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Emma hung about a bit, washed her hands, checked her lip gloss in the mirror, and made it back to her seat for the final minutes of the film. This was the last time she was going to be persuaded to go on a blind date, possibly any kind of date at all. She didn’t care if she ended up as some mad cat or spaniel lady, living on her own.
Bev gave her a quizzical look, her phone being safely on silent mode in her bag for now. She was probably wondering if Emma had a touch of food poisoning or something, the amount of time she’d spent in the loo. Emma sat bolt upright with knees tight, body tense. She couldn’t give out any more ‘keep off’ signals if she tried. It seemed to work, thank heavens. They got to the final credits and she realised she had no idea what had gone on in the film since halfway through. She was just glad to be getting out from there. They stood up and shuffled out along the row, Emma leaving a good space between her and Nigel, allowing Pete to move up next to him as they reached the aisle.
‘Great film. Loved the bit where they water-skied up over the speed boat,’ Bev commented.
‘Yeah.’ Emma had no recollection of that part whatsoever.
Just as they reached the welcome light and space of the foyer, Emma’s phone buzzed into action. Perfect timing. Thank you, bro. She’d gladly do some extra baby-sitting for them one night. She held her mobile ready in her palm.
‘Hel-lo? Oh, oh really?!’ She overdramatised her voice, giving Bev then Nigel a concerned look. ‘What a shame … Okay, no worries, I’ll come right away.’
James was laughing down the phone.
‘Okay, bye.’ She turned off her mobile.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said to the three of them. ‘I’m going to have to go. The dog’s been sick. James, my brother,’ she added for Nigel’s benefit, ‘has been dog sitting for me. Took him for a walk, and now he’s seems really poorly. Poor Alfie.’
Bev gave her a curious look. She’d have known Emma never usually got a dog sitter in for an evening at the cinema. Alfie was fine in on his own for several hours.
‘Oh, right.’ Bev’s tone was sceptical and her eyebrows raised.
Emma then saw her friend digging in to her bag for her own phone. The text would soon clarify things.
‘Lovely to meet you.’ Emma didn’t even bother to extend her hand to Nigel who was already moving in towards her, no doubt for a farewell kiss. She ducked away, saying, ‘I really have to dash. Catch you soon, Bev. Sorry again. Bye, Pete. Bye, all.’
And she was off like a whippet to the car park and straight back home to the comfort of her little cottage. She was soon sitting stroking her best boy’s spaniel head. This was all the company she needed, right now, not some letchy Malteser-man. She wasn’t that desperate.
‘We’re just fine, aren’t we, Alfie? Just fine.’
11 (#ulink_1cca81e9-d429-5a2b-820c-822ed12d4a67)
It was Friday afternoon, the first week in February, and Holly had called in after being dropped off by the school bus. It was becoming quite a habit on a Friday, even though she wasn’t officially working, and interestingly so were the visits of a certain blond-haired gentleman, who had a very nice smile.
The door of The Chocolate Shop chimed as it opened.
Emma and Holly both looked up.
‘Hi,’ said Emma. So, he was back.
The young man approached. ‘Hi, could I have the medium gift box with half coffee creams and half orange, please?’ the young man asked.
‘Certainly.’ Emma was already positioned behind the counter.
‘So, who’s the lucky lady, then?’ Emma asked with a smile. ‘This is becoming quite a regular visit.’ She could feel the heat rising from Holly who stood beside her, and was now shooting her boss a warning glance.
‘For someone special?’ Emma persevered.
‘Yeah, you could say that.’ The young man flashed his trademark grin.
So, there was a ‘she’ involved. Emma could almost sense Holly’s shoulders sink. Her assistant stayed silent.
‘Yes, I’ve just finished work,’ he continued. ‘I started at the Seaview Hotel, just up the street, about a month ago. Trainee assistant manager.’ He seemed proud of his new position. It was nice to see the young ones getting on.
‘Well done. That must be an interesting job.’
‘Yeah, I’m just finding my feet. It’s going okay so far, though.’ He darted a shy glance across at Holly.
Emma hoped Holly might join in the conversation here, but her assistant seemed to have lost the ability to speak. Emma placed the chocolates in their tiny petit four wrappers in a gold box and began tying it with a purple satin ribbon. ‘This colour ribbon okay?’
‘Yes, that looks great.’
‘Well, that’s five pounds and twenty pence, please. Is that everything we can help you with today?’
‘Yes, that’s it, thanks.’
