Love for Auction

by Karen Klyne

  Later, Phil collected her, and they drove to Anton’s restaurant. The car park was virtually empty, and it was nowhere near as busy when they got inside. Kim was semi pleased that the recession had also hit his fancy restaurant. The extensive menu had been replaced with a table d’hote with fixed prices for several courses. Still, at least they didn’t have to spend hours deciphering the menu and were served quickly. Over dinner, Kim brought Phil up to speed on the plans for her new venture, and Phil told her all about her latest valuations. When Phil had finished, she changed the subject.

  “Talking of Christmas––”

  “Which we weren’t, but I guess we’re going to, because I can tell that you want to ask something. What’s on your mind?”

  “Don’t you ever see your mother?” Phil asked.

  Kim flinched, taken off guard by the question. “She buggered off and left me. She married a French guy called Pierre, and they’re living happily ever after. What’s the point?” Kim didn’t mention to Phil that her mother emailed her at least four times a year with all the news about her life, along with photographs. On one occasion, she’d even tried to explain why she’d left her father. That one got deleted very quickly.

  “Don’t you have any contact at all?”

  “A little but not much. We speak sometimes at Christmas.”

  Phil tilted her glass. “Exactly. Have you given her your new email address?”

  “Come to think of it, I haven’t. Anyway, what’s with all the interest in my mother? Do you want to meet her or something?”

  Phil smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Wouldn’t mind seeing if you get your temper from her.”

  “Ha bloody ha.”

  Phil’s expression turned serious when she took Kim’s hand in her own. “You know, Kim, sometimes people fall out of love, or maybe they need more fulfilment from life. I reckon it must have taken a lot of guts and heartache to walk out on you. You only saw it from a child’s point of view, and of course you only know what your father told you.”

  “Why? Do you think my dad told me a pack of lies? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Not at all. But you did say he was economical with the truth. He protected you. But there are always two sides to every story. Maybe you don’t know the whole thing.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Bullshit.” All this talk of her mum was making her blood boil.

  Phil reached over and touched her hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you. It’s just been on my mind.”

  Kim relaxed, letting the sudden anger go as quickly as it had come. “Maybe you’re right. I should discuss it with her, if only for closure. And perhaps I should open my mind a little.” Kim smiled. “So, what about your parents? I haven’t heard you mention them.”

  Phil rolled her shoulders. “They’re both alive. They live in Buckinghamshire in a large house with no character or charm. Like you, I’m an only child. They have a travel agency business and work with a lot of rich people. Hence, they travel around the world a lot, so I hardly ever see them. I think I was a disappointment to them, because I didn’t join their business. Also, they won’t get any grandchildren, so there won’t be any little Youngs to carry on the family name.” Phil laughed. “When I was in my teens, I dated the boy next door, James. His parents were filthy rich, so my mother and father were delighted. We had an absolute ball together. You see, we had a little secret: we were both gay. When we were young, we used to talk about getting married and living our own lives. Youthful dreams. But James met someone, and we had to come clean.” Phil stared into space. “It still worked out well, because he introduced me to the property business. Long story, but eventually I got a job with a big London auction house. Suffice to say my parents and I are not close, but we do talk here and there. End of.”

  “I’d like to hear the long story.”

  “Yes. One day, when it’s pissing down with rain, and we have absolutely nothing else to do or talk about.”

  “In that case, I doubt the subject will ever come up.”

  Phil winked. “Exactly.”

  It was good to talk about deeper things. Little by little they could learn about each other’s life, even if the memories weren’t always good. And the more she learned, the more she liked the woman Phil was…apart from her history with women. That remained a little worrying.

  ***

  The following week, Phil and Alan met with Enid and William Gilbert. Phil was loathed to say that she and Alan were on the same wavelength, but when it came to valuing property, their figures were nearly always the same. They’d agreed a valuation of one and a half million pounds. It sounded a lot, but subject to planning permission, there’d either be four large homes, each with a sizable piece of land, or God knows how many smaller ones, depending on which developer got their hands on it.

