them, of course.’
‘No, I won’t hear of it. It’s my pleasure. Glad I could help.’ He climbed into the car and drove off and Stella walked back into the shop.
Miles had never been that nice before, and yet, Vivien had always spoken so highly of him. Was it that Stella kept catching him on off days? She thought back to their previous encounters, replaying his rudeness, his attitude towards Frank and her stock. Had she misjudged him?
‘I have no idea what’s going on here, Franky boy, but I don’t trust him. No one goes from being so mean to so nice without a reason.’ She crossed her arms and looked out of the large shop windows into the street. She still didn’t know what he’d come in for. ‘I think he’s up to something.’
Chapter 19
Early Friday morning, Miles loaded his suitcase into the back of his car. The consistent drizzle that dampened the start of the week had cleared, and spring was giving way to hints of summer, warming the gentle breeze. The sun was already climbing rapidly – a huge yellow ball in a clear blue sky. He had a long drive ahead of him for a sales meeting in Leeds and had booked a hotel for overnight. There was no way he could make it there and back in a day, and as he didn’t have Kiera to worry about he could take his time and please himself.
It was weird how everything in his life seemed suddenly more relaxed. He wasn’t as anxious about work and being away, and he wasn’t even stressed that the properties the estate agent had shown him yesterday hadn’t been what he was looking for. As nice as they were, they hadn’t felt right, but he didn’t mind waiting for something perfect. There was no rush anymore, with anything. For a while at least, Miles was quite happy to let life roll on of its own accord.
Over the road, Stella was just returning from a walk with Frank when the dog stopped to sniff something. She smiled down at him and gave his lead a gentle tug just as the nanny, whose name escaped him, approached her. From the look on Stella’s face, it was clearly another complaint. Though her smile remained intact he could see a slight tension around Stella’s mouth and eyes. Then the nanny turned, spotted him and waved. Miles waved back and continued his work under the bonnet, checking the car over, as he did before any long journey, trying not to get oil on his jumper. Dealing with customer complaints couldn’t be much fun, but he still longed for that sort of problem rather than the same old stuff he dealt with now: sales targets, budget forecasts, driving up and down the country giving the sales patter. He still really wanted what Stella had, but contented himself with the thought that it would happen one day if he just kept plugging away.
‘Are you going somewhere nice?’ asked a soft voice from the side of the car. He looked up from under the open bonnet to see the nanny standing there, all fresh-faced and cheerful in tight Lycra leggings and a crop top. She must have been out for an early morning run.
He stood up and scratched the back of his head. ‘Umm, no not really. Well, I’m going to Leeds, which is a nice place, but it’s for work.’
‘Oh, right.’
He heard his own reply and wished he was better at making small talk. He was okay in professional situations and networking events, turning a switch on and off, but in social situations he had to work hard as all those insecure feelings from his youth flooded back. Especially with Stella – for some reason she made him feel self-conscious. It suddenly occurred to him that when he found someone new he was going to have to get to know them, and that required a lot of conversation, most of it awkward and nerve-racking.
‘It’s Josie, by the way. We met in the shop the other day.’ She jutted out a hand and Miles shook it.
‘Yes, I remember.’ He remembered meeting her, but couldn’t admit to having completely forgotten her name. ‘I’m Miles.’
Josie pushed her ponytail back past her shoulders. If she’d been out running she didn’t look it; her face wasn’t at all sweaty or pink and the goosebumps
on her skin told him the crop top might have been an aesthetic rather than practical choice. ‘So what do you do?’
‘I work for a pharmaceutical company.’
She raised her eyebrows, impressed. ‘When do you get back?’ Josie’s gaze was so intense he walked to the back of the car and bent down into the boot, pushing his bags around and pretending to check something.
‘Not till the end of the week. Which reminds me,’ he said, thinking out loud, ‘I really should ask someone to keep an eye on the place for me.’
