Plum licks her spoon and turns as the gallery door opens. ‘I’ll just check if this customer is okay to browse.’
Clemmie gives me a nudge. ‘Not justanycustomer either, Florence Flapjack, it’s your new boss.’ She calls out as Shadow jumps up from under my chair and shoots off towards him, ‘Someone’s pleased to see you, Kit.’
Sophie calls out too. ‘If you want to see the latest from Floss, it’s over here.’
Whatever Kit’s wanting, I’m hoping it’s quick. As I hurry down the length of the gallery to get Shadow, I give a silent cheer as I see Plum is already ringing up the till and passing him a paper bag.
I get hold of Shadow’s trailing lead. ‘We were just having a quick tasting session.’ I’d rather the others didn’t get the chance to scrutinise us together. ‘It’s pretty much finished.’
Kit holds up his bag. ‘I have my sister’s birthday card in here. I need to catch the post.’
‘Lovely!’ I’m giving more silent hurrahs. ‘Don’t let us hold you up.’
Sophie calls again. ‘Any more news on Mum’s date with David this evening?’
‘You haven’t heard?’ Kit’s voice falters. ‘They brought it forward and had it yesterday.’
‘What?’ My mouth is hanging open.
Sophie is quicker to recover herself. ‘It’s barely afternoon, no doubt we’ll hear about how it went later.’
Kit frowns as he hesitates. ‘It went well enough to arrange another, apparently.’
His words echo off the walls, as I try to take it in. What the actual hell is our mum doing? If once was bad judgement, twice is unbelievable. As for leaving us to find out what’s going on from someone else – it’s humiliating. As I march down the gallery, I’m stamping my feet so hard, the clatter of my footsteps is bouncing back off the ceiling.
‘Good for them!’ I say sarcastically over my shoulder. I can’t say to Kit it’s the worst news ever.
‘I’ll be in touch about tomorrow, Floss,’ he calls.
‘Absolutely.’
My first stint at my new job just got a whole lot harder. But my determination to prove myself just got a whole lot stronger.
I lean back in my chair and eat a handful of macaron pieces. Then I look across at Clemmie. ‘Okay. How about fixing a date for that Mums and Bumps session at mine?’
27
The Hideaway, St Aidan
Answerphones and overtones
Monday
‘Mum! How did your early date go?’
Sophie and I agreed that I’m the best one to make the call to Mum and I’m home again before I finally decide how to approach it. When she picks up on the third ring, I’m not out to trick her.
‘So you know?’
I’m trying to be minimal with full transparency. ‘Kit mentioned it.’
There’s a beat of silence before she responds. ‘I knew he’d be good for you to work for.’
Of all the answers, I wasn’t expecting that. I ignore it and press on. ‘And the date went so well that you’re doing it again?’
Another beat. ‘David lived in Australia. It’s a continent, there’s a lot to cover.’
‘I’ll take your word on that.’ She had no interest in the place previously. When we watchedNeighbourswhen I was a kid, she’d sneak off to the kitchen and listen to current affairs on Radio 4.
