Chapter 14 #2
He looked ponderous. ‘I guess so.’ His frown disappeared with a shake of the head, and he pointed towards a small desk.
‘This is the ancient computer the manager used to do the accounts. There’s a filing cabinet over there with folders containing receipts, and stuff.
I’ve looked though it all, but it doesn’t tell me much. ’
Sofia sat in front of the computer, her knees banging the underside of the desk. ‘You said there’s no income, so let’s start with the hall hirers. There should be hire income, if nothing else. Where will I find a list of users?’
Connor leaned on the desk next to her and wiggled the mouse. ‘There’s an excel spreadsheet containing all the information.’
As the screen slowly came to life, she glanced at his hands, noticing his bitten right thumbnail. It was the first imperfection she’d seen. In a way, she was glad, it made her feel less critical of her own failings.
‘I can’t remember the last time I used a desktop computer,’ she said, trying to keep the conversation going. There was still an awkwardness between them, but she’d promised Luisa she’d persist and find out for certain whether Connor was attracted to her or not. However mortifying that might be.
‘I’d never used a desktop before,’ he said, opening a folder. ‘I wondered why nothing happened when I tapped the screen.’
Sofia smiled, her humour fading as the excel spreadsheet opened with multiple tabs and endless columns. ‘Heavens, this is how they manage their accounts?’
‘Basic, huh?’ Connor pulled up a chair next to her, so close she could feel his warmth. She noticed a small scar on the back of his hand. Another imperfection, and another story from his life she’d yet to discover.
Re-focusing, Sofia scanned the excel document and clicked on one of the tabs. ‘This looks like a list of hirers. It’s showing invoice dates, but they don’t appear to have been updated for six months.’
‘That’s when the manager stopped coming down.’
‘That explains why the income’s dried up. No one’s been invoiced. What about outgoing payments?’ She clicked on another tab, which revealed the same, a list of overdue payments showing in red text. ‘It’s a wonder you haven’t received demand letters.’
‘We might have, I wouldn’t know. They go to the manager’s home address.’ Connor was watching her, and she could feel the intensity of his stare. ‘How bad is it?’
‘Hard to tell. It’ll take me a while to go through this. Is the manager likely to return?’
Connor shook his head. ‘He’s in his eighties and suffers with kidney failure. His wife says he’s on regular dialysis.’
Sofia turned to Connor, needing to understand more about how everything worked. ‘So who employs him? Who actually owns the community centre?’
‘The building was gifted to the community by Tobias Hislop on his death in 1901.’ He nodded behind her. ‘That’s him there. He built the place in memory of his wife.’
Sofia looked at the ornate plaque hanging on the wall, the painting above depicted the image of a charming man with a large grey moustache. ‘Not exactly the Taj Mahal,’ she said, studying the painting. ‘But he was obviously quite the romantic.’
‘They say his wife’s ghost is still present in the building.’
Sofia raised her eyebrows. ‘The place is haunted?’
‘Not haunted, so much. She appears in the form of a Red Admiral butterfly. I don’t believe in ghosts, but it’s strange the same butterfly appears throughout the year, even when there’s snow outside. There’s no logical explanation for it.’
Sofia couldn’t explain it either. ‘Have you seen this butterfly yourself?’
He nodded. ‘First session as acting manager it landed on my shoulder while I was booting up the computer.’
‘Maybe you should’ve asked it how the accounts worked.’
Connor’s sudden laugh hit her with force. ‘It might’ve made life easier. Especially as it’s supposed to be a sign of approval. She only appears if she likes you, apparently.’ He sounded amused and she liked the lighter tone in his voice.
‘I’ll try not to take it personally if I don’t see her then.’ Sofia’s world was becoming stranger by the minute. ‘Are there any other supernatural beings I need to know about?’
‘None that I know of. The community centre’s run by committee, made up of parish and town councillors, church personnel, and local elected members. Some of them might as well be dead for all the help they give, but technically they’re alive.’
Sofia let out a sigh. ‘What a complicated arrangement.’
He watched her closely. ‘Any suggestions how we manage things?’
She liked him using the word ‘we’. ‘Firstly, we need to get you co-opted as official manager with the authority to make decisions and run the accounts. We’ll also need permission to purchase a proper accounting package.
The current system is woefully inadequate.
I can then transfer the data and produce up-to-date accounts.
It’ll then be a case of paying bills and invoicing hirers, and introducing an automated billing system that’s not so reliant on any one individual.
