Chapter 2
Mab gazed at the huge cheese plant in the corner of the café and thought about food as Jess crashed around in the kitchen.
Even the plant was named after something fattening.
Unlike Jess, Mab’s weight had always been a preoccupation for her, something that wasn’t helped by having a naturally slim mother who never held back with her scathing remarks on all aspects of her daughter’s appearance.
At least today she felt reasonably good, showing off her long legs, and wearing layers that skimmed over her curves, with a flash of cleavage to distract the eye; her shirt was teamed with a short denim skirt, leggings and flat sparkly pumps.
She had been quite happy with the effect until Jess added the tea stains.
The outer door of the café clanged open just as Jess came back carrying a loaded tray. Mab instinctively sat up straight as she spotted the tall, tousle-haired man who was peering around through dark glasses, his five o’clock shadow giving him the air of an off-duty rock star.
‘Who’s that?’ Mab breathed. ‘No, don’t look now…’ But Jess had already swung around. She stared in open-mouthed admiration as the man wove his way between the tables and stopped right in front of Mab.
‘’Scuse me, but is this seat taken?’
Mab wished fervently that she’d taken the time to put on some make-up.
The man took off his sunglasses, winced, and smiled down at her, raising his eyebrows as he gestured towards the spare chair.
He looked as if he was either recovering from a nasty illness or seriously hungover, but even with eyes deeply shadowed, and his high cheekbones and firm chin stubbly, he was good enough to eat.
Faded jeans and a t-shirt clung to his long, lean frame and he wore battered red Dr Martens.
There was a look of Captain Jack Sparrow in the explosion of curls and the glint of a gold ring in his ear.
The mesmerising blue eyes were terribly distracting.
With difficulty, Mab averted her eyes and looked at the vacant chair. It was the one with the wobbly leg.
‘Well, erm, OK then… but be careful…’ It was too late.
The man dropped into the chair so suddenly that his weight caused the unsteady leg to fall off completely, and he hit the floor with a crash, knocking Mab’s bag onto the floor and scattering her belongings far and wide as he demolished the little table on his way down.
‘Oh, man!’ The man scrambled to his feet, managing to simultaneously elbow Mab in the eye and trample on her lipstick.
He righted the table and tried to prop up the chair.
It fell over again. As he scrabbled around picking up Mab’s notebook, mobile and a cheerfully wrapped but very tatty emergency tampon, Jess dashed into the kitchen, reappearing very quickly with a spare chair and an icepack from the freezer.
‘There you go,’ said Jess, unsuccessfully stifling a snigger, ‘put the pack on your eye, Mab, or you’ll have a right shiner tomorrow.’ Jess and the man looked at each other and both started to giggle helplessly.
‘Well, I’m glad someone finds it funny because I can assure you that I don’t,’ said Mab, trying to look stern, ‘and who are you, anyway?’
The man grinned as he sank gratefully into the chair. ‘Sorry, love, I should have introduced myself. I’m Leo… and, of course, you’re Mab. That goes without saying.’
Mab blinked. ‘How do you know my name? Should I recognise you? Although I’m sure I would have remembered…’
‘Not yet, but you will, pet, and the sooner the better. Now, as quickly as you can, name your three all-time favourite things.’
Caught off guard, and distracted by the dimples, Mab responded. She had always loved this sort of game. ‘What? Oh, erm, chocolate, writing and hot baths.’
‘Magic. Annie was right.’
‘Annie? Who’s Annie?’
‘I’ll explain about Annie later. First I have to tell you about my brand-new scheme.’ Leo stood up and tried to pace the floor, but soon realised there was no room. He turned to face Mab.
‘Listen, pet, have you ever dreamed about finding a place that combines all your three favourite things and more? Somewhere to go when life’s getting you down? A little piece of heaven right in the centre of a busy town?’
‘Well, no, I haven’t, but now you come to mention it, I just might,’ said Mab, admiring the way Leo’s jeans clung to his well-muscled thighs. ‘Go on, don’t stop now.’
‘I’m talking about a place for struggling writers to spread their wings and with books to buy and to browse amongst? A jacuzzi to soothe away your worries? Not to mention a café where chocolate isn’t just on the menu, it is the menu?’
‘“Yes” to the chocolate café bit,’ said Mab, breathlessly. ‘Keep going…’
‘With pleasure. I’m here to tell you that my very exciting new venture needs you, and so do I.’
