Chapter 20 #2
‘Now that would be scary,’ I said. ‘I think May has called in a few favours from some prop people she knows and I’ve sourced quite a bit online as well as scouring the local charity shops and discount stores.’
‘You have an eye for a bargain, Skylar,’ Erik praised. ‘And it’s no wonder I haven’t been able to tempt you to a trip to The Dragon for ages, you’ve completely thrown yourself into this, haven’t you?’
‘Oh, don’t you start, too,’ I huffed crossly and he looked surprised.
‘Sorry,’ he said, looking shocked. ‘I didn’t mean to—’
‘Have Kate and Luke said something?’ I interrupted. ‘Are they fed up because I’ve taken over? Because I can always—’
‘No,’ Erik cut in. ‘God no. If anything, I’m sure they’re thrilled that you’re so on the case. I just meant that… you know what, never mind. Where shall we start?’
With hindsight, that would have been the ideal opportunity for me to explain that I was so invested because of my own youthful experience with somewhere like The Chapel, but at the time, I was in no mood to.
I was angrier with Erik than I should have been and all because I was trying not to think about my feelings for him and the kiss we’d shared.
They were perhaps the biggest part of my helping agenda, but he had no clue about that.
The poor bloke looked like I’d just kicked him, but I couldn’t seem to recover my temper enough to make amends.
‘So, we need to decide what will work where,’ I said efficiently and took a lengthy list out of the folder I’d put together. ‘And then assign the things to a labelled box for each of the rooms so nothing gets muddled up.’
Each room that was going to be included on the tour now also had one of May’s actor friends allocated to it.
We also knew what they were going to wear and how they were going to ‘haunt’ the space they’d been assigned – some would talk, while others would moan scarily or be ominously silent – and we were going to set the theme of the room and decorations to marry up with what they’d be doing.
The boxes of what would be going in the garden were arranged in a different corner of the room.
We didn’t talk much as we got to work and not at all about anything other than what we were there to do. By the time my tummy grumbled around lunchtime, I was ready for a break, and not just from the task in hand.
‘Darling!’ May greeted me when Erik and I returned to the kitchen. ‘Kate has just been telling me how hard you’ve been working. You’re an absolute star.’
‘I think that title should be awarded to you, May,’ I insisted as I bent to fuss her diminutive dachshund, Monty, who was wearing a coat made of pumpkin patterned fabric.
The friendly dog had a more diverse wardrobe than most humans.
‘Your friends are going to make this event a triumph and the costumes you’ve got for them are amazing. ’
‘Well,’ she said, ‘The Chapel is a cause close to my heart.’
‘And mine,’ said Lisa who then walked in with Luke. ‘I was hoping to see you May because I wanted to talk about the Christmas rehearsal schedule. If we do have to close for a while—’
‘We won’t have to close,’ May interrupted as if the suggestion was preposterous. ‘This time next week we’ll be solvent again and the doors will be open.’
‘But shouldn’t we have a back-up plan, just in case?’ Lisa said reasonably.
May wouldn’t even entertain the idea.
‘I’ll be back in a bit,’ I said quietly to Kate, and went to duck out before the conversation between Lisa and May turned querulous.
With two such big personalities thrashing it out I sensed it had the potential to do just that.
‘You’re welcome to stay,’ Kate told me. ‘I’ve got soup on the go and some of Mark’s sourdough to go with it.’
‘Thank you,’ I smiled. ‘But there’s something I need to do. I’ll be back in about an hour.’
It was a relief to get outside, and I breathed in the crisp autumn air as I walked back to the square hoping Rafe would be writing or out and I could decompress in peace.
I needed to rid myself of the tension in my shoulders and enjoy a few minutes of quiet after the uncomfortable conversation with Erik that had neither been finished nor resolved.
The house was blissfully empty, but the peaceful feeling only lasted long enough for me to heat a bowl of Rafe’s delicious leftover risotto before the doorbell rang.
I toyed with the idea of ignoring it, but when it rang a second time I went to see who it was.
I had my hopes pinned on the postie delivering something that wouldn’t fit through the letterbox, but it wasn’t her. It was Erik.
‘Erik,’ I said with a sigh that I didn’t disguise. ‘What’s up?’
‘I’m not sure,’ he shrugged. ‘That’s why I’ve walked over to check you’re okay. That and the fact that the kitchen over there now feels packed to the gunnels ahead of Luke’s radio interview this afternoon.’
‘I’ll be back to listen to that,’ I told him. ‘I’m just having some lunch.’
I had one ear on the kitchen because I knew Socks had a fondness for Rafe’s risotto too and I’d left my bowl unattended.
‘Fair enough,’ Erik nodded. ‘I’ll see you in a bit.’
I noticed it was just starting to rain.
‘Unless you want to come in,’ I suggested hesitantly, thinking about the ‘don’t be alone with Erik’ pact I’d made with myself, which accounted for the caution I felt about inviting him over the threshold, as well as the fear of losing my lunch to the cats.
‘I’m not sure,’ he faltered, obviously aware of the reluctance behind the invitation.
‘There’s leftover risotto,’ I said.
If I fed him as well as myself we’d both be occupied and I wouldn’t have to look at him or be tempted to fling myself at him. Though I might be tempted to watch him eat… damn.
‘Did Rafe make the risotto?’ he asked.
‘He did,’ I confirmed and Erik walked in.
‘Not that there would be anything amiss with it if you’d made it,’ he said hastily as he hung up his jacket.
‘But my father does have a knack with ingredients,’ I allowed. ‘Even the simplest ones.’
My meal was thankfully untouched, and Erik and I sat opposite one another with the steaming bowls topped with a handful of grated pecorino cheese.
Had we not had more work to do, I would have suggested wine.
But then again, after what happened the last time we’d drunk wine in the kitchen, perhaps it was best that we did have work to do.