‘I can.’ Josie bounced on her heels like a child and Miles realised she wasn’t just fresh-faced, she was young. Really very young. Probably in her very early twenties. From her smooth, unlined skin she really couldn’t be any older than twenty-three. He was thirty-seven, the last year of being able to say he was mid-thirties. Soon it would be late thirties and that meant midlife crisis territory.
Straightening up, he pushed his hair back from his face. ‘That’s kind of you, but I should probably ask someone who’s here all the time.’ He thought about Vivien but she hadn’t been too well lately and was getting too old for that sort of thing. Kiera had left creating such a scene, he didn’t really want to add to his embarrassment by asking the neighbour, Mrs Chapman. She’d been careful to ignore him as much as possible. He could ask Lexi, but she had enough on her plate as a working single mum.
It was then he thought of Stella. She was up at the crack of dawn, like him, and had been very caring and considerate when Vivien had been ill the other day. As she was just over the road she really would be the perfect choice, but was it too much to ask? Shamefully, he’d been such a dick the last few times they’d met. It would serve him right if she said no. He realised now how much of his attitude had been due to all the stress he was under, even though he hadn’t realised it at the time.
‘Well, if you change your mind, you know where I am.’ Josie pulled her ankle up behind her to stretch out her leg, then the other. ‘Have a safe trip.’ She let go, pouted a little, then bounced off back to the flat.
After closing the boot he went around to the front of the car and pulled down the bonnet before heading over to Stella’s shop. As he rounded the corner he saw the newly painted sign and a warm glow released inside. She’d called the shop Old Herbert’s Shop, which was actually a fitting tribute to the old boy. He smiled to himself. It was a much better name than he’d come up with when he was writing his business plan.
Stella was already tidying and sorting stock when he knocked on the front door. He startled her and as she walked over, he mouthed the word ‘Sorry,’ but her smile was polite rather than friendly. Seeing her features up close he noted that she had an expressive, naturally pretty face. If her smile was genuine and reached all the way to her deep brown eyes they’d sparkle and he wished he hadn’t been so arrogant and taken that sparkle away.
Opening the door she said, ‘Hi, Miles, you’re up early.’ There was trepidation in her voice and he couldn’t blame her for being on her guard. It was nothing more than he deserved.
‘Yeah, actually, that’s what I came to talk to you about. I, umm … I was wondering if I could ask a favour.’ He suddenly felt very silly and scratched the back of his head.
‘Sure, come in.’
‘The shop looks great,’ he said, trying to be more sociable. Stella had been working incredibly hard, he could see, and the other side of the shop had been cleared of even more stock. Most of the items were new and the place was almost unrecognisable. It was light, airy and full of beautiful pieces of art and an array of homeware from hand-painted dinner services to unique and unusual decorations.
‘Oh, thanks.’
He paused, putting his hands in his pockets. ‘And I love the name. What made you think of it?’
Stella’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘I don’t know really. I was talking to Jay when we were discussing the website and it just sort of came to me. It seemed right to keep it but it needs another coat of paint, which is on my list for Sunday.’
Miles remembered his and Kiera’s row and Jay’s lies in the pub. He felt a cold shiver run down his back. Stella clearly didn’t know what they’d been saying about her. Should he be the one to tell her? Could he do that? He couldn’t just blurt it out right now, especially as they were beginning to have a proper conversation. Perhaps he could let Lexi know and ask her to warn Stella. He presumed she would prefer to hear it from a friend though something about that felt cowardly. No answer seemed right. He’d have to think about it more before he did anything; it was important he made the right decision. One thing he would do though, was try to put a stop to the rumours if anyone mentioned it to him.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Stella. He’d stood staring in silence like a creepy weirdo.
‘Yeah, I’m fine, sorry, I was just admiring some of the new paintings.’
Again, the pale skin of her forehead wrinkled. ‘Right. So, what did you want to ask me?’
Miles felt his neck muscles tighten with nerves. ‘I know this might seem a little odd but I was wondering if you’d keep an eye on my place overnight. With Kiera gone there isn’t anyone there and I have to go away for some meetings. I’ll be back Sunday night but …’ He shrugged, unwilling to mention that he was too embarrassed to ask Mrs Chapman.
