Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
A fter waving Lindsey, Peony and Isaac off, and opening up, Bea picked up the last of the travel guides she’d tidied into a pile on the counter and slid them back into place on the carousel. There, done and her earliest customers hadn’t seemed at all fazed to find some them out of place. Turning as the bell above the door announced someone’s arrival, she hoped it wasn’t Gregory again.
‘Hey, Bea. I was just passing and thought I’d pop in for a quick chat.’ Fleur pushed the door closed behind her and held up two takeaway coffee cups. ‘And I have a caramel latte with your name on it.’
Laughing, Bea took the cup. ‘You just happened to have closed your shop up and queued for a coffee on your way past?’
‘That’s right.’ Grinning, Fleur made herself comfortable on the stool at the counter.
‘Okay. Thanks.’ Taking a sip of her latte, Bea eyed Fleur over the top of her cup. She knew exactly why Fleur was here and Fleur knew she knew too, but that didn’t mean she was going to let on. Keeping her expression neutral, she asked, ‘Business slow today?’
‘Not really.’ Fleur trying to appear relaxed as she looked around the shop. A couple of women were sitting at the table, flicking through the newspapers Bea always put out and a dad with his toddler were browsing in the children’s corner. ‘You?’
Bea shrugged. ‘A little, but on the plus side, I’ve managed to get my order in.’ Bea stifled a smile as she watched Fleur struggle with the small talk. ‘Do you know which bins are being collected this…?’
Rolling her eyes, Fleur placed her cup down with a thud. ‘Okay, okay, enough already. I don’t care about bins or how busy the shops are, for that matter. I just want the gossip about you and Scott.’
‘Me and Scott?’ Bea’s lips twitched. She couldn’t help herself. As much as she loved Fleur, she couldn’t resist it, besides it wasn’t a conversation she particularly wanted to have with anyone, anyway.
‘Come on, give me something.’ Fleur placed her hands, palms down, on the counter on either side of her cup and looked at her.
‘Okay, okay.’ Bea took a deep breath. ‘We went for a walk and had chips.’
‘You went for a walk and ate chips? Is that it? I know that already.’ Slumping her shoulders, Bea might as well have told her the potholes were being filled. On second thoughts, that would have likely triggered a greater reaction.
‘Umm, yes.’ Bea took another sip of her latte. That had been it, hadn’t it?
‘Right now, I know you’re holding something back.’
‘What? How? What do you mean?’
‘That look you’ve got in your eyes.’ Fleur pointed at her. ‘Go on, spill.’
Sighing, Bea lowered her cup again, taking her time to centre it on the coaster. What was this look Fleur and Lindsey kept talking about? ‘I don’t know. I mean, there may have been a moment between us.’
‘Ooh, now you’re talking. Tell me more.’ Swivelling on the stool to face her square on, Fleur gripped her cup in her hands, waiting patiently.
‘Just that. When we were standing outside the restaurant, he put his hand on my arm and sort of… looked at me.’ Covering her eyes with her hand, Bea groaned. She sounded about twelve. ‘That sounds pathetic, doesn’t it?’
‘No, no, it doesn’t.’
‘Argh, I’m so out of the loop. I haven’t dated or even looked at another guy since me and Adam split.’ Bea pulled a face. ‘And that was over two years ago now. Two years!’
‘Hey, don’t beat yourself up. Look at this place. You’ve been a tad too busy for dating.’ Fleur waved her arm around, indicating the shop floor.
‘Umm, maybe I should just crawl back onto my shelf.’ Bea slumped her shoulders. Why had she even said anything to Fleur? Fleur was such a romantic she’d take one stolen glance to mean that someone wanted to propose. She shouldn’t have mentioned it. She sounded daft.
Standing up, Fleur shook her head. ‘Oh no, you don’t. You are not giving up on this. Scott likes you just as much, if not more than you like him.’
‘Huh, I doubt that.’ Bea took her hair from its messy bun and shook her curls out before tying it back up.
‘I wouldn’t be so sure. I had front row tickets to this moment, remember?’ Fleur grinned. ‘Now, why don’t you run up and grab those nice biscuits I know you keep for special occasions, and we can strategise?’
‘Strategise?’ Bea raised an eyebrow.
‘Yes, strategise.’ Fleur’s eyes glistened with excitement.
‘Oh, I don’t think I like the sound of this.’ Biting down on her bottom lip, Bea turned her coffee cup around.
‘You will. Now, shall I go and get those biscuits?’ Fleur slid off the stool.
‘Nope, I’ll go. It’s a mess up there, blankets and toys strewn everywhere.’ Or she assumed it would be. She hadn’t had a chance to run up and make sure the curtains were open, let alone see what tidying up needed doing yet.
‘Okay.’ Sitting back down, Fleur began drinking her coffee again.