He paid the money, took the gift box, and turned to go. Holly just managed to find her voice at the last, with a shy ‘Bye’ and he turned to say ‘Goodbye’ back. Emma was sure there was some frisson in the air. The chocolates would be melting at this rate! After he was safely away down the street, Em announced, ‘Well, if he doesn’t fancy you, Holly, I’ll eat my hat.’
‘Nah, don’t be daft. He can’t do. Who’s he buying chocolates for? He said it was a she – the lucky thing.’ She pouted. ‘Aw, but he just seems so nice. Why do I always like the ones who are taken or just not interested?’ Holly sighed, and then picked up a duster and started flicking away at the shelves, even though she wasn’t officially working, obviously needing to keep busy.
Young love, hey? All that angst.
Emma thought back to her own recent dating disaster. There certainly hadn’t been any chemistry or frisson with Fondle Fingers the Malteser Man, just the bloody angst. Her thoughts jumped to the man on the beach at Boxing Day, all those weeks ago now. She couldn’t quite shake off the memory of him and felt a tug in the pit of her stomach, like she missed him, yet she didn’t really even know him. She wondered if he ever thought of her, too.
A figure dressed in a black raincoat was hunched outside the shop window under an umbrella. It had been a drizzly damp afternoon and it seemed to have been dark for hours out there, so Emma was glad that Holly had dropped by – the weather today had kept all bar the hardiest of ramblers at bay. A couple in matching red cagoules had called earlier admitting they’d been hoping for a café, but had settled for a bar of milk chocolate for their coastal walk, and that was the last customers she’d seen until the young man Holly fancied.
Holly went out to the kitchen to make them a cup of tea and the dark-clad figure moved to the doorway. Once his umbrella was let down, Emma had a sinking moment of recognition. It was Mr Neil, her landlord.
He strolled in, dripping rain on to her wooden floorboards.
‘Good afternoon, Emma.’ The greeting came out in a flat tone. ‘How’s business?’ He looked around at the empty shop.
‘Afternoon.’ She took a slow breath. ‘Good, thanks.’ She smiled. She was never going to tell him otherwise.
‘I was just calling to check you have received my letter.’
‘Yes.’
‘And to remind you that I need your reply by the end of next week, as per its contents. Obviously, you do need to give me a month’s notice of your leaving, though I’m sure I could make arrangements if you’d like to vacate earlier.’ He gave her a cold smile, pretending to be helpful.
So, he was evidently counting on her leaving the shop. That made Emma even more determined to do everything in her power to raise enough funds to keep it going and make the new rent payments. He couldn’t just chuck her out of her home, her business.
Holly wandered through at that point with two cups of steaming tea. She said ‘Hello’ cheerily to the gentleman in the shop, to be answered with a very cool ‘Hello’ back. She looked at Emma with raised eyebrows as she passed over her cup, as if to say, who on earth is that misery?
‘Oh yes, I’ll be sure to answer you within the week, Mr Neil,’ Emma replied, giving away nothing about her intentions to stay. But what would happen if she couldn’t make these new payments and fell into default? He’d have her out of there soon enough anyhow, and she’d then be disgraced, having brought her business to its knees. Would it be better to leave of her own accord now, look for other premises, start again? But her heart and soul were here in this shop, in this village, with the community that had sheltered her. No, she wasn’t going to give up that easily.
‘Well then, I look forward to receiving your reply.’
I bet you do, thought Em, but you might not be so damned complacent when you read it.
‘And the next rent is due this Thursday.’
She was fully aware of that. Thank heavens for the Christmas takings she’d saved, but that was going to take the last of those funds. She’d be at rock bottom then, her bank account empty.
‘Yep. That’s fine,’ she replied.
‘Quiet in here, isn’t it?’ He cast his beady eyes over the shop pointedly, then out to the empty street.
‘At the moment, yes.’ Crikey, he’d be enough to frighten any customers off anyhow, she mused. ‘But it was much busier early on today, before the rain set in.’ She pasted on a smile.
‘Hmm.’ He looked around again, as though he didn’t believe it. ‘This’d make a lovely living area, open plan right through to the kitchen space.’
He was already planning the renovations to make this into a holiday cottage!
‘Maybe. But it does make a lovely shop,’ Emma persevered. Keep calm, don’t rise to his bait.
‘Oh yes, it’s a fabulous little shop, very popular.’ Holly rallied by her side behind the counter.
‘Well then, good afternoon, ladies.’ With that, he left, dripping water in his wake.
‘Yuck!’ Holly spat out the word as soon as he’d closed the door. ‘He’s like a slug.’
Emma had to laugh.
Holly continued, ‘What did you say his name was?’
‘Mr Neil.’
‘More like Eel, all slimy and a right wriggly character. That has to be the landlord, huh? The guy that sent that horrid rent letter. I don’t know how you put up with him.’
