Chapter eight
G eorgina was a million miles away thinking about her first date with Matt as she leaned against the gate waiting for Marcus. They were taking things slow. Matt was nothing like her exes and she had a good feeling about where their close friendship was going. Romance with Matt was just a touch away.
She was so deep in thought; she didn’t even know Marcus was standing beside her until she felt herself being gently rocked.
‘Earth to Georgina... helllllo !’
‘Oh sorry Marcus. I was miles away.’
‘Yes, I know you were love...on Pluto by the looks of it.’
Georgina giggled. ‘I’m so excited for today.’
Marcus looked over his shoulder at her and grinned as he walked up to the door. ‘I’m glad. It shows to me how enthusiastic you are.’ He unlocked it and pulled it open gesturing for Georgina to go in first. ‘You switch the kettle on, and I’ll turn all the lights and sockets on.’
‘Okay. What do you want? Tea or coffee?’
‘Coffee with vanilla syrup please Georgina.’
‘Ooo, that sounds yummy. I think I’ll have the same.’ Georgina made her way to the small storeroom-come-tearoom.
Thought of Matt invaded her mind again as she made the coffee. She’d had the best first date with him. They hadn’t kissed, but their friendship had developed into something so much more profound and deeper in the short time they’d spent together.
‘Hello love. It’s a lovely surprise seeing you in here. I’d forgotten you were starting today.’
Georgina looked back over her shoulder to see Christine peeking her head around the door. ‘Morning Christine. Do you want a drink making, there’s plenty of hot water?’
‘I’ll have a cup of tea if you’re offering love. You know how I like it, don’t you?’ Christine opened the door fully and came into the small room, leaning against a shelf, watching her with a warm smile on her face.
Georgina smiled to herself. Now that Christine was dating her father, she’d gotten to know quite a bit more about the woman who she and her sister had always held dear to them over the years.
As Georgina handed Christine her tea, Marcus bustled into the cramped storeroom, clapping his hands together with enthusiasm. ‘Good morning, Christine. Right then, Georgina. Are you ready for a busy day?’
Christine took a sip of her tea and shimmied her eyebrows. ‘She’ll be fine. Don’t worry love, I'll be right next door if you need me. Good luck on your first day, Georgina.’
With Christine sending her on her way with best wishes, Marcus led Georgina to the grooming area. ‘Now, we'll start you off easy. I've got a regular coming in first thing—a sweet little Shih Tzu named Muffin. She's a perfect beginner dog.’
Georgina nodded, trying to focus on Marcus's words, but her mind kept drifting back to her date with Matt. She shook her head, determined to concentrate on her new job.
The bell at the front door chimed, and moments later, a woman who Georgina didn’t recognise holding a fluffy white dog entered. ‘Good morning, Marcus, I hope Muffin's not too early for her appointment?’ Georgina deduced the woman must have been one of Marcus’s client’s who’d come from his other premises which used to be located outside of the bay.
‘Perfect timing,’ Marcus exclaimed. ‘Georgina, why don't you seat our client in the waiting area and bring Muffin to the grooming station?’
Georgina approached the woman with a warm smile. ‘Good morning. I'm Georgina, and I'll be assisting Marcus today. May I take Muffin?’
The woman hesitated for a moment, then handed over the lead. ‘Be careful with her, please. She can be a bit nervous with new people.’
Georgina nodded reassuringly and bent down to Muffin's level. ‘Hello, beautiful girl,’ she cooed, reaching out to pet the dog.
What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion.
Muffin, startled by the unfamiliar hand, let out a high-pitched yelp and bolted. The sudden movement caught Georgina off guard, and the lead slipped from her grasp. In a flash of white fur, Muffin darted towards the partially open back door, which led to a small, fenced yard.
‘Oh no!’ Georgina gasped, her heart racing. ‘Muffin, come back!’
Marcus and the owner both turned at the commotion, their eyes widening as they saw the escaping dog.
Without thinking, Georgina sprinted after Muffin, following her into the yard. The little dog was surprisingly quick, zigzagging between potted plants and garden furniture.
‘Muffin, sweetie, it's okay.’ Georgina called, trying to keep her voice calm despite her panic. She could hear Marcus and the owner following behind her, their footsteps urgent on the patio stones.
Muffin darted under a bench, and Georgina dropped to her knees, peering into the shadows. The dog's eyes were wide with fear, her tiny body trembling.
Taking a deep breath, Georgina remembered something her father had once told her about approaching scared animals. She lowered her voice to a soft, soothing tone. ‘It's alright, Muffin. No one's going to hurt you. Why don't you come out and we can be friends?’
To everyone's surprise, Muffin's trembling slowly subsided. She inched forward, her nose twitching as she sniffed Georgina's outstretched hand.
‘That's it, good girl,’ Georgina murmured. After what felt like an eternity, Muffin finally crept out from under the bench and into Georgina's arms.
As Georgina stood up with Muffin securely in her embrace, she turned to face Marcus and the owner, both of whom were staring at her in astonishment.
‘I'm so, so sorry,’ Georgina began, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. ‘I should have been more careful and—’
But to her surprise, the owner cut her off with a warm smile. ‘Don't apologise, dear. I've never seen anyone calm Muffin down so quickly. She usually takes ages to warm up to new people.’
Marcus nodded, looking impressed. ‘You've got a natural talent with animals, Georgina. That was quite impressive.’
