Chapter 7
7
A few days or so later, as Cally approached Lovely Bay train station, she inhaled the familiar Lovely fresh sea air smell and drank in the prettiness of the old railway station right in front of her. With its traditional Victorian charm steeped in the history of the area, gorgeous fluttering bunting, and old faded advertising signage, the station itself had Lovely written all over it. Someone, she presumed Nancy, had done their utmost to make the station appealing. This was no dilapidated, shabby, old, in-need-of-love station complete with overfull litter bins, peeling paint and half-dead weeds flanking the front. Oh no, not in Lovely. Indeed, Lovely train station was the antithesis of that; everywhere possible overloaded hanging baskets swayed in the wind, the distinctive handmade Lovely bunting fluttered overhead, window boxes spilt with flowers and just outside the main entrance, an old train wagon doubling as a planter, showcased a lush array of greenery.
With a spring in her step, Cally pushed open the heavy door to the main ticket hall with its old-fashioned timber counters and gleaming glass partitioning. The station bustled with activity: a mix of locals going about their business, a group of mums with prams on a day out, and a gathering of eager-looking tourists clutching maps, cameras, and phones held overhead on long telescopic sticks. Just as Cally was idly watching the tourists, all with their necks craned along the train line, peering at the mechanics of the moveable platform, she spotted Nancy in the distinctive Lovely Bay coat coming down the stairs.
On seeing Cally, Nancy smiled and joked. 'Our Cally. What brings you to our bustling metropolis this morning? It’s all happening here.'
Cally chuckled at Nancy's description of the small station. 'I'm here to meet Eloise. She’s coming over for a coffee, and her car is in for a service. Her train should be arriving soon. What a nice day, eh? The station looks gorgeous. All your own work, is it?'
‘Of course.’
‘The flowers out the front there really are pretty.’
‘We do our best.’
As they stood chatting, in Cally’s peripheral vision, she could see the trainspotters on the far side. She pointed in their direction. ‘Looks like you have quite a few visitors this morning.’
Nancy rolled her eyes good-naturedly. 'I’ve just been chatting with them. They’re part of an Instagram trainspotting club. They're here for the moveable platform. I think we need to start charging for it. I’ll make my millions yet.’
'I make you correct. You’d be rich.’ Cally giggled.
‘I even have a spiel after all these years of chatting with people who know the ins and outs of it. It's a piece of engineering marvel that. The spotters come from all over to see it in action. Honestly, I could write my own documentary series for Netflix on that thing.'
‘Ha. You should start a vlog broadcasting live from the station every morning. You’d go viral.’
‘Actually, now there’s an idea.’
Cally shook her head. 'Only in Lovely Bay would a bit of railway equipment become a tourist attraction.'
Nancy laughed. 'That's us. We can make an event out of anything. Speaking of events, I hear you're off on quite the adventure soon.'
'News travels fast around here. I swear, local news travels faster in this town than the trains do.'
‘You should know that by now.’ Nancy chuckled. ‘You can’t do anything without the folk of Lovely knowing about it. So you’re on your travels?’
‘Yes, I'm going to Scotland with Logan. To his family's estate.'
Nancy's eyebrows shot up. 'Ooh, meeting the extended Henry-Hicks family, are we? That's a big step. Good luck with that one.'
Cally nodded. 'It is. I'm a bit nervous, to be honest. It's all so grand from what I’ve seen.'
'Nup, I’ll have none of that nervous talking. You’re past that part of the relationship. I reckon you’ll love it. It’s meant to be beautiful. I’ve heard loads about the estate up there over the years.'
'You think so?'
'I know so,' Nancy said firmly. ‘What else has been happening with you? Just as busy as me?’
‘Not a lot, actually.’
Nancy widened her eyes. ‘Oh really. That’s not what I heard.’
‘What?’
‘Apparently, you have a new acquisition coming your way.’
Cally wrinkled her nose and looked sideways. She hoped Birdie hadn’t said anything about the job offer. Birdie had told her it was completely confidential and that Cally had plenty of time to make up her mind. She hadn’t even received the formal in-writing offer yet. ‘What’s that?’
‘A certain little something that means you’re really a Lovely now.’
Cally clocked what Nancy was talking about. ‘Oh, ha, the coat. Yes, I finally made it to the top of the waiting list.’
