Chapter 2
Chapter Two
‘... a
nd then, would you actually believe it? The guy practically climbs the shelves the get to the strawberry bonbons.’ Sadie threw her head back and laughed.
‘So you’re telling me this customer came into your sweet shop, took one look at the queue and decided to serve himself by scaling the shelves?’ Fleur grinned. This was just what she’d needed after her declaration of taking a break from love to Bea earlier, an evening out at Ruby’s restaurant with her friends, Bea, Sadie and Ruby. Even if Ruby was managing her time between dinner with them and running back and forth to the kitchen to check on things.
‘Yes! Exactly that. I just stoodthere with my mouth open until one of the customers queuing asked if everyone could help themselves.’ Sadie shook her head in disbelief.
‘What did you do,though?’ Bea leaned forward across the table, eager to discover how Sadie how dealt with such an impossible situation.
‘Oh,Ijust yelled at him to drop the jar of bonbons and get out of my shop.’ Sadie picked up her wineglass and took a sip as if it were just a normal everyday Thursday event at the sweet shop.
‘Wow, you’re brave. I think I’d have been too scared to call him out like that.’ Bea widened her eyes.
‘Nah, I had a shop full ofcustomers. What was he going to do?’ Sadie shook her head.
‘What did he do? After you’d told him to stop?’ Fleur took a sip of her wine, the fruity taste hitting the back of her throat.
‘He just kind of stoodtherewitha sullen look on his face before joining the queue as he clutched the bonbons.’
‘Seriously? He wasn’t like super embarrassed or anything?’ Fleur laughed.
‘Umm,Idon’t think so, no. I did have a word with him when he got to the front of thequeue,but I served him. I told him it wasunacceptableand if he climbed on my shelves again,he’dbe barred.’
‘Haha, I can just imagine you telling yourcustomersoff.’ Bea grinned and raised herglass. ‘Here’s to dealing with annoyingcustomers.’
‘I hear you there.’ Fleur joined in the toast.
‘How aboutyouthen? What’s been your most annoyingcustomerthis week?’ Sadie turned to Fleur before glancing across at Bea. ‘I know you love all your customers, so I’m guessing you’ve not had any annoying ones.’
‘Nope. All mine have been lovely.’ Bea smiled.
Fleur sighed as her two friends turned theirattentionback to her. ‘Umm, just the usual craziness as Valentine’s Daylooms, that’s all. I had one man who brought in a sample of thewallpaperhe’d just decorated his living room with and begged me to create a bouquet with the perfect colourpaletteto ‘ really set it off ’,’ she curled her fingersaroundthe last three words as shegrimacedat the memory. ‘I also had one who asked if I’d beableto provide one hundred rose petals so he could write the words, ‘Will you marry me?’ in petals across his carpet.’
‘Seriously? Aw, that’s soromantic.’ Bea held her hands against her chest as she swooned. ‘Are you going to?’
‘No.’ Fleur shook her head. ‘I told himIsold flowers, not loose petals. I’m notgoingto stand there for hours stripping poor roses of their petals just so he can woo his possible fiancée. I told him to use fake ones so that way they could both collect them up after his proposal, keep them and maybe use them as part of the table decorations for their wedding or something.’
‘Aw, now that is a sweet idea.’ Sadie nodded.
‘I thought so.’ Fleur shrugged. She’d only suggested it, so hehadn’tbegged her, but, yes, she had to admit that was one of her more romantic suggestions.
‘The wallpaper sample,though?’ Sadie raised her eyebrows. ‘The last thing I’d be thinking if someone ever gave me flowers would be if they complimented the wallpaper.’
‘I know.’ Fleur took another sip of her wine. ‘I got the feeling that was more for his benefit than hers.’
‘Haha, sounds like it.’
‘Sorry about that.’ Ruby slipped into her chairagain and looked around the group. ‘Fill me in. How is everyone?’
‘Good, thanks.’ Sadie grinned. ‘Just the usualcrazinessofstopping people from scaling the shelves.’
‘Oh, I heard about that. Gregory popped in earlier. You shouldhaveseen his face.’ Ruby laughed. ‘Ithink he was thatcloseto barring the bloke who did it from the whole of Nettleford.’
‘Haha, that wouldn’t surprise me.’ Sadie laughed. ‘It had to have happened when he’d been walking past, didn’t it? Typical.’
‘How about you then, Bea? How arethingswith you and Scott going?’ Ruby pouredherselfa glass of water before holding the jug and looking questioningly around the table. Once everyone had shaken their heads, she lowered it again.
‘Great. He’s booked a couple of nights away at a inn for Valentine’s Day.’ Bea smiled.
‘Oooh, you never said! Where’s he’s taking you?’ Fleur looked across at her. She’d been so wrapped up in her ownthoughtsearlier when Bea had popped round that shehadn’tthought to ask her howthingswere going. She twisted the stem of herwineglassbetween her index finger and thumb. Well, now she’d sworn offdating,at least she’d no longer be distracted by what was orwasn’thappening in her own love life any longer.
‘Pennycress Inn. It’s in Meadowfield so not far at all, but it’s just reopened, and it’s supposed to be superlovely.’
‘Oh, I know Pennycress Inn!Iwent there years ago, and it was a gorgeous place.’ Ruby took a sip of her water. ‘You’llhaveto letusknow what it’s like now it’schangedownership.’
‘Yes, I will do. I’ve got to say, I really can’twait.’ Bea grinned.
‘I don’t blame you. You deserve a weekend away after all the hours you put into your bookshop.’ Ruby nodded.
‘Says you. The woman who never sleeps.’ Picking up herwineglass, Bea held it aloft,indicating the restaurant, which was still busy considering it was a Thursday evening and not a weekend.
‘Ha.’ Ruby shrugged beforeturningto Fleur. ‘How about you? How are things going? Been on any more dates recently?’
‘Nope.’ Fleur shook her head firmly, glad she could share her radical decision with the rest of her friends. ‘AndIwon’tbe. I’mtakinga break.’