‘A case of having to, Hols. I could never afford to buy this place. Dammit, he is so looking forward to chucking me out.’
‘Nooo, that can’t happen!’
‘I really don’t know how I’m going to finance the new rent payments. But I’m going to bloody well try.’
‘Go, Em, that’s the spirit. You’ll find a way. We can’t lose The Chocolate Shop by the Sea, or you. How awful would that be? The shop is such a special place. And there’s no way I’m going back to the greasy chippie to work.’
Emma let out a sigh. ‘Thanks, Holly. I’ll just have to make sure I give it my damned best shot then. Time for the masterplan to swing into action.’
‘Wow, have you got one?’
‘Well, let’s just say I have some ideas up my sleeve to get started with.’
‘Brilliant.’ Holly beamed. ‘And me and the whole village will be right there beside you.’
Deep breath … just walk in … shoulders up … smile. The worst they can say is no.
She so didn’t want them to say no.
Emma was about to try her first sales pitch, and was loitering nervously outside the main entrance to the Seaview Hotel, two hundred metres up from her chocolate shop. She was armed with a bag of goodies, including a selection of mini truffle boxes and some packs of fudge and raspberry white-chocolate hearts. She was pitching that they take her chocolates to trial as a turndown gift for their guests. It could work as a lovely gesture from the hotel, hopefully getting them good reviews and repeat custom, as well as raising awareness of her little shop down the road, where they might come to buy more.
She’d done some research and the hotel had twenty-four guest rooms. She had worked out her costs and was going to ask what she felt was a fair price (reduced from the normal shop retail) at 95p per box of two chocolates, all wrapped and tied with thin ribbon, and the hotel could choose either a white or gold box. Emma had even matched the shade of ribbon to the royal blue of the hotel’s logo. Fingers crossed that they’d like the idea.
Maybe she should have phoned or e-mailed before she just turned up like this. But she was here now. All she could do was give it her best shot. Right, enough dilly-dallying around, Em. If they had a security camera on the front door they’d wonder what the hell she was up to, loitering there.
Go girl! You can do this thing.
She pushed open the hotel’s swing door and found the reception desk, recognising the girl there as being from the village.
‘Hi, Emma.’
‘Oh, hi, Laura.’ She was the daughter of the lady who ran an art gallery in the village.
‘How can I help?’
‘Would it be possible to have a word with the manager?’ Em asked.
‘Ah, sorry, she’s not in this morning. I could ask the assistant manager, if you’d like? Is there a problem?’
‘No, no problem. Just an idea I’ve had. Something to put forward. I’ve come to see if the hotel might be interested in me supplying them with turndown chocolates, actually.’
‘Oh yum. Now that is a good idea. Give me a second and I’ll just try and locate Adam, our assistant manager. Take a seat if you like.’
‘Thanks.’ As she sat down she realised her heart was racing. This order might just help to save The Chocolate Shop, or at least be a major step in the right direction. She still had to answer Mr Neil’s letter, but if she secured some new business she’d have more hope of managing to pay the increased rent.
After a minute or two, who should arrive but the young man who’d been calling in lately. Of course, he’d said he had started working here recently!
‘Adam, this is Emma from the gorgeous chocolate shop down the road.’ Laura was obviously keen to help.
‘Hi, yes, hello, Emma, of course we’ve already met.’ He offered an outstretched hand to shake hers.
‘Hello.’
His handshake was warm and friendly, and though he was evidently young he seemed more assured here in the hotel than he had in the shop.
‘So, you have an idea for our hotel, I hear. Come on through and we can have a chat about it.’
‘Thanks.’
Emma followed him to the hotel’s lounge area – all duck-egg blue and cream sofas, some stripy, some plain – where he had organised coffee to be served for them.
‘Well, I’m open to new ideas, so what are you thinking?’
‘Obviously, I run a local chocolate shop, and I was thinking that a chocolate gift at turndown for your valued guests might prove popular. It could improve things like your hotel reviews on TripAdvisor and the like, and also make that difference between you and your competitors so as to draw repeat bookings and recommendations.’
‘Hmm, sounds interesting.’ Adam was nodding.
Emma began to relax a little. ‘I’ve brought along a selection of mini boxes filled with two high quality truffles – they aren’t too expensive and they would look lovely popped on a bedside table at turndown. These are just suggestions and you could choose what flavours you felt worked best for your clients.’ She lifted out all the boxes and the samples of fudge and chocolate hearts. ‘With Valentine’s Day coming up soon too we could theme the gifts – say raspberry chocolate love hearts with a champagne truffle.’
