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‘Well, no, it wouldn’t have to be like super serious, would it, Flo?’ Susie turned to Flora.
‘No, of course not. It could be more like a monthly wine social, you know? More like an open-pour event so you can… Hang on, stop!’ Flora held up her hands. ‘I honestly don’t want to get ahead of myself. It might not happen and then, well, I’ll probably have to give up wine altogether and do something else.’
‘Thank goodness Johnny is a glass-half-full person.’ Tilda threw her friend a look.
‘I know, sorry. I can’t help it. I just don’t want to jinx anything. OK, fine. You two start thinking of ideas. But don’t get carried away, deal?’
Susie and Tilda exchanged solemn looks then nodded at Flora, before bursting out laughing.
* * *
Later that night Flora lay on the sofa, feet up on Johnny’s lap and a thick wine textbook lying open flat on her stomach. Johnny’s gaze moved between the television and his laptop, balanced on the arm of the sofa, his glasses perched on the end of his nose.
‘How’s it looking?’ Flora could see a spreadsheet on the screen in front of him.
‘Hmm?’ Johnny continued tapping at the keyboard.
‘That. How’s it looking?’
‘Well, I need to get a look at the current books but I’ll go and see Mack tomorrow. It might take me a week or so but, with a bit of luck, if I can sort them into some sort of order I can get in to see the bank next week. Then we’ll know if it’s a goer or not.’
‘What do you reckon our chances are? I mean, fifty-fifty? Or less?’
‘I think we’ve got a pretty good chance.’ He rubbed her foot through her thick fluffy socks with one hand. ‘We’ll just have to wait and see. We’ll need to make an offer, agree our terms, factor in business rates… but if it comes together we might just have a new business on our hands next month.’ He closed his laptop.
After the meeting at the bank, they tried to forget about the prospective business on which their future depended for a few weeks, but Flora’s heart jumped every time she heard the clatter of the letterbox. In the meantime, she and Mack continued running the shop, avoiding the subject for fear of having to face the reality that it simply might not happen. As each day passed without news, so her hopes faded a little more.
Then, three weeks to the day that Johnny had gone to the bank, a letter arrived confirming them as the named leaseholders on the building.
Flora and Johnny went straight to the shop to tell Mack the good news and then Flora messaged Billy, who was predictably over the moon for them. Later that day a huge bunch of flowers arrived for them, along with a box of brightly coloured, beautifully decorated cupcakes spelling out the name of the shop. When Flora messaged to say thank you, Billy confessed the cakes had been Ruby’s idea. Flora replied, saying she was thrilled to hear they were back together even if Ruby was clearly too good for him, and that he shouldn’t do anything to piss her off ever again. He promised to do his best, signing off with two kisses and a winking face emoji.
9
Kate sat at one end of the kitchen table, buttering a piece of toast. At the other end Robin slowly turned the pages of the newspaper spread out in front of him. Light flooded into the large kitchen. Outside, beyond the French doors, lay a sweeping lawn bordered by flower beds filled with tulips in full bloom. A gap in the hedge gave way to a glimpse of the river that ran along the bottom.
‘Are you listening to this?’ Kate reached across to the portable radio on the table.
‘Not really. Turn it off if you like.’ Robin didn’t look up from his paper.
‘Pass the marmalade, please, darling.’ Kate gestured with her hand.
‘Hmm?’ Still Robin didn’t look up.
‘Marmalade, please. I can’t reach from here.’
‘Yes, sorry, darling.’ Robin stood up from his chair, reaching for the jar and opening it for her.
‘Thank you.’ Kate took it. ‘So, what did Flora say when she called yesterday?’
‘Well, she just wanted to fill us in on the shop. Such good news, don’t you think?’
‘Well, yes, absolutely. I’m just not sure exactly what’s happening because obviously she spoke to you about it and not me.’
‘That’s only because I happened to answer the phone, darling.’ Robin looked up at Kate. ‘I did tell you what she said.’
‘Oh, I know. I’m not… It’s just… she never seems to want to speak to me.’
‘You were at the other end of the garden. You could have called her back.’ Robin returned to his paper, sensing a small confrontation coming over the horizon.