  Enid was hospitable, but contrary to their last informal meeting, she seemed aloof. Phil suspected someone else had approached them and already made them an offer. This was going to be tricky. However, Enid led them to the conservatory. William wasn’t casually dressed this time. He was wearing an old pin stripe suit with a crisp white shirt and a golf club tie. He still leapt up and greeted them, but Phil could sense Enid’s disapproval. There were no tea and cakes this time.

  After introductions, Phil took a seat and opened her laptop.

  Enid wrung her hands. “No point in showing us that. We don’t understand those things, and we don’t want to.”

  “That’s no problem, Enid. This is purely for Alan and me to look at so we can share some information with you.” She opened her briefcase and took out some documents. They were in large print, and she handed them over to Enid and William.

  Enid smiled sweetly but didn’t quite make eye contact. Whilst Phil was occupied with the laptop, Alan took charge. He spoke quietly to them and complimented them on the house and land. Then Phil took over.

  “If you’d like to look at the calculations I’ve given you, you’ll see that we’ve come up with a figure we think it may reach at auction of one and a half million for the house and land. Assuming this meets with your approval, we’d suggest a guide price of one million, two hundred thousand pounds and set a reserve price of one million four hundred thousand pounds. That means you won’t get less than that amount, and you may get even more, depending on how the bidding goes.”

  Phil smiled at Enid and William and waited whilst the pair of them absorbed the information. They looked pale, and their mouths were gaping as they looked at one another.

  Enid’s hands were shaking. “Did you say one and a half million pounds?”

  “That’s correct, Enid.”

  Enid carefully placed the calculations on the coffee table. “Are you sure?”

  Alan smiled at her. “Of course, we can never be positive. But I have many years’ experience in property, and that’s my considered opinion.”

  Enid pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “The other day, out of the blue, a young man visited us. He made an offer of one million pounds, right there on the spot. He said it would be quick, and it would save us a lot in fees.”

  Phil grimaced. “Do you know which company he represented?”

  “His name was Don. He said he’d put us in touch directly with a developer.”

  Alan huffed. “I bet he did. I hope you didn’t sign––”

  Enid shook her head vigorously. “Not a chance, but I thought I’d mention it to you.”

  “There are some very unscrupulous companies out there, but I can assure you, we’re not one of them.” Phil wondered who the player was and how he could try to con a couple as sweet as this one.

  William coughed. “That’s an awful lot of money. We didn’t really believe him when he said a million, and you’re saying it will be even more. I’m afraid I can’t make decisions like that. I leave that side of things to Enid.”

  “Absolutely, William. Anyway, I’m sure you need to have a think about this.” Alan began to gather his
things.

  Enid sprang to her feet. “I’ll make us some tea.” She left and came back wheeling a tea trolley all set up with a three-tier cake stand. “I got extra so you could take some to your friend.”

  Phil went to help her. “Ah, that’s so sweet of you.” She poured tea and handed them out, plus a plate for her and Alan, remembering that Enid and William were diabetics.

  Enid placed a cake each on the other two plates and handed one to William. His eyes lit up. “Go ahead. Eat it, William. I deem this a celebration.” She looked from Philippa to Alan. “We’d like to go ahead with Farrell and Young.”

  Phil shot Alan a triumphant glance. “Thank you both. I promise we’ll take care of you.”

  Enid nodded. “I know. I knew the minute we met that we could trust you. I’m just glad we didn’t go with that unscrupulous young man and that your offer was even better. You’re a good woman.”

  Not many women had ever said that to Phil. Life was certainly changing.

  When they finished their tea, Phil went through all the documents with them, and they put their signatures where indicated. She said she’d collect any other relevant details in a few days. She discussed the marketing together with all the details and told them the house would be put into their February auction. Phil was concerned about what they’d do once it was sold and thought she’d better check it out. “I should tell you that when it sells, you’ll have a month to vacate the house. Do you have somewhere to go?”

