‘Noah kept going about the customer complaints I have received and then he lied about me in front of some customers.’
Esme gives me a worried glance. ‘Customer complaints?’
I nod. ‘The first week was never going to be easy and I am struggling with seeing everyone so happy and in love.’
‘That must be hard,’ she says, ‘I’m sure Frankie will understand.’
‘Yes, he will,’ I say, thinking about how I will explain the complaints to Frankie. I could say that they all overreacted. Frankie will be fine, I reassure myself.
‘Everyone is talking about you and Noah in town,’ says Esme.
Sitting up I turn to Esme. ‘I’m fine. People need to find someone else to gossip about. Noah and I broke up twenty years ago. Let’s talk about you.’
She sighs into my shoulder before pulling away. ‘All my life I’ve accepted my place and happily let Joy navigate us both through our years as kids, our teens, our twenties, and thirties. Joy makes good decisions for us both, however she is hard work if I don’t agree with her, so it’s easier to just do what she proposed.’ Esme smooths down her hair. ‘It’s difficult because right now I love my life where I sell gifts on the seafront and go home to my cats. They don’t judge my life. They don’t compare me to my twin sister, don’t make me feel ashamed… and they don’t break my heart.’ She pauses and takes a lungful of sea air. ‘The other night when she told me about selling up, I found myself disagreeing with her for the first time in my life. Can you believe that, Alice? Joy looked visibly shocked.’
My eyes are widening at what I am hearing. Reaching over I give her hand another squeeze. ‘I’m proud of you, Esme.’
She shakes her head and watches a group of dog walkers venture onto the beach. ‘There’s something else. Another reason why I don’t want to leave Blue Cove Bay.’ She pauses. ‘I’ve got close to someone. It’s not Steve… or should I say the person who Joy wants me to get back with.’
Neither Frankie nor I liked Steve. He always seemed to be another version of Joy who ordered Esme around and made her look after his teenage daughter from his previous relationship while he spent all his time on the golf course.
I stare at her and wish Frankie was here to witness the change in our old friend. ‘Esme, this is brilliant to hear.’
Esme hangs her head and her hair falls over her face like two black curtains. ‘I don’t want to leave, Alice.’
I take hold of her hand. ‘Stay strong, Esme. Joy has controlled you for too long.’
I can hear footsteps behind us. I peer over my shoulder to see a stern looking Joy. ‘Esme, it’s busy in the gift shop. Can you come back, please?’
Esme shoots up from the bench. ‘Thanks for the chat, Alice.’
My brain is desperately trying to think of a piece of advice I can give her. ‘Frankie’s mum Rose has always told me to follow my heart. Maybe you should do that?’
Esme’s face brightens. ‘Has that worked for you?’
The urge to tell her at length about how that advice has been the worst piece of advice I have ever had is strong, but I sense Esme needs something to cling onto. I nod and she hurries away.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
After Esme leaves me, I take out my phone and look at The Little Love Café’s Facebook feed and read each negative comment in turn.
An uncomfortable feeling passes over me as I see that they all relate to me. Customers have picked up on my inability to smile, my angry face, my distracted state and the mistakes. Have I been that bad? Blimey, what has Noah triggered inside of me?
When I close my eyes, I can see Frankie’s face – his emerald green eyes, his peroxide blond hair and his goofy grin. He will not be happy to hear about what’s been going on. Frankie has always prided himself on giving his customers excellent service.
I have gone some way in damaging his café’s reputation. Guilt nibbles away at me. Somewhere inside me, a little voice whispers,Go back to your job and put things right.
Noah and I could agree to be civil with each other and we could also be strict at ensuring we don’t annoy the other. At the end of the day, we are doing Frankie a favour, and this is not a job for life. Frankie has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need to hear about this.
I walk back to The Little Love Café and find Noah in the middle of chaos. There is a queue of dissatisfied customers and he’s frantically trying to make drinks. This was not the day to walk out of my job.
After placing my bag behind the counter, I nod at him, before seeing to the queue of customers. With the complaints on Facebook still fresh in my mind I greet everyone with a fake smile and concentrate on getting them their correct drink order.
Half an hour later and we have got things under control. ‘You came back?’ Noah says, placing two Magical Mochas on a tray.
‘Yes. Look, I agree I have not been professional, Noah.’
He looks taken aback. ‘You agree with me?’
