I hear footsteps clattering on the scrubbed wooden boards, and as Jess and Tia come to a halt in front of the line of hanging wedding dresses, I pat my head.
‘Pixie cuts should be low maintenance, but I can’t do a thing with it!’
Jess taps the toe of her loafer on the floor, and looks like she’s holding back a smile. ‘Harbour water isn’t the best conditioner. Tia assures me you won’t be dipping any more dresses in there after today.’
I can’t believe she’s taking this so well. ‘No more wild excursions. I vow we’ll stick to the shop in future.’ My heartplummets, because I could be reading this wrong. ‘Assuming you let me in at all.’
Jess starts counting off her fingers. ‘Firstly, I believe innovators should be rewarded not punished, and secondly, I’m old and wise enough not to let one damp dress cloud the bigger picture.’ She coughs. ‘I hear my nephew may have inadvertently contributed to the mishap?’
My open mouth drops further. ‘You’re related to Lando Nancarrow?’
Jess sniffs. ‘On my ex-husband’s side. If he’s like the rest of the family, he’ll be equal parts charmer and nightmare.’
I shake my head. ‘He shouldn’t even have been in St Aidan; he and my brother argued and he promised he’d stay away.’ I sigh. ‘But no, I can’t blame it on Lando. This was all me.’
Jess nods. ‘Honest as well as brave. I like that in my staff.’
Tia catches my eye. ‘I may have mentioned you could be looking for extra hours, Maeve.’
I’m cringing that my problems are so public. When I told Tia how tight money is at home with our whole family wading in to help Salvador, I was talking about finding new dogs to walk, which is what’s been keeping me going since the bingo hall closed. After ten years standing still, it’s a ridiculous time tostart considering my career trajectory, but it’s as if seeing Lando just now has woken me up to how little progress I’ve made compared to everyone else.
I have to be honest. ‘I did business at uni, but my only previous retail position was on the deck chair hut.’
Jess laughs. ‘The time you’ve spent here with Tia, you’re hardly a novice. Given the exposure we’ve had from your clips, I should have put you on the payroll months ago.’
Tia’s moved in beside me. ‘Maeve’s other trump card is that she’s free on Saturdays!’
I mumble. ‘My nine-year-old does dance days at the village hall.’
Tia’s beaming. ‘Other times Maeve and her mum cover each other’s childcare.’
Jess’s smile widens. ‘We can be very flexible for the right person. Whatever time you can give us, we’ll take it. So that’s settled then!’
I take a breath. ‘Thanks all the same, Jess, but where Tia is all about the detail, I settle for broad brush strokes. When Tia ismeticulous, I go for wild approximation. And I’m not just rough and ready, I’m quite clumsy too.’ I hesitate, then tell it like it really is. ‘I’m not wedding shop material; I’ll be a total liability.’
Jess’s frown lines deepen. ‘I’m not asking you to do any more than you’re doing now, Maeve. And it won’t be a job; we’ll call you an advisor.’ Her face brightens. ‘Forget the mishaps. Why not shoot me your ideas for what you’ve started today?’
If the truth hasn’t put her off, there’s nothing to lose, so I dive in. ‘Wedding dresses in the wild take on a whole new level of surprise and excitement. I hoped we could film them all over town! In the bakers, on the beach, by the surf shop. If we showcase St Aidan then brides will see it’s the coolest place to come to buy the dresses and outfits for their weddings.’
Tia flashes me a double thumbs up and Jess claps her hands. ‘Brilliant! That’s your brief for the summer. Take Brides by the Sea around the bay and bring in every bride in Cornwall. Start as soon as you like.’
I’m biting my lip preparing to go for the biggie. ‘What about the dress damage?’
Jess raises an eyebrow. ‘All the dresses are samples. Tia knows how to select from our less valuable rails without compromising the pictures.’
I’m still waiting for words to come when I hear the clatter of the shop door opening. Jess looks through to the hallway and claps her hands again.
‘Lando, come in! We were just talking about your harbour splash.’
He grins. ‘In the confusion, Maevey left some of her equipment on the pontoons.’
I jump to my feet and grab the speaker he’s waving. I’m kicking myself for leaving it. ‘After your outburst earlier, I thought you might have dumped it in the sea.’
He gives me a wounded look. ‘That’s a bit harsh.’
Jess is beaming. ‘I sense you have a lot of making up to do here, Lando.’ Her eyebrows arch. ‘If you come and feature in Maeve’s next shoot for the shop, that will go some way to atoning.’
Lando’s opening and closing his mouth.