There was a pause, and Leo, sensing eyes on the back of his neck, looked round. Every customer in the café was silent, listening. Jess came to the rescue.
‘OK, you guys, this is all extremely interesting, but I need to get this place cleared up before Edward comes back. It’s nearly the end of my shift.’
As Jess went back to the kitchen, Mab took a deep breath. ‘She’s right. Enough of the frivolity, I’ve got to get some writing done before work. But first, you must tell me, who is Annie and how do you know my name?’
‘So I haven’t made a mistake. You are The Writer?’ Leo looked down with respect at Mab’s glossy notebook, which had fallen open at the page entitled plots.
Mab sensed his capital letters. ‘The Writer? Erm…’ For an intoxicating moment she toyed with the idea of inventing a new persona.
Maybe she could be a romantic novelist, writing under a pen name, or a biographer to the stars?
Or a travel writer, living temporarily in this pretty little town, penning purple prose about the local attractions; the beautiful riverside walks, the lake with its overhanging willow trees and island in the middle, the castle…
No, that was ridiculous; her natural honesty wouldn’t even let her lie about her age.
‘Well, yes, I am a writer. I’ve had two short stories published this year, so that’s a start, I guess.
It’s not easy though, and I’m working in my dad’s friend’s newsagents while I wait for a real agent to discover my novel.
It’s very depressing. Half the kids who come in are only interesting in pinching the pick-and-mix and the men just want to look down my top. ’
Leo held out his hand.
‘I’m really sorry, Mab. It sounds as if you’re already having a tough time. Then I come along and hurt your poor eye and knock over all your stuff and now I must seem as if I’m talking in riddles. Let’s start again.’
They shook hands rather formally. Leo’s palm was warm and dry, and Mab felt a jolt of excitement, as if she’d tapped into a new energy force.
She opened her mouth to ask another question, but at that moment the door from the street burst open and Edward Crabtree stomped in.
He was wearing a flowing black overcoat and a trilby, and he seemed to fill the little room.
His long blond hair was tied back in a ponytail.
‘Jess? Where are you?’ he shouted. ‘This place is a disgrace.’ He turned to address the room in general.
‘I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl, you just can’t get the staff these days.
Oh, hello, Mabel, how’s it all going?’ Without waiting for an answer, he rolled his eyes heavenwards and grimaced, as the customers began to twitter amongst themselves.
This could be even worse than the incident with the baker’s delivery man last week.
As Edward headed for the kitchen, Leo raised his eyebrows, then stood up and followed him.
‘Leo – no! Come back in here… or at least wait for me…’ Mab hissed, heading after him. She peeped round the door. Edward was standing with his back to them and had risen up to his full 6’4”. He was giving Jess a generous taste of his bad temper.
‘…and you needn’t think I’m going to forget about this slovenliness. You’ve already had your last warning. There are plenty of other young women out there who’d be glad of the job.’
‘Oh, really? And where are they, then?’ Jess’s eyes were glittering ominously. ‘You don’t seem overcrowded with waitresses wanting to work for you, Edward. Even your wife’s too busy to bother.’
There was a dangerous silence. Mab could sense the other customers holding their breaths.
Edward flushed. ‘It’s lucky for you that Beatrice isn’t around.
She’d be very disappointed in you, Jessica.
If it wasn’t for my wife’s ridiculously kind heart, you wouldn’t be working here at all.
That sob story you emailed in your job application about your son’s problems was a work of art. ’
Jess drew herself up to her full height and poked Edward sharply in the chest as she yelled, ‘How dare you bring George into this? He’s worth ten of you, you pathetic, jumped-up creep.
You can keep your stupid job. I wouldn’t have it if you doubled my wages.
Come to think of it, if you’d done that in the first place, I might just have been able to live above the breadline, you tight git!
I’ll get my coat. You can have my P45 ready for me on Monday. ’
‘Good riddance, and the sooner you go the better.’ Edward turned to show Jess the door and the customers glanced around, trying to find a safe place to look. Leo took a step towards him.
‘You can’t talk to people like that, man. This girl has definitely got a case for wrongful dismissal here. You’ll be hearing from her solicitor very soon. We’re leaving now, before I’m tempted do you some serious damage.’
‘Damage? I’d like to see you try! Who are you, anyway? What’s all this got to do with you?’