Chapter 5
Nina pottered around the kitchen as the chowder did its thing on the hob. She moved the utensil pots and little baskets full of condiments onto the table and then sprayed down the sides with raspberry-scented kitchen spray and wiped the worktops until they were sparkling. Carefully popping back the kitchen bits and bobs, she finished the chowder by adding a healthy dose of cream and seafood, just as she had seen happen to the stockpots in the back of the deli. About five or so minutes later, she carefully ladled the chowder into a line of rectangular glass dishes.
As the wind outside really started to pick up, she could see the sea churning and the wind knocking the boats back and forth. Tucked up inside the cosy kitchen, however, she was thoroughly enjoying herself. The whole kitchen smelt of garlic, herbs, spices, and seasonings and she was quite pleased with how the chowder had turned out.
Taking a huge wicker shopping basket from one of the shelves above the kitchen table, she placed the dishes of chowder neatly inside, grabbed a stash of sourdough loaves she’d removed from the freezer a few hours before, wrapped each one in a clean tea towel, and carefully wedged them in the basket next to the chowder. As she bustled about, getting ready to deliver the chowder to various people living around the harbour, the weather had really started to come in. The windows rattled at the front of the building, waves were crashing against the harbour wall, and the boats were bobbing around as she’d never seen them before. An angry, deep purple, almost black sky punctuated every now and then with slices of grey-white cloud topped the sea; things were not looking calm at all in Lovely Bay.
Grabbing Robby’s Lovely coat, she shrugged it on over her shoulders, put the basket over her arm, slipped her phone into her pocket, and made her way outside. As she walked down the side of the house, the wind whipped her hair, and a driving cold drizzle of rain came in from the sea. She shielded herself as she hurried around the building and made her way to her first delivery. Knocking on the door of the property a couple down from hers, she stood and chatted for a bit, handed over the sourdough wrapped in a tea towel and the little glass dish, and went on her way to her next delivery at the other end of the row of fishing sheds.
After knocking on Jeffrey’s door, she watched the boats careering on their moorings and peered at a woman hurrying along by the harbour wall, trying to keep her brolly from turning inside out. With no answer from the front, she went round the back, pressed the buzzer on the back gate, and a few minutes later, Jeffrey was opening the gate.
Nina beamed and held up the wicker basket. ‘As promised. Chowder to keep you warm through the storm.’
‘Come in, come in,’ Jeffrey said as he opened the gate and ushered Nina in.
Nina followed, glad to get out of the wind, and stepped into Jeffrey’s property. It had been renovated throughout, the difference being that most of the downstairs was a working area for Jeffrey’s maritime business. Nina followed him upstairs to the first floor, where, from his windows, she gazed at a different view compared to the one she saw from her windows at the other end of the row. The wind howled outside, and the boats on the water bobbed around precariously as Nina took the dishes out of the basket and popped a sourdough loaf on the side.
‘Ooh, thanks. I can’t wait to have this later. So kind of you. Your cheesecake is ready.’
‘You’re welcome. Yum, thanks!’
‘So, what have you been up to?’ Jeffrey asked as he took the chowder, opened the fridge, put the glass dish on a shelf, and closed the door again.
‘Oh, you know. Not much at all, really. Keeping busy.’
‘I hear our Robby has been doing well in business.’
Nina nodded. ‘Yes, he”s going gangbusters. He”s been tendering for something in Singapore and Bangkok.’
‘Yeah, I heard that. Birdie told me he’s had some interest from overseas clients.’
‘He certainly has.’
‘Sounds like quite a niche little world, that one.’ Jeffrey noted.
‘Yes, for sure. It’s a small world. They all know each other, which is ultimately how he got going with the tender for the overseas work in the first place.’
‘Right, makes sense. What about you? How are you finding business?’
‘Ahh, not bad. It’s doing well and growing slowly but surely. I’m never going to be making my billions out of A Lovely Organised Life. Not that I want to. I just like being my own boss and not having to answer to anyone. That’s enough for me.’
‘Yep, me too. What did you do before?’ Jeffrey asked.
Nina smiled. She felt as if the job she had done in the office, not far from her flat, was a whole other world away. With the glorious benefit of hindsight, she now realised that she’d been in a dead-end job where she’d been stupendously bored and regimentally stuck in her ways. Now she was so far from bored, it wasn’t even funny. She loved having her own business and decluttering other people”s junk was her jam. ‘I worked in the most boring office in England. It couldn’t have been more mind-numbing.’
‘Too funny.’
‘I know. I can’t believe I stuck it out for so long.’
‘Funny how you can get caught up in only doing things one way.’
‘Tell me about it. I am so pleased that I’m out of that environment.’
‘Small business and working for yourself keeps you on your toes though, right?’
‘For sure.’ Nina agreed with a nod.
‘So, what will the Singapore and Bangkok work involve if Robby gets it?’
Nina shook her head. ‘We don’t really know yet. The tender was massive, but it’s worth a lot of money, but a lot of stress too. It is what it is. It’s been such a lot of work.’
‘How come he got that?’
Nina”s eyes went wide. ‘Well, as you said, that world is a very small one. They all know each other more or less. Long story short, somebody that Robby knew from university, who was in the uni climbing club, now lives in Singapore and has contacts over that side of the world. It all started from there.’
‘Right, makes sense.’
‘Then, you know, what with video meetings and technology nowadays, he had the prelim meetings virtually and then from there got asked to tender for the contract.’
‘Wow, the world has become so much smaller, hasn’t it?’
‘It certainly has, for sure,’ Nina replied.
‘So, it’s going to mean a lot of travelling for him, then?’
‘Well, I presume so, especially initially, to get the team set up. From then on, it will probably just be a case of putting someone in place to manage it, like he does with his other teams up and down the country.’
‘Yes, I see.’
‘It”s just a bit further away, but not really much different in terms of the work at all. A skyscraper is a skyscraper from what I’ve gathered. Not that I know the ins and outs of it.’
‘Sounds like it’s going really well.’
Nina raised her eyebrows. ‘We’ll see. I might be trekking off to exotic climes with him at some point. Quite exciting, really.’
‘Sounds good to me.’
Nina squinted out the window as the rain began to pour. ‘I really think I’d better get going. I have a couple more of these to deliver, and then I’m going to go home and sit tight.’
Jeffrey looked over towards the harbour. ‘Yup, ride out this storm. It’s going to be a bad one, by the looks of it. I hope no one gets any damage.’
Nina shook her head. ‘I’ve never really experienced this before. It’s looking wild out there already.’
Jeffrey smiled and took a cheesecake out of the fridge. ‘Your first bad Lovely storm, is it?’
‘It is, indeed. I’ve heard all sorts about these storms now.’
‘Yeah, they can be bad…’ He passed the cheesecake over. ‘There you go. Nice exchange.’
‘Ooh, thanks. Perfect. On that note, I’ll be going. I’ll see you later. See you on the other side when all this is over.’
‘Yep, shout if you need any help.’ Jeffrey wiggled his phone in the air. ‘Good job. We have these nowadays. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem if anyone gets in trouble.’
‘Good point. Okay, let’s hope we all fare well.’