Ideally, you need two bank signatories. I’m not sure what the tax situation would be for a set-up like this, I’ll have to look into it. ’
Connor looked tentative. ‘Would you be the second signatory?’
‘Me?’
His cheeks coloured. ‘I don’t have anyone else to ask who knows about this stuff.’
Sofia considered the question. Teaming up would mean them spending more time together, that was a definite plus.
They could get to know each other, explore whether there was a real attraction …
but that came with risk. Supposing there wasn’t a connection?
And did she really have the time? She had Luisa to consider.
But then, what had she just been saying about life being too short, and needing to be brave?
She should listen to her own advice. ‘I guess I could, but the committee might want to appoint someone already linked with the centre.’
‘I doubt it. When I’ve tried talking to them about this they don’t want to get involved. Most of them have been coerced onto the committee by the organisations they work for. They’d welcome someone like you taking charge.’
He looked so hopeful, that she felt stupidly flattered. ‘I’m no expert.’
‘You know more than me. Please?’ His hand rested on hers—as if she wasn’t flustered enough. ‘At least until you get your job back.’
She refused to flip out just because a man she fancied was touching her. ‘My appeal might not be successful.’
‘It will be if there’s any justice in the world.
’ His face was so close, a pleading look in his eyes.
She hadn’t realised she’d stopped breathing until he slid his hand from hers and his eyes fell away.
‘I don’t know why I said that. It’s not like life is fair.
People don’t always get justice, or if they do, they have to fight to prove their innocence.
It’s hard not to feel helpless when you’ve been treated unfairly. ’ He chewed on his right thumbnail.
She wanted to touch him, but it felt like the moment had vanished. ‘Well, you know to start with I wasn’t going to fight my dismissal. I was too humiliated, I just wanted to hide from the world and feel sorry for myself.’
‘What changed your mind?’ He lowered his hand, as if annoyed with himself for biting his nail.
Sofia answered honestly, sensing he needed reassurance.
‘People reminding me I have value. That I didn’t deserve to be treated badly, and that accepting an injustice doesn’t just harm me, but anyone facing similar unfairness in the future.
Sometimes you have to make a stand. If nothing else, if I don’t clear my name, I’ll struggle to get another job. ’
‘I guess you’re right.’ He looked unsettled by something.
‘In the meantime, it’ll do me good to be productive. So yes, I’ll help you.’
His face broke into a smile. ‘You will?’
Her daft little heart did a somersault. ‘Well, I’m more qualified to do this than I am sugar-soaping walls.’
A loud thud made them both jump. Standing in the doorway was a little girl wearing pink dungarees and a large bow attached to her beaded cornrows. Before either of them could react, she charged into the room and banged into Sofia’s legs. ‘Helloooo! I’m Cora, I’m fwhee years old.’
Sofia laughed. ‘Well, hello, Cora. I’m Sofia, and this is Connor.’ The little girl beamed at them. ‘But you’re not supposed to be in here. Where’s your mummy?’
‘There you are!’ A harassed looking woman stood in the doorway, her milk-stained shirt buttoned up wrong. ‘Cora Davey-Johnson, get back here this minute! I need to change your brother’s nappy, and I can’t do that with you running off. Get over here now!’
Connor lifted his hand. ‘Hi, I’m Connor, I’m the acting manager today.
You’re welcome to leave her with us while you deal with your baby.
The toilets aren’t very spacious, so it might be easier for you without this little helper.
’ He gave Cora a knowing look that said, Yes, I’m talking about you, to which she replied with a toothy grin.
The woman looked at him like he was an angel sent down from mummy-heaven. ‘You sure?’
‘Of course. The toilets are next to the café. We’ll be right here when you get back.’ Connor smiled at the woman, open and kind, and Sofia found herself swooning a little too.
Cora lifted her arms, jigging about and eager to be picked up.
Connor swung her onto his lap, with no suggestion he imagined children to be blood-sucking vampires in disguise. Sofia couldn’t help feeling relieved. He was no Luisa.
The mother also looked relieved, but for entirely different reasons. ‘You’re a lifesaver. I won’t be long. Be a good girl, Cora. No tantrums!’ She hurried away with her screaming baby, as though fearful Connor might change his mind if her daughter kicked off.
‘Curly hair!’ Cora grabbed a handful of Connor’s hair. ‘Bow!’
Connor pretended to be confused. ‘Bow? What bow? I don’t see any bows.’
‘Bow!’ She yanked the pink bow from her hair and shoved it towards Connor. ‘Bow!’
