Page 34 of The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop

‘Rocket fuel.’ Emma pulled a face. ‘Oh my.’ She might not be able to get up for work tomorrow at this rate.

‘Relax, you’ll be fine. It was only a dash.’ Bev winked across at Joanne.

‘I know your dashes,’ Emma replied. ‘I have vivid memories of that G & T session here a couple of years ago.’ In fact, they were not that vivid at all by the next day. But she had to smile, and the Pimm’s cocktail did taste rather lovely.

They began to dip in to the box of chocolates Emma had brought.

‘Wow, these are delicious, Em. You are so clever.’ Joanne said.

‘Just scrummy. What’s in this one?’ Ali asked.

‘Salted caramel. Always popular.’

‘Mmm, just melts in your mouth.’

‘These are my favourites.’ Bev spotted the white chocolate of the Eton Mess. ‘Bloody lovely.’ She popped one in whole, then she couldn’t speak for a second or two. She took a sip of Pimm’s. ‘You know what, why don’t you combine the two? Cocktail-flavoured truffles, bet they’d go down well.’

‘Well, the alcohol flavours always work well. My boozy truffles, I usually use rum, whisky, and brandy.’

‘You could do a mojito,’ Jo suggested.

‘Or an Irish coffee,’ added Ali.

‘Now that sounds a great idea. I might have to test out a few flavours. But I’m liking it. You might be on to something, ladies.’

‘Sex on the beach!’ Bev shouted out.

‘Hah, can you imagine if I have “Sex on the Beach” chocolates for sale. The oldies might get offended.’

‘Bet the young ones would love it!’

‘You never know, some of the older ones might love it too! We’re not all out to pasture yet.’ Bev was grinning.

‘I’m talking cocktails. Right, behave, you lot.’ Emma tried to tone the conversation down.

‘Do we have to?’

‘Nah.’ She loved the girlie banter really.

The four of them giggled, and chatted away until the sunset colours of gold, peach, and grey began to fade. The chiminea was doing a sound job of keeping them cosy, and Bev lit a hurricane lantern to give them a glow of light for the table too. Pete found them with an empty chocolate box, an empty jug and nearly at the bottom of a second bottle of Prosecco, all chilled-out and a little merry at 10:30 as dusk was settling around them. He carried out another seat to their table and sat down comfortably alongside them, his arm fondly placed around his wife’s shoulders.

Ali’s husband, Dan, came to pick her up at eleven, and they offered to give both Emma and Jo a lift home. Jo’s bungalow was just down the street and around the corner and a light was still on there – her boyfriend waiting up for her, no doubt. They then dropped Emma off outside her shop. She said her goodbyes and thanked them for the lift. It had been a good night. The car pulled away. Emma had forgotten to put a light on and, heading in the back way, fumbled in the dark for her keys. Her little cottage seemed very quiet; even Alfie didn’t raise his usual bark as Em turned the key in the lock. It might just be the effect of the alcohol, or leaving close friends after a special evening, but she suddenly felt a bit odd. There was no one to tell about her evening. There was no one to kiss goodnight …

Part Two

19

The days began to shorten; the cool whisper of autumn was now upon them and the first leaves began to fall. Late September, and Emma was still working long hours trying to keep her head and her finances above water. For every step forward seemed to come a slide back. A rise in cocoa prices had hit hard last week, so the chocolate callets she needed to buy from Belgium for her creations had risen in price dramatically. She was concerned that if she put her shop prices up to match, she’d lose trade. It often felt like she was playing a horrible game of financial snakes and ladders.

She’d been up late last night, making up one hundred mini boxes of truffles for the Seaview Hotel and a selection of milk, dark and white gourmet chocolate bars to restock her lovely new client, Lynda, at the Bamburgh deli. It being Saturday, Holly was in the shop today, so was able to cover for her. Em started loading up her car, ready to make her delivery to Bamburgh, a twenty-minute drive away.

‘Right, Holly, I’m just away up to Bamburgh. You okay, here?’

‘Of course. No worries. I’m in control.’

‘Thanks, Hols. I won’t be too long.’

‘It’s fine. I don’t think I’m going to be rushed off my feet, somehow.’