Chapter 29
‘Hiya! Where’d you want me?’ Klara had closed The Bookery half an hour early and was over to help set up the café for the festival committee meeting.
‘If you’re up to moving tables and chairs, I’m aiming for a U shape in the centre of the café,’ said Sasha, lifting the end of the biggest cherrywood-topped table.
Klara rushed over to help. ‘Oof! You should have said you needed a bit of muscle – I could’ve asked Leo.’
‘Leo? You’ve swapped numbers, then?’ Sasha smirked, happy to be teasing Klara for a change.
Maybe Klara’s romance could take her mind off her own troubles.
Ben’s continued absence had left a hole in her chest all week.
Even Nathan’s new chocolate, matcha and peanut butter cheesecake had not been able to cheer her up.
Klara lowered the table with a sigh. ‘There are times when male brute strength comes in handy, that’s all. Books are heavy. Nothing’s going on.’
Sasha chuckled. ‘We don’t need Leo to move a few tables. When the tables are set up we can lay out the snacks. Most people are coming straight from work, so they’ll be hungry. Nathan’s baked an extra batch of muffins and cookies, and there’s a platter of sandwiches from Anders.’
‘Yum – it’s worth sitting on the committee for the snacks. You are joining us for the actual meeting, right? We have to put our heads together. No one wants the café to close.’
‘Yes, I’ll be here, don’t worry.’
‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Mollie yesterday, but what did that awful Eleanor mean about Ben?’ Klara lowered her voice even though there was no one else in the café yet.
Sasha shifted a couple of chairs, managing to avoid her gaze. ‘Ben’s become a regular at Coffee Bean for meetings. He’s perfectly entitled to go there. Casey’s cool – he can’t help his stepmum.’
Klara’s brow knitted. ‘Is she trying to set Ben against you? I bet she’s lured him with free coffee. Why would he go there all week? He loves it here.’
Sasha put down a chair. ‘Look – there’s no poaching involved.
Ben’s still a regular customer and a matchmaking client.
’ She realized Klara wouldn’t stop asking, so she decided to confide in her.
‘If you must know, I – er – I asked Ben not to come here every day.’ There was an empty feeling in her stomach, just thinking about how much she missed him.
Klara’s jaw dropped. She put down the chair she was carrying. ‘What’s going on, Sash?’
‘I told you I couldn’t read him. My psychic intuition doesn’t seem to sense him very well. I couldn’t see anything in his matcha reading. I don’t know if I’m muddying it somehow.’
‘You were trying to get to know him better. Didn’t that help?’
‘Yeah, well, maybe – we’ve got . . .’ She lowered her voice. ‘Too close . . .’
Klara’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, Sasha! But you see me just fine and we’re pretty close . . . Could it be the stress of the lease and everything?’
Sasha felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Klara cottoned on. ‘Oh – wait . . .’ She grinned. ‘You mean close close? You do seem happier – more relaxed when Ben’s around. He’s fit! I keep saying you should go for it.’
‘No!’ Sasha protested. Why couldn’t Klara understand? ‘Don’t you get it? I’m Ben’s matchmaker – I need to find him a match. He doesn’t need me mucking it up by getting “too intense”.’
‘Fuck’s sake, Sash – not everyone’s like that douchebag Dominic.’ She made a puking gesture. Klara had helped Sasha through her break-up and the fallout from the plagiarism accusation.
But Sasha shook her head. ‘I’m not right for him. He needs someone . . . bubbly. More of an extrovert, to bring him out of his shell.’
‘Hmm, I don’t know about that.’ Klara raised her eyebrows. ‘You two complement each other. He is quiet, but you can be bubbly and extroverted when you want to. I’m not surprised he has a thing for you – I mean – the tea and cake are fabulous, but I’m sure he’s enjoying your company too!’
‘Plenty of our regulars are here every day. It’s a peaceful place to read his book, and drink tea. He likes the kintsugi teacups – did you know he makes ceramics?’
‘But you’ve asked him to stay away? And he’s going to Coffee Bean instead? By the way – you’re far too polite to Eleanor, I’d tell her to butt out, she’s such a know-it-all.’
