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‘Don’t know about my nose, but my eyes can see bits of apple drifting about in the infuser.’ Poppy set her cup down and ducked out of the way as Ben went to give her a friendly flick. ‘It is creamy though.’
‘That’s because it’s a strawberry and cream tisane. Or did you see the tin it came from?’ Ben went about rinsing the glasses fresh for the next tasting.
‘No. Just tasted it. Turns out my tongue’s quite talented.’ Heat rushed to Poppy’s cheeks that had nothing to do with the warmth of the tea. Beside her Joe and Sophie snorted into their closed fists, their faces matching the colour of the strawberry tea. Meanwhile Ben began to cough, his eyes filling with tears.
‘Omigod, I’m so sorry. That sounded…’
‘Filthy.’ Joe filled in the blank.
‘And hilarious,’ Sophie added. ‘Keep that up and I might enjoy working here.’
Poppy went to remind Sophie she was lucky to be here, that she and Ben were the only people willing to take her and Joe on, but held her tongue as the door squeaked, announcing a visitor to the store.
‘Hello?’ A voice as smooth as Ben’s tisane floated through the air to greet them. ‘Anyone there?’
‘Are you expecting another delivery?’ Ben asked as he straightened up and wiped his eyes.
‘No. I’ve got all I need. You?’
Ben shook his head as he put on a welcoming smile and marched into the main shop. ‘Welcome to Sparkle & Steep, what can we help you with today?’
Poppy trailed after him, and lounged against the doorway, curious to see who the visitor was.
The unexpected visitor turned to face Ben, a bright smile on her face. ‘Oh, this place is divine. A high-end tea shop? Genius. I love it. You’ve done a marvellous job, Ben. Now I hope you don’t mind my popping in unexpectedly, but my mother saw your mother and mentioned your shop was close to opening, so I simply had to come by, say hello, and have a sneak peek.’ The woman laid her perfectly manicured hand on his forearm and gave it a squeeze.
There was something familiar about her, but Poppy couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She clearly knew Ben, felt comfortable striking up a conversation with him, but she was dressed too… well, too much like Poppy to be someone he knew. Denim cut-off shorts, frayed at the bottom, were embroidered with multi-coloured flowers around the pockets. Her cream camisole was loose and billowy, yet sheer enough you could see her turquoise bra underneath.
Her hair was the perfect blonde. Not too white, not too yellow. Princess golden… just like…
‘Oh my God.’ Poppy took a step forward, her eyes wide, hand covering her mouth. ‘Milly? Is that you?’
Ben squinted in an effort to see what Poppy was seeing. Milly? His Milly? No. Surely not…
Oh hell. It was Milly. But the carefully curled blonde locks she’d sported when they were younger were now effortlessly beachy and tumbling down her back and over her bare shoulders. The formerly nude lips were now a bright red pout. And the smile was bright-white and straight. Milly Smith, his teenage girlfriend, had gotten her teeth straightened, possibly whitened, and had grown into a woman.
A beautiful one at that.
Bloody hell.
‘In the flesh.’ Milly grinned and did a quick shimmy.
Milly shimmied? When did Milly shimmy? She was a wallflower when they were young. Her idea of revealing clothing had been a skirt that sat on her knee. Or a boatneck top as opposed to a turtle neck.
Milly took another step into the shop, picked up the unicorn ornament and held it up to the light, sending a skittering of rainbows across the floor. ‘Interesting.’ She set it back down, her distaste obvious.
‘Shooting for a younger target market than you with that, I’m afraid.’ Poppy crossed the floor, swept up the ornament and placed it on a shelf. ‘Everything will be out by tomorrow when we open. Maybe you should pop back then and have a look?’
‘Oh, tomorrow’s out for me. Wall-to-wall meetings, I’m afraid.’ Milly turned her back on Poppy and focused on Ben. ‘That’s why I thought I’d come by today, say hello and wish you good luck.’
‘Oh, well, hello.’ Ben shifted from foot to foot, unnerved by the way Milly was looking at him, her smile spreading wider by the second, showing off those gleaming, straight teeth. Was this how a mouse felt when cornered by a cat? ‘Have you been visiting your mum just now?’
‘No, not today. Remember when I said I’d be round these parts? What I meant was that I’ve bought a place here. I was just over there while the movers dropped off my furniture. It’s so nice to settle down, lay some roots, have a place to call my own. Life can’t be all cocktails and dancing ’til dawn…’ Milly glanced over at Poppy, her upper lip curling in disdain.
