CHAPTER36
‘All done.’
I pop my head out of the back room, to see Tommy the electrician’s stubby finger flick a switch behind the coffee machine, which begins to autofill.
‘Brilliant,’ I reply. ‘And the sockets behind the fridge?’
‘All done,’ he repeats. ‘Inspection certificate is on the counter, with the rest of the paperwork. You’re good to go.’
I make my way into the kitchen and do a quick check before he leaves. ‘Thanks,’ I say, happy with the result. ‘Victoria will bank transfer whatever’s outstanding.’
He nods and lifts his things, whistling a tune that vaguely sounds like a death march. ‘Any probs, give me a bell. Good luck, hen!’
I wait for the door to close behind him before I give a loud squeal. We’re ready. I can’t believe we’re ready. The cleaners will be here at two, then tomorrow we prep for opening on Saturday. To say I feel proud of myself would be an understatement and I haven’t felt proud of myself in the longest time.
Twenty minutes later, Vic arrives, armed with bags from the cash and carry. She also squeals, flicking the now working sockets on and off.
‘It’s really happening!’ she chirps. ‘This place is going to be awesome and it’s all down to you, girl.’
I beam. ‘Us,’ I tell her. ‘We did this. Oh, his paperwork is on the counter,’ I say, shifting a multipack of kitchen roll into the cupboard. ‘Told him you’d sort him out.’
Shehmms and starts rifling through.
‘If he thinks I’m paying for the fact he messed…’ She pauses and purses her lips. ‘Oh my.’
‘What?’
She holds something up and grins. I move in to look more closely. She’s holding upFMQ. The edition with Will’s article.
‘How the…?’
‘Either Tommy left this here or that bloody universe is sending you a sign.’
‘Maybe Tracey left it?’ I suggest as I peer at it suspiciously. Tommy is at least sixty-five. There’s no way he’s reading in-depth interviews with Tom Hardy or features on the Best Grooming Boxes under £100 – last month he left a copy of theDaily Starin the toilet.
Vic shakes her head. ‘Doubtful. She hasn’t been here since Monday, and it wasn’t here when I closed up last night.’
I shrug and toss it on to a nearby table, but I am shaken. I thought about Will before I fell asleep last night. I thought about the last time I saw him. The way he kissed me as we said goodbye.
‘Nora,nothing is ever lost – it’s just not in your vibration at that particular moment.’
Oh, shut up, Brad. Yes, I might have been thinking about Will a little more than usual recently, but infrequent, marginally erotic thoughts about him don’t mean anything. I give myself a shake and continue unpacking.
* * *
Faith pops round uninvited on Friday evening, catching me in the middle of dyeing my hair. We have the café launch tomorrow and I just want a relaxing evening alone. Faith knows this because I specifically told her not to come round and ruin my relaxing evening alone. Yet here she is.
‘You can pay people to do that, you know?’ she informs me, like I’ve just arrived on planet Earth. ‘You’ve missed a huge bit at the back.’
Charlie usually spot checks my hair for me, but she’s at her dad’s house. I hand Faith the tinting brush.
‘Help a sister out, then,’ I say. ‘I’m too poor for the salon this month.’
She throws her jacket over the chair and begins dabbing away at the back of my head. ‘I wish you would just ask me for money, you know. I can’t have you wandering around all patchy-haired and making your own clothes. You never know who you might meet at your relaunch.’
‘Who I might… Oh no. No. No. Nope.’
‘No what?’
