Same Time Next Week

Chapter 28

‘Gorgeous that, Bon.’

Bon looked up to see Willy Woodentop standing with a coffee, admiring his handiwork: a restored oval partner’s desk in burr walnut with eighteen drawers, including a hidden compartment in the knee hole. He’d bought it for a song at an auction, where it had been in a sorry state and needed some proper TLC to bring it back to its former impressive condition. One of their regular customers had come in, seen it when it was only half-finished and put a deposit on it. She knew what sort of craftmanship Bon van der Meer was capable of and she was prepared to wait for however long it took for him to finish the job, because he would never be rushed on anything like this. He put the time in, all the time it needed and no less.

‘Not even I would have thought that was worth saving,’ Woodentop added.

‘I thought you were nuts when you brought it in,’ called Adam, sitting at his bench and doing something with a radio. ‘I mean there’s restoring, and then there’s what you’ve done with that.’

Bon had had to make ten of the drawers from new and replace the leather desktop. And the result was stunning. Bon was very good at sensing what could be salvaged, but also what couldn’t be – however much effort he might put in. Like his marriage. He knew that whatever he did, it had been past the point of restoration and he’d had to let it go. There was a difference between keeping a relationship breathing and one living. But unlike furniture, he couldn’t keep bits of it to use for future projects.

‘Thank you, boys, I appreciate your compliments.’

‘And girls,’ Mildred called out, after taking the sable brush from between her teeth, ‘I’ve watched that desk change from a piece of junk to something the President of the United States would be blessed to have in his big oval office.’

‘Och, what do you know, woman,’ Jock threw at her. ‘Get back to daing yer wee pictures.’

‘I’ve always thought it’s better to be a master of one trade than a jack of a few,’ Mildred countered. It was all playful banter between them and passed the days. They greatly respected each other and their skills.

‘Mrs Tankersley’s going to be verrrry grateful,’ said Jock, rolling his ‘r’s like Private Frazer in Dad’s Army .

‘Make sure she’s not too grateful, Bon,’ added Mildred to that. ‘I heard when she goes swimming in the sea, barracudas make themselves scarce.’

‘Mildred!’ exclaimed Woodentop, winking at Bon. ‘Mrs Tankersley being a proper lady an’ all.’

‘Takes more than money in your bank to make you into a lady. Rough lot reinvented, came from nothing. I knew her mother, Thelma, when we were younger. She’d been cocked more times than Clint Eastwood’s gun.’

Coming from the refined and genteel Mildred, that sounded extra hilarious. Jock nearly spat his tea out. Peter, who was oiling the legs of the chaise that Astrid had found Sky asleep on, dropped his cloth in shock.

‘All I’m saying is, you be careful, Bon,’ Mildred went on. ‘You’ve got a few bob and so has she. That, in her book, is enough of a firm basis for a great match. She wouldn’t be looking at any of this lot’ – she indicated towards her fellow craftsmen with a sweep of her brush – ‘to hook up with. Mind you, I can’t say as I blame her.’

Peter hooted and Jock shook his head, smiling. More banter ensued but Woodentop pulled Bon to one side.

‘Can I have a quick word?’

‘Course, Willy,’ said Bon and they moved down the shop to a quieter place.

‘Where’s Sky?’ asked Woodentop, looking around for her.

‘Gone out for a sandwich.’

‘Ah okay, good. Is, er…’ Woodentop looked around again, checking they were out of range of anyone else’s hearing. ‘Is she all right?’

‘I think so, why?’ asked Bon.

‘I’ve been meaning to ask you, but I didn’t know whether I should.’ Woodentop’s voice was low. ‘I’m talking out of turn, so don’t repeat owt. A few weeks ago, I took the missus up to the hospital and I saw her there – Sky. She didn’t see us and I didn’t want to embarrass her.’

Bon waited for Woodentop to go on and then prompted him when he didn’t.

‘What department?’

‘The cardiac unit,’ said Woodentop.

‘Maybe she was visiting someone?’ Bon suggested.

‘Nope, she was sat in the appointments waiting room and she went in to see a doctor. I just thought I’d ask.’ Woodentop slurped from his If you want a BIG WILLY, I’m your Man mug that his wife had bought him. From the look on Bon’s face though, he was as much in the dark.

‘Ah, okay, I just thought you might have known.’

And off he went back to his station, leaving Bon pondering about Sky. As if she wasn’t on his mind enough as it was.