Chapter 18
Settling back into the chair at her desk, Polly rubbed her hands together, willing the cold red skin to warm up.
After calling Pennycress Inn hoping that Jill might be there, she’d got the go-ahead that there were still stalls available and space for another food truck.
She’d also spoken to Helena and Jarvis who ran the reserve café, and they were suitably excited at the prospect of pulling more customers in.
‘How did it go? Are Helena and Jarvis keen?’ Wheeling her chair towards Polly, Vicki stopped in front of Polly’s desk before readjusting the cotton scarf draped around her shoulders as a bushy browny-red tail flopped out.
‘Who have you brought to work today?’ Leaning forward, Polly smiled as Vicki folded the fabric down a little to reveal a small sleeping squirrel.
‘Nutkin. He’s been hand-reared since a member of the public found him trapped inside a skip on someone’s driveway.
’ Vicki grinned as she gently let the fabric cover him again.
‘Don’t let this fool you, though. When he’s awake, he’s an utter pest, which is why I’ve had to bring him to work today.
I’m looking after him for a few days while, Betty, who he’s staying with, goes on holiday and it’s got to the point that I have to separate him and my flatmate’s cat as Nutkin here just terrorises her. ’
‘Oh.’ Polly couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Appearances can be deceptive.’
‘They definitely can.’ Vicki picked up a pen from Polly’s desk and began winding it around her fingers.
Polly looked towards the door as Zac strode through. Yep, he was another example of appearances being deceptive.
‘So, go on, don’t keep me in suspense. Are we having a food truck and stall at the bonfire and fireworks display?’ Vicki tapped the pen gently against the edge of the desk.
‘Sorry, yes. Helena and Jarvis are more than happy to organise and run the truck. They were pretty excited about the potential to drum up business.’ Polly opened her notebook and crossed off the task of finding a food truck from her list. It made sense Helena and Jarvis making the arrangements.
They knew what they’d need for a start, and she was grateful they’d been happy to organise it all.
‘So, it’s going ahead, then?’ Vicki grinned. ‘I don’t think we’ve ever been part of such a big event since I started here three years ago.’
‘I just hope it works.’ Polly lowered her voice as Zac took his seat at the desk next to her, the aromatic fumes of fresh coffee enveloping her.
She’d hardly sat down all morning, let alone had time to grab a coffee.
She’d just have to breathe a little deeper and hope the aroma supplied her with the caffeine too.
‘It will do. I have great faith in you.’
‘Umm, thanks.’ As excited as she was, she just couldn’t shake the feeling that if this event fell flat for them, then she’d not only be letting herself down but the reserve too.
‘Is that your phone?’ Vicki pointed to Polly’s bag stashed beneath the desk as her cheerful ringtone filled the office.
‘Oh, yes.’ Shaking herself from her thoughts, Polly leaned down and picked up her bag before rummaging through and pulling out her phone. It was David from the estate agents. ‘Sorry, I’d best take this.’
‘Yep, catch you later.’
Polly watched Vicki wheel her chair back to her desk as she jabbed the Accept Call button and held the mobile to her ear. ‘Hi, David. All okay?’
‘Hi, Polly. And yes, all is okay. Thank you for asking. In fact, it’s more than okay…’ He took a dramatic pause.
Polly tried to quiet the flicker of excitement in the pit of her stomach.
Had the flat been sold? Even a few days ago, she would have been torn as to whether to accept an offer or not, but now, with things looking up and finding out she still had a chance at the promotion, it would be a weight off her mind. ‘It’s sold!’
David’s voice grew hesitant. ‘No, no. We’re not quite there yet, but I do have a viewing booked in for Monday morning.’
‘Oh, right.’ She ran the pad of her finger along the edge of her notebook, tracing its outline. Another viewing, another disappointment to follow. They’d been here before. Numerous times.
‘Don’t sound too disheartened. I have a good feeling about this one. The couple viewing are new developers building a portfolio who have recently bought up several other properties locally.’
‘And you really think they might take on my grandparents’ flat?’ She glanced across at Zac, who was seemingly busy tapping away on his laptop.
‘I think if we go about this the right way, there might just be a good chance.’
Go about it the right way? ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, I think we should take the necessary steps I suggested to increase our chances of success.’
Ahh. ‘So, to declutter a little?’
‘Nope. To declutter a lot and to redecorate.’ David took a sharp breath in.
‘I’m not talking about putting up wallpaper or painting woodwork or anything.
I’m just suggesting we paint a few walls white or magnolia, that’s all.
Focus on the living room and the master bedroom, give our buyers a chance to see the flat’s potential. ’
Declutter a lot? Paint? And what did he mean by ‘we’? The royal we, that’s what he meant. ‘I don’t know…’
‘I know it’s a family home, the one you grew up in, but sometimes that level of someone else’s stuff puts off buyers. They don’t have the ability to be able to see what could be.’
‘I thought you said they were investors? They wouldn’t be living in it, so why would anything put them off?
’ As great as it would be for the flat to be sold, she really needed to get organised for the upcoming event at Meadowfield’s Bonfire Night.
A week, that’s all they had. A week to organise the stall, leaflets, competition prizes.
Leaning forward, she pinched the bridge of her nose.
‘They’re new to this. Inexperienced. We don’t want to give them any reason to walk away, do we?’
‘No, I guess not.’ Polly drew a small circle in the corner of her page.
The phrase chicken and egg sprang to mind – if the flat didn’t sell, she wouldn’t be able to relocate, but if she spent the weekend prepping for the viewing at the expense of organising her first fundraising event, she might not even get the promotion, anyway.
‘Good, good. I’ll leave it all in your capable hands, then.’
And then he was gone.
Polly pulled the mobile from her ear and stared at the blank screen.
She knew he was right; she knew she needed to do the work he suggested, but how was she supposed to fit it all in?
How was she supposed to declutter, paint and source prizes, design and organise leaflets, all in one weekend?
Two days, that’s all she had. Two days to complete two tasks which had the potential to shape her future.
Yes, she had next week to work on the Bonfire Night fundraising stall, but if she was going to have time to source prizes, print leaflets and everything else that needed doing, she had to make a good dent in the preparations as soon as she physically could.
She needed to know what she had to source, what was being included in the leaflets…
‘Polly? Can I have a quick word?’
Twisting in her chair, she watched as Declan entered the office and pointed towards the meeting room. Wasn’t he supposed to have had meetings all day? He wasn’t even going to be in the office, he’d said. ‘Coming.’
‘Vicki, can you join us too, please?’ Declan called across the room towards the other woman, who stood up slowly, her hands scooped beneath the fabric scarf.
Standing up, Polly picked up her notebook and pen before looking longingly at Zac’s coffee mug, still steaming with the hot, delicious liquid.
Making her way into the meeting room, she crossed her fingers beneath her notebook.
Please don’t say the whole thing is off.
She’d worked so hard today to get things in place for the Bonfire Night event.
She didn’t know what she’d say if he backed out now.