‘You’ll like this one, Mabel.The heroine’s a bit like you,’ she said.
‘In what way?’asked Mab, frowning.
‘Oh, just kind of different… no offense…’ Sophie giggled, and Leo shot her a warning glare, which she ignored.
It was dark outside now, and Leo had switched on a selection of Annie’s lights, creating a warm, homely glow that made him miss his godmother intensely.She had been such a big part of his life.Annie had encouraged his passion for books, buying shiny new ones, scouring charity shops for good-quality second-hand stories and reading to him for hours when they visited each other.As a small boy, Leo remembered travelling alone on the train to see Annie, his small lunchbox packed with treats, including the bar of very expensive chocolate that she always sent him for the journey.When he arrived, Annie would have a fabulous tea waiting for him, and the crowning glory of the tea table would be a deep, heavily frosted chocolate sponge.Annie’s recipe was moist and squidgy, studded with surprising nuggets of ginger, cherries or whole toasted almonds.Leo sighed.He knew Annie would be proud of his new venture, but he really wished she was here to see it coming together.
‘It’s so cosy in here,’ said Mab, looking round with shining eyes.
There were small, brightly coloured table lamps on every available surface, and some very fancy art deco wall fittings, but the crowning glory was an elegant Tiffany lamp with a multi-coloured glass shade featuring three large dragonflies.The general effect was stunning, and Leo wondered if they’d be able to translate Annie’s style and flair into a workable decor for the shop.In this light, the general seediness of the flat faded into insignificance and the eclectic group of chairs and sofas looked inviting rather than random.Leo’s warm feeling increased as he noticed Mab snuggling into one of the largest settees with a sigh of relief.Harry and Josh had disappeared into the kitchen and soon began to rattle serving dishes and plates.They seemed to be creating some sort of pasta dish, involving lots of butter, cheese and garlic, and the smell was tantalising.The radio played softly in the background.Harry had tuned it to a station featuring hits of the sixties and was happily humming along to an old Beach Boys song about it being nice if he was older.How old did his dad want to be, for goodness’ sake?
Harry sang along merrily, stopping mid-word as the peace was shattered by a series of loud raps at the downstairs door.
‘Get that, someone,’ said Alex, looking over Den’s shoulder at the new plan.‘It’ll be the others.Hopefully they’ve brought more beer.’
Leo bounded down the stairs two at a time and found Jess and Stan waiting impatiently on the step, each clutching six packs of Newcastle Brown.Jess was also trying not to drop a large pottery bowl of salad.
‘Hey, good to see you, guys.Have you two come here together?’
‘You are joking, aren’t you?’said Jess.
‘I did offer her a lift, but she said she wanted to be sure of getting here tonight, rather than next week.’Leo opened the door wide and Stan headed up the stairs.Jess shrugged and followed.
‘Have you come to help with the planning meeting?’asked Leo, glad of Jess’s support.
‘Well, yes, but I’ve also got some bad news.I need to talk to Mab as soon as possible.It’s OK,’ she said, seeing Leo’s face fall, ‘it’s nothing to do with the business.’
As they came up the stairs into the living room, Harry emerged from the kitchen with a tea towel tucked into his trousers.
‘Right, you lot, supper’s almost ready so whatever needs to be said, make it snappy.’Josh followed him out and they both sat on the edge of their chairs, making it obvious that the important part of the evening was the food.
The living area now had someone sitting in every available space, so Stan and Leo sank down to sit cross-legged on the floor.More beers were passed round, and Leo waved a hand at Den and Alex.
‘Right, guys, you two are the organised ones.Let’s run through the plan so far.Turn the TV off, please, Soph.We need to concentrate.’
Alex stood up, ignoring Sophie’s disgusted sniff.
‘OK, here goes.I’ve put down the jobs in order and also listed which of us might be involved with each one.I’ll read it to you for quickness.’
Clearing out everything that we don’t need, including carpets, and taking it to the charity shop or tip (we’ve got two vans available, so all of us can make a start on that one first thing tomorrow)
Plastering over the wall damage between kitchen and pantry, and the tatty bits downstairs (Leo and Dad)
Finding a chimney sweep who can come immediately (Sophie)
Hiring two industrial sanders for the floors and getting paint and varnish etc.(me and Stan)
Cleaning the flat thoroughly before we decorate (everyone else)
Repairing the damage in the shop – new glass in the door and so on (anyone who has the know-how)
Sanding all the floors (all of us taking turns)
Painting the whole place through and varnishing the floors (ditto)
Planning menus and sourcing local suppliers (Jess)
Alex sat down, and everyone except Sophie looked impressed.She flipped her shining hair back over her shoulders and said, ‘But what about me, Leo?This is going to be really boring for me.What am I going to do while all this stuff’s going on?And how do I know where the chimney sweeps live?’
