Chapter 5
Clem hadn’t meant to blurt out an impromptu job offer at Jean’s house, but after Selina’s furious accusations, offering her teenage cousin a job as an olive branch for supposedly ‘stealing the coffee van from under her nose’ had been the first thing that came to mind.
And while Jean and Fiona had agreed the job offer was a sound idea, Selina’s reluctant acceptance didn’t bode well for workplace morale. Nor did the frown she’d worn when she’d arrived two minutes late for her first shift at the cafe that morning.
‘I’ve seen her help out at the second-hand store,’ Kev said quietly, watching Selina carry cutlery to a table of four.
‘The kid knows customer service.’ He sprinkled icing sugar over a pumpkin, pineapple and sultana muffin, and added a dollop of cream to the plate.
‘And if she thought that coffee van was going to be hers one day, I can see why she’s a little unimpressed about this new arrangement,’ he added, glancing out the kitchen window to where the van was parked.
Sebastian’s friend Cohen had removed Jean’s old signage during the week, respraying the van and painting it with a field of sunflowers.
The end result was even more eye-catching than she’d expected, but after the misunderstanding with Selina, Clem felt a twinge of guilt every time she looked at the van.
‘I wouldn’t have bought it if I’d known. Aunty Jean hasn’t got a nasty bone in her body—she had no idea the coffee van was so special to Selina, or that she thought it was her inheritance. Maybe she forgot?’
Sebastian breezed in with fresh orders and empty plates, catching the tail end of the conversation as Clem stirred tangy lemon curd into muffin batter. ‘Jean remembers her favourite customers’ coffee orders from three years ago,’ Kev continued, ‘I can’t imagine her forgetting a promise like that.’
‘I’ve fantasised about a long-lost relative leaving me an FJ45 ’Cruiser ute plenty of times, but no matter how hard I’ve manifested it, no utes have rolled up in my driveway,’ Seb chimed in.
‘If you have any luck manifesting rich rellies, conjure up a few for me, would you Sebby?’ Kev chortled. ‘Maybe Jean made a throwaway remark, and the kid didn’t realise it was a joke?’
Clem sprinkled shaved coconut over the curd-filled muffins, slid them into the oven and set the timer.
She didn’t normally whip up fresh muffins mid-morning, but they’d been a hit on the winter specials board, and with a local supplier’s citrus trees pumping out produce, it was a good earner for both the grower and Sunny Cross alike.
‘Either way, you can’t do anything about it now,’ Sebastian said, heading for the coffee machine. ‘The van’s been rebranded, you’ve advertised it on your socials. And you offered Selina a pity job, even though you can’t afford another set of hands and she clearly doesn’t want to be here.’
Clem startled as crockery shattered on the cafe’s polished concrete floor.
‘Want me to take care of it?’ Kev grabbed the dustpan and brush.
His commitment to swift customer service was one of his traits Clem most admired.
And even if new customers were surprised to find themselves being served coffee and cake by an older gentleman with a bald head and tattoos peeking out from his shirt sleeves, they were quickly won over by his brisk efficiency and attention to detail.
Clem held out her hand. ‘I’ll go. It’ll be fine,’ she said, striding out to clean up Selina’s latest mess. Sebastian caught her eye as she passed, giving a ‘I’ve-got-everything-else-covered-out-here’ nod from behind the coffee machine.
‘Everyone knocks the odd table every now and then,’ Clem told the red-faced teenager before turning to Ian and Louisa Brealy. Selina bumped her shoulder as she brushed past her, nearly sending Clem over too.
‘I’ll get you a fresh plate, pronto,’ Clem promised Louisa. She swept up the mess swiftly, scanning the floor for any stray shards as she weaved her way back through the tables and chairs.
‘Luckily it’s the Brealys’ table,’ Clem said, entering the kitchen. ‘They won’t leave us a bad review. Can you fetch them fresh drinks, please Kev?’
‘Their son-in-law’s the teacher in town, right? The one we’re catering for with the telly crew? Tough gig, being surrounded by gorgeous women all day, fighting off all that attention and affection. Don’t envy him one bit.’ Kev laughed.
‘You watch that show?’ Clem fought to cover her surprise by fussing with the delicate almond biscuits her Canadian regulars loved.
Kev grinned. ‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Clementine. You might be surprised to know my TV taste runs more to Dancing with the Stars, Australian Idol and Love on the Land.’