  “Thank you for your concern, Philippa. I’ll be calling in a house clearance company.” Enid smiled at William. “And then we’re going on a luxury world cruise. Hopefully we’ll make it through the journey, and if not, we’ll bury each other at sea.” She laughed. “If we like it, we’ll do another, or book into a fancy hotel, or find a luxurious residential home. We don’t need roots anymore, and we’ve still got some time to see the world.”

  Alan looked dumbfounded. He looked across at Phil as she brushed away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. She walked over and took Enid and William’s hand. “I think that’s so lovely and romantic.”

  William patted her hand. “Practical, dear, although we are quite a pair of romantics.”

  Alan busied himself gathering the papers together, whilst Phil continued to talk about their cruise. They were just about to leave when Enid presented her a box with the leftover cakes. She took hold of Phil’s hand. “If you have time, will you bring your friend over for a Christmas drink? We’d love to see Kim again. She was such a darling child.”

  “That’s a date. I’ll call you soon.”

  They parted company, and Alan drove them directly to the Oak. “I think this calls for a celebratory drink.” He ordered two G & T’s and handed one to Phil. “Congratulations to both of us, although by the sound of things, all the hard work was done on your first visit.”

  “Cheers, Alan. Nice work too.”

  “Well, what about that? You and your ‘friend’ invited for drinks.”

  “Yup.”

  “Listen, Philippa. I know all I need to know, and as long as you make Kim happy, that’s all that matters. I know I don’t really have a right to stick my oar in. However, if you–”

  Phil held a hand up. “I’ll bear that in mind. Let’s drop it. Let’s not ruin the occasion.” She didn’t need yet another person reminding her that Kim was sweet, and Philippa had a past.

  After their drink, he drove Phil to her car. She took a couple of cakes out and wrapped them in a napkin she’d taken from the pub. She handed the box to Alan. “Your turn tonight. Give them to Grace as a treat.” She laughed. “I don’t suppose she gets many of those these days.”

  Alan smiled sadly. “One day young lady, someone is going to bring you down to size.”

  “You’re possibly right. In the meantime, have a good evening, because I’m sure as hell going to.” Maybe Alan was right about bringing her down to size. Right now, all she wanted to do was spend some more time with Kim. How long would that last, though? It was Kim’s first experience with a woman. Odds were, it wouldn’t be her last. How many had Phil got through? Christ, if she’d had an abacus, there wouldn’t be enough beads on it. It was a depressing thought, but she knew that women like her didn’t find a “forever” woman. Maybe it wouldn’t suit her anyway? Maybe.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The first event at the Pheasant, Kim was in a flap. Would anyone turn up? She hadn’t got a clue. Yes, people in the village said they’d support it, but that wasn’t enough. They needed punters from villages far and wide. Phil kept telling her it would be all right, but what did she know about food, apart from devouring it? Jan helped her transport everything to the pub and by five o’clock, everything was ready.

  Phil had come over straight from work, as she’d been assigned to wait on tables. When she walked through the door, Kim ran into her arms. “Thank God you’re here.”

  Phil looked around. “Wow, this place really looks like little Italy. Those chequered tablecloths look brilliant, and all the flags work so well.” She pointed to two girls standing by the bar. “Who are they?”

  “The brewery sent them to help out. If it goes well tonight, they’ll be here on a regular basis.”

  Kim felt sure she’d never see them again.

  The doors opened at six o’clock and fifteen minutes later, the pub was full to overflowing. They’d set the appetisers up on a long table by the bar: tomato bruschetta, buffalo mozzarella, and an assortment of Italian cheeses, salami, and olives, served with ciabatta bread. They were all compliments of the pub. They’d pushed the boat out for the first night. Italian operettas played in the background. As predicted, a lot of the villagers turned out, together with the local Italian language school. Alan, Grace, Carole, and Abby shared a table, and Phil was in her element serving her local community. They all seemed to be flattered to be served by “the lady auctioneer.” It was a hit.

