Chapter Sixteen
Effie woke the following morning with a slightly sore head.
Rolling over in bed, the previous evening fell into place like a disjointed jigsaw puzzle.
The party had wound up in the church hall once all the cake had been eaten and then many of the guests headed over to the pub.
Normally, Effie would’ve made her excuses and gone home at that point, but it had been so easy to be swept along with her new friends.
She’d enjoyed herself immensely. Nerves dulled by another pint of local cider, Effie had found herself doing the rounds, exchanging information about her life, listening to everyone’s hopes for the bookshop, and garnering their interest for it.
The enthusiasm and excitement from the villagers had made Effie determined to make it the best bookshop she could.
Although she knew it was Clive’s shop, Effie didn’t think he’d mind if she took some matters into her own hands and gave Polcarrow the bookshop its residents craved.
After all, he wanted it to be a success.
The most popular request had been for a book club.
Sue had already been trying to form one and had made enquiries about holding it at Lola’s café on a Thursday evening.
Effie saw no reason not to join forces with her and set one up.
By the time she’d left the pub, wandering home alone, the sun long gone, Effie was brimming with ideas and swaying slightly from a third pint she knew she’d regret in the morning. Jake had been busy talking to Angelo and Effie hadn’t wanted to disturb him, so she’d left alone.
Now the morning was here, she was glad to only have a slight headache, one that she knew would be soothed by a swim in the sea.
Yawning, Effie climbed out of bed and pulled on her wetsuit.
The sky was slightly overcast but that was no excuse not to take a dip.
She left the flat, crossed the road and padded down the steps onto the beach, shrugging off her dry robe and flip-flops before making her way into the sea.
The first wave was cold and instantly woke her up.
Slowly, she made her limbs move through the water, her head clearing with each stroke.
She was just wondering if she’d earned a day off from all the decorating, it was Sunday after all, and figuring out what she could do, when she remembered her parents were due to visit.
They’d texted the previous evening whilst Effie had been on the way to the pub, and she’d agreed.
She couldn’t wait to show them the progress she’d made.
On finishing her swim, feeling revived, Effie lingered on the beach, lying to herself that she wasn’t searching for Jake.
After a few minutes, when he didn’t show, Effie pushed him and the complicated feelings he rose in her, from her mind.
Back in her flat, she jumped in the shower and rinsed the sea salt from her hair.
Two cups of tea and a bacon sandwich later, she felt completely human again.
She was giving the flat a quick tidy when a knock on the door sounded.
Rushing over, Effie pulled it open, thrilled to see her parents standing there, her mum holding a bunch of early spring flowers.
‘Hello, love.’ Rosemary passed Effie the flowers before bundling her into a hug. ‘I’ve missed you so much!’
‘It’s only been a week,’ Effie reminded her, as she squeezed her mum back as best she could whilst also holding the bouquet. ‘I’ve missed you too.’
‘How’s it going?’ her dad asked, glancing around the flat. ‘It looks a lot better in here than when I left last week.’
‘I got to work on it straightaway.’ Effie gestured to the room. ‘Let me take your things and I’ll give you the not so grand tour.’
Effie took her parents’ coats and bags and hung them on the hooks on the back of the door.
She then showed them around the tiny flat, pointing out the sea view, opening cupboards to show them how she’d stored things.
Seeing it through their eyes made Effie proudly realise how much she had achieved in a week.
‘What about the shop?’ Brian asked with a grimace.
‘It’s coming on slowly; I’ve had some help.’
‘Did Clive send someone, like he should’ve done?’
Effie shook her head. ‘No, my neighbour, Jake, has been helping me paint. His dad’s a decorator.’
Her parents exchanged a look at the mention of Jake. Effie blushed, not knowing whether or not to protest that he was just a friend or to ignore the look. She chose the latter. Her mum had started to drop hints that it’d be nice for Effie to find a real young man, not a fictional one.
‘Would you like to see it?’ Effie said to deflect attention away from her love life.
‘Yes please!’
Grabbing her keys, she slipped on her shoes and opened the flat door. ‘Follow me.’
They made their way back downstairs where Effie unlocked the shop, her mum commenting that it was in a prime location and gushing over the sea view.
Effie pushed open the door and could see how far the transformation of the space had gone.
It looked much brighter painted white, like a fresh start.
It even looked bigger than it had when she’d started.
‘Wow!’ Brian exclaimed. ‘It’s like a whole different place. I felt awful leaving you here last week. That estate agent was a right pillock. You’ve done really well, this looks great. Can’t wait to see it when it’s all finished.’
‘Neither can I actually,’ Effie said proudly. ‘The books should be arriving next week and then the other stock. I’m really looking forward to dressing the space. Clive said I could buy a couple of armchairs for the window, create a sort of homely vibe. What do you think?’
‘If I was sitting there, I don’t think I’d ever want to leave,’ Rosemary said as she crossed over to the window. ‘What a view! He definitely chose the location well.’
Effie followed her. ‘I know, despite everything, Clive got that right!’
‘What’s everyone in Polcarrow like?’ Rosemary asked with concern.
‘Oh, they are lovely! So lovely! I’ve been made very welcome. I went to a birthday party yesterday.’
