“If you’d ever like to talk more, give me a call,” she said. “I’d be happy to go out for a drink, or something like that, before you leave.”
“So… hold on,” Saskia said. “This Veronica lady is noticeably hostile to you and people of your… kin. But you still support her business?”
“Where else is there to go in this village?” Anastasia said. “There’s no café. And you may have noticed the lack of social life. In terms of meeting spots, there’s the pub or the beach. Or someone’s house, but I’ve just moved in with Victoria, and she’s funny about having people in her space. And anyway… it’s a local business, isn’t it? It deserves our support, just for existing here. That’s how I feel, anyway.”
What a perfect ending to my article,Saskia thought as she shook Anastasia’s hand one final time before leaving.And what a wonderful way to think. So unlike the vibe of cancel culture that I expected.
She could have been so easily ‘cancelled’, she thought sadly as she began to walk back to the car. She’d never hidden her prejudiced, outright homophobic views in the early days of her social media. When she’d gotten her first social media account aged fourteen, her posts had been entirely unfiltered. Those accounts were long since gone now – as were those prejudices, she hoped – but if someone were to dig them back up again… it didn’t bear thinking about.
Not in the least because there was enough hatred in the world already, without Saskia Saltmarshe, a relatively big name in the industry these days, appearing to add to it. Her mum and brother both coming out as bisexual had forced Saskia to re-think her attitude towards every facet of life. Most of which had been sadly lacking.
She was going to be different now, she vowed. Love was going to fuel her, not hatred. And she could start right from ground zero: by proving to Kivi that she was actually a nice person.
Chapter Ten
Kivi
Eva proved surprisingly open to spending more time at the guest house.
Kivi had expected her to have some objections – and sure, she had been sceptical when Kivi had first broached the subject. But then Kivi had sat her down and explained the predicament, and she had immediately agreed.
“If you want to do it, then say yes,” she said. “I’ll step up here. And Emilia is happy to take my job, right?”
“She is,” Kivi confirmed. Anastasia had texted her as much last night. It had taken a good forty-eight hours for her to confirm, and all the while, Kivi had been flip-flopping between saying yes and no to the fiancées.
“Then go for it,” Eva said. “It’ll be good for you to go back to your roots.”
They’d been interrupted by a guest at that point, but Eva’s words had stuck with her, and returned to the forefront of her mind as she lay in bed that night. Normally, her days were so jam-packed that she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, but tonight seemed to be the exception. As she lay there, Toto on her feet, she sighed.Might as well make myself a cup of tea.
Toto followed her sleepily into her tiny galley kitchen and flopped onto the floor, then just as quickly had to get up again and follow her into the living room. He was a faithful hound – she never went anywhere in her little annex alone. Which would be a problem if she ever had bedroom guests, but that hadn’t occurred for several years now due to lack of time and available participants. She wasn’t unattractive – she looked younger than her thirty-four years, and her hair was still as fluffy and blonde as it had been in her twenties. There just wasn’t much of a gay scene down in Miltree. And those who were gay were already partnered up.
Sitting with mug in hand, she found her thoughts wandering to Lillia. Her first, and only, relationship. They’d gone strong for seven years – and then just as she was thinking of finally proposing, the disaster had happened with Gareth and Drew, and the stress had ended them. Lillia wouldn’t have suited this lifestyle, anyway. She would have resented Kivi’s time being taken away from her. Kivi hadn’t thought of her in years. It was because she couldn’t sleep, that was all. Perhaps Miss Saltmarshe’s fiery red hair had reminded her subconsciously of Lillia’s strawberry-blonde locks.
Miss Saltmarshe had been suspiciously nice since bumping into her in the florist. Perhaps Kivi’s awkwardness and swift exit had given away her true feelings, because ever since then, she’d been the essence of professionalism. There had been no more unfiltered blurts, no more staring off into space dreamily… the woman had been on the ball, positively chirpy in the mornings, and congenial at all times. She’d complimented Kivi’s cooking, and even her appearance this morning, although purely in a polite way, nothing flirtatious by any stretch of the imagination.
And yet, Kivi still didn’t quite trust her. She couldn’t get over the feeling that the woman had some sort of hidden agenda,something else lurking beneath the surface. She knew that the corporate world was often full of back-stabbing, nepotism, and other unattractive self-serving concepts… perhaps it was the knowledge that Miss Saltmarshe was a high-flying corporate journalist that was putting Kivi off. Whatever it was, it was disturbing her. She’d nevernotgotten on with a guest (or indeed a client) before, and had always prided herself on being a ‘human chameleon’, able to adapt her personality to bounce off whoever she was with.Must try harder. She’s staying for six weeks!
Miss Saltmarshe was later than usual for breakfast the next day. For the last three days, she’d been up at the crack of dawn, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and drinking Kivi’s freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice like it was going out of fashion. But that Thursday – the fourth morning of Miss Saltmarshe’s stay – Kivi found herself checking her watch. The Joneses came down for breakfast, then Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland, then the rest of the guests room by room… all except Miss Saltmarshe. By a quarter to ten, Kivi was seriously worried. Ought she go and check on her?
But five minutes later, Miss Saltmarshe appeared, looking rather worse for wear. She sat down at what was fast becoming ‘her table’, and then got up to help herself to what was left of the continental. She hadn’t ordered anything cooked, but Kivi noticed her pallor and wondered whether she should cook her something anyway.
“Good morning,” she greeted her, stopping herself before she could say ‘Miss Saltmarshe’.
“Oh. Good morning, Kivi,” Miss Saltmarshe replied. “I’m sorry I’m so late. I was up until the small hours, getting a first draft cobbled together for one of my articles. It’s still missingsomething, though… and I was driving myself up the wall, trying to figure out what it was.”
“Did you figure it out in the end?” Kivi asked politely.
“Sadly not. I had to accept defeat. The body of it is there, and the ending… it’s the beginning that needs some work. I probably won’t go out today. I’ll sit in the guest lounge and work on it, provided I won’t get under your feet.”
“Go ahead,” Kivi said. “Would you like anything cooked? I have a couple of sausages going spare if you’d like a sausage sandwich.”
Miss Saltmarshe considered it, then shook her head. “No, thank you. I’ve got enough on my plate here.”
She had one small croissant and some slices of fruit, but perhaps she wasn’t one for a big breakfast. Kivi wasn’t either.
“Tea, then? Coffee? Hot chocolate?”
“Grapefruit juice will be just fine, thank you.”
