‘Goodnight!’ he called over his shoulder.
‘Goodnight,’ she replied hoarsely.
Chapter 11
‘So, this is the room I was thinking of. What d’ya think?’ Cassie pushed open the door to reveal a spacious room with two skylights. It was situated right at the top of the Inn, high up in the eaves.
‘It’s certainly big enough,’ replied Adira, ‘and plenty of light. Yes, it’s good.’
‘Excellent. I always thought this room was destined for great things; it seemed a shame to waste such a space.’
Adira nodded her head in agreement, then looked to the floor. ‘I’d get rid of this carpet. What’s underneath it?’
‘Let’s see.’ Cassie rolled up her sleeves and knelt down in a corner of the room. Gradually pulling the carpet up, she exclaimed, ‘Look!’
Adira quickly hurried over. ‘Wow, let’s get it all up.’
Together they managed to heave the carpet into a roll, to reveal the original tile flooring. It had a Victorian pattern in burgundy, cream and black tiles.
‘It’s amazing, why would anyone cover up such beautiful tiles with carpet?’
‘I know!’ gasped Cassie, thrilled with the find. ‘I’ll have them cleaned and polished.’ She clapped her hands in glee, ‘It’s going to look fab-u-lous!’
Adira smiled, Cassie’s enthusiasm was infectious.
‘What will you call the treatment room?’ Adira asked.
‘Oh, I hadn’t thought…’
‘Naming it gives it kudos, like it’s a special place, rather than just “the treatment room”.’
‘You’re right.’ Cassie chewed her lip, pondering a name.
‘Give it some thought. Now, we’ll need a massage bed, obviously, and very subtle lighting, plenty of shelves for storage and the walls need to be painted a gentle, relaxing colour.’
‘OK, I’ll get some colour charts.’ Cassie was busy making notes on a clipboard. ‘What about stock, all the essential oils and mixing lotions?’
‘I’ll make a list and give you details on where to buy them.’
‘Thanks,’ she beamed, thoroughly enjoying herself. Cassie had been excited to get this project off the ground. ‘Would you need an assistant, help of any kind?’
‘It would make sense to have a second therapist on hand, for when I move on.’
Cassie’s face fell. Hearing Adira say that brought into focus she wouldn’t be a permanent fixture.
‘What about advertising with leaflets?’ Adira suggested.
‘I’m onto it. We’re using the same printers who produce our menus.’
‘Good. Thought about any kind of promotion?’
‘I have actually. What do you think about the Inn having a hog roast party? We could hand out flyers and offer special discounts for the first week of opening. Plus, a good old shindig would be great for the village.’
‘That’s a brilliant idea! Especially with all this hot weather.’
Cassie looked elated with Adira’s reaction.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
