Chapter 33
NATHALIE AND HELENA looked around the village hall in amazement.
It was a hive of activity. The builders had done a fantastic job so far.
It had been a stroke of luck that the cheapest quote had been provided by a team of builders whose next project had just fallen through and were able to start immediately.
The works may even be completed in time for the start of the summer holidays.
With surprising speed, they had stripped the place bare before installing the new electrics and gas supplies.
The plumbers had installed the new pipework in both the toilets and the kitchen, and the carpenters were currently constructing the framework.
At long last, the café was beginning to take shape.
The smart new metal ventilation system above the kitchen was already in place.
Apart from the exposed brickwork on the back wall, the rest of the village hall would be painted a warm shade of off-white.
A smart new countertop would be installed at the front of the kitchen, which would contain a spread of Helena’s delicious baked goods and sandwiches, as well as housing the coffee machine and the till.
Helena had chosen the same coffee machine and till that Ahmed had at Coffee Stop, knowing that she was already an expert at using them and would easily be able to train others.
‘Shall we get started on the website this evening?’ Nathalie asked as they left the village hall and walked back through the village.
‘If you don’t mind. It would be great to have it up and running before the fete.’
‘You are amazing. How you’ve managed to rope in so many people to help is beyond me.’
‘I love it, it’s just like throwing a party.’
‘But your powers of persuasion are truly incredible. I mean, I used to work in events, but that was easy – I could pay people for their services. You have gathered an impressive number of people to give up their time for free.’
‘I guess I’m hard to say no to,’ Nathalie winked, before disappearing off to meet a client for a mani-pedi.
That was undoubtedly true, mused Helena as she wondered down the road to Hazel Cottage.
She was so happy with the progress she had seen at the village hall, she couldn’t wait to show Roger Parkes and the rest of the trustees on Saturday.
They had asked for a tour of the works so far.
She scanned through the to-do list on her phone, deciding what she needed to prioritise for the rest of the afternoon.
She needed to finish all the policies she was currently working on, and then finalise the menu.
Helena had decided to offer a small but perfectly formed menu of seasonal, organic and locally sourced produce.
Fresh bread and pastries, homemade granola with a selection of toppings, and a range of delicious smoothies.
Lunch options would all be homemade, including sandwiches, salads and soups.
And then there would be cake. Each day Helena would bake a variety of cakes to be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.
Helena loved this part, the creative side of it all, and the satisfaction of planning the logistics of how it would all come together.
She relished the challenge, finding herself enjoying being her own boss for the first time, despite the enormity of the juggling act combining all this with the full-time job she was still holding down.
She couldn’t wait for her last shift at Coffee Stop, which was scheduled to be two days before the village fete, the Thursday and Friday before having been allocated for last-minute jobs.
She was sure that by then it would all finally start to feel real.