Sebastian breezed in with more empty plates. His silent gaze swept the kitchen, noticing Selina’s absence. Why had Clem thought this was going to be a good idea?
Clem met Sebastian’s grim look and hurried across the kitchen in damage-control mode. ‘She’ll warm up, I promise. It’s only her first shift. Nobody likes being the new kid on the block.’
At least, Clem hoped it was nerves and not plain old spite that was making the grouchy teenager the least enthusiastic employee she’d ever hired.
She tapped the staff bathroom door.
‘What?’
Clem winced at the sassy tone. It hadn’t been that long ago that Selina was the sweet, sunshiny second cousin Harriet and Indi idolised.
‘Hey Selina, you okay? First days are never smooth sailing, you’ll get the hang of it, I promise. You can work on kitchen prep if you like, and the rest of us can handle front of house today. Tomorrow can be a fresh start.’
Another huff came from inside the bathroom, but after blowing her nose and flushing the loo, Selina brushed past Clem with a muffled ‘thanks’ and started on the dishes.
‘Orders are up,’ Kev called.
The Brealys had moved to the deck, soaking up a patch of winter sunshine.
‘Do you want the heaters on? They only take a moment to heat up.’ Clem sat the coffees and almond biscuits on Ian and Louisa’s table.
‘Goodness no,’ Louisa said, waving away the crocheted lap rug Clem offered.
‘Anyone who needs blankets and heaters on a sunny day like this has no idea what cold is. After twenty-two Canadian winters, I thought the Limestone Coast was positively balmy when we moved here. Crazy as it is, the older I get, the more I miss it. There’s something special about waking up to the snow-blanketed mornings. ’
‘For the first week or so,’ Ian joked, putting a hand over his wife’s. ‘Until the snow plough does a motor and you’re back to hand-shovelling driveways and towing one another out of snowdrifts.’
Clem smiled. Their gentle banter was as reliable as the magpies that gathered by the kitchen door for milk soaked-bread at the end of each shift.
‘Maybe we covet the memories, and feel drawn back to our hometowns as we get older. Do you feel the city calling you as the years pass, Clem?’
‘Not a chance.’ Clem pulled a clean cloth from her apron pocket and brushed a crumb from the table.
‘This always felt like more of a home to me. If anything, the older I get, the more I see value in a good community, and a small circle of friends I love and trust. The people most important to me are all here, I’ve sunk everything I’ve got into this business and until the girls are in their university era, I don’t want to move a millimetre. ’
Ian and Louisa exchanged a look. ‘You never know, a charming tourist might pull up on his bicycle for a coffee, or a cave diver could drip his way in for brunch and whisk you off your feet.’
‘Not likely.’ Clem laughed.
‘Where’s your imagination?’ Louisa grinned, her eyes twinkling.
‘Well, this mysterious charmer had better be prepared to trade his number plates for South Aussie ones, and strap in for a whirlwind life with two spirited young girls and a hot mess of a cafe owner.’
As if on cue, a bicycle bell tinkled and they turned in unison to see a group of cyclists in top-to-toe lycra file into the car park.
Clem averted her gaze as a heavy-set gentleman tucked his cycling shirt back over his generous belly and proceeded to stretch his hamstrings in a way that left little to the imagination.
‘Think I’m safe for a while yet.’ Clem grinned, making for the new customers. Once they were settled at an inside table, close to the fire, and it was clear Sebastian had the cafe floor under control, she checked on the kitchen.
Kev gave a quiet nod, confirming things were fine there too. Selina wasn’t singing as she scrubbed the pots and pans, but she wasn’t scowling or scaring off paying customers either.
Equilibrium restored.
Clem eased out a relieved breath and stepped into the office nook off the kitchen. After printing off the new employee paperwork, she went over the latest coffee machine quote.
While Jean hadn’t skimped on quality, the cost of parts and labour to repair the van’s faithful old coffee machine were almost as much as a smaller, cheaper model, and if the service technician’s work was anything like his reply, she’d be waiting a while.
Clem tapped the pen against her chin, chewing her lower lip. Now that she’d hired Selina, a brand-new whiz-bang coffee machine was out of the question. She opened the browser windows she’d bookmarked late last night, reviewing the second-hand catering store she’d found in Adelaide.
Only three of the available models were within her budget, but reviews from previous customers suggested they were as reliable as the brand Jean had favoured.
And with Jack in the city this Friday on police business, at least she wouldn’t need to foot the bill for freight.
The quicker you get the coffee machine sorted, the quicker it can start earning money.