Chapter 18
?? From Nick
Hope your first day is perfect and you sell loads. Can’t believe how much you’ve done to the place. Look forward to hearing about it all on Monday xx
?? From Auntie Kay
Thanks for photos. The shop looks amazing. You’re amazing. So proud of you. Let me know how it goes xxxxxxxxxxx
?? From Clare
Keep the customers locked in till they spend a fortune. LOL! Wish I could be there doing PR for you instead of for this bunch of numpties. Good luck! You can do it! xxx
‘I’m nervous.’ I squeezed Mum’s hand on opening day a week later. ‘What if nobody comes?’
‘They will. I know of at least a dozen of Kay’s regulars who’ve said they’ll be in today to give you their support.’
‘What if they’re the only ones?’
‘Sarah,’ Elise scolded, ‘you can’t fail. The place looks amazing. You’ve sent discount vouchers to all Kay’s regulars. You’ve done a stack of advertising. You’ve even been on Bay Radio. I think you’ll be run off your feet. I’ve already seen several people looking through the window this morning.’
‘So have I. Squashing their greasy noses on my nice clean glass.’ I turned to Mum again. ‘Do you really think Auntie Kay would like what I’ve done to her shop?’
Mum squeezed me tightly. ‘She said so in her text, didn’t she? We’re all so proud of you.’
‘And keep remembering that it’s not her shop anymore; it’s yours,’ said Cathy who’d jumped at the offer of her old job back.
‘She deliberately gave it to you as an empty shell so you could create this. I’m so excited to be working here with you.
I bet Kay wishes she was here. She’d be beside herself with excitement and pride. ’
I swallowed hard on the lump forming in my throat.
Today was not a day for tears; I’d scare the customers away if I started.
I surveyed what the last five weeks of hard work had achieved and couldn’t help but be impressed.
Half the shop was devoted to fresh flowers including a range of more daring modern blooms that I wanted to test on the market.
The other half of the shop was now devoted to gifts.
My teddy bears had arrived and looked so adorable with their pudgy tummies and cute faces, ready to be hugged.
I’d spent the last week unpacking deliveries, arranging any surplus in the stockroom, and doing a final clean before a busy day of bouquet preparation.
Christmas was a month away so I’d ordered some Christmas gifts and made the shop look festive with red and white poinsettias, holly, wreathes, and beautiful Christmassy-looking bouquets and baskets.
I’d decorated a small tree and hung a stack of red and white fairy lights around the shop to create ambiance.
Mum looked at her watch. ‘Nearly time. Are you ready to face your public?’
‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’ I took a deep breath, wiped my sweaty palms down my uniform – a dark green apron with the shop name and a white rose embroidered on the bib part – and picked up the keys.
Placing them in the lock, I grinned at my team as I announced, ‘It gives me great pleasure to declare the newly-refurbished Seaside Blooms open.’
Mum had been right; I needn’t have worried about a lack of customers.
All my hard work in promoting the shop, plus loyalty to Auntie Kay, meant there was a constant stream of customers, old, new, and just visiting the town for some Christmas shopping.
I’d prepared twenty or so simple inexpensive red and white Christmas bouquets and displayed them on a wooden barrow outside the shop.
They sold out within an hour so Mum and Cathy spent the next hour or so making more that sold out again by lunchtime.
The cards and gifts also sold really well, I took bookings for two wedding flower consultations, a request for a large floral arrangement for a couple’s Golden Wedding Anniversary party, and a booking for a funeral.
Dad dropped in to see how it was going and ended up staying for three hours to help us out. He became quite tearful, muttering about how proud he was that I’d returned home and accomplished so much, which set me off.
‘I don’t know about you three, but I’m exhausted,’ I said as the last customer of the day left and I was finally able to lock the door. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard in my life. Thank you all so much for your help.’
‘You’re welcome,’ Elise said. ‘I’ve really enjoyed it.’
‘Busier than I’ve ever seen it,’ Cathy gushed. ‘Well done, you.’
I stretched and rolled my head to try and relax my stiff neck and shoulders. ‘I have a proposal for you all. How about I get cashed up, one of you sweeps the floor, one of you puts some fresh water in the flowers and one of you washes the mugs, then I take you all out to Mario’s – my treat.’
‘Can I propose a toast?’ Mum raised her glass in Mario’s a little later. Elise and Cathy nodded in agreement and grabbed theirs. ‘To my beautiful daughter on the incredibly successful opening of her new business. To new beginnings at Seaside Blooms.’
‘To Sarah.’
Mum took my hand in hers as she continued.
‘You know your dad and I have always been supportive of you wherever you’ve lived and if you’d stayed in London and asked Kay to sell the shop, we’d have supported you in that decision.
