Miles is looking at me intently. ‘I have Zoom meetings later, but if you need me to help, I could always move them?’
I’m fingering mywhat the actual eff?card. ‘You carry on with your meetings, Miles. You can definitely help later by picking up orders.’
Zofia grasps my hand. ‘Your mum would be very proud of you for doing this.’
My heart swells in my chest, then I swallow the lump in my throat and smile. ‘She’d be flabbergasted more like! Scarlett’s the dynamic one. Nothing I’ve done before ever suggested I’d do anything this out there!’
I’m painfully aware, if it hadn’t been for a monumental mess up, I’d never have grabbed the studio, let alone thought of selling things.
Zofia nods. ‘Like it says on your cards:Time to astonish yourself!’
Clemmie picks up another. ‘What I want to know is whose is the “rear of the year” on theNice Bumcard?’ She gives me another wink. ‘We could run an opening week competition on the St Aidan Village Facebook page, asking for nominations. That’ll raise your profile and get customers flocking to your shop.’
Miles laughs. ‘The level of interest that card’s generated already, you’d better get more printed.’
And just like that, there’s no going back.
29
The Barnyard, Saltings Lane, St Aidan
No doubt?
Wednesday
‘It must be hard living with a guy who looks like aVoguemodel?’
It’s mid-afternoon when Clemmie and I push open the stable door of the first unit at the barnyard to find Plum already inside, and she’s a long way off-topic here.
She carries on. ‘I mean, it’s like David Gandy and Chris Hemsworth had a triplet brother. Not that that’s possible, but you get my drift.’
I may as well tell it like it is. ‘When I bolted down my lunchtime sandwich, it was so I could look at fabulous products, not so we could talk about Miles.’
Clemmie wrinkles her nose. ‘Plum was at mine ringing round the barnyard makers, and this question was in my head the whole time she was doing it, so I thought I’d get it out of the way.’
I can see there’s no getting out of this. ‘Textbook irresistible– is that a good way of putting it?’ I shrug. ‘He’s so far out of reach that it never crossed my mind to think of Miles as anything other than the guy who empties the bins on the days I don’t.’
Plum hitches up her dungarees and swishes her ponytail. ‘I’d say you’re seriously underrating yourself if you think that.’
I bring out my usual excuse. ‘I focus on my career rather than guys these days.’
Plum laughs. ‘I was exactly the same, Betsy, then someone unexpectedly came along and changed my mind.’
I wrinkle my nose. ‘If that did happen to me, it wouldn’t be with Miles. He’s not just out of my league, ladies, he’s in a league from a different universe. When he’s in the real world rather than St Aidan, Miles hangs out with super-humans.’
Clemmie grins. ‘I don’t accept that either. Even so, it must be difficult to stay hands-off when that’s paraded in front of you when you’re eating your avocado dips for breakfast.’
I laugh. ‘It’s more likely to be Nutella on toast, and I haven’t succumbed to covering him in chocolate spread yet.’
‘I assume that theNice bumpostcard was about him?’
So that’s where this is heading.
As this is Clemmie, I might as well be open. ‘It mayhave been.’
Plum laughs. ‘We both noticed this morning he’s very eager to help you.’
I don’t see a significant connection. ‘That’s how he is. Any chance to show off his superior skills and knowledge, he’s straight in there. It’s nothing more than that.’
