Down on Daffodil Lane. Rebecca Pugh

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СКАЧАТЬ up with right then. The more time she’d spent chatting to Harriet that morning, the more she’d felt herself warming towards her. Even the story of how the café had come to be had made her feel more connected to it. It had a whole history, and Harriet and her husband’s life had taken place here. It was more than just a business to make money, she realised. It was full of memories for the owner, and Maria wasn’t surprised she’d never left. She didn’t think that she’d ever want to, if she was in Harriet’s shoes. It was obvious how much the café meant to its owner and, after that morning, Maria felt like she’d known Harriet for years.

      ‘Nonsense. You’d be fantastic as my waitress. As long as you’re friendly and quick on your feet, you’re perfect for the role. It’s only part-time hours so you wouldn’t be here all of the time, which could work quite well alongside your painting? Still, I don’t want to force you into it. It certainly sounds like you need the break, so if you’d prefer to take it nice and easy while you’re here, I’ll completely understand. There are better ways to spend a summer than waiting on people, but it’s there to think about anyway.’

      A customer entered the café then, and Harriet’s attention shifted from Maria to the harried newcomer. ‘Good morning, Millie!’ she called brightly.

      ‘Hi! Hi! Oh, bugger.’ Millie, in her haste, had walked straight into a chair and was now flapping her hands about her face to calm herself down. Hastily, Millie pushed the skew-whiff chair back beneath the table she’d kicked it out from and closed her eyes momentarily to calm herself. ‘I’m late. For everything,’ she declared dramatically, like a movie star, and she certainly looked like one too. ‘Susie was an absolute nightmare this morning, refusing to get dressed, refusing to eat her breakfast. I had to carry her into nursery, because she decided to lie down on the ground and wouldn’t get back up. The people walking by had to step over her. It was a little bit embarrassing.’ She finally took a breath and it was then that she realised she and Harriet were not alone. ‘Oh, hello! I’m Millie. Sorry, didn’t mean to bore you with the trials and tribulations of my life.’ She rolled her eyes and laughed lightly.

      ‘Come on over, Millie. This is Maria, she’s new to Loland Green.’

      ‘Hello,’ Maria smiled and gave a little wave of her hand. ‘It’s nice to meet you.’

      ‘You too,’ Millie grinned back, walking towards the table. ‘Sorry about that, I didn’t realise anyone else was in here. I thought it was only Harriet and she’s more than used to my morning babbling.’

      ‘No need to apologise. It certainly added a bit of excitement to my morning.’

      Laughing, Millie took a bow. ‘Here every day!’

      ‘Vanilla latte, two sugars, extra milk,’ called Harriet from over by the coffee machine. She was holding a takeout cup over the counter and wobbling it a bit at Millie, who hurried over and took it gratefully. After paying, she took a quick sip and grinned again at Maria.

      ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been on time for anything in my life. Not once. Hey, if you’re ever after a haircut, pop by the salon. I’ll give you mates’ rates.’ She winked and, with a final wave at Harriet, left the café. Maria watched her hurry up the street, shiny blonde hair fluttering behind her.

      ‘Well, she seems nice,’ Maria said to Harriet.

      ‘Who? Millie? Oh, she’s a lovely young woman. Although I think her daughter is giving her a rough time at the moment. You should definitely visit her in the salon. She’s fabulous with a pair of scissors.’

      Maria ran her fingers through her hair self-consciously. If she was going to be honest, she hadn’t made much effort with her appearance since, well, since everything had happened. Had Harriet noticed? Did she really look that terrible? Was that why she’d brought up the topic? Or was it merely a throwaway comment?

      ‘Oh, no! I didn’t mean like that,’ Harriet said quickly, eyes wide, as she noticed Maria’s flushed face. ‘You have lovely hair. Really nice. I just meant that you should take up the offer if you ever fancy it.’

      Maria burst out laughing, once again enjoying the sound and feel of it, how it vibrated and rumbled up her throat before bursting out of her mouth and filling the space around her. She really didn’t do it enough. Hopefully that would change now that she was here. ‘It’s fine, honestly. I suppose you’re right, really. I could do with a trim. It’s been a while. Yes, I think I will visit the salon.’ Maria nodded firmly.

      A few moments of silence passed as Harriet continued busying herself behind the counter. Maria wasn’t entirely sure of whether she felt comfortable with what she was about to say but she went ahead and said it anyway. After all, what else was she going to do while she was here, other than paint? No, this was what she needed. And after all, now more than ever was the time to start taking chances. If it didn’t work out, then fine. But what if it did? ‘Harriet,’ she began slowly, ‘I think I’d like to take that waitressing position. I’m here for the summer, you need help, so it’s perfect really.’ Her heart was thumping madly in her chest. It was exciting but nerve-wracking all at the same time, but as she said the words, she realised she didn’t regret her decision at all. It was something new, something to look forward to, and alongside Harriet, she knew she’d feel right at home. It was, now that she’d done it, the perfect opportunity.

      ‘Are you sure?’ Harriet frowned and stopped what she was doing. ‘I mean, you didn’t seem too keen on the idea…’

      ‘Yes, I’m sure. I’d love to see if I’m any good. Plus, it will keep me busy while I’m here. As lovely as the cottage is, it’ll be great to have something else to do besides painting walls. I can’t paint for the entire summer, can I? It might become a bit dull. I need to throw myself into something new. Besides, you seem lovely, and I do enjoy being here, even after only visiting twice. It’s grown on me quite dramatically in such a short amount of time. It’s odd, actually.’

      ‘Maria, you are a life-saver. Thank you!’

Chapter Three

      Following another delightful morning at Harriet’s Place the next day, in which Maria and Harriet went through the details of the vacancy and sorted out her shift pattern, she decided to take Harriet’s advice and pop into