‘I saved him. I saw him in trouble in the sea, so I stripped down to my bra and knickers and swam to save him.’
Keith takes out his hankie and mops his brow. ‘You saved Rocco Reid? This sounds like something from one of our romance books.’
I am about to talk more about Rocco Reid when an R.E.M. song comes booming through the wall. Phoebe mutters under her breath. ‘Stay here.’ She marches outside.
Keith giggles and rushes to the door and opens it. The music stops.
Through the open door, I can hear Phoebe shout, ‘One of my customers has just left my bookshop without buying a book because of the noise.’ That was a little lie, but I like her style.
A male voice replies, ‘Maybe that customer had decided to buy a record instead.’
With an angry screech Phoebe comes storming back. ‘That man has been here two days and already he’s annoying me.’ Once at her till she grins at me. ‘We need to get together so you can fill me on saving hunky actors and what underwear you opted for today because whatever you had on, he split up with his beautiful girlfriend hours later.’ She gives me a wink.
I laugh. ‘Phoebe, it wasn’t like that. Anyway, Rocco and I had more of a heart-to-heart talk in the Snug.’
‘I need all the details, Alice. Let’s get together soon.’
As I pay for the book, I can hear Keith behind me telling a customer about a gothic novel which has come out. ‘If you’re looking for dark secrets, a castle, random screaming sounds at night, a 200-year-old child ghost, and a lot of ravens that seem to know everything – this is for you.’
Phoebe grins. ‘I read that book a few months ago. It kept me awake most nights.’
Keith chuckled. ‘Phoebe texted me throughout the night whilst reading it. When I woke up the next morning, I thought someone had died. They were all from Phoebe who was sure ravens were at her window.’
‘This sounds exactly the sort of book I like reading,’ exclaims the customer which makes me smile. Phoebe and Keith are a good double act at bookselling.
The afternoon at the café is much the same: more tiffs between lovers and one man got a Cuddle Muffin thrown in his face by his angry boyfriend. Later that evening, after putting Lucas to bed, I sit and read Celia Black’s book.
The first few chapters make me smile – and laugh in places. The two exes couldn’t stand to be in each other’s company, let alone climb to Base Camp together. At one point I felt grateful for working in a love-inspired café with Noah, because at least I wasn’t hiking up part of a mountain with him whilst battling altitude sickness, extreme temperatures, and painful blisters. Noah and I would not have survived that scenario.
The next day, once I’ve dropped Lucas at school, I walk to work thinking about the book. What has become interesting is once the warring exes start to work with each other and help others, their fortunes on the mountain change. I have also noted that at the start they no longer believe in love, and it makes everything harder for them as they battle the elements and their strong feelings of love and hatred for each other. This thought makes me feel uncomfortable. I don’t believe in love anymore and my life at the café is getting harder. Maybe I need to adopt Celia Black’s advice.
At the café, Noah is pacing up and down looking anxious. The tables are all empty. ‘It’s not working – is it?’ He lifts his face towards mine. ‘You and me working together. I’m thinking of quitting, Alice.’
The news makes my stomach turn itself into knots which is unexpected. This is what I have been wanting – him to resign and leave. Why am I now feeling uncomfortable? A little voice from deep inside me whispers,Because it’s your fault the café is in this mess.
‘Noah, don’t quit. Frankie needs the both of us right now.’ I take a seat at a table and gesture for him to sit opposite me. ‘I’m the problem. I don’t believe in love anymore and it’s spilling over into the café.’
Something flickers across his eyes as he stares deep into my soul. My face feels like someone has shoved it underneath a grill and turned up the heat. ‘Why don’t you believe in love anymore, Alice?’
I take a deep breath. ‘Three months ago, I was supposed to marry Scott. Once again in my life I thought he was the one. The day before we were supposed to get married, I caught him cheating on me.’
‘I’m sorry, Alice,’ Noah says, quietly. ‘What was Scott like?’
Reaching for my tissues inside my jacket pocket I wait for the tears to come. Nothing happens. A few weeks ago, talking about Scott would have left me in floods of tears. ‘He was charming, blond and he reminded me of–’ My words stop as I realise what I was about to say.
We both flick our eyes to the table. Noah breaks the awkward silence first. ‘Pete is Lucas’s dad – isn’t he?’
His question robs me of breath, but I manage to say, ‘Lucas is Pete’s son.’
Noah scratches his blond hair. ‘Oh… you guys still speaking to each other?’
‘Pete’s just bought a house on the new housing estate as you come into Blue Cove Bay. Yes, we get on better now than we did when we were together.’
Noah nods. ‘So, when did you guys start dating?’
My heart pounds against my chest, and I grip the table. ‘Six months after you left, he asked me out. Noah – I’d not heard anything from you.’
Noah nods. ‘Pete was always jealous of you and me. He’s always been an opportunist. So, you must have been together for years then?’
