For the next ten minutes, Leo spun his vision for them again, this time pointing out where everything would be and how it would all work.By the end even Mab’s eyes were shining.
‘Let’s go upstairs right now!’she said.
‘I dream of having beautiful women say that to me, Mabel,’ said Leo, leading the way.
Mab blushed scarlet.She had never been any good at flirting.If Leo had made that comment to Jess, she would have snapped straight back with a wisecrack.She eyed Leo’s long legs and very touchable denim-clad bottom as he led the way up the staircase.Hmm.Not bad at all.Mab shook herself and averted her gaze.It was no good looking, or flirting for that matter, even if she was able.She would be out of that game for some time now.As they reached the top of the stairs and emerged into the large, sunlit living area, Mab and Jess both stopped in their tracks and stared.
‘It’s enormous!I’ve never seen anything like it!’Mab gasped.
‘There you go again,’ said Leo, ‘making dreams come true.’
He looked straight into Mab’s eyes, raising his eyebrows and smiling.Dimples appeared in his stubble and a strange feeling of anticipation flooded Mab’s body, leaving her tingling all over.This was no good, she must try to concentrate on the job in hand.Taking a deep breath, Mab walked into the middle of the room.Although specks of dust hung in the air and the decoration was pre-war, the space was breathtaking.The main part of the flat stretched the full length of the shop, with French windows looking out onto a tiny balcony and tall sash windows letting in the spring sunshine, making a constant moving picture as the clouds raced by.Mab went over to open the doors onto the balcony and saw a tiny round wrought-iron table, and two chairs with faded chintz cushions out there.The table still held an empty coffee cup and a rusty biscuit barrel.Brushing away sudden tears, Mab was captivated by an unfamiliar view of the marketplace from above, picture-postcard pretty, with the surrounding plane trees shading the striped awnings of the stalls.The nearby church clock struck the half hour as Mab turned to face the room again.Unable to resist lifting up a corner of the ancient carpet to investigate, she found the most beautiful oak floorboards, just crying out to be stripped and polished.
Jess spun around in the middle of the room, laughing.‘Leo, you never said it was a palace!Let’s look at the bedrooms.’
The rest of the flat was rather gloomy, and Leo quickly lit the huge chunky candles that Angelica seemed to have collected in all of the rooms leading off the main living space; Mab could see that Jess was looking around the smallest bedroom covetously, probably visualising George in there, snug in his cabin bed amongst his vast collection of stuffed pigs.The window even had bars on it, so it must have been used as a nursery years before.Bars were always good where George was involved.With a sharp pang of sympathy for her friend, Mab wondered if Jess and George would ever live here.
‘Now for the best bit.The bathroom,’ said Leo, ushering Mab and Jess into a vast space with a deep claw-footed bath on a wooden podium in the middle.The floor was polished oak, and dark red velvet curtains hung from the high window.
‘Oh, wow,’ said Jess.Mab was speechless.
‘My first job is going to be to give this room a really good scrubbing.’Leo was opening an enormous airing cupboard as he spoke, revealing piles of huge fluffy towels.‘You can see that Annie left it fully stocked; all it needs is a thorough clean and there will be gallons of hot water and the swankiest soap I can find.There’s still a good stock of Annie’s favourite lavender bubble bath.’
‘I can’t believe you’re real,’ said Jess.‘A man who knows how to clean a bathroom?My ex, Marcus, only knew about throwing wet towels and bristles about; I think he thought we had a dirty-washing fairy hidden somewhere too.’
Mab nodded.Pete had never worked out where the Hoover lived, let alone done any housework.
‘Thank you.It’s good to be appreciated for once,’ said Leo.
‘Are all your brothers single too?’asked Jess.
‘Yep, and so is my dad.Our Den – he’s the eldest – was married briefly about ten years ago but his wife left him to sing in a band.He plays the field a bit too much for my liking these days but it’s his life, I guess.Josh is too young to be committed to anything or anybody yet, and Alex… well, I don’t think he’s the marrying kind, really.Anyway, he’s never at home, always out socialising.He says he hasn’t got time for a relationship.Come on then, what do you two think of the old place?’
Mab began to wander around the flat again.She was just beginning to realise how much work would need to be done.All of the bedrooms were full of dust, tatty wardrobes, hideous dressing tables and saggy beds, but the kitchen was by far the most dispiriting place.The cooker, which looked as if it should be condemned, was an ancient gas stove, and there were no fitted cupboards, just a motley collection of tallboys and shelves.The mahogany Welsh dresser, however, made up for all of this.Deep and tall, it completely covered one wall of the kitchen and was filled with beautiful blue and white china plates, cups and saucers.
‘Those pots were Annie’s pride and joy,’ said Leo, ‘she didn’t keep them for best though, so there are a few chipped and some missing, I reckon.’
‘It’s fabulous.You’ll be able do the whole place up and make it perfect.It’ll be a real home,’ Jess said, obviously making a huge effort not to be jealous.Mab looked around the kitchen.She opened the oven door and it fell off.No wonder Angelica liked to eat next door.
‘But Leo, where’s the money coming from to do all this work?The café won’t be able to show a profit for months, and you’ll have to buy loads of books – your overdraft will be enormous.And then you’ll need to pay a crèche worker, and buy the big fat sofas, and…’
Leo smiled down at Mab.‘Well, there’s a lot to be done, for sure.Some of the furniture up here is only fit for the junk shop, but the chairs and sofas will be fine with those cloth things you throw over them… you know… what are they called?’
‘Throws,’ Mab said, exchanging grins with Jess.
‘Yes, that’s the ones, and we can pick up some other stuff at the auctions, and we’ll order some good pieces for downstairs.I can make the bookshelves myself, and Annie left me a dollop of cash in her will, and the bank will help, so we’ll be OK if we can start bringing in some decent money, by… say, Christmas?We could set an opening date for six weeks from now?Maybe forget the jacuzzi for a while?Can we do that, d’you think?’
‘Six weeks?Are you mad?’
‘Not mad, just… a positive-thinking, imaginative entrepreneur.’
The three of them looked at each other.Mab spoke first.
‘Yes, Leo, I really think we can.I’m beginning to see that this crazy idea could work.Let’s do it!’
Leo sat down rather suddenly at the kitchen table.He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and stretched his arms high above his head.His elderly and rather shrunken t-shirt rode up, revealing a line of soft black fuzz wending its way down into his jeans and Mab’s eyes were irresistibly drawn to the place where it disappeared.Her fingers itched to stroke his belly, and to slide his jeans button open.What was wrong with her today?She hadn’t thought about sex this much for years, if ever.Maybe it was just her hormones going crazy?Leo’s eyes met hers, and he beamed happily.
‘That’s fantastic, pet – I knew you’d see sense in the end.Annie was never wrong about people.I’ll ring my dad and get the gang mustered to start the great clear-up.’
