7. Jess
7
Jess
I stepped out of the train station into the cool evening air. I hadn’t had a chance to even think about getting my car fixed.
I’d spent hours at Cecil’s office yesterday going through the paperwork and confirming my new role. As well as giving me the five-hundred-pound ‘consultancy fee’ as promised, he’d handed me a phone and a laptop to use.
After I’d got home, showered and eaten and messaged Sarah, I’d fallen asleep. Then I’d had to get up at the crack of dawn to do my last cleaning shift, followed by an afternoon bar shift where I’d happily said I was leaving.
None of my bosses were happy about me quitting at such short notice, and it felt risky to give up those jobs without knowing whether or not I’d secure the site, but I’d decided that to stand a chance of winning this pitch, I had to give it my all. And I couldn’t do that if I was exhausted from working in multiple places. Plus Cecil had said he’d arrange for the first month’s salary to be paid into my account by the end of the week, which was amazing. It would be so nice not to worry about money for a change.
I’d tried to do research on the train journey to Sunshine Bay, but the train Wi-Fi kept dropping. From tomorrow, though, the proper work would begin. I was determined to nail this pitch.
As I walked to the site, my thoughts turned to tonight. I wondered if Edwin had invited Theodore or if this would be a one-to-one kind of dinner. It didn’t matter, though. I wasn’t going to be distracted by Theodore’s intoxicating scent, his muscular arms or those hypnotic eyes.
Men were trouble. Especially good-looking men like him. All I needed to do was focus on winning over Edwin. Theodore wasn’t important.
Luckily Seaview High was only a fifteen-minute walk from the station. When I arrived, I saw a flashy sports car in the car park.
Great . Theodore was here. And he’d arrived before me. That meant he’d had more time to bond with Edwin. Shit.
As I entered the building and heard the sound of laughter echoing through the corridor, my stomach sank. I knocked on the door.
‘Come in!’ I knew it was Edwin who’d replied. I remembered Theodore’s voice being much deeper and smoother. The kind of voice I’d imagine hearing on a steamy audiobook.
Theodore’s accent was posh but not in that plummy Hugh Grant kind of way. It was kind of… hot.
No , I warned myself again as I pushed the door open. I’m not going there . Theodore was not hot. He was the enemy, he was …
Good Lord.
When I caught sight of him standing beside Edwin’s desk, I swallowed hard.
He was dressed in a tux with a black bow tie, and he looked like he’d stepped straight out of a James Bond film. The word hot didn’t even begin to cover it. Never mind licensed to kill—looking like that, the man was licensed to thrill .
I caught myself swooning, then pinched my palm to snap out of the trance.
Repeat after me , my brain commanded:
Theodore’s the competition.
He’s the enemy.
Do not be fooled by his looks.
Remember what happened last time you fell for a handsome man.
That was all it took to bring me back to my senses.
‘Hi,’ I said to Edwin before nodding in acknowledgement to Theodore, then quickly tearing my gaze away. The less I looked at him the better.
‘Hello, Jessica!’ Edwin chirped. ‘Lovely to see you again.’
‘Jessica.’ Theodore nodded, raking his eyes from my head down to my toes, then looking away.
No doubt he was judging my floaty orange-and-navy-blue printed dress. It was the smartest thing I could find in my wardrobe. I’d got it in the charity shop for five pounds and it was a world away from the designer tux he was wearing. I bet that cost more than three months’ rent.
Edwin was dressed more casually in a jumper and brown corduroy trousers, but he still looked smarter than me. I was probably going to stick out like a sore thumb at this fancy restaurant, but there was nothing I could do about it. This was how I was, and if Edwin wanted me to dress a certain way to secure this building, then I wasn’t going to do it. I wanted this job, of course I did, but I’d changed my identity for a man before and I refused to do it again.
‘Shall we make tracks?’ Edwin said. ‘The restaurant isn’t far from here. I thought it’d be good to get you better acquainted with the town.’
‘Ladies first.’ Theodore gestured for me to walk ahead of him.