Her parents exchanged another glance at this. Effie wasn’t known for being a social butterfly.
‘It was ninetieth one, so nothing too wild,’ she explained, ‘but it was nice to be invited. I met so many people and they’re all very excited about the shop.’
‘That’s wonderful, I’m so relieved,’ Rosemary said. ‘I’ve been worrying all week, haven’t I, Brian?’
‘Yes, you’re lucky I kept her away this long, Effie. Especially after she found out you’re based next to that café.’ He nodded in the direction of next door.
‘I’ve been drooling over the online reviews. Apparently the scones are to die for.’
‘Lola’s? It’s amazing, shall we go? She’s usually open by now.’
‘I thought you’d never ask!’
Effie ran back upstairs to grab her purse before leading her parents next door.
The café was indeed open. Alf and Tristan were sitting in the window seat, a toast rack between them and a heated debate going on about what type of tea was the best to drink.
A newspaper was open on the table but any attempt to do the crossword had been abandoned.
Scruff was eyeing a spaniel that was out with some dog walkers, as they queued for takeaway coffees, with a bit of curiosity and suspicion.
The buttery aroma of fresh scones hung in the air.
Rosemary almost swooned at the quaint vintage vibe.
Lola glanced up as Effie and her parents made it to the front of the queue. ‘Good morning, did you have a nice time yesterday?’
‘I did!’ Effie beamed before introducing her parents to Lola.
‘Lovely to meet you. We’re all really excited about the bookshop. I have so many ideas for the opening, which we still need to discuss properly,’ Lola reminded Effie.
‘Oh yes, of course. Can we have one hot chocolate and two flat whites. Do you want any cakes?’
Rosemary peered into the counter. ‘Oh my! I don’t know what to choose!
They all look divine. Chocolate chip shortbread, millionaire brownies, the scones!
Look at them! Your dad wants to go to a seafood place he’s seen a bit further along the coast for lunch, so I don’t want to be too full.
Ooh, look at those raspberry blondies. Nope, it’s got to be a traditional Cornish cream tea. ’
‘Perfect choice, fresh out the oven.’ Lola smiled as she selected one of the biggest scones and placed it on a plate, before, glancing at Brian, waiting for his choice.
‘The booking’s for two thirty so as it’s only eleven I’m pretty sure one of those scones won’t ruin my appetite too much,’ Brian said, pointing to the scones. ‘They look delicious.’
‘I can assure you they are.’ Lola winked as she plated up another cream tea before turning expectantly to Effie.
Effie took in the sheer size of the scones and scanned along the other baked offerings.
‘I’ll have a blondie,’ she said, the tart red berries oozing against the white chocolate made her mouth water.
She was still quite full from her bacon sandwich and didn’t want to risk ruining her lunch, not if there was fresh seafood involved.
‘That would’ve been my second choice,’ Rosemary said.
‘Wonderful, take a seat and I’ll bring them over,’ Lola said once they’d paid.
‘How do you stay away from here with all those cakes?’ Rosemary asked as they sat down.
‘The truth? I don’t. The cakes have helped get me through the last week.’
Lola brought the tray over to them, unloaded it, told them to let her know if they needed anything else and left them to their elevenses.
They all tucked in, Rosemary enviously pinching a bit of Effie’s blondie.
Conversation ranged from Effie’s daily swims, the new extension the neighbours were trying to get built back in Penzance and a catch-up on all Rosemary’s regular patients, who had all been filled in on Effie’s grand adventure and were waiting for the next instalment.
‘Mum, you make it sound like I’ve gone to the other side of the world, not a few miles down the road!’
‘It feels like the other side of the world,’ Rosemary remarked, ‘what with all those little roads we had to drive down.’
Just as Effie was about to say something about the state of the roads, the café door opened, and she caught her breath at the sight of Jake. Hair damp from the shower, wearing his signature white T-shirt and blue jeans, he looked absolutely gorgeous.
‘Morning, Effie . . .’ He trailed off as he saw her parents, unsure how to greet them.
‘Hi, Jake. This is my mum, Rosemary, and my dad, Brian,’ she said. ‘This is Jake, he’s been helping in the shop.’ She really hoped her blush wasn’t too obvious.
Handshakes were exchanged along with greetings.
Lola brought Jake over a coffee and Brian insisted he join them.
Effie squirmed a bit inside, but Jake was wonderful, asking questions, telling her parents all about his photography, showing them some of the photos on his phone.
By the time the coffees had been drunk, Rosemary had managed to twist his arm into coming out for lunch with them.
‘So that’s Jake,’ her mum said with an encouraging smile as they headed to the car.
‘Yes, that’s Jake,’ Effie confirmed without elaborating further.
It was bad enough that she was wrestling with her own suspicions that she had a crush on him, without everyone else muscling in on the match-making.
Jake was kind, but he was fresh from a break-up, and Effie didn’t want to get her own hopes up, let alone anyone else’s.
Yes, he was gorgeous, but she could still be getting carried away and reading the signs wrong.
‘He’s been a really good friend, he’s helped me out no end with the café, but he’s had a recent break-up so I think it’s best to just be friends,’ she reiterated, hoping her mum would leave it at that, although she couldn’t help wondering if they’d ever be more than just friends.