But can I just say how proud and delighted we are that you decided to come home because we’ve loved being part of this and we’ve missed you so much. ’
‘Hear hear,’ Elise said.
I blushed as I raised my glass. ‘To Seaside Blooms. And to you all for your amazing support today. I couldn’t have done it without you.’
A waiter cleared our plates and advised us that our main courses would be along shortly. ‘I think I’ll just nip to the ladies before our mains arrive,’ Mum said.
Cathy stood up. ‘I’ll join you, Sandra.’
Elise twisted in her chair. When they were clearly out of earshot, she said, ‘While your mum’s not here, what’s the latest online news?’
‘I’ve been so busy getting ready for the shop, I’ve hardly looked.’
‘Liar.’
I laughed. ‘I’ve genuinely been too busy for the past few days.’
‘When was the last time you looked?’
‘Monday night.’
‘Were there any messages then?’
‘A few.’ I drained the last few sips of wine and raised an eyebrow at Elise who promptly refilled my glass.
‘Messaged anyone?’ she asked.
‘No. I’ve put a couple more Stevens down as favourites but I haven’t made contact. I thought I’d better get opening week out the way.’
‘Good plan. Are you all set for your hot date with Nick on Monday?’
‘Behave,’ I said. ‘It’s not a date.’
‘Of course it isn’t.’
‘Elise! It isn’t. And you know why. Stop looking at me like that. I’ve got Auntie Kay nagging me by text, Clare on at me over the phone, and now you.’
Later that evening, on my way back from the ladies, I had a strong sensation of being watched.
I turned slightly and caught the eye of a man two tables away.
He looked to be in his mid-to-late-thirties with greasy hair and a dodgy goatee.
He wore a deep maroon shirt that was at least two sizes too small if the bursting buttons were anything to go by.
He stared for a bit longer then raised his hand and waved, revealing a large sweat patch under his arm.
I frowned and looked round to see if he was waving at someone behind me but there was nobody there.
He waved again and smiled. It was a sinister smile, the sort you’d expect to see on a photo-fit on the news. I shuddered.
He stood up, still staring at me. Oh my God, he’s coming over. Do I know him? Maybe he was a customer today.
‘Sarah,’ he said, ‘it is you, isn’t it?’
‘Erm, yes.’ And you are…?
‘I thought it was. You’re even more beautiful in real life.’
‘Than what?’
He laughed loudly and snorted. Several diners looked in our direction and I felt my whole face flush. ‘Than your photo, of course,’ he said.
‘My photo?’
‘I like to look at it before I go to sleep each night.’
No! He isn’t…?
‘I meant to get in touch when you added me to your favourite list,’ he continued, ‘but I hoped you’d message me first. I’m not great at making first contact.’
I could hardly bear to ask the question. ‘Your name’s Steven?’
‘Yes! Steven Bell. Ta-dah!’ He waved jazz-hands at me, the dandruff on his shoulders bouncing up and down as he moved. ‘How did you know? There’s no photo on my profile.’
‘Lucky guess.’ I tried to sidestep him but he had my route blocked.
‘Seeing as we’ve met now, would you like to go out tomorrow night?’
Eek! Saying no online was one thing but being confronted with the anti-Steven on a night out with my mum was quite different. ‘I’ve just opened a new business today,’ I said. ‘I’ve got stacks to do tomorrow to get ready for my second day of trading.’
‘Monday night then?’
‘Sorry, I’ve got plans with friends.’ Thank goodness for Bay Trade.
‘Tuesday?’
‘Sorry, Steven, but this week really isn’t good for me.’
‘Next Saturday then?’
No. Not next Saturday. Not ever. Please get the message. You’re creepy and telling me you look at my photo before you go to bed is not a chat-up line I’d recommend. Please leave me alone. But I was too polite to say any of that. I settled for a non-committal, ‘Maybe.’
‘I’ll take that as a yes then,’ he gushed, showering me with spit.
‘It’s not a yes.’
‘But it wasn’t a no so that’s good enough for me.’
Where was straight-talking Clare when I needed her? Why couldn’t I be strong like her? ‘Message me,’ I muttered. ‘I must go.’ I finally managed to squeeze past him and return to my table.
‘Who was that?’ asked Mum.
‘Just some guy who thinks he knows me.’
‘Does he?’
‘No. Definitely not.’ I didn’t dare catch Elise’s eye.
I sat back in my chair and took a long glug of my wine as I listed off my Steven encounters in my head.
My search for Steven hadn’t got off to the best start.
Could I cope with a few more months of it?
Or should I just give it all up as a bad job, conclude that Madame Louisa has given me the wrong name, and make it clear to Nick at the Bay Trade thing on Monday that my search was over.
And if he’d like to retry that moment on the beach – without the playful Labrador – I wouldn’t push him off.