‘You know Plum too?’ Of course he does. And he’s been watching my clips as well, which makes my heart hit the floor before it bounces back into my chest again. ‘I thought Nell said you worked Thursdays?’ That’s one advantage of everyone knowing everyone. It took one call to Sophie’s receptionist sister-in-law. Not that I wanted to give anything away, but it was well worth sharing with Nell and Sophie that Ross wasn’t my favourite old friend of Charlie’s, if it meant I didn’t have to bump into him.
Ross shrugs. ‘Walter had an appointment today.’
Not only has Ross wrecked my forward planning, he also told Charlie about my disasters with Diesel. I might as well get this over. ‘And to save disappointment, Ross – I’m not looking for a roomie at Seaspray Cottage.’
Joanie looks up. ‘What’s a roomie again?’
Oops. I make my voice airy. ‘Sorry, everyone, we’ll move on to sprinkles in a second.’ Then I hiss through my teeth at Ross, ‘And telling tales isn’t cool.’
He narrows his eyes. ‘About what?’
Nice try there. I look down the room to where Diesel’s in his high-vis coat next to Nell in hers, giving his paw to a resident as if butter wouldn’t melt. ‘Diesel not always being as perfectly behaved as he is today. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my cakes.’
Ross’s voice rises. ‘Call me many things, but I’m not a dobber.’
But I’m back at the table, taking the tops off the decoration boxes. ‘Let’s move on with the hundreds and thousands.’ I’m looking at Roger, who’s got as much icing on his ear as on his bun. ‘Take a pinch and sprinkle them on top of the icing.’
Pam nods. ‘That’s why they’re called sprinkles, Roger.’
Joanie smiles. ‘The icing is wet, and as it sets the sprinkles stick to the top.’
Roger is nodding as if something major is falling into place in his mind. ‘Well, well, isn’t that cunning?’
Pam’s carrying on. ‘Did you know, each molecule of sugar contains twelve carbon atoms, twenty-two hydrogen atoms and eleven oxygen atoms?’
‘I must remember that.’ Jen’s shaking her head at me. ‘You learn something every day with this lot around.’
I push the boxes towards them before they start askingmeabout science. ‘What are you waiting for? Go, go, go!’ Approximately five minutes from now my ordeal will be over. I know my first job on a slimming magazine was sometimes an eye-opener, but my mental picture of older people spending all day snoozing has been seriously challenged this afternoon.
Walter is peering from under his cap, and lifting his walking stick. ‘My Sarah always won first prize with her little cakes at that women’s place she went to on Monday nights.’
Joanie’s eyes light up. ‘Yes! Your Sarah was queen of the butterfly buns at the WI.’
Jen’s smiling at me. ‘They sound like a great idea to try next time.’ She lowers her voice. ‘They might make Walter feel more at home here.’ Then she raises it again. ‘Does the same time next week suit you, Cressy?’
My stomach deflates. ‘You want more next Thursday?’
‘Unless you can fit us in before.’
The splatters across the table look more like an explosion in a paintball park than cooking in a care home lounge. I’m staring down to where Ian and Roger are dipping their icing-covered hands into the sprinkle boxes. They hold up fingers encrusted with sugar strands. ‘So what do we do next, Cressy?’
Pam’s shaking her head at them. ‘How many Captain of Industry Awards do you two have between you? Grab a paper towel each before you go any further.’
Then a cough behind me makes me turn. ‘Actually the snitch wasn’t Ross, it was me.’
‘Nell?’
Her hands are deep in the pockets of her Day-Glo waistcoat and Diesel’s wagging beside her. ‘I may haveinadvertentlymentioned Diesel’s escapades to Clemmie.’
‘So what about Ross?’ My gut tells me he’s in this too.
But we never get to answer that question, because Diesel’s nose is at table level, and a second later he strikes. But I’m learning fast.
What do they say about never working with dogs or children? As I dive in and swipe Joanie’s bun to safety right out from under Diesel’s nose, I turn to see a tribe of kids filing in, with Sophie waving at me from behind them.
‘Are you up for a few more customers? We couldn’t resist joining in with fairy cakes!’
The eldest girl takes in my wide-eyed blinking. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll help the littlies. We won’t be here long, we’re on our way to dancing.’
