“Mama brought the chairs and dinner service for the café.” Lena smile and patted her mother’s hand. It was amazing what’d just happened. “It’s all coming together. The oven gets fitted tomorrow and so does the dishwasher and new sink if the plumber finishes his other job before lunch.” She sat back in her chair and smiled again, the tension finally easing from her shoulders. “It’s finally starting to seem real, you know. Like I’m going to be doing something I love once again.” And that’s a magical sensation.
“Talking of which, how about you start charging me for the cakes you’re making and then I won’t feel guilty about asking for a larger order. I can’t find another baker interested in what I want and you know I love what you make, so for me it’s the best solution.”
“How can I charge you? You’re my best friend, Gail.”
“Yeah I know, that’s why you can’t say no to me, but business is business. You have to charge for your services or everyone will start taking advantage of you. I let you pay for the coffee, didn’t I?” Gail winked at Sofia before plastering on her game face for Lena once again.
True. But they would be cheaper than normal. “Yeah, yeah. So what do you want? Write me a list and I’ll see how we go, alright?” Bet that list grows.
Gail held her hand up for a high five and whooped out loud, startling a couple of the customers. “Way to go, girl. I have a list already done.”
Lena laughed and shook her head. “You know me too well.” The joy of good friends.
“You’re a pushover, kid. Now, when is opening day?” Gail sipped her coffee and sighed in pleasure.
Wow, something else to think about. “Not for a while. I still haven’t got tables. I was thinking of making some out of old doors, what do you think? I can used recycled posts for the legs, kind of chunky looking but solid. Going for the whole rustic look and hopefully I can make them myself. Thought they might be nice with crisp white table clothes on them.” With old jars holding wild flowers too.
“I like it. You could try Rick’s demo shop just out of town. They have scores of doors. Get the kids onto it for you. I’m sure they’d like to help out. Mitch and his mates are always looking for something to do. Rope them in, make them a part of it.”
“That’s a good idea, Gail. I like how you think,” said Sofia. “I can help them too if you need me, bella.”
Wonderful. “I might call in there on the way home. We could make a weekend out of it and see how many tables we can come up with.” Ooh, getting excited.
“The kids wanted to do the movies this weekend too. Is that alright for you? Kyle can stay at our place on Friday night after school and go to the movies, and I can drop them off on Saturday and give you a hand. What do you say?”
Lena smiled and winked at her mother. “I say I like that idea very much. We could have a cookout in the back yard too. Maybe invite Adam if he’s not busy.”
“You’ve changed your tune. I thought you were blaming him for Simon?” Sofia looked at her daughter.
“Yeah I did, and I’m not sure he has nothing to do with it yet, but Papa is convinced he is a good guy and I suppose for that reason alone I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. And he is the neighbor and my landlord after all.”
“And that’s it then?” Gail glanced at her from under her lashes.
That’s all I’m prepared to share right now. “Don’t even go there. That is so not funny at this point in time.”
“Where there’s a hot man there’s hope, I say.” Gail ducked away from the flying hand Lena aimed her way, laughing hysterically.
They finished their coffee and Sofia headed off to the supermarket for her weekly shopping leaving her daughter with strict instructions to bargain with the man for the doors.
On the way home Lena called in at the demolition yard mindful of her mother’s instructions.
“What you’re looking for is down here.” The salesman, Rick, led her outside to a covered awning where he had doors lined up stretching the length of the building. “Enough here for you to choose from?”
Oh yeah. Doors galore. She laughed and started going through them. “Yes there is. What I want to do is make tables from them so I’m better with ones that don’t have the recesses in them.” Looks like there were plenty of useable ones here.
“How many you after?” Rick scratched at his chin, a frown on his tanned face.
“I’m thinking around fourteen smallish ones to seat two to four people and a few larger ones that seat about six.”
“You’re Ben’s girl aren’t you? The one starting up the restaurant in the old dairy farm milking shed?”
My reputation precedes me. “That would be me, Lena Hawkins. Nice to meet you, Rick.” Lena held out her hand, watching as it disappeared in Rick’s huge hand.
“Pleasure’s mine. Now, see this door here, I have quite a few just like it. They do the trick you reckon? You could scuff off the paint with a big grit sandpaper and that would give you the rustic look if that’s what you’re looking for.” He stood back and watched while she turned it over in her mind. “Course if that’s not what you’re after…”
He’d nailed it. “No, it’s exactly what I want. I think these will do just fine. Don’t happen to have anything I can use for legs do you? Some