‘I presume you’ll be taking that on the Scottish trip for its first outing?’
‘Hope so. If it’s finished.’
As they continued to chat, the station got busier and the trainspotters on the far end of the platform began to buzz with excitement as a freight train approached. Nancy advised a couple of passengers, stepped into a side door for a bit, dealt with a train, and was back a few minutes later.
'So, this Scottish adventure. What will that entail?' Nancy asked.
‘Not sure. Logan says it's beautiful – all rolling hills and lochs. There's even an old ruin of a castle.’
Nancy whistled. 'A castle, eh? Fancy that. You'll be the lady of the manor before we know it.'
Cally flushed. 'Don’t even go there.’
‘Don’t worry. Us mere mortals down here will keep you grounded.'
As they stood there chatting away and putting the world to rights, the sound of another approaching train grew louder. The trainspotters at the end of the platform were practically vibrating with excitement, cameras poised and necks craned.
Nancy eyerolled. 'Oh, here we go. Brace yourself for the excitement of railway engineering at its finest. I swear I’ll have to save a life one day when someone keels over or has a heart attack. Good job this station is equipped for any eventuality.'
As the platform began to move, the trainspotters erupted into a flurry of activity, snapping photos and scribbling notes. Cally watched the platform do its thing, fascinated despite herself. 'I have to admit, it is pretty impressive.'
Nancy smiled. 'That it is. Just another of Lovely Bay's hidden wonders. I include myself as one.’
As the train moved on, Cally looked up at the board over the platform. 'Oh, I think that might be Eloise's train coming in now.'
‘Yep. Well, I'd better push off back to work. If I don’t see you, have a wonderful time in Scotland.'
‘Thanks, Nance. Yeah, I’ll probably bump into you before I go.’
As Nancy headed off in the direction of the station master’s house, Cally got lost in people-watching as she waited for Eloise’s train. When it pulled into the station, Cally smiled and waved as Eloise arrived. ‘Hiya! How was your journey?'
‘All good. No delays, just a chatty person next to me who wanted to tell me his life story and had very questionable train snacks. But I'm here now.'
‘It’s so good to see you.’
‘What have you been up to? Ready for your trip?’
‘Ahh, loads, mostly working.’ Cally filled Eloise in on the plans for the Scotland trip.
‘I just can't help feeling a bit out of my depth. I mean, a castle ruin? I'm probably overthinking it all.’
‘You’ll be fine. Anyway, that's what I'm here for. To talk you down from your worried little ledges and remind you how amazing you are. You can tell me all about how you're planning to pack your entire wardrobe for the trip over coffee.'
Cally groaned. 'Don't even get me started on the packing. I have no idea what to take. Ballgowns to breakfast…'
Eloise laughed. ‘I reckon your new Lovely Bay coat and wellies will do the trick. Come on, let's go. I need caffeine.’
Fifteen or so minutes later, they strolled along by Lovely Bay's harbour. Fishing boats bobbed up and down and the smell of fish and chips and the scent of salt, seaweed, and sunshine hung in the air. In other words: nice. Very nice, indeed.
Eloise linked her arm through Cally's as they navigated around an abandoned coil of fishing rope left on the harbour wall. 'So, are you going to tell me what else is going on, or do I have to guess?'
Cally smiled. Trust Eloise to see right through her. 'Am I that obvious?'
'Only to someone who knows you as well as I do. Come on, spill. You’re up to something.'
'I wanted to wait until I saw you to tell you. Birdie offered me a promotion.’
Eloise stopped in her tracks. She made a funny face and widened her eyes. ‘What? That's fantastic news!’
‘Is it?’
‘Err, you don’t seem over the moon about it.’
'It's not that I'm not pleased.’
‘What exactly did she offer you?'
As they reached the end of the harbour, Cally nodded at the coffee shop. ‘I’ll fill you in over coffee. It's a bit of a long story.'
C ally pushed open the door to the coffee shop. It was unusually quiet; a few Lovelies were scattered about at various tables here and there and a fabulous aroma of freshly ground coffee beans enveloped them as they walked in. They made their way to a small table tucked away in the corner by the window, where they had a view of the harbour and the sea beyond. As they settled into a couple of worn, comfortable wingback chairs, a local girl approached with a smile.
'Afternoon. Oh, hey, our Cally. How are you?’
‘Good, thanks. You?’
