Paloma nods. ‘Namely a glowing advert in the form of a “news story” for his darling daughter’s brand-new enterprise. Ha! Nice publicity if you can get it.’
‘Got time for a coffee?’ I ask on the way back in the car.
She glances at her watch. ‘Wish I did, but I’ve got this impatient client chomping at the bit for something to look at by the end of the week, so it’ll be nose to the grindstone for the next few days.’
‘Have you heard from that woman, Sylvia, with any news about your birth mum?’
Paloma’s eyes light up. ‘No, but I’m convinced I will. I can just feel it. My real mum’s out there somewhere, Twi, and I’m going to find her!’
I smile at her, sensing a new energy about my best friend. She’s never referred to her birth mum as her ‘real mum’ before. For some reason, I think of Rowena and her lost daughter …
‘Can you imagine?’ she says. ‘If I find Mum, I might even discover other relatives I never knew I had! Wouldn’t that be amazing? We could have proper family Christmases together!’
My smile slips. I can’t help worrying for Paloma. She’s so enlivened by the prospect of finding a family, but what if the trail goes cold, right there on that woman’s driveway? How devastated will she feel then?
Softly, I say, ‘I know. It would be incredible. And in the meantime, you’ve got me and my family. We love you.’
She leans over to hug me, her eyes bright with tears. ‘I know you do. Thank you.’
I wave her off and let myself into the café, keeping the ‘closed’ sign in place for a little while longer so I can drink a strong coffee and get rid of my disguise. It’s not as if I’m in danger of losing customers by having closed up for an hour or so. I’d bet not a single person has been along during the time I’ve been away with Paloma, scouting out the competition. Except maybe Betty and Doreen, who call in most days for refreshments. I doubt they’d be surprised to find me closed, though. They fully understand that I’m just treading water here really, while Lucy and Olivia continue their crusade to take over the village with their café and their charity run.
Both Betty and Doreen are disgusted at what Lucy has done, deliberately sabotaging my efforts in such a two-faced, diabolical way, but I’ve made them promise not to mention any of it to Mum. They understand my motives because they’re so protective of Mum and Dad themselves, especially recently, with what Dad has been going through.
Much later, at four-thirty, after another agonisingly slow afternoon, I’m just thinking of closing up and going home, when I hear a car draw up and park outside.
It’s Jason.
I haven’t seen him since the night before opening day, and I’ve sensed he’s been avoiding me. I really don’t think he can have known about Lucy and Olivia’s plans to open their own café the same day as me. If he did, surely he wouldn’t have come to the house the night before my opening to wish me well? He’d have given me an embarrassed wide berth.
I remember the night of Lucy’s fashion show in the pub. When I was chatting to Jason through his car window, Lucy arrived and announced to him that Olivia would be staying the night. They were probably planning their café opening even then, and I had no idea.
‘Hi, Twilight.’ Jason’s expression is hangdog and his eyes look puffy as if he hasn’t slept. He might as well have ‘guilty’ stamped on his forehead.
‘Hi, Jason.’ I try to gauge his body language. Either he feels guilty because he knew all along about the Clean Food Café, but his conscience got the better of him at the last minute, leading to his phone call to enlighten me. Or he didn’t know and he feels embarrassed about Lucy’s shocking behaviour. I’m inclined to think it’s the latter. I know Jason of old. He’s not a schemer and he can’t lie for toffee.
‘Can I get you something, Jason? Coffee? Tea? I think I might be able to fit you in.’ I smile ironically, throwing out my arm to indicate all the empty tables.
‘A stiff drink would be preferable.’ He falls into a seat and rubs his face wearily. Then he meets my eyes properly for the first time since he walked in. ‘Twi, I’m so sorry. About Lucy. I’m stunned and … well, horrified she could do this to you.’ He laughs bitterly. ‘I mean, I’ve always known she was a handful, but I never thought she could do something so calculated and hurtful. I know you two have never got on but this …’ He shakes his head.
‘Never got on?’ I jump instantly on the defensive. ‘I should have thought you, more than anyone, would know it’s nothing to do with Lucy and I not getting on, and everything to do with your girlfriend’s totally illogical hatred towards me.’
He nods swiftly. ‘I know, I know. That came out wrong.’ He sighs. ‘I suppose I just don’t want to believe that it’s all her because that means I’m living with a callous, scheming monster.’
He looks so defeated, my heart goes out to him. It’s clear Lucy kept him completely in the dark about the café, presumably because she knew he would be against it and would probably warn me about it.
‘Monster might be a little strong,’ I say, hoping to make him smile.
‘I don’t know,’ he murmurs. ‘If it’s any consolation, we had a huge row about it and Lucy’s taken the hump and moved out, back to her parents.’
‘Wow. Gosh, I’m sorry.’
He curls his lip. ‘Don’t be. I’m not. We’re not exactly a match made in heaven, Lucy and I.’
He gazes up at me, a mournful look on his face, and I’d give anything to know what’s going through his mind right this minute.
Does he think we were a match made in
