Chapter 15 #2
The memory of the money nearly made Eliza cry out again with sheer relief. This job was a total financial lifeline. It was just enough to start chipping away at her credit card debt, and to put her slightly on track to pay down that terrifying number that was keeping her awake at night.
‘Yup! It’s a dream job, to be honest. I can’t wait to get started.
And I really like Vivi, Jean Pierre’s wife.
She’s the woman I aspire to be. You know one of those people who always looks so put together?
Who’s happy with her chosen path, no regrets, no concerns at the judgement people might make about her being married to an older man? She’s that woman.’
‘Huh. Unlike me who has a different regret each day. But, actually, Toby was so supportive of me doing this wedding – in fact so much so that he obviously really wants me to go back to work! I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe he’s starting to find me boring.’
Eliza didn’t respond; she was looking off into the distance.
‘Eliza, are you listening to me? Hello?’
Eliza wasn’t listening. She was sure she could see Luke in the distance.
‘Yes, sorry,’ she said, taking a fortifying sip of coffee. ‘I was daydreaming about something. You were saying that Toby’s happy that you’re doing the catering job – that’s brilliant.’
‘That’s brilliant? Okay, spill. What’s up?’ Agatha demanded.
‘Nothing, why?’ she said, as she noticed Luke approaching their table, which made her heartbeat do a little tango in her chest. Shit! She had promised herself this morning that she was in no way allowed to fall in love with Luke Stanley.
‘You must be Eliza’s sister, Agatha,’ said Luke, as he reached their table, like they were mid-conversation. Agatha started blushing furiously.
‘Yup, this is her!’ Eliza said, trying to maintain her composure. ‘And, Aggie, this is Luke.’
‘Luke, hi. I’ve heard so much about you,’ Agatha said, trying not to giggle due to the hotness in front of her. Her eyes widened slightly as she took him in, her lips parted. Eliza could practically hear her sister’s internal monologue of approval.
Luke smiled warmly at her, his full flirt at play. ‘All good things, I hope, though given the source, I can’t be too sure of that.’ He glanced playfully at Eliza.
‘Oh, definitely all good.’ Agatha nodded, shooting Eliza a meaningful look. ‘In fact, almost suspiciously good I would say. Where have you been hiding?’
Eliza cleared her throat as if to shut Agatha up.
Agatha had never been known as the most subtle of people, and it was always a risk what might come out of her mouth at any given time.
‘Aggie has just agreed to cater Fenella’s wedding.
I was showing her around, giving her the lie of the land since we’re only a few weeks away from the big day.
Which, to be honest, is starting to give me palpitations. ’
‘That’s great news,’ Luke said, pulling over one of the battered armchairs and joining them at the table.
‘Sounds like we’re in good hands with you, Agatha!
Eliza has totally nailed this wedding in only a few weeks.
I’m not sure what Nelly would have done without her.
It’s like Eliza was meant for Farmington.
’ He looked at Eliza, his eyes lingering a second too long, like he was searching for something.
‘Agatha is the best,’ Eliza replied, forcing a casual smile while her mind raced with questions.
Fragments from last night kept flashing through her mind – his hands, his mouth, the way he’d whispered her name in the dark as he took her from behind.
She took a sip of her coffee to hide the flush creeping up her neck.
‘Well, I wouldn’t say that,’ muttered Agatha, ‘but I’ll take it – a compliment from my little sister is not to be sniffed at.’
‘Oh, come on – you’re brilliant! And that’s not just a sister being nice – I wouldn’t ask you to do it if I didn’t think you could.’
She turned back to Luke. ‘Agatha used to run her own catering company before she had kids, and I reckon it’s high time she started doing it again. You should taste her beef wellington; it’s an absolute dream.’
‘I’m a bit rusty,’ Agatha admitted, ‘but excited to get back in the kitchen for something other than dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets.’
Luke laughed and Eliza noticed the way the corners of his eyes crinkled. It was infuriatingly charming.
Agatha glanced between them, aware that Eliza seemed to have suddenly gone mute. ‘So, Luke, I hear you’re quite the chef yourself! Eliza mentioned something about an incredible pasta dish you made.’
Luke’s smile seemed to go up a notch, while Eliza wished the floor would swallow her up. Now it sounded like all she’d done was spent the last few weeks telling Agatha every single detail about what she and Luke had been up to.
‘I wouldn’t go that far, but I can hold my own in a kitchen. In fact, if I can help you with the menu for the wedding just shout – I love creating that kind of thing.’
‘Oh, good idea,’ Agatha said, warming to him instantly. ‘In fact, Eliza and I were just discussing doing something quite rustic, sort of farm-to-table, family style. Nothing too fussy.’