Georgina felt a wave of relief wash over her. ‘It was? Thank you. I'm just glad Muffin's okay.’
As they made their way back inside, with Muffin now contentedly nestled in Georgina's arms, Marcus leaned in and whispered, ‘I think you're going to fit in just fine here. Now, let's see if you're as good at grooming as you are at dog wrangling.’
Georgina couldn't help but laugh, the tension of the moment finally breaking. As she settled Muffin onto the grooming table, she felt a newfound confidence. Maybe she had a knack for this after all.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of fur, shampoo, and wagging tails. By closing time, Georgina was tired but exhilarated. As she helped Marcus clean up, she couldn't help but feel proud of how she'd handled her first day—unexpected drama and all.
As she left the shop, her phone buzzed with a text from Matt:
How was your first day?
Want to grab dinner and
tell me all about it?
Georgina smiled, her heart fluttering. It had been quite a day, and she couldn't wait to share it with Matt, but it wouldn’t be tonight. She had to rush home and freshen up ready for her shift at the petrol station.
As she typed her reply, she realised just how tired she was feeling. She’d made five spelling mistakes in just three sentences.
I’d love to, byt I have to wurk
at the petrol station tonight.
I’ll be at the garage bright
and early tomorrow thouh.
I’d like a strong coffee with
one sugar waiting please.
She laughed to herself and quickly corrected her errors before sending it.
L ater that evening, Georgina almost dropped off to sleep twice standing in front of the till while working at her other job at the petrol station. It had been a long day, and she knew the next week or so would be just as tiring as she juggled three parttime jobs in addition to organising the entertainment and donations for the annual charity sunset picnics event on the beach.
A smile lit up her face as she thought about the escapades of the day with the little Shih Tzu named Muffin. But it slid away just as quickly as it had formed when she recognised the blue Volvo estate that pulled onto the forecourt and saw Mrs Calloway climb out.
A large sigh escaped her mouth as Georgina pressed the button allowing Mrs Calloway to use the petrol pump.
Georgina rolled her eyes. Mrs Calloway barely ever used this petrol station, and never at this time of night. The only reason she could think of, was because she had her nosey head on and wanted to see how Georgina had progressed with collecting volunteers over the last couple of days since her last enquiry about it.
Georgina chewed on her lip as she contemplated telling Mrs Calloway a white lie, then pushed the thought away immediately. For one, she never told lies and now was not the time to start. And two, Mrs Calloway knew everything anyway. She would probably already know who had signed up and what entertainment skills they were planning on showcasing.
Mrs Calloway put ￡20 of petrol in her tank and then ambled over the forecourt to the door. If she’d had come just five minutes later, the door would be locked, and she would have had to pay at the window. As it happens it wasn’t locked, and Georgina would just have to suck it up and answer the one-hundred and one questions Mrs Calloway would fire at her.
She gave Mrs Calloway the best smile she could muster as she entered. ‘Good evening, Mrs Calloway. This is a late time for you to be out.’
To Georgina’s surprise, Mrs Calloway appeared to be flustered by the comment. ‘Oh-oh, yes. I-I was out just calling on a friend.’
‘Oh, okay. That will be ￡20 please. Are you paying cash or by card?’ Georgina wasn’t surprised by Mrs Calloway’s quick recovery of character.
‘Cash...and can I have a receipt please?’
Smiling sweetly, Georgina nodded as she processed the transaction. ‘There you go.’ She chose her next words carefully, so as to not illicit conversation. ‘Enjoy the rest of your evening.’
Mrs Calloway nodded with a smile and turned to leave. Georgina’sshoulders dropped in relief. She was thankful Mrs Calloway hadn’t broached the annual sunset picnics event, and started to tidy up the till area ready for when the next staff member came in to take over the shift. But Mrs Calloway stopped in her tracks and turned back around to face her.
‘I hear you are still struggling getting volunteers. I didn’t do as well as I expected last year either, but at this rate, my poor effort to get volunteers might not look as bad.’
Georgina’s feathers were rustled. She knew Mrs Calloway’s comment hadn’t been said maliciously, but at that precise moment, she had never wanted to prove herself to anyone more than she did right then—she knew she could achieve so much more—regardless of how tired she might get over the next couple of weeks.
Georgina forced a smile. ‘Let’s hope for the best, shall we? It’s not about the numbers, it’s about making the day as special as possible for all who attend, and getting as much donation money we can to put towards getting a new maypole made.’
Mrs Calloway’s face brightened. ‘It is. You are a good girl Georgina, putting yourself out like this for your community, just like your mother used to... Don’t worry, I’ll help as much as I can getting volunteers for you.’ Mrs Calloway smiled and nodded, turned and left.
A warm feeling spread through Georgina’s chest. Mrs Calloway had praised her mother’s efforts with the charity. Now she was even more determined to do her best. She wanted to make her mother as well as Mrs Calloway proud of her efforts.
Yawning, Georgina came from behind the counter and locked the door. She looked up at the clock. One more hour and she’d be tucked up in bed. She couldn’t wait. Tomorrow she was working with Matt in the morning and then she was working with Marcus in the afternoon. That meant she would have to use her free time in the evening to walk the steep streets of Seagull Bay again, knocking on doors looking for volunteers. An image of Matt came to mind. She knew how she’d rather be spending her time, but for now she needed to get her priorities right.