As he got closer, that annoying woody scent surrounded me and I winced. How did he smell so good?
I quickly hurried to catch up with Edwin and create some distance between me and Theo.
‘Have you visited the beach yet?’ Edwin asked.
‘Briefly,’ I replied. ‘When I came here with Mrs Davis. It’s beautiful. So calm and pretty. It’d be the perfect place to sit and relax with a book borrowed from a library across the road.’ I smiled.
‘Indeed.’ Edwin nodded.
‘Or for residents to walk to from their new home,’ Theodore added. ‘Having a collection of luxury apartments would provide a significant boost to the local economy, which would mean more money for the town. To keep the beach clean and—’
‘Are you saying the beach isn’t clean?’
‘No, not at all!’ Theodore replied. ‘I was just saying that I’m sure every town could benefit from investment.’
Edwin was silent. I’d definitely won that round. It was clear that this town meant a lot to Edwin, so I knew my complimenting the beach and saying I’d spent time here worked in my favour. If I kept this up all night, I’d definitely come out ahead.
‘This town has a thriving community.’ Edwin crossed the road. ‘Over there on the corner is Violet’s Florist’—he pointed to a small shop with a blue-and-white-striped awning and colourful floral window displays—‘which has been here for three generations.’
‘Very nice.’ I smiled.
‘Seaview B&B, which overlooks the beach, has existed for almost a hundred years.’
The cosy-looking whitewashed building had a small terracotta-tiled terrace with blue tables and chairs and pretty flower boxes lining the windowsills.
‘The Seaview Arms is a popular pub that all the locals go to. It does a lovely Sunday roast, and they host different community events there too. It’s an important part of the community. As is this wonderful establishment.’ He stopped outside a white-and-blue restaurant with fishes painted on the window. ‘Welcome to May’s Fish and Chips. The finest restaurant in town.’
Theodore’s eyes flew from their sockets.
‘ This is where we’re eating tonight?’ Horror was written all over his face.
‘Yes.’ Edwin smiled. ‘It’s been part of Sunshine Bay since 1973, when May opened it. Her daughter Candace took over a few years ago when May retired and it’s still going strong. People travel from far and wide to visit. The fish is as fresh as they come, and the chips are fried to perfection.’
‘Sounds great!’ I grinned. Partly because I genuinely was looking forward to it and partly because Theodore’s face was a picture. This definitely wasn’t what he was expecting.
‘Come on.’ He opened the door.
As soon as we stepped inside, the mouthwatering scent of freshly fried fish and chips hit me straight away. My stomach rumbled with excitement.
The restaurant was simple in design. Pine tables and chairs with decorative silver metal fishes of different shapes were mounted on the blue wood-panelled walls to make it look like they were swimming in the sea.
The specials of the day were written in colourful chalk on a large blackboard.
Every table except one was full, and laughter and chatter filled the air. As I took in my surroundings, I noticed that people were dressed in jeans or casual clothes and my shoulders relaxed. Turned out what I’d worn was actually spot on. It was Theodore that looked out of place in his bloody tux.
‘Eddie!’ A woman with porcelain skin who I guessed was in her forties approached us. She was wearing a striped apron, and her long blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail. ‘Great to see you! I’ve got your table ready. Welcome!’ She smiled.
‘Lovely to see you, Candace. Thought I’d introduce some new people to the best restaurant in town.’
‘Flattery will get you everywhere!’ she chuckled.
‘This is Jessica.’
‘Nice to meet you.’ I reached out my hand for her to shake it.
‘We don’t do handshakes in here!’ She pulled me into a hug and planted a kiss on each of my cheeks. ‘Welcome!’
‘And this is Theodore. ’
‘Lovely to meet you.’ He took her hand and kissed it. ‘Please, call me Theo.’
Good to know he didn’t mind his name being shortened. Maybe that nickname just applied to people he wasn’t competing against, but I was going to assume it was fine to use from now on anyway.