  They served their last dessert at ten, and the pub was empty just before eleven. They cleared up, then sat and had a glass of wine together. She could definitely say it’d been a success.

  Every one of the themed evenings that followed were a great success too. When it began to snow, it just so happened to be chilli night at the Pheasant. If customers couldn’t drive, they walked, and they seemed to come in droves. Even the younger members of the village frequented the pub. They couldn’t get into town, so they’d ended up in their local. It was the answer to the villagers’ dreams. It was cheap and cheerful and full of atmosphere. People chatted together and seemed to form new friendships. Already, they had bookings for weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, and sadly the odd funeral. And they’d all paid hefty deposits. Kim had enjoyed watching Jan and her sister, Marian do many high fives.

  Weeks went by in a flash, and Christmas was soon upon them. Christmas Day lunch was their final commitment. Bookings had been taken, so they knew exactly how many people to cater for. Kim had ordered turkeys from the local butcher, and she planned to cook them prior to Christmas day. Then the pub would close for a long holiday and re-open at the end of January. Christmas with Phil. Kim couldn’t wait to spend those three luscious days with her, even though she’d be working some of the time.

  In the meantime, Phil had been up to her eyes in work. There was so much to prepare for the February auction, and consequently Kim saw very little of her during the lead up to Christmas. When she did see Phil, she looked shattered. She fell asleep on the sofa and when she awoke, she apologised and promised Kim she’d give her full undivided attention during their break together.

  Kim felt sorry for her. Alan was working her too hard, and she’d sure as hell tell him when they went around for dinner. He’d invited them both, and it was such a breakthrough that Alan had accepted their relationship. She was so pleased that he’d included Phil in the invitation.

  After a cosy meal, they sat on the sofa together. Phil was sprawled out and lay with her head on Kim’s lap. She stroked Phil’s head. “I a
lmost forgot. Are you free on Wednesday?”

  Phil rubbed her chin. “Wednesday? Oh shit. My friend, Cass, is in Leeds for a couple of nights, so I thought I’d join her since we won’t be together for Christmas. Why?”

  “That’s fine. I’m glad you’re spending time with Cass. You should never neglect friends. They were there long before I arrived on the scene. Anyway, it was only Alan and Grace who invited us around for dinner, so you won’t be missing much. Still, it was a nice gesture.” Kim wasn’t particularly worried about Phil not being there, but it did piss her off that she’d never been asked to meet Phil’s friends. If she hadn’t mentioned the invitation from Alan, would Phil have told her about her few nights with Cass? Was she ashamed of Kim, or was she keeping her friends separate? And why? Perhaps Phil wasn’t ready yet. It was early days. She just hoped it was Cass she was meeting, and that there wasn’t another woman out there waiting for Phil to arrive. Would she ever get rid of the nagging mistrust she felt? It didn’t feel fair to Phil, but she couldn’t help it.

  “Sorry about that. Tell you what, we’ll take them out for dinner after the holidays.”

  “Great.” Kim couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  By Wednesday evening, the snow had disappeared, and it had turned mild. Kim wrapped up well and set off to Alan and Grace’s on foot. When she got there, Alan opened a bottle of champagne. It was most unlike him, and he seemed in an awfully cheerful mood. The three of them chinked their glasses and made a toast to all their future happiness. Kim saw the affection in Alan’s eyes as he looked at Grace. They told Kim that he’d shared his secret about Amanda’s funeral, and Grace had driven him there to support him. Kim hoped she and Philippa would have that same love and trust in the years to come.

  After a few drinks, they had dinner.

  Alan laughed. “Did Philippa tell you about our Christmas lunch at Anton’s restaurant?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there but thank you for the invitation. Did Carole and Abby enjoy it?”