Chapter 15
15
The main courses seemed to be going down well. Liv thought it was some of the best food she’d ever had, but then she wasn’t very adventurous in that department and rarely could afford to eat out unless it was a cheeky weekend Maccy D’s.
‘Everything okay?’ asked Dolly, which Liv thought was asking for trouble with this lot.
‘The beef is really tasty,’ said Kacey.
‘It’s venison,’ said Dolly. ‘Free roaming from the nearby estate.’
Kacey looked confused. ‘Are cows free in Scotland?’
‘It’s venison,’ repeated Dolly. ‘Deer meat, which we pay a fair price for,’ she added.
‘Deer?!’ Kacey dropped her cutlery. ‘I’m eating a fawn?’
‘It’s why I went for the ravioli,’ said Shanie.
‘I think I might be sick,’ said Kacey rushing from the table.
‘Staggering,’ said Dolly shaking her head.
Liv clicked her fingers. ‘Aww good pun. I wish I’d thought of that one.’ Shanie was the only one who laughed.
After the main courses Liv went to give Fraser a hand in the kitchen. ‘Go and eat,’ she said.
‘No, I’ll just—’
‘Go,’ she said trying to shoo him with a tea towel but he didn’t budge so she felt a bit foolish flicking the cloth against his thigh. ‘I mean I can’t make you but I’m offering to clean up in here and that offer might not last long if I have much more wine so…’ She pulled a face.
With a reluctant twist of his lips he muttered, ‘Thanks.’ And left the kitchen.
Effie came to help her and before long the dishwashers were full and they were making cups of tea and coffee.
‘You should have your pudding,’ said Effie. ‘It’s really nice. If you don’t eat it I will and I need to watch my weight.’
‘Why’s that?’ asked Liv.
‘Boyfriend,’ whispered Effie. ‘Goodness it feels so good to finally tell someone. But you mustn’t say anything. Not a word to anyone. Especially not Fraser or even worse my grandmother. Promise?’
‘Sure,’ said Liv, unsure why it would need to be all hush-hush. ‘Why is it a secret?’ Liv was already conjuring up a West Side Story rival family tale in her mind and a clan battle involving the ancient pike.
Effie bit her lip and Liv prepared herself for top-level gossip. ‘He doesn’t live near here.’
Liv was thoroughly disappointed. ‘Right. Long-distance thing then.’
‘You could say that. He’s in Burkina Faso.’
Liv spun around. ‘Blimey, that is long-distance. How did you meet him?’
‘Online.’ Effie whispered it like it was a bad swear word.
‘Lots of people do these days. You just need to be careful. Make sure he’s legit.’
‘Burkina Faso is a real place. It’s in Africa. I looked it up.’
‘I know,’ said Liv. ‘But be on your guard because they make other stuff up, promise you things, let you hope that this time you’ve found someone who gets you and Mariah Carey but then they steal your heart and ghost you.’
‘You can’t get ghosts on the internet. They can’t press the keys,’ said Effie.
Liv chuckled and then paused because she wasn’t entirely sure if Effie was joking. ‘No, ghosted . Like when they suddenly unfriend you and completely disappear, making you feel worthless and questioning what the hell is wrong with you.’
‘Right. I’d not heard of that.’ Effie scrunched up her features. ‘Actually I had heard of ghosting but I thought it was the same as being haunted.’ She pulled out her phone. ‘I might need to delete something I posted on a forum.’
‘What’s he like?’ asked Liv, still a sucker for a romance story even if her own love life was like a disaster movie.
‘Kind, selfless, cute. He changed his email address to John loves Effie at gmail. Isn’t that romantic? He sent me a photo. Let me find it…’ Effie was scrolling with Liv at her shoulder. There were lots of pictures of trees, Jock’O and Ginger.
The door swung open, interrupting them, and Dolly came in. Effie quickly shoved her phone in her pocket.