‘Eleanor is an alpha. She has to lead.’ Leo had come in, catching the end of their chat. Sasha hoped he hadn’t heard too much.
Klara slapped him on the arm. ‘Leo! Stop sneaking up on us, butting in our convos. Alpha female indeed. Polite word for a bi—’
‘Klara!’ Sasha warned, as the bell chimed and the door opened. It was Reverend Gillian Adjaye, closely followed by other members of the festival committee.
The Bramleigh Green Festival was on the last weekend of May, from Friday afternoon until Saturday night and they had just over a month to go.
As everyone caught up and settled into their seats, Sasha laid out cups and pots of tea, jugs of water and coffee in cafetières, for people to help themselves.
She placed the platter of sandwiches and baked goods on the table.
Half an hour later, most of the high-street business owners had arrived.
As well as Paloma and Mollie, Klara, Anders and Nathan, Casey – luckily Eleanor was too busy – there was Lucas Brownlow, the landlord of the Three Bells, Virginia Taylor from the yarn shop, Reverend Gillian from St Bram’s church and Katie Riaz, from the local newspaper. Mr Davis brought Chloé too.
‘Do help yourself to a plate and drink, everyone,’ said Sasha.
‘Wow – salted-caramel cookies!’ said Katie. ‘We should have our meetings here all the time.’
‘This café is perfect for corporate meetings,’ put in Chloé. ‘I’ll take some photos for business mailings, if everyone’s fine about being in marketing materials?’
‘I can only rent it out after hours, though,’ said Sasha. ‘I hope it will help with our revenue.’
Paloma, who was chairing, soon called the meeting to order. People had made inroads into the sandwiches and cookies and now it was time to discuss the serious business.
All heads turned as the bell chimed, signalling a latecomer. Sasha cracked an involuntary smile to see Ben coming through the door.
‘Sorry – work meeting overran.’ He slid into the only free seat, which was next to Sasha. She breathed in his sandalwood and soap scent. The ache from missing him was replaced by warmth in the middle of her chest.
‘Hey – didn’t realize you were on the committee,’ she said in a low voice. She pulled over a cup and teapot. ‘This one’s Oolong. Sandwich?’
‘Yes, do tuck in, Ben. Hope you don’t mind that we started without you,’ said Paloma, passing a plate of cookies.
‘Ben’s offering mini pottery workshops, so we invited him along,’ said Mollie, smiling at him.
‘We always love to have plenty of arts and crafts on offer at the festival. Keeps the little ones happy. Klara has the colouring table and second-hand books outside in the main gazebo. We thought we’d add some modelling clay so they can make pots.
Leo – are you still all right to help out? ’
Leo nodded. ‘Yeah – fine.’
Paloma tapped her pen. ‘We discussed arts and crafts last time. The first item on tonight’s agenda is the festival’s ten-year anniversary. How are we going to commemorate that?’
Everyone chimed in with suggestions. A funfair.
A dance. A barbecue on the green. An outdoor cinema.
Klara had set up a whiteboard for suggestions and she scribbled them all down.
In the end, they decided there would be street-food stalls, with a barbecue and cocktails and wine from the pub in the evening.
‘How about we set up a long table, like for a big feast?’ suggested Chloé. ‘I’ve seen them do that in France and Italy for their feast days.’
‘Fabulous!’ Sasha was filled with the positive energy of the room. Everyone was so excited about the festival and what it could bring to the town. ‘We can provide a matcha-themed dessert – can’t we, Nathan?’
‘Absolutely!’ said Nathan. ‘Perhaps a matcha tiramisu or roulade?’
‘Maybe some of those delicious matcha cocktails?’ suggested Mollie.
‘We could hire a louder PA system, for a boogie in the streets after dinner,’ added Lucas.
‘Anyone have a preference for a film for the outdoor cinema? Classic or current?’ asked Mollie.
There was some bandying of film titles. Jaws. Grease. Back to the Future. Star Wars.
‘We do love a classic film,’ said Mr Davis. ‘How about Casablanca? Ingrid Bergman and Bogie have the perfect bittersweet romance.’