Ben mashed his lips together as Poppy ripped into a box with her bare hands, her eyes murderous. He didn’t want to believe that Milly was taking a pot shot at Poppy’s lifestyle, but the two had never seen eye-to-eye when they were younger. Milly believed Poppy was a bad influence on Ben, whereas Poppy thought Milly far too boring to spend time on. Yet that hadn’t stopped Poppy from urging him to go out with Milly in the first place. Something he’d never quite figured out. One of the many Poppy mysteries he’d yet to uncover.
‘Oh, I absolutely know what you mean, Milly.’ Poppy’s tone was light enough, but Ben caught the taut, tense edge to it. ‘After seeing so many wonderful parts of the world, experiencing all the amazing things different countries and cultures have to offer, I’ve found it a real joy to come home and know that I’ll be waking up in the same bed, seeing the same sights, building a future for myself. One based on a solid foundation of knowing who I am, what I can do, and what my strengths are.’
A muted snort-cough caught Ben’s attention. Sophie and Joe were all but hanging off the doorframe, their eyes wide with glee as they watched the two women verbally spar.
This wouldn’t do, he decided. Not one bit. They had a lot to get done and they were due to open in less than fifteen hours. ‘Well, I’m glad you popped by, Milly. It’s been lovely to see you. I hate to cut your visit short, but as I’m sure you understand, we’ve a lot to get done before we flick that sign on the door there from “shut” to “open” tomorrow morning.’ Ben went to the door and opened it for Milly.
‘Absolutely, I understand. I know you’ve a lot on at the moment, Ben, but we should definitely catch up.’ Milly’s fingers curled around his bicep. ‘It’s been so long. I’d love to hear more about what you’ve been up to. There’s only so much that can be talked about, conveyed, over the phone. That job of yours must have been positively thrilling, far more exciting than my work as an editor-in-chief at a fashion magazine…’
Another snort-cough filled the air. This one from Poppy’s direction.
‘Er, I don’t know about thrilling, but I did meet some characters along the way.’ Ben glanced at the ruby-red talons that showed no sign of leaving his arm. When had Milly become so… un-Milly?
‘Well then, I’d love to hear about them. I’ll swing by in a few days’ time, once you’re all settled and up and running, and we’ll make a date, shall we?’ Milly stretched up and settled her lips on his cheek. He caught a whiff of some dark, exotic perfume. So different to the apple shampoo that had been her ever-present scent as a teenager.
‘Okay. Great. Well, have a good day, Milly.’ Ben waved her off and shut the door to a mixture of wolf whistles and kissy sounds.
‘Ben’s got a giiiiirlfriiiiiiend,’ Sophie and Joe sang in unison.
Ben touched his arm where Milly’s hand had been. Breathed in the potent perfume that still hung in the air. He looked over to Poppy to gauge her opinion. Her back was turned, hunched over, as she tore into another box, sending the polystyrene pieces within flying.
He tried to ignore the gnawing in his stomach that told him his life was about to get complicated. Complicated? Try downright problematic. With the opening of his business, the juggling of staff, and the rift between him and his father that if their lack of communication was anything to go by showed no signs of abating, the last thing he needed was Poppy vs Milly, round two.
Chapter 6 (#ulink_1be7f245-3a46-5fc8-8b9d-0962a92dec37)
Ben closed his eyes. Opened them again. Blinked hard. The bowl of creamy vanilla icing he had tucked under his arm threatened to tip over and spill its contents on their freshly cleaned floor.
Poppy mashed her lips together; she knew what was coming but couldn’t stop herself. Couldn’t? More like didn’t want to. His face began to turn a violent shade of purple. Eruption coming in three… two… one…
‘You can’t seriously be wearing that on our first day of business. It’s completely ridiculous. Totally over the top. What will people think?’ Ben shoved the icing-covered spoon he was holding in the bowl and placed it on the counter.
Joe glanced down at his outfit. A snow-white fluffy onesie with a pink oval ‘belly’ front and centre. ‘What? You don’t like my uniform?’ He spun round, sending the golden tail attached to the onesie’s rear flying.
‘Uniform?’ Ben shook his head so hard Poppy half-worried that his brain would come flying out of his ears. ‘It’s not a uniform. That looks like the kind of pyjamas a three-year-old would wear.’
Poppy moved to stand beside Joe and pointed downwards. ‘Not true. Kids onesies tend to have feet as part of the pyjamas. Joe’s feet are bare.’
