3 #2
We hand all the drinks out, with Ben nodding his gratitude from his armchair in the corner as I place his glass of rum in front of him. Then, finally, I sit down in my wooden chair between Rocky and Luca, with Harriet, Orla and Adam all on the other side of the table.
‘What have you got there?’ Rocky asks, looking with interest at my drink.
‘It’s an apple juice cocktail. There’s a cocktail menu on the bar – it’s half price before seven. I don’t know why, I just fancied it for a change.’
‘Non-alcoholic?’ Rocky asks, smiling.
‘Not quite – there’s vodka in there somewhere.’
Rocky winks.
‘We were just discussing Clockmaker Court with Adam,’ Harriet says, lifting up her own glass. ‘He’s quite fascinated by its history, aren’t you, Adam?’
‘I am indeed,’ Adam says, smiling at me across the table. ‘You never told me quite how old your shop is, Eve.’
‘Oh!’ Orla suddenly gestures excitedly between Adam and me. ‘Your names – I’ve just realised, they’re Adam and Eve!’
‘Orla, darling, how could you only just have noticed that?’ Luca asks, his eyes wide. ‘We were all open-mouthed when Eve introduced him – and not just because of your name, Adam,’ he adds suggestively.
Adam takes this all in his stride. ‘Thank you! Eve didn’t seem to think it was anything unusual.’
As if we are at a tennis match, all heads turn back to me in unison.
I’m just taking a sip of my drink, so I hurriedly swallow and put my glass down.
‘What?’ I ask. ‘It’s not that unusual, is it?’
‘I should read your cards.’ Orla looks between us. ‘Both of you.’
‘Cards?’ Adam asks, looking confused.
‘Orla reads tarot cards,’ I say.
‘Not only tarot. I do angel cards too. I’m very good.’
Adam nods. ‘I’m sure you are. Have you not had a reading then, Eve?’ he asks innocently. ‘It sounds like you should sometime?’ He raises his eyebrows at me and I know he’s trying to wind me up as usual.
‘I will someday,’ I reply diplomatically. ‘When the time is right. Perhaps you might like a reading, though, if Orla is keen to do one for you?’ I smile at him, blinking slowly so he’s in no doubt I’m aware just what he’s doing.
‘Sure, why not?’ Adam shrugs. ‘I’d welcome knowing what my future might bring. I’m not scared.’
‘Er … neither am I!’ I quickly say. ‘I just said that it isn’t an appropriate time right now.’ The truth is it’s never going to be an appropriate time, but I’m not going to let Adam know that.
‘Uh-huh …’ Adam says, raising his eyebrows again.
I suddenly realise the rest of the table are watching our exchange intently. As I turn away from Adam to look at them, they all hurriedly pick up their drinks and begin innocently sipping on them.
‘I could do it now if you like?’ Orla says. She pulls a pack of tarot cards from her bag. ‘I always carry my cards with me and there’s a free table over there. No one else need overhear.’
‘Why not?’ Adam says, holding out his hand to Orla.
‘Grand!’ Orla takes his hand and shakes it. They both stand up and go over to the small empty table in the corner of the room. Adam throws me a triumphant look as he walks past me.
‘He’s very nice, isn’t he, Adam?’ Harriet says, watching the two of them sit down opposite each other. ‘What a life he’s had, travelling the world with all these bands. It sounds incredibly exciting.’
‘You’ve found out a lot about him in the few minutes I was gone!’ I say, smiling at Harriet. Harriet is well known for being the gossip of Clockmaker Court, and makes it her business to know everything about everyone.
‘If you ask the right questions, you can learn a lot about a person in five minutes,’ Harriet replies knowingly.
‘She’s right,’ Rocky says. ‘I’ve never known anyone to find out someone’s life history as quickly as my Harriet can.’
‘Thanks, love.’ Harriet smiles lovingly as him.
‘We called that a busybody in my day,’ Ben says from his comfortable armchair at the end of the table. ‘Or just plain nosey.’
‘Nonsense, Ben,’ Harriet says briskly. ‘Just because you don’t choose to engage with your customers, doesn’t mean I’m nosey for doing so. It helps to build a rapport with them.’
‘I don’t need to build a rapport with someone to sell them a map or a thruppenny bit,’ Ben says, lifting up his glass of rum. ‘In fact, most of my customers would be put off if I tried to engage them in too much conversation. I find they prefer to browse in peace and quiet.’
I like Ben. He never says a lot, but when he does speak, it is always short and to the point. His shop is a few doors down from mine, and we will often pass antiques and customers on to each other if they are more suited to the other one’s shop.
None of us know how old Ben actually is, and he makes it quite difficult to guess.
He has kind, dark brown eyes that look piercingly right through you if he feels you’ve said something silly.