Ben nudged Sasha. ‘Of all the matcha joints, in all the towns, in all the world . . .’
‘You walked into mine,’ she completed, laughing. Something in her chest was squeezing hard. Ben’s eyes glowed gold and she felt her pulse race.
Quickly, she looked down at her notebook and scribbled a few of the titles down, trying to ignore the heat rising through her body.
‘And don’t forget,’ said Reverend Gillian, smiling, ‘there’s our Heart of Bramleigh Green Award to showcase one of our local business owners. We should start asking the community for nominations. Can we do that in the local paper, Katie?’
‘We also have an important issue to discuss. How can we help Sasha bring more people into the café?’ Paloma asked.
‘Eleanor is threatening to replace the café with a kitchen showroom – of all things!’ Mollie announced, disgusted. ‘As you all know, I’m a big fan of home renovation and I enjoyed doing up my kitchen, but this corner of the high street is not the place for a showroom.’
Mollie’s kitchen extension had been an ongoing saga the previous year, Sasha remembered. She appreciated her support.
Chloé spoke next. ‘I’m advising Sasha on social media marketing to bring in more customers from nearby towns and even London.
Bramleigh Green is perfect for people who’d like a short country break.
She can post daily reels and posts that I’ll share with my followers.
Thousands will come to Bramleigh Green for Nathan’s wonderful desserts and Sasha’s delicious matcha. ’
‘That will definitely help put Bramleigh Green on the map,’ said Mollie. ‘My five followers have also increased to twenty-five, just from Chloé posting about our party.’
Everyone laughed.
‘The festival has become an annual destination. It brings visitors flocking in, for sure,’ added Lucas. ‘The rooms above the pub are nearly all booked for the last week in May.’
‘As long as your followers don’t totally take over our café, Chloé,’ said Mr Davis. ‘I need a refreshment stop on my daily walk.’
‘The festival is a great showcase for the town. Let’s hope it boosts all of us,’ said Virginia. ‘Our high-street shops and boutiques are so much more personal than online shopping.’
‘I agree,’ said Klara. ‘Our high street is struggling. Leases going up. People buying online. The busiest people seem to be the delivery guys.’ Klara stuck her tongue out at Leo and he stuck his tongue out back at her, but they didn’t break eye contact and ended up in fits of laughter.
Sasha was pleased Klara was enjoying her flirtation. Klara had mentioned Leo in just about every conversation lately, despite refusing to admit she liked him.
Mr Davis spoke next. ‘We have a suggestion for Matcha Moments, if you don’t mind, my dear.
You should raise your price for the Matcha Maker Special.
What you’ve done for myself and Gloria, and many other couples in our town, is priceless.
Your fee should reflect that – if you need to put a price on it, it should be high. ’
‘Some dating agencies and websites charge a small fortune,’ agreed Paloma. ‘And even then it’s hard to meet the right person. I never had much luck with any of the dating apps. With your hundred per cent hit rate, you could definitely charge a lot more.’
‘I – er . . . Let me think about it,’ Sasha said, blushing. ‘It’s not quite a hundred per cent hit rate.’
The festival was in just over a month. If Sasha didn’t agree to a new lease by next week, the last weekend in May could also be the last weekend the café opened.
The backs of her eyes smarted with the effort of holding back her tears.
How could she tell these kind people who were trying to help that their efforts might be too late?
‘If any of your clients didn’t meet their match, it wasn’t because of you,’ said Klara. ‘They were probably too impatient. I know your vision for me is going to come true – I just have to wait.’
Sasha smiled awkwardly, conscious of Ben next to her. She hadn’t seen a match for him. ‘I just feel,’ she continued, ‘that what I do is a gift from my grandmother. I’m passing it on as a gift to my customers. I don’t want to make it unaffordable for people to find love.’
Ben wanted to find love. And so far, she hadn’t helped him. Her face flamed. She felt like a fraud.
‘Very admirable of you, my dear.’ Mr Davis smiled at her. ‘But we all want Matcha Moments to stay on the high street. If charging more helps keep you here, so you can renew your lease, you really should consider it.’