‘Oh,’ Emma was even more surprised, picturing the three of them sat round the kitchen table. Better that than them spaced out over a long dining table having to whizz down the salt.
‘OK?’ asked Felix with an amused raised eyebrow.
‘Yes, fine, kitchen supper it is,’ replied Emma, wondering how much more surreal her life was going to get.
Robin and Jack had secured the deal with the help of the bank and bought the warehouse on the quayside in Lancaster. Whilst Robin still had slight reservations it was hard not to be filled with Jack’s enthusiasm – it was infectious.
‘You won’t regret this mate, I promise,’ he’d cheered when standing in front of the building.
They had arrived on site to put temporary metal panelling around the warehouse in preparation of the building works ahead. They had envisaged this renovation would take them the best part of two years to complete, so it was going to be a labour of love, but well worth it.
When Robin had outlined the venture to Jasmine, she too had seen its potential.
‘Go for it, Robin,’ she’d said. ‘Opportunities like this don’t come up very often, especially in such a great location.’
But then Jasmine would say that, thought Robin, as she herself had done exactly the same, albeit on a smaller scale. The very big difference was that she had bought her derelict cottage sitting on the edge of the bay solo and overseen its renovation.
‘I just knew, in my gut, it was for me,’ she’d explained to Robin. Then asked, ‘Don’t you feel the same way about this warehouse?’
‘Yes…’ replied Robin, ‘but we’ve never borrowed as much from the bank before. That’s what’s bothering me.’
‘But you’ll sell the apartments no problem,’ disputed Jasmine. ‘In fact, I bet they are all reserved before completion, being in such a sought-after location.’
Robin laughed; she was beginning to sound like Jack. When telling her so, she gave a snort.
‘Never thought I’d hear those words,’ she replied, arching an eyebrow.
Robin was extremely fortunate to have both a good friend and business partner in Jack and a loving girlfriend in Jasmine. However, balancing both relationships could be tricky at times. Whilst he’d committed now to the warehouse renovation, he was very conscious of not neglecting his time with Jasmine.
The London trip he had planned for her thirtieth was booked, all he had to do was run it past her. After a busy day at the warehouse in Lancaster, he intended to spend the evening with Jasmine and had collected a take-away on the way home. Entering her kitchen with a cheery hello, he swooped a quick kiss on her cheek while she took the carrier bag off him.
‘You get yourself showered and I’ll dish this out,’ she told him as she began popping the containers into the warming oven.
Sitting down to relax later, with a glass of wine and having eaten too much, Robin put an arm over her shoulders on the settee.
‘Not long before the big Three-O now,’ he teased, nuzzling into her neck.
‘I know,’ she said, leaning into him. She was looking forward to their mini break and having Robin all to herself for a few days.
‘So, this is what I’ve got planned for us so far.’ He reached for the laptop on the coffee table and opened up the website for the hotel he’d booked.
‘Oh, Robin, it looks fabulous,’ Jasmine cried, taking in the Old Coach House Hotel and its leafy surroundings.
‘Then I thought we’d go on the London Eye, the evening of your birthday. A pod all to ourselves, with a bottle of champagne, of course,’ he told her.
‘What a brilliant idea!’ she exclaimed. ‘We’ll be able to see the fireworks all over the London sky.’
‘That’s what I was thinking,’ Robin replied with a grin, loving her reaction. ‘I would have liked to arrange ‘Jasmine’s thirtieth!’ lit up in lights, if I could,’ he joked with a playful nudge.
‘Ah, lovely thought, but not even you could wrangle that,’ she laughed, then leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. Robin responded instantly and it wasn’t long before the kiss progressed. ‘Let’s go to bed,’ whispered Jasmine. Robin didn’t need any further encouragement. Standing, he reached down and pulled her up into his arms.
‘Let’s,’ he replied huskily.
Perry had had a busy day too. He’d gone for a tranquil boat ride down the canal and, standing on deck, navigating at the wheel and listening to the gentle chug of the engine, had given him time to reflect. Emma had rung him earlier in the morning and it had bucked him up no end. Just listening to her cheery voice lifted his spirits. They’d even arranged to meet on her day off which was imminent. This had settled Perry, knowing that he’d soon be seeing her.
As he drifted along the water, he took in all the wildlife and nature surrounding him. Kingfishers ducked down in pursuit of food, dragonflies wavered in the rushes, while frogs jumped from one spot to the other. He’d loved this transient way of life, forever on the move from one place to the next. Meeting Valerie, his late wife, had ended it though, shifting his boating from being a lifestyle to more of a hobby. He had no regrets – moving into her stone cottage and being nestled into a ready-made little family was the best thing to have happened to him. Change. It was all part of life’s rich tapestry.
His thoughts led him back to Emma. Her life had also changed and she seemed to be enjoying it, to his relief. After hearing her voice full of excitement and vibrancy at what was going on over in Samphire Bay, any trepidations had been quashed. There could be no denying how much Emma was enjoying herself. It was evident just from the tone of her voice. By all accounts Felix was a decent man, despite his reputation in the papers. And as for the TV crew which was about to descend on them, well, she hadn’t been able to contain herself. Perry chuckled when Emma had regaled him with how she’d been caught playing the piano in the hall.
Something told him that Emma had made quite an impression on her employer. His daughter’s zeal and natural good nature was a joy to be around. Emma lit up the room wherever she was. She had a presence about her which people gravitated towards, hence her ability to draw in the crowds at the band’s gigs. Even though he was Emma’s dad and therefore prejudiced, he couldn’t help but think Felix would be attracted to his daughter. To him, it was inevitable. And, if the inevitable did happen, then what? He knew Emma was a grown woman, with her own choices to make, but his fatherly, instinctive protectiveness reared its head. He also knew how impressed and in awe Emma would be at meeting a production team and cast of famous actors. That said, was she out of her depth? No, he concluded, she wasn’t. Emma had enough self-assurance and confidence to hold her own. And rightly so, in his opinion. He’d seen her on stage enough times to know his daughter would take everything in her stride. Emma was no push-over, no matter which company she kept. He chuckled again; just watch this space, he told himself.
