Chapter 23 #2
Finally, they reached the top floor, and Maura opened the door to a bright, pretty little room with a single bed, a bedside table, small wardrobe and as she’d mentioned a tiny porcelain sink. The brightness of the room was such a contrast to the darkness of the bar downstairs.
‘It’s perfect!’ Evie exclaimed, seriously impressed that this perfect little space was all hers.
‘Well, the job’s yours if you want it.’ Maura said. ‘I usually ask for references, but I have a good feeling about you Genie.’
‘Thank you, Maura. I won’t let you down.’ Evie replied with a big smile of absolute relief.
‘I’ll let you get settled. There’s a set of fresh linen in the wardrobe and a couple of towels.
Start in the morning darling. I’ll get you an overall from my stock for you.
I reckon you’re a small.’ Maura said returning her smile.
‘When you’re sorted, pop down and meet the rest of the gang and I’ll get Rudi our chef to make you some dinner.
I nearly forgot, here’s a key to your room, just so you feel safe, and the larger key is for the front door. ’ Maura said kindly, closing the door.
Evie couldn’t believe her luck ending up here.
If she hadn’t met Margie on the coach, then she would never have heard about the job.
Maura seemed lovely and amazingly she hadn’t asked for any references.
When Evie had left Auntie Maureen’s she hadn’t ever really thought much more beyond getting away from Bournemouth, but here she was just hours later with a job and somewhere to live.
She looked inside the wardrobe and found the freshly washed and ironed bedsheets and made up her bed, plumping up the two pillows.
She looked out of the sash window at the darkening sky and finally she felt free.
After emptying her small rucksack and hanging the small amount of clothes that she’d brought with her, she made her way back downstairs where Maura was pouring a pint behind the bar.
‘Hi Genie. Sit yourself down and have a look at this menu, choose what you want. I’ll get Rudi to cook it for you.’ Maura said generously.
She poured over the menu before settling on a toasted cheese and ham sandwich with some chips which probably wasn’t the wisest of choices as it reminded her of being with Ed and enjoying toasties made with the Breville machine on one of their stolen afternoons together.
She wondered how he was, did he miss her, or had he simply just moved on – maybe he was now dating someone new.
She couldn’t blame him, if he was. If Ed had disappeared on her, would she have waited for him.
Probably not. Although she missed her old life in London, it was far better to start again in Brighton.
The thought of having to tell Ed that she’d had their baby and had been forced to give her away was a conversation that only brought her shame.
‘Pop yourself into the kitchen and introduce yourself to Rudi and tell him what you want while I work the bar. I’ll come and join you when I get a quiet moment.’ said Maura, interrupting Evie’s thoughts of her ghosts from the past.
Evie went to track down Rudi in the kitchen and found a surprisingly very young, blonde guy prepping the food for the night ahead.
‘Rudi?’ She called out.
‘Yes. Hello I am Rudi. How can I help you? he replied in an accent she couldn’t quite put my finger on.
‘I’m Genie. I’m the new cleaner. Maura said to come and see you.’
‘You want food, yes?’ Rudi asked.
‘That would lovely. Thank you, Rudi. Could I have a cheese and ham toastie with some chips please?’
‘Yes of course. You leave my kitchen and sit down, and I bring you food. Thank you.’ He instructed somewhat officiously but Evie realised that there was probably something lost in translation along the way.
Evie returned to the bar area and sat down at a small table tucked away in the corner, taking in her new surroundings.
The bar wasn’t that big, but it had a long counter and then a series of small tables with either two or four chairs which were more suitable if you were eating.
The black chandeliers that Evie had noticed earlier shone brightly and each little table had a lit white church candle placed in an old wine bottle.
After about ten minutes, Rudi emerged from the kitchen with an enormous, toasted sandwich for her with a huge portion of chunky chips, complete with sauces.
‘You eat now Miss Genie.’ Rudi said, retreating almost immediately back to his kitchen.
‘Thank you, Rudi.’ she called out to him.
Evie must have polished off her food in about five minutes flat as she hadn’t eaten since her expensive sandwich that she’d bought at the coach station.
‘You look like you needed that!’ remarked Maura who joined Evie at the table.
‘Wow! Rudi’s a good cook. That was amazing.’ Evie gushed.
‘He’s great, isn‘t he? Maura smiled. ‘He’s come over from Germany to practice his cooking. He’d like to open his own restaurant one day. He’s also perfecting his English too.’
‘I think he’ll be very successful. That toastie was heavenly!’ Evie gushed.
‘I’ll be sure to let him know.’ Maura said with her big warm smile. ‘Do you fancy a cold drink or maybe a tea?’
‘Just a coke please.’
‘Dom! Be a darling and fix Genie a coke, would you?’
Dom was over within a couple of minutes and placed a tall glass of coke loaded up with ice in front of Evie.
‘Thanks Dom.’ Maura and Evie said in unison, which made them both collapse into a fit of giggles.
‘What a nice polite girl you are Genie. I think you’ll fit in just perfectly here, don’t you think Dom?’ Maura said.
‘She will Maura. You always manage to find the right people to work here.’ Dom agreed.
‘I think they have a way of finding me.’ Maura said with another big smile.