‘Oh, this bow.’ He clipped the bow into his hair and gave her a big grin. ‘Does it suit me?’
Cora squealed and clapped her hands.
Sofia couldn’t help laughing. He looked so cute with a huge pink bow in his hair, and completely comfortable, as though he wasn’t bothered what he looked like, which just made her like him even more.
‘Do you think it would suit Sofia?’ Connor unclipped the bow and reached across to clip it in the side of Sofia’s ponytail. His fingers grazed the side of her face as he secured the bow. ‘That’s better, Sofia’s much prettier than I am.’
Sofia’s face heated another few degrees.
Cora let out another squeal and patted Connor’s face with her chubby hand. ‘Song!’
‘Song? Demanding, aren’t you?’ He pretended to think about it. ‘What shall I sing? Nirvana? Wolf Alice? Wet Leg? Who’s your favourite band?’
Sofia was laughing. ‘You’ll have a shock if she says Royal Blood.’
Connor blinked at her in surprise. ‘You know Royal Blood?’
She gave a small shrug. ‘I saw them at Reading festival last year, they’re one of Luisa’s favourites.’
He looked impressed. ‘You go to festivals?’
‘Mostly to keep an eye on Luisa,’ she admitted, in case she gave the wrong impression and he thought her a hardened festival-goer. ‘Honestly, I’d rather watch the coverage on TV. I’m not a fan of mud.’
He grinned. ‘Or blocked loos?’
‘Definitely not blocked loos. Or drunken partygoers falling into my tent.’
‘That might have been me,’ he said, his easy smile fading a few seconds later, as if remembering something. ‘Although not last year.’
She noticed his frown. ‘You didn’t go last year?’
He shook his head, but didn’t offer an explanation.
‘Topsy and Tim!’ shouted Cora, bouncing up and down on Connor’s lap.
His frown lifted as he focused on the little girl. ‘I don’t know that one. How does it go? Can you sing it for me?’
‘It’s a TV show,’ Sofia admitted. ‘I caught Luisa watching it in hospital recently.’
He cocked an eyebrow at her. ‘Are you sure you’re not a fan too?’ His playfulness made her laugh.
She lifted her hands in surrender. ‘Guilty.’
His smile made her insides turn liquid. ‘D’you know the theme tune?’
She shook her head. ‘Sorry, no.’
‘Then it’ll have to be Incy Wincy Spider.’ Connor cleared his throat and began to sing, using his hand to crawl up Cora’s arm, deliberately tickling her, and making her squeal.
Sofia watched in amazement as this shy man entertained the little girl, his haunted expression replaced by childish playfulness. She was as smitten as Cora, watching him add in actions to the words and change his voice to match the different characters. She could hardly believe it.
He was just hitting his stride when the mother returned from the toilets. ‘You’re a natural,’ she said, looking less harassed now her baby had stopped crying. ‘I could do with you at bedtime.’
Sofia thought the same thing … and then mentally kicked herself. Thank goodness she hadn’t said anything out loud.
Connor stood up and placed Cora on the floor, passing her chubby hand over to her mother. ‘Bye-bye, Cora. Next time Nirvana? Okay?’
‘Okay!’ Cora clearly had no idea what she was agreeing to. ‘Byeeee!’
The family disappeared amongst more laughter and mayhem, briefly returning when they realised Cora’s bow was still attached to Sofia’s ponytail.
Connor was still smiling when his phone rang. He reached across for it, checking the caller ID, before looking at Sofia. ‘It’s the chair of the committee. Okay if I take this? I can ask about the software we need and the other stuff we discussed.’
Sofia got up. ‘Sure, go ahead. I’d better check on Luisa, anyway. I have sugar-soaping duties.’ Plus, she needed to cool off a bit.
‘Leave me your number,’ he said, as she reached the doorway.
He gestured to a pack of post-it notes on the desk.
‘So I can let you know what they say. You’ll need my number too if we’re going to work together …
right?’ He sounded tentative and waited for her nod of approval before scribbling down his number and handing her the post-it note.
Sofia knew she shouldn’t read anything into it, but this failed to stop her pulse increasing.
Having written down her number, she left Connor talking to the committee chair and returned to Luisa in the meeting room.
Luisa looked up when Sofia entered, still sprawled between two chairs, and still sketching. ‘Well, how did it go? Were you successful?’
Sofia showed her sister the post-it note. ‘Mission accomplished.’
Luisa threw her arms in the air. ‘Houston! We have lift off!’