Page 54 of The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

‘We can’t afford original,’ he told her. ‘This stuff just about keeps our head above water.’

He picked up some pints of milk and added it to their large trolley.

She hesitated before deciding to speak up. ‘What about your ecology credentials?’

He looked at her. ‘What do you mean?’

‘How much of this is recyclable? Sustainable?’

He frowned. ‘We don’t have the luxury of profits to be sustainable unfortunately.’

His good mood seemed to have completely evaporated, so Amber kept quiet for the rest of their trip.

Josh had been running the shop for a very long time so he obviously knew what he was doing profit-wise. She just wasn’t sure in her mind’s eye that the vision she had for decorating the shop quite fitted with the generic goods he was buying.

But what did it matter? She gave herself a strict talking-to as she helped load the van. She was helping with the decoration, that was all. What stock they held was nothing to do with her. Anyway, another month and she’d be on her way.

But, deep inside, she found herself secretly hoping that perhaps she could stay on for just a few more weeks to see if the shop succeeded once they’d finished the redecorating.

22

Josh huddled over his pint of beer, deep in thought.

‘You’re not very chatty tonight,’ said Mike, polishing a glass over and over with a grubby tea towel.

‘It’s been a bit hard to hear myself think let alone speak above that lot,’ said Josh, nodding at the band who had been playing nearby. ‘They don’t seem to have improved over time.’

Thankfully they had just stopped for a cigarette break. Although to Josh’s mind it was only metaphorically playing.

‘I said I’d give them a try for a month,’ said Mike, with a grimace. ‘Thought they’d be better than me having to talk to Angie for any length of time.’

‘At this point, I’ll take the peace and quiet,’ said Josh, taking another sip of beer.

‘No chance of me ever getting that with my wife,’ muttered Mike.

Josh put down the pint glass and looked at his hands, which were still splattered with paint. He probably still had lots in his hair as well, but he was so tired that he was past caring.

In all honesty, Josh wasn’t in the mood to chat anyway. He had received a phone call from his mum sounding somewhat alarmed.

‘Grandma Tilly says the tractor is in the middle of the shop!’ she’d said.

‘It’s a temporary thing,’ Josh had replied. ‘How’s Pete? Are you having a good time?’

But she didn’t accept the change of conversation tack he had tried and he’d spent the next ten minutes trying to placate her.

‘I know I said I’d give you carte blanche,’ his mum had said. ‘But it’s sounding a bit of a mess.’

‘Amber seems to know what she’s doing,’ Josh had offered, pulling out his ace card.

‘Amber’s OK with the tractor?’ his mum had asked, sounding shocked.

‘It was her idea,’ Josh had told her.

It was only then that his mum began to be somewhat reassured.

‘Well, I’m sure she knows what she’s doing,’ Cathy had replied.

Josh sincerely hoped so. He had tried to go along with Amber’s enthusiasm, but privately he was having severe doubts as to the whole refurbishment of the shop.