‘Oooh, you’re a charming one!’ She grinned. ‘Don’t know if anyone’s ever kissed my hand before. You probably wouldn’t have either if you knew where it’d just been!’ she laughed, and Theo’s face fell. ‘Don’t worry! I was just handling raw fish, that’s all. I scrubbed them afterwards, but y’know, sometimes the smell lingers!’ she chuckled again. ‘Let’s get you seated.’
She led us over to the empty table, then gave us three menus.
‘I’d recommend the cod and chips,’ Edwin suggested.
‘Sounds good!’ I replied and Candace scribbled on her notepad.
‘Er…’ Theo paused, his eyes scanning the menu. ‘Do you have any other fish? Perhaps some smoked salmon and new potatoes?’
‘Ha! Good one!’ Candace laughed. ‘Always love a comedian! Is that why you’re all dressed up? Are you performing at a show later?’
‘No…’ he mumbled. Something told me Theo was being serious when he asked for smoked salmon. ‘I’ll have the same as Edwin, please.’
‘Excellent! And to drink?’
‘Cuppa, please,’ Edwin said.
‘Make that two. Theo?’ I raised my eyebrow. He looked like more of a champagne kind of guy.
‘I’ll have the same. ’
We sat at the table awkwardly and when Edwin’s mobile phone rang, I was relieved to have a distraction.
‘I’m on my way,’ he said, then hung up. ‘Apologies, but I have to go.’
My face fell, and as my head jerked up, I caught Theo’s horrified expression. Looked like he wasn’t happy about us being left alone either.
‘Perhaps it’s best to cancel our order if it’s not convenient to stay,’ he said.
‘No, no. You two go ahead and eat without me. I wouldn’t want to deprive you of the opportunity to sample the best fish and chips in England! Hopefully I’ll be back in about an hour.’
Edwin didn’t wait for a response. Before I could protest, he’d rushed over to talk to Candace, then was out the door, leaving me and Theo sitting opposite each other in silence.
‘So d’you always wear a tuxedo for dinner?’ I blurted out.
‘Yep. It’s my standard evening uniform. Sometimes I love it so much I wear it to bed,’ Theo deadpanned.
Bed .
For some reason, Theo mentioning that word made my stomach flip.
‘Why do I believe you?’
‘Obviously I’m joking. When Edwin said he was taking us to the finest restaurant in town, I was thinking Michelin star, so I thought I’d make an effort. If I’d known we were coming to a fish and chip shop, I would’ve dressed accordingly.’
‘Don’t tell me you actually own casual clothes!’ I fake gasped. ‘I bet your idea of casual is a two-hundred-pound designer shirt and a five-hundred-pound pair of trousers.’
‘Whatever,’ he replied, which I took as confirmation that I was right. Oh, how the other half lived.
He reached for his bow tie, undid it, pulled it off, then unbuttoned the top of his shirt. I told myself to look away, but I couldn’t.
And when he shrugged off his jacket and started rolling his crisp white shirtsleeves up to his elbows, revealing tanned, muscular forearms covered in dark hair, my cheeks heated. The way he did it was so effortlessly sexy, I felt like I was watching porn in public.
‘So what’s your link to this whole library thing and the old lady who died? Was she your granny?’
‘Do you really care?’ I folded my arms.
‘Honestly?’ he asked. ‘Not really. But if we have to sit here for an hour until Edwin comes back, we might as well try to be civil. I can’t promise how long I can keep it up before I resort to scrolling on my phone, though.’
‘I worked for her,’ I replied bluntly.
‘You must’ve worked for her for a long time, then, to take this on.’
‘One shift.’
‘What?’
‘You heard. I worked with her for less than a day. Next thing I know I find out she’s died and she’s included me in her will.’
‘That’s crazy!’ he gasped. I wasn’t even sure I should be telling him this. He could use it against me in the pitch. But I’d always been an open book. Pardon the pun.
‘And what about you?’ I asked, deciding it was safer to change the subject. ‘I’m guessing that Eaves Enterprises is your family business?’
