‘Really?’
‘Yes, I know it wasn’t done out of spite.’
‘And I want you to know I am so sorry about your shop. I know how heartbreaking that must be, especially with all the work you’ve put in for the Easter egg hunt.’
‘Hopefully that will still go ahead in some capacity.’
‘I hope so too. Listen, I wanted to offer you these glass jars. I bought a hundred of them when I started my bath bomb business, they were cheap and I thought I would put my bath bombs in them and display them around the shop. I stupidly hadn’t measured how big my bath bombs were and they don’t fit through the neck of the jar. Anyway, I wasn’t able to return them and they’ve sat in my basement gathering dust ever since. I know your plastic pick ’n’ mix sweet dispensers will take a long time to come and then you’d have to install them in your shop so I thought you could use the jars for the sweets in the meantime. It would mean you measuring out the sweets rather than people helping themselves but I thought it might be useful.’
Immy thought about it for a moment. ‘That’s a wonderful idea, thank you. It was something I didconsider when I opened my sweet shop, to make it look like an old vintage sweet shop, but I thought people being able to choose their own pick ’n’ mix would work better even if it wasn’t quite as hygienic. This will be brilliant, at least in the short term, and it will give me an idea of how it would work on a day-to-day basis to see if I want to do it long-term. And you’re right, it will take a while for the plastic dispensers to be shipped. At least if we are able to open for the hunt, I can use these to sell sweets from a table out the front. How much do you want for them?’
‘No, no, no, they’re free. I want to help, and not just because I was an ass. I’m not using them so they’re yours. I’ll be glad to see the back of them. I’ve even washed them all out too.’
‘Thank you, that’s really kind.’
‘So… we’re good?’
‘Yes, of course.’
Beth looked over towards the chocolate shop. ‘Xander’s coming over and, to show how mature I am and that I’ve turned over a new leaf, I won’t even give you an exaggerated wink as I walk away, or watch the two of you together and report it back to Lizzie. Your business is your own.’
Immy smiled at that although she wondered how long that would last.
Beth walked off and Xander came over.
He inclined his head in Beth’s direction. ‘Everything OK?’
‘Yes, she apologised.’ Immy had told Xander aboutthe photo and he’d been outraged on her behalf but she’d persuaded him not to do anything as Lizzie and Diya had already apologised and promised to delete the photo. He’d still wanted to go over and have a stern word with Beth but she’d persuaded him not to. She needed the community on her side at this time so she didn’t need to start pushing people away.
‘I hope it was suitably grovelling.’
‘It was actually, very genuine. And she’s going to be giving me some sweet jars which will be really useful in the interim.’
‘Well, that’s nice.’ He offered out a mug of one of his famous hot chocolates. This stuff was divine and she could drink gallons of it and still want more.
‘Thank you.’ She took a long drink, closing her eyes at the ecstasy of the taste. She snapped her eyes open. ‘Hang on, there’s something else in there.’
He grinned. ‘Pistachio.’
She smiled that he was taking her pistachio addiction seriously. ‘Thank you, it tastes wonderful.’
‘Does that mean we’ll get married?’
She laughed. ‘Not yet.’
‘I’ll keep trying. Any word?’ Xander gestured to the sweet shop.
‘Not a peep. Coral arrived, introduced herself, went in and she hasn’t come out since. I can see her moving around in there and she’s making loads of notes on her tablet. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.’
‘Well if it’s bad, hopefully she might tell us which areas specifically we need to fix and maybe how to do itso at least we have a targeted plan. There may only be certain areas that need to be fixed in order for it to be safe. Like a car and its MOT, sometimes it can be something very simple that needs fixing in order to pass. So let’s not panic just yet, let’s hear what she has to say.’
‘I think you’re supposed to tell me everything will be fine.’
He smiled. ‘Everything will be fine. Even if we have some things to fix first before it’s officially fine, we will sort it out somehow.’
Immy nodded but she didn’t feel any better. Her stomach was churning and her heart leapt every time Coral entered something onto her tablet.
‘Do you want me to wait with you?’ Xander asked. ‘Judy is manning the fort right now. And Etta of course.’