‘His feet are not bare. I can see with my own two eyes that he has unicorn scuffs on his feet. The slipper variety. He’s not ready to go to work. He’s ready to go to bed.’
‘You don’t like his slippers? But they’re so pretty.’
Joe raised his leg and angled his foot back and forth, displaying the purple fluffy scuffs threaded through with silver, a horn made from shiny golden material protruded from the centre of each slipper. ‘I’m with Poppy, they’re pretty. Pretty awesome.’
Ben’s nostrils flared as he huffed. ‘It’s not about whether I like them or not…’
‘You don’t. I can see it from the fuchsia colour of your face.’ Poppy grabbed hold of Joe’s tail and twirled the tail, burlesque style. ‘I’d go as far as to say they’re making you angry.’
‘They don’t make me angry. They’re slippers. It takes more than fairy tale footwear to irritate me. No, it’s just that I don’t think that uniform is appropriate for a business such as this. People will be coming to our shop expecting a certain sense of decorum… and, well…’ Ben’s lips mashed together. ‘More important than what others think… what if Joe gets too hot and passes out?’
Poppy crossed her arms over her chest and shifted from foot to foot, setting off a disco of lights embedded in her sunshine-yellow sneakers. ‘Nice tactic, making it all about Joe’s health and wellbeing rather than what others might think, but the thing is, Ben, I don’t think Joe could get hot enough to pass out, not when you insist on setting the temperature in here to freezing.’
‘It really is freezing.’ Joe mock-shivered. ‘So, actually, I’m almost cosy.’
‘And you know, Joe, I’m impressed with your commitment to the job. It’s inspiring. In fact, it’s got me tempted to wear this…’ Poppy strode over to a rack of clothing and pulled out a spaghetti-strapped silk nightgown covered in prancing miniature unicorns. ‘Although, if I were to wear this then Ben would have to pop the heating up.’
Ben’s mouth opened in a perfect ‘o’ of horror. ‘You wouldn’t wear that? It would be—’
‘Too fun? Too casual?’ Poppy pulled the nightgown off the rack, held it up to her body and shimmied like Milly had the day before. ‘Likely to give one of your staid old customers a heart attack?’
‘Yes, exactly that. I can’t have people keeling over, it would give us bad press. Anyway, the temperature’s kept low so my customers can appreciate their tea. They’ll wrap their hands around the cups. Feel the heat infuse their bodies, their souls…’
‘Who knew Mr Business had a poetic heart?’ Poppy placed the nightgown back on the rack. ‘It’s lovely to know that you care about creating an experience for a bunch of strangers.’
‘Not strangers. Customers. Also, if it gets too warm in here the tea can go rancid. And I can’t afford to be throwing money down the drain.’ Ben checked his watch. ‘Look, the shop’s due to open in twenty minutes, and Sophie and I still have to get the tea-of-the-day steeping on the warmer, and the baking plated up and on the counter. Joe, wear what you want. Poppy, don’t you dare wear that tiny scrap of material you call a nightie. You’ll freeze to death.’
Poppy’s chest began to ache from holding the laughter in. She glanced at Joe, whose face had gone vermillion. One cheek was puffed out, like his tongue was literally pushed into it.
An irritated cluck from Ben sent her over the edge. The giggles she’d kept tamped down erupted, followed by guffaws from Ben’s direction.
‘Oh, Ben, we’re just teasing. Pulling your leg.’ Poppy bounded over and kissed his cheek. ‘I promise I won’t wear the nightgown. It’s not really my style anyway. And Joe’s onesie will only be coming out on Mondays – we’re doing unicorn story time for toddlers. We came up with it last night and posted it on our social media page. Thought it would be a good way for local mums to enjoy your tea and treats while we entertained their little ones.’
Ben’s chest deflated, his lips pursing. ‘Excellent idea, Poppy, Joe. But do you promise that this look will be for Mondays only?’
‘We promise.’ Poppy made a cross over her heart. ‘Although I’m totally getting one to wear at home.’
‘You’re incorrigible.’ Ben backed away towards the kitchen door. ‘Always have been.’
‘Yeah well, you’ll come to love this onesie. Heck, I bet you’ll end up buying one.’ Poppy smiled as Ben gave another vigorous head shake. ‘Now go finish up that icing and get that tea of yours brewing. It’s time to make our fortune.’