‘Correct.’
Candace brought over our teas and placed them on the table.
‘Thanks,’ we both replied.
‘And you build ridiculously expensive flats that the majority of the population can’t afford.’
‘Building luxury flats for a discerning clientele is one of the things we do, yes. You make it sound like we’re killing cute kittens.’
‘I just think that a beautiful town like this doesn’t need overpriced flats, that’s all.’
‘And let me guess, a library would be much better.’
‘Yes! Finally , you’re getting it!’
‘Jessica.’ He leant forward, staring deep into my eyes. ‘It’s only fair for me to inform you that as nice as your library idea is, I can’t let you win. I have to secure this deal, so please don’t be upset when you lose.’
‘Oh, I won’t be losing.’ I tilted my head. ‘I’ll be building a library and I’m going to do it on Edwin’s site.’
‘Why don’t you just find another location? Why put yourself through the stress of this pitch and doing something you’re clearly not cut out to do? If I were you, I’d do the sensible thing and surrender now.’
‘I know you’d love me to just roll over, but it’s not gonna happen. Mrs Davis’s wish was simple: the library can only be in that building. It can’t be anywhere else. So it’s you that needs to rethink, because I’m not backing down.’
I narrowed my eyes and Theo did the same. We continued scowling, and it was only when two plates appeared in front of us that our death glare was broken.
‘Two cod and chips!’ Candace chirped. ‘Enjoy!’
‘Thank you.’ I smiled.
Theo stared down at his plate like he’d just been served two hairy pig’s feet.
‘This looks so good!’ I beamed.
‘That depends on what your definition of good is,’ he replied.
‘Have you ever had fish and chips before?’
‘Of course I have.’
‘When?’
‘Don’t remember. It’s not something Clara used to make.’
‘Who’s Clara? Your girlfriend?’
‘No. Our cook.’
‘Oh my God! You had a cook? How rich are you?’ I asked. ‘You must’ve come to the seaside to have fish and chips when you were a kid?’
‘We didn’t go to the seaside. Not unless you count the South of France.’
‘Wow! You haven’t lived!’
I knew when I first saw him that we were from different worlds, but talking to him now just highlighted that. I mean, the man drove a flashy sports car and he’d worn a tuxedo to a fish and chips restaurant. Granted, he hadn’t known we were coming here, but even so, it was a bit OTT.
And his idea of the seaside was the South of France, which probably meant he hung out in places like St Tropez, Monaco and Nice. And don’t even get me started on the fact that he had a cook …
Growing up, I got used to making my own dinner from a young age. I’d learnt that if I wanted to eat, I had to fend for myself.
I plucked a chip from the plate with my fingers and slipped it into my mouth. Edwin was right, they were divine. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I couldn’t wait to taste the fish.
When I glanced over at Theo, he was delicately slicing the chips into tiny pieces with his knife and fork like he was cutting into an expensive steak. So fancy . Eventually, after preparing a small piece of cod, he reluctantly moved the fork towards his lips.
‘You look like you’re about to eat a kangaroo’s testicle! Don’t be so worried. It’s delicious!’
Once it was in his mouth, he chewed cautiously and then his eyes bulged with surprise.
‘It’s actually not… terrible,’ he said, quickly sliding another portion onto his fork.
‘Told you!’ The cod was perfection, the fish so fresh and the batter light and crispy. Much better than what I’d had in London. Fish and chips were always better by the sea.
It didn’t take long for us both to devour everything on our plates. Just as Candace came to take them away, I was relieved to see Edwin walking through the restaurant door.
‘So!’ He slid onto the seat at the head of the table. ‘How was it?’
‘Best fish and chips I’ve ever tasted!’ I enthused.
‘It was actually quite delicious,’ Theo added.
‘Excellent!’ He clapped his hands together. ‘Really happy you enjoyed it. So…’ He paused. ‘There’s been a de velopment. I’m getting some pushback from the town’s residents.’
‘About?’ Theo asked.