He’s tall, but these days walks a little hunched over.
His movements are often stiff and slow, but he’s able to get about with the use of an elegant Derby walking stick with a curved wooden handle.
His dark skin has aged well, and, if it wasn’t for his head of tightly curled white hair, he would probably look much younger.
He knew my grandparents before me, and when I first took over Rainy Day Antiques and needed advice about anything either to do with the shop or the wider antiques community, he was extremely helpful.
‘Well, running a café and bakery is a lot different than selling old maps and coins,’ Harriet says haughtily. But I knew she would never stay cross with him for long. We all have a soft spot for Ben.
‘It is that,’ Ben says, nodding agreeably.
I glance over at Adam and Orla. They are already deep into the reading, both looking intently at the cards Orla has dealt on the table.
‘Don’t you be worrying about them two, young Eve,’ Ben says, seeing me. ‘What will be, will be.’
I smile at him. ‘I’m not worried, Ben. I just want to make sure Orla doesn’t tell Adam anything to make my house clearance fall through.’
‘Any vintage clothes?’ Luca asks hopefully.
‘Not that I’ve seen. But we didn’t really go in any wardrobes.’
‘Shame.’
‘No maps or coins either,’ I tell Ben. ‘Sorry.’
Ben doesn’t seem all that bothered. ‘Not in the house anyway,’ he says oddly.
‘I guess there might be some outbuildings I haven’t investigated yet.’
Ben shakes his head. ‘No, not there either.’
I’m about to ask him what he means when there’s a slight commotion across the room. Adam has scraped his chair back from the table and is standing up, staring suspiciously at Orla.
‘How could you possibly know that?’ we hear him ask.
Orla doesn’t look at all ruffled by Adam’s outburst.
‘Please, Adam, sit down,’ she says calmly. ‘There is nothing to be afraid of.’
Adam glances across at our table, then reluctantly he sits again, and I can’t help notice he looks a little pale.
‘Ooh, what do you think Orla has seen in the cards?’ Luca asks, his eyes wide.
‘That’s between the two of them,’ Ben says firmly. ‘I don’t think we should speculate.’
Harriet, who is already leaning forward ready to gossip, sits back in her chair looking a little deflated.
‘I agree,’ I tell Ben.
After a few more minutes, Adam comes back over to our table. The colour has returned to his cheeks and he seems his usual confident self once more. ‘Well, that was … interesting ,’ he says, sitting down.
I can tell Harriet is desperate to ask him more, but she restrains herself.
‘Were you happy with Orla’s reading?’ I ask tactfully.
‘Er … I’m not sure happy is the right word,’ Adam says, lifting his pint of beer. ‘Orla is extremely good, though. Very accurate. She wants to know if you’ll go over for a reading now, Eve.’
I look back over at the table where Orla is sitting shuffling her cards.
‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘Why not? It’s just a bit of fun.’
‘It didn’t look like fun when you jumped up from the table just now. You looked as white as a sheet!’
‘I was just playing along, you know?’ Adam says casually.
Adam seems to do everything casually and with apparent ease.
It’s incredibly frustrating to someone like me.
I feel like I’m constantly trying hard at everything I do in life.
Adam has only known my fellow Clockmaker Court shopkeepers for an hour or two and already he seems right at home with all of them, as they equally do with him.
‘Oh really? It didn’t look like that to me.’
Adam shrugs good-naturedly. ‘Maybe I’m a good actor?’
‘Why don’t you let Orla read your cards, Eve?’ Harriet says encouragingly. ‘She’s read all ours, hasn’t she?’ She looks around at all the others.
‘Not mine she hasn’t,’ Ben says stoutly. ‘I don’t need a pack of cards to tell me my future.
’
‘Why doesn’t that surprise me, Ben?’ Harriet raises her eyebrows. ‘Orla loves to read for us and she’s very accurate, isn’t she, Rocky?’
Rocky nods. It is rare for him not to agree with something Harriet says. I get the feeling it is just easier that way.
‘Just leave the poor girl alone, Harriet,’ Ben says, coming to my rescue.
‘If she doesn’t want to, she doesn’t have to.
In the same way as I don’t always eat the cake you insist on passing on to me when it’s a bit too stale to sell in your shop.
It doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the offer.
I just choose not to eat it every time.’
‘You don’t always eat it?’ Harriet asks, looking shocked.
Ben shakes his head. ‘Like I said, I appreciate you trying to look out for me. But it’s my choice what I do with the offer when it’s presented. In the same way as it’s Eve’s choice whether she has a reading or not.’
I think this is the most I’ve ever heard Ben say in one go.
‘Thanks, Ben,’ I say gratefully. I look over at Orla, assuming she’s still waiting at the table. But to my surprise, I see she’s already packed up her cards and is heading back over to us.