‘Keeping well.’
‘What would you like? Coffees?’
'Yes, please. And maybe a couple of scones. Thanks.’
'Coming right up.’
Eloise sat down and leant forward, her elbows on the table, chin resting on clasped hands. 'Right then. Tell me everything about this promotion. Bit of a turn-up for the books, eh?'
'Well, you know how Birdie's opened a load of new shops?'
Eloise nodded. ‘Yup.’
'She wants me to oversee it all,' Cally continued, still hardly believing it herself. 'Managing the different locations, mostly the deliveries but also dealing with the odd staff issue, developing the online business – the whole lot.'
Eloise's eyebrows shot up. 'Wow, Cal. That's a big deal. She must really trust you.'
'That's just it.' Cally fidgeted with a sugar packet on the table. 'I mean, I'm just an out-the-back assistant. What do I know about running a whole chain of shops? Talk about in at the deep end.'
Before Eloise could respond, the girl returned with their order. She put down two steaming mugs of coffee along with a plate with warm scones. 'There you go. Enjoy.’
Cally smiled gratefully. ‘Thanks.’
Eloise pulled one of the mugs of coffee towards herself. ‘You’re totally ready for it. Don’t even let yourself think that.’
‘Am I?’
‘Yup. How hard can it be?’
‘It’s actually quite involved…’
‘Right. So, what are you thinking about the offer?'
Cally wrapped her hands around her mug. 'I don't know. She’s emailing me the formal offer. When it’s in black and white, I’ll make a decision. The thought of messing it up is a bit daunting.'
Eloise nodded. ‘Yeah, think about it though – would Birdie have offered you this position if she didn't believe you could handle it?'
'I suppose not,' Cally admitted.
'Exactly. Birdie's no fool. She knows what she's doing. If she thinks you're ready for this, then you probably are.'
Cally took a sip of coffee. She stared out the window for a second, where a fisherman in bright yellow oilskin dungarees was loading a huge basket onto the harbour wall. ‘Yeah. I don’t know. If I take this job, I'll be spending more time in an office, dealing with paperwork and spreadsheets. It’s not like my dream job, you know? What if I hate it?'
‘You’ll be out and about learning so many new skills.’
Cally blinked. ‘True. There is that side of it.’
‘What about the online business? That sounds exciting.'
‘There’s loads to do – improving the website; apparently, Birdie wants to offer online consultations and create educational content. From what she’s told me, there’s a long list of jobs.’
‘Sounds like there’s a lot of scope.’
Cally nodded. ‘There is, I suppose.’
‘Let's be honest, Cal – you've never been one to shy away from a challenge. You’re the person who has been working three jobs for ages and doing it well.’
Cally frowned and turned her palms upwards. ‘They’re all easy jobs, though.’
‘Pah! Said no one ever. Do you really think it’s easy to juggle all that? Only you could say that! I’ve heard it all now. It’s not easy to do three jobs, plus you get up at the crack of dawn for one of them.’
‘Hmm. Depends which way you look at it.’
‘Also, remember when you first came to Lovely? You didn't know a soul, had no idea what you were doing, and look at you now. When you try new opportunities, you open doors. Am I right, or am I right? I’m right. I mean, the Henry-Hicks thing alone.'
Cally laughed and batted her hand, but it was true – she had come a long way since her early days in Lovely Bay. She'd built a life, found a nice little community, and settled in in ways she couldn’t have imagined. She straightened in her chair and wrinkled her nose. 'You're right. I did do that. I didn’t know anyone when I came here to work that first shift, and now I live here, and not only that, but I love it.’
'You certainly did,' Eloise agreed.
‘Hmm.’
‘I reckon what you need to do is decide whether or not this is something you want to do. Not just something you think you should do or something you're considering because Birdie offered it. But something you want , if you see what I mean. You had enough of doing that in your old life and caring. Otherwise, you might as well continue what you’re doing anyway...’
Cally paused. ‘It might be really good for me in one way and in another way, it may stop me from going out in the world.’
‘It will all sort itself out.'
‘I guess so. I think I’ll just ponder on it. Birdie said she’s in no rush.’
‘Good idea. The universe will give you a sign. I’ve no doubt about that.’
What Cally nor Eloise knew was that the universe was already cooking up a few little bumps for our Cally. Just to keep her on her toes.