‘Oh. Umm—’
‘You don’t need to do anything, just … you know, keep an eye out.’ Stella looked like he’d just asked her to go skinny-dipping with him. ‘If I’m honest, I could ask the neighbours but since Kiera left in such dramatic style I’m a bit embarrassed to.’ Why had he just told her that? Her face softened and he saw a hint of a smile lift the corners of her mouth.
‘Of course. Should I take your mobile number in case anything happens?’
‘Yeah, that’d be great.’ He pulled out a business card from his wallet and handed it to her. She had long slender fingers but a blister had formed by her thumb and her palms were red and sore-looking. She was working hard to make this place successful and Miles both admired her and felt guilty for having thought it was all coming so easily. In contrast, he’d recently discovered Kiera hadn’t been working for months. All those supposed trips to London to meet clients were lies. She’d just gone shopping and was living off her trust fund. The fact that she’d always come home with so many bags should have told him so but he’d been blind to it all. ‘Feel free to call or text if anything happens. And, if I can ever return the favour I’d be happy to.’
‘Sure. No problem.’ She nodded and her hair bounced around her face. A slight curl had developed at the front and Miles suddenly wondered what it would be like to wrap it around his fingers.
‘I’d better get going.’ Miles pulled his mind back to the task at hand. He edged towards the door and noticed the dog bed sitting empty. ‘Is your dog not well or something?’
‘Frank?’ She looked confused then she glanced at the dog bed. ‘Oh no, he’s fine. He’s just lazy. He likes a nap between his morning walk and me opening the shop. He’s fast asleep on the sofa in the living room.’
‘Oh, good. Well, thanks again and I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Sure.’ She nodded. ‘Safe journey.’
Closing the door behind him he looked up again at the newly painted sign. The wobbly writing only added to the charm. And this time it only hurt a tiny bit to admit that old Herbert had made the right choice after all.
Chapter 20
Lexi was running late. Again. After three arguments with the kids – one about shoes, one about coats and one about scooters – she had bundled them in the car, had another row about Taylor not yet being old enough to go without a car seat, and pulled up in front of the school. Thank God it was Friday.
Things were still not picking up for Will, which meant money was desperately short. She’d taken extra shifts at the café and was grateful for the work Stella had given her, even though she felt guilty for eating into her profits. Lexi comforted herself with the thought that she was able to feed her child
ren for another week and was only a month in arrears with her streaming service so they’d let her keep it, which meant she could watch her favourite programs and stay relatively sane.
Will was picking the kids up from school because he was having them for the weekend and Fridays were turning out to be her busiest day. She split the morning shift in the café, then cleaned the holiday flats until three, when she’d get the kids, drop them at Stella’s and go back to the café to work till five. They loved their time with Stella and it was proving an absolute godsend. Lexi was grateful to have found such a friend. Raina was as supportive as ever and even kept her supplied with cake including some to take home to the kids.
Lexi appreciated all the support she had, but wished her children didn’t have to see all this, or be passed from pillar to post quite so much. Other kids in school didn’t. And they didn’t have to see their mum working her fingers to the bone and falling asleep during cuddles in the evening. So often her head would drop to the soothing sounds of CBeebies and sometimes she’d even wake herself up with a loud snore. What kind of a mum was she? She felt guilty ninety-nine per cent of the time and the other one per cent she was asleep.
After the morning café shift, Lexi took her bag from the worktop out the back of the café and rummaged for her keys. ‘Right, I’m off next door, but ring me if we get a sudden rush and I’ll pop back in.’
‘Oh, I’m sure we’ll be fine,’ Raina replied, happily cutting some lettuce.
‘You always say that,’ said Lexi. ‘But promise me?’
Raina looked up with a scowl. ‘I promise. Now be off with you.’
As Lexi approached the door to the holiday lets she noticed the awful drunk bloke had left the front door open when he’d vacated, or the nanny had, and cursing, she went to the lower-floor apartment. Lexi fumbled for the right key. ‘More haste less speed,’ she told herself. She was always rushing these days.