‘My decision to sell Seaview High.’
‘But it’s your land,’ Theo added. ‘You’re free to do with it as you wish.’
‘That’s true,’ Edwin replied. ‘However, like I mentioned at our meeting yesterday, community is important to me and to everyone in this town. Ever since my parents passed, I’ve had offers to buy the place. But I’ve always declined.’
‘Why?’ I asked.
‘Because all I’ve ever had was the hit-and-run buyers: the people who just want to buy the land, make money and leave. They don’t care about the people. They only care about their profit margins. I want to sell to someone who fits in with the community. Who values it and wants to be a part of it. Is that you?’ Edwin’s gazed flicked between us.
‘Absolutely,’ Theo nodded.
‘Of course,’ I confirmed.
‘Wonderful!’ Edwin beamed. ‘I’m delighted to hear that because that means you’ll be happy to move forward with my new idea.’
‘New idea?’ Theo frowned.
‘Yes. Originally, I thought it would be sufficient for us to meet once or twice whilst you prepare your presentation. But now I’ve realised that won’t be enough.’ As Edwin paused, my stomach tightened. Sounded like he had some other challenge up his sleeve.
‘What did you have in mind?’ Theo clasped his hands and placed them under his chin.
‘I would like you both to stay in Sunshine Bay. ’
‘Stay here ?’ Theo’s brows furrowed. ‘For how long? A weekend?’
‘No.’ Edwin shook his head.
‘How long were you thinking?’ I asked.
My guess was that he’d like us to stay for a week. Maybe in the run-up to the presentation date.
Now that I’d committed to the challenge, I didn’t mind too much. What I’d said to Edwin earlier was true. This place was pretty. And I could bet that wherever I stayed here would be a whole lot better than my crummy bedsit.
‘Three weeks,’ he said casually.
‘Three weeks?’ Theo barked, his eyes popping from their sockets. ‘But you said the presentation was in two weeks!’
‘I know. But you’ll need more time to put something solid together. Let’s see.’ He pulled out a small diary and flicked through the pages. ‘It’s Wednesday today and you’ll need a day or two to settle in, so let’s set the revised presentation date for three weeks from Friday.’
‘I can put something together in two weeks,’ Theo said quickly. ‘In fact, maybe I could get it done in a week. I’m sure you’re a busy man. There’s no need to drag the process out unnecessarily.’
‘Oh, don’t worry. I’m not that busy these days, and on the contrary, it’s not unnecessary. This is very important to me. Everyone in this town has been here for generations. This place is known as Sunshine Bay for good reason. It’s a great place to live and that’s because we’re very protective of the community. Like I said, if you don’t know the people here and don’t have ties, you won’t care what happens to it.’
‘I understand,’ I said quickly. ‘Count me in! ’
It was obvious that Theo wasn’t keen, and that gave me an advantage that I intended to use. If I was happy to stay here and Theo wasn’t, that automatically made me the frontrunner.
‘And what about you, Theo? If community isn’t important to you, best that you remove your hat from the ring now and forfeit to Jessica.’ We both fixed our focus on Theo, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. ‘Just say the word and it’ll be a one-woman race.’
‘No, no.’ Theo plastered on a smile. ‘I’ll… I’d be happy to stay here!’
I barely knew the guy, but even I could tell he was about as happy about staying in this town as he would be about getting two root canals without anaesthetic.
‘That’s settled, then! I’ve already spoken to Glenda at the B&B and asked her to reserve two rooms.’
‘B&B?’ Theo’s eyes were popping again. ‘I wouldn’t want Glenda to go to any trouble. My assistant can find a hotel or apartment nearby on Airbnb.’
‘We only have one place to stay here and that’s what Glenda runs. There’s no Airbnb here.’
I almost snorted. Theo was shitting himself. Even if this B&B was lovely, I doubted it’d compare to the five-star lifestyle that he was used to.
Theo wasn’t going to last five minutes living in this town. And when he ran back to his fancy mansion, the building would be mine.
This was perfect.