Luke nodded appreciatively. ‘I think that sounds perfect – that’s exactly Nelly’s style.’
Eliza watched the easy rapport that was developing between her sister and Luke, and she felt strangely conflicted.
‘So, did you tell your sister all about your late night yesterday?’
Eliza felt her cheeks heat. ‘Well, um, we . . . you see . . .’
‘It was safari supper night in the village,’ Luke said companionably to Agatha, a smug little grin on his face. ‘I arrived late and missed most of it, but I found this one commanding the dance floor. Quite the hidden talent you’ve been keeping there, Fox.’
Agatha interjected. ‘You guys went dancing last night? Here? In Farmington?’
‘It’s a long story!’ said Eliza.
‘Is it?’ responded Luke with an inquisitive smile.
‘Oh, tell him about your other news!’ Agatha cajoled.
Luke raised an eyebrow. ‘There’s more?’
‘Well, there’s this new project with Vivi and Jean Pierre.’
‘A new project?’ Luke grinned. ‘What are you working on? Should I be jealous that they got there first?’
Eliza felt a small thrill at having piqued his interest. ‘They’re launching a new sparkling wine and I’m helping with the marketing. I’m excited actually – it’s a cool product with a good backstory – it’ll be fun to work on, and it’ll also help keep me in with all the event suppliers.’
‘Wow, that’s great,’ Luke said, settling back in his chair looking genuinely impressed. ‘You’re certainly making the most of your time here. They don’t let just anyone near their precious wine. You must have made quite the impression.’
‘Well, I figure I might as well make the most of Farmington, while I’m here that is,’ Eliza said lightly, though she felt a pang at the reminder of her temporary status.
Luke’s expression clouded slightly. ‘Right, of course.’
‘Yes, something to keep me busy while I figure out my next move. I’m just not sure what that is right now,’ Eliza said quickly.
An awkward silence fell over the table. Changing the subject, Eliza turned to Luke, feeling like her face was turning beetroot.
‘Back to the wedding, could you give me and Aggie a quick tour of the kitchens?’ Luke quirked his eyebrow and turned to her with a small smile.
That smile should come with a health warning.
‘Of course,’ Luke said, seeming grateful for the change in subject. ‘Let me give you the grand tour.’
As they stood, Luke’s phone buzzed with a text message. He glanced at it, and Eliza couldn’t help but notice the way his jaw tightened momentarily.
‘Everything okay?’ she asked casually.
‘Fine,’ he replied, pocketing his phone, and putting his hand on the small of her back, sending warm electric shots through her system. ‘Just some business I need to take care of later. Nothing important.’
Agatha shot Eliza a meaningful look, raising her eyebrows and mouthing ‘wow’, as Luke led them through the café toward the kitchen.
‘It’s not massive,’ Luke explained, as they entered the bright, airy kitchen, ‘but it’s well-equipped. We’ve catered some smaller events here before.’
Agatha’s eyes lit up as she took in the gleaming stainless-steel appliances and spacious prep areas. ‘It looks pretty bloody fantastic to me,’ she said, running her hand along a smooth countertop. ‘Much nicer than I was expecting. In fact, this is a dream kitchen for me!’
Luke grinned. ‘We take our food pretty seriously around here. And, as I said earlier, cooking’s a bit of a hobby for me – helps me relax and forget about the real world.’
As Agatha began opening cabinets and peeking into fridges, Luke moved closer to Eliza. ‘Listen,’ he said in a low voice, ‘when are you free?’
Eliza felt her heart rate quicken. ‘Huh?’
‘I wanted to see if we could maybe—’
‘Eliza, come look at this!’ Agatha called excitedly from across the kitchen.
Luke looked a little flustered at the interruption, but recovered with a smile as Eliza went to join her sister. Agatha was gesturing at a large commercial oven.
‘This is perfect for the hog roast,’ Agatha said. ‘We could do it right here instead of having to bring in extra equipment.’
‘That would be great,’ Eliza agreed, trying to focus on the wedding plans and not on what Luke had been about to ask her.
‘I’m thinking we could do a whole spread of local meats and salads,’ Agatha continued. ‘Maybe some homemade breads, local cheeses.’
As Agatha rattled off menu ideas, Eliza found her gaze drifting back to Luke. He was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, watching them with an unreadable expression. When he caught her looking, he turned to talk to one of the chefs.
As she ventured back towards him, Luke ran a hand through his hair, looking uncharacteristically flustered. ‘I just wondered when I could grab some time alone with you,’ he said to her, his voice lower than usual. ‘Just us. Away from all this. I know I only saw you last night, but I want to talk.’