‘You two look mightily suspicious,’ said Dolly eyeing them knowingly.
‘Nope,’ said Liv. ‘Effie was trying to explain haggis to me again. How are the prisoners?’ she asked in a bid to distract her.
‘Restless. Kacey is still upset about eating Bambi, Shanie can’t function without the internet and Aaron was hoping for mints after his meal and possibly a turn-down service.’
‘I’ll happily turn him down,’ said Liv with a smile.
*
Effie was rummaging in the cupboard when Fraser came into the kitchen. ‘What are you looking for?’ he asked.
‘Shortbread. I thought you made some.’
‘Top cupboard in a Tupperware. Are you still hungry after dinner?’
‘No, it was lovely. But Aaron seems unhappy and I thought one might cheer him up.’ Fraser’s cheeks twitched. ‘Stop being such a grump.’
‘It’s called being pragmatic,’ he said with a harrumph.
‘Whatever you call it you’ve been cranky with Liv.’
He waved his hands and his head trembled. ‘That’s all her doing. She’s driving me nuts.’
Effie pointed wildly. ‘This is just like Fiona Smith!’
‘What?’
‘You remember. Fiona with the wonky fringe and patent shoes? You used to throw paper at the back of her head on the school bus.’
‘So?’
‘You did it because you liked her but didn’t know how to talk to her. And this thing with Liv is the same. Just without the bits of paper.’
Fraser gave a croaky laugh like it was getting stuck in his throat. ‘Oh no. This is definitely not what this is. Fiona was shy and had jellybeans. Liv is completely unpredictable and…’ He stopped speaking.
‘Has no jellybeans?’ offered Effie as Fraser seemed distracted by the worktop. Fraser’s head snapped up. ‘Exactly. She’s just the same as the others.’
‘But these people are potential customers.’
‘You’ve got that from Granny and no they’re not. As soon as the snow melts they will clear off and we’ll never hear from them again, Liv included. Don’t tell me we’ll get repeat business because we won’t. Especially not as they’re all English. It’s like another invasion.’
‘You never know. If they have a good time here they might tell people about this amazing place in Scotland that you just have to visit.’
Briefly there was a smile on his lips. ‘You are an eternal optimist.’ He reached up, opened a cupboard and pulled down the box. ‘If you’re doing it then do it right. Put a couple of shortbread fingers on one of the fancy side plates and then dust them with icing sugar.’
‘Thanks, Fraser. You’re the best.’
‘I think that’s very much you, Effie,’ he said as she got on with what he’d suggested.
Effie was carefully transporting the biscuits upstairs when she saw Liv coming out of the bathroom. ‘Wait there, I need your help,’ said Effie.
Effie knocked on Shanie’s door. It opened to her stern face. ‘Yes?’
‘I thought you might like some of Fraser’s special homemade short—’ but before Effie had finished the sentence she’d taken it from her and shut the door.
‘Rude bugger,’ said Liv. She sucked her lip as she turned away and then back again. ‘I don’t like to see injustice and I’m not someone who dodges difficult situations.’
Effie wasn’t sure if Liv was talking to herself or not so she nodded anyway in case she was talking to her.
Liv lifted her chin, marched over and banged on Shanie’s door.
Shanie opened it again, looking bored. ‘What now?’
‘There’s no excuse for rudeness. The word you are looking for is, thanks,’ she said and she pointed at Effie.
Shanie glared at Liv. Licked her icing-sugar-coated lips and eventually managed to force out a mumble that might have been, ‘Thank you.’
‘Our pleasure,’ said Liv as the door closed in her face. She turned to face Effie. ‘What can I help you with?’
Effie felt a rush of something, possibly admiration. She wasn’t sure what it was but she’d never met anyone like Liv before. Nothing and nobody seemed to faze Liv and here she was sticking up for her when they’d barely known each other for twenty-four hours.
‘Thank you,’ said Effie.
‘No worries. Miserable cow wants to learn some manners.’