Chapter Three #2
‘No hard feelings, Clive,’ Zoey reassured him as she helped herself to another doughnut.
‘Although sometimes I’d love to get away from my two, Effie is your best bet.
’ Zoey worked part-time in the shop whilst her two children, Isaac and Caitlin, were at school.
She regularly claimed she came to work for a rest and a hot cup of coffee.
Relieved that Zoey and Maddie hadn’t caused an uproar over her promotion, Effie watched as Clive let out a sigh of relief and asked if anyone had any questions. Everyone shook their heads.
Effie caught Zach’s eye. He looked as if the wind had been knocked out of him. ‘Dad, what . . . How is this fair? I thought—’
‘We’ll discuss this in private.’ Clive threw him a look before turning back to the others. ‘There’s plenty more doughnuts, please eat up.’ Clive beat a hasty retreat, Zach hot on his heels.
The three women exchanged glances as the staffroom door slammed behind Zach.
Maddie, mouth full of doughnut, turned to Effie and mumbled, ‘Pub, later. Looks like you have a lot to fill me in on and we have some celebrating to do!’
Grinning, Effie nodded. ‘We certainly do.’
‘So, spill the beans,’ Maddie demanded as she plonked Effie’s pint of cider in front of her, followed by a bag of cheese and onion crisps.
They were in their favourite pub, all old beams, rickety floors and crammed to the rafters with seafaring memorabilia.
Effie liked to imagine smugglers gathering in the darker corners.
Being so old and warped, the pub had its obligatory ghost stories, although Effie had never had even the slightest spooky experience.
Effie took a fortifying, delaying sip and reached for the crisps, tearing into them as she sorted out what she was going to say to her friend and colleague.
Maddie’s direct, no-nonsense manner made Effie feel as if she was constantly having to defend herself.
They’d become great friends in the four years they’d worked together, bonding over a love of historical fiction and post-work Friday night pints.
As Effie realised she would miss her and their little rituals, a cold sense of dread crept down her spine.
She had made the right decision, hadn’t she?
The locals would be friendly, wouldn’t they?
Effie opened her mouth but Maddie interrupted with, ‘And I want to know what actually happened. Were you expecting this? We had no idea Clive was thinking of opening another shop.’ Maddie sat back and took a sip of her red wine, a suspicious look in her eye.
‘I had no idea either until he called me into his office on Monday morning.’ Effie explained what had happened during their discussion.
‘You know I’ve always wanted my own bookshop and this feels as close to that dream as possible.
Look—’ she pulled her phone out and showed Maddie photos she’d googled of Polcarrow ‘—isn’t it adorable? ’
Maddie flicked through them. ‘Totally.’
‘You’re not upset I was offered the job instead of you, are you?’
Maddie shook her head. ‘No, well, maybe a tiny bit, but I can’t really up sticks and move like you can, anyway, I just want to come in, shelve some books, chat to some customers and go home. It’s always been more a calling than a job with you, Effie. Clive made the right decision.’
Effie gave her friend a squeeze. ‘Thank you. I’ll miss you though. It might be a bit lonely by myself.’
‘Imagine if there’s a hot surfer dude or something,’ Maddie said.
Effie pulled a face. ‘Not really my type.’
‘Hmm, really? Why do you think Clive didn’t get Zach to set the new shop up?’
Relieved that Maddie wasn’t going to interrogate her on her lack of a love life, Effie shrugged.
‘No idea. I mean, he’s not exactly got the drive to set up and run a business.
He’s never here! And whenever he starts something, he’s always coming back for his dad to bail him out. I’m clearly the safer pair of hands.’
Maddie nodded and gave her a long look. ‘It all seems so sudden though. You’ve always said you’d never move away again. I know Polcarrow isn’t far . . . but . . .’
‘I decided it was worth a try,’ Effie explained.
‘I’m almost thirty. I can’t live at home forever.
And since I can’t actually afford to get a place of my own, the flat coming with the shop is a nice bonus.
The more I thought about it, the more I started to look up tiny bookshops online, the more excited I got and the less likely I was going to turn the opportunity down.
My own bookshop, Maddie, or at least I can pretend it’s my own.
I’ve already thought about how I’ll decorate it.
’ This was at least true and had helped sway Effie’s decision making.
‘White with lots of bright colours. Maybe some nice chairs, or some rugs, yes, definitely some rugs. I saw these gorgeous floral curtains—’ She knew she was gabbling nervously.
‘Curtains aside, how do you really feel to have your big dream placed right in front of you?’ Maddie cut in through Effie’s bluster.
Effie met her eyes and her resolve crumbled.
‘Curtains aside, a bit scared. Way out of my comfort zone. Not just the flat. Setting up the shop. I’ve never actually decorated anything before.
Clive said I can have free rein, as long as I don’t go wild.
’ She laughed. ‘Me, wild?! But it’s only half an hour away.
It’ll be fine, honestly. You’ll have to come and visit.
Please say you’ll visit, I won’t know anyone and I’ll miss this. ’ She raised her glass.
‘Of course I’ll come and visit you! You won’t be able to keep me away!’