***
Poppy slumped onto the small wooden desk that occupied a corner of the tiny storeroom and rested her head on her arm. She rarely dealt with self-doubt – refused to as a means of self-preservation – but the numbers on the calculator, the money on the table, and the receipts from the sales were giving her a headache, and making her question how wise she’d been to think running a gift shop would be easy.
Sure, it had seemed simple enough on paper. She’d saved the money up so she’d be going in debt-free. Bought the stock. Made everything look as appealing as possible. She’d posted on Muswell Hill’s social media pages that Sparkle & Steep was opening, and within a day it had been shared. And shared. And shared some more. Gone viral, according to Joe. And the people had come.
Boy, had they come. In droves. People whisked in on their way to work or during their lunch break. Mothers with babies wrapped to their chests, and toddlers in hand, popped in, excited to see the latest arrival. Retirees poked their heads in, curious to see what had lain behind the store frontage that had been papered-over for the last two weeks.
The store’s chimes had bing-bonged all day long as people came to investigate the newest addition to Muswell Hill. Ben’s tea shop had been so busy he’d had to put on a second pot of the day’s trial tea within the first hour of opening, and both pots had been emptied and refilled by Sophie numerous times. Meanwhile Sparkle had been filled with squeals of delight and joyful sighs as people discovered her range of unicorn clothing, accessories and homeware. And the story-time session had been a hit, bolstering sales on both sides of the store, and ended with the mothers and fathers who’d brought their little ones along asking if it could be a daily occurrence, much to Ben’s chagrin.
Her till had beeped its way through the day, and now she had a bunch of numbers to make sense of. At least she didn’t have a store to tidy; Joe had taken care of that, bless his unicorn-shod feet.
A Ben-shaped shadow fell across the floor, followed by the man himself. ‘You look like I feel.’
Poppy pushed herself into a sitting position and cupped her chin in her hand. ‘I don’t think so. You don’t even have a hair out of place. I’m pretty sure mine’s so frizzy I’d be mistaken for an angel.’
She laughed as Ben’s forehead creased in confusion.
‘I call it the “black halo”.’ She indicated to the circumference of her head that had a tendency to boof out when she got all hot and bothered – which she had as the day wore on and she’d darted back and forth showcasing her wares to interested parties. ‘So, did your day go as well as I think it did?’
‘Better. I’m going to have to come in even earlier tomorrow to get more baking done. And I’ll need to call my tea supplier because at this rate I’ll be scraping the bottom of the tins by the end of the week.’ Ben rubbed his hands together in glee. ‘I knew this could work. I knew I wasn’t a fool to…’ The gleam in Ben’s eyes disappeared.
‘Someone called you a fool for opening your shop?’ Poppy didn’t need three guesses to figure out who. ‘It’s one thing for your father to not approve of your choice to open a shop, but he has no right to call you a fool. No right to try and control you.’ She pulled out the chair beside her and patted it.
Ben settled into the chair beside her, clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back, tipping his chin so he was staring at the ceiling. ‘I don’t think he’s trying to control me. I just don’t think he can understand why I’d give up a solid career – a career our family has found success in for decades – on what he thinks is a whim.’
‘When you put it like that…’ Poppy spun the pen in front of her, faster and faster. ‘I must admit, I did wonder if you’d been hit on the head or something when you mentioned your plans to open a tea shop. Sure, you could bake as a kid. And the last couple of weeks I’ve tried enough of your creations to know they’re better than all the other baking I’ve ever tried – and I’ve tried a lot of baking. But you’ve never been one to take risks. To strike out on your own.’
Ben laughed, harsh and humourless. ‘Well, we can’t all be like you now, can we, Poppy? Not all of us are able to just give something a go, or leave someone behind, without thinking of the repercussions.’
Poppy didn’t miss the hint of hurt. Ben thought she’d not taken his feelings into consideration when she’d left, but she had. Big time. He was one of two very big reasons that she had to leave. In going she’d saved his heart from hurt and saved herself from hurting him. She’d hoped time and space would heal any wounds, but perhaps she’d been a fool to think that.
‘I’m sorry.’ She laid a hand on his forearm, her heart growing heavy when Ben flinched. ‘I know it was sudden, my leaving and all. But it wasn’t like I didn’t keep in touch.’
Ben turned his gaze on Poppy. His expression impassive, like he’d stopped caring. Or forced himself to. ‘I know. But just because you told me you were okay, that it was going well, it didn’t mean I didn’t worry. I did. Especially in the early stages of your travels.’
Poppy went to defend herself, to tell Ben she could handle herself – that she had handled herself – but Ben held up his hand, stopping her.
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