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Chapter Twenty-Seven
‘Your slogan is just marvellous,’ said Doris.
Amelia grinned as Thea nodded in agreement. ‘It’s bloody brilliant.Mistletoe Gin: Let’s Hang out This Christmas. You’re a genius. This will fly off the shelves.’
The women sat in the hotel bar with a bottle of the festive gin. After much laughter and fun, definitely fuelled by the tasting session, they were trying to come up with a rhyme.
‘Well, now I wish I had gone bigger and produced more bottles rather than such a small batch,’ Doris said. ‘This was a last-minute experiment. I wasn’t sure whether Christmas gin would be popular or not.’
Amelia picked up the red bottle, striped with white circles to make it look like a candy cane. ‘How many bottles do you have?’
‘Fifty,’ said Doris. ‘Although we’re now down to forty-nine.’
‘Isn’t the bottle fabulous?’ Thea reached to examine it.
‘Yes, I have to say that I am rather pleased with the results.’ Doris beamed.
Amelia couldn’t help but think this was an experience she wouldn’t forget in a hurry. What a fun night they’d had. It was just what she had needed after feeling so low earlier on. Fergus had messaged her to say he had left a wetsuit for her outside the cabin and suggested they meet the following morning for a swim. She smiled as she looked at Thea and Doris. It was just a shame Edie couldn’t join them. She’d made an excuse about having some errands to run and insisted Amelia went along without her.
Amelia turned her attention to the gin and her head was down as she furiously scribbled notes in her pad. She asked a few questions, which provoked a flood of words. Frowning, she scored a few out, then quietly read it back under her breath, adding a word and scoring another one out. Then she put her pen down and looked up. ‘Well, that was a bit easier than I thought it would be, thanks to your creative juices flowing.’ She smiled. ‘Okay, tell me what you think about this:
Celebrate Christmas with this festive tipple!
With its mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and lime
Spicy orange and cloves and a hint of pine
Mistletoe Gin is the perfect drink — and that’s official!’
Thea and Doris clapped enthusiastically and were joined by the couple sitting at the next table, who declared their rhyme terrific and asked if they could buy a bottle to take away with them as a souvenir. They were visiting from Stirling.
‘We’re not even stocking it in the shops yet.’ Doris’s voice was hushed. ‘It is a rather exclusive batch.’ Amelia watched with amusement as she reached into her handbag, pulled out a bottle and gifted it to the couple. She was, literally, full of the Christmas spirit, which meant they were down to forty-eight bottles.
Thea raised her brows and stifled a giggle. She mouthed to Amelia, ‘That was unexpected.’
‘So, you think the rhyme works then?’ Amelia paused before closing her notebook.
‘It’s brilliant. Right, ladies, I must be on my way.’ Doris suddenly stood. ‘Places to be and things to do.’
‘Have you got a date tonight, Doris?’ asked Thea cheekily.
‘Yes, I do. With McDreamy. I’m watching reruns ofGrey’s Anatomy.’
Amelia laughed. ‘My brother’s a doctor, and he says it is nothing like that.’
‘Well, if there’s a chance your brother looks like any of the cast, I would love to meet him,’ said Doris.
Thea blinked in apparent disbelief. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this. I like this new, more liberated version.’
Amelia laughed. ‘I don’t think he’s your type.’
‘Not sure I have one. Anyway, I will see you girls, and thanks, Amelia. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you’ve done. Maybe we can think about some special cocktails for the fair.’
‘Sure. Great idea.’
‘Come on.’ Thea stood up. ‘Come back to mine. My flat is around the corner and we can do some more brainstorming and try making a few cocktails.’
‘That sounds like a very good idea,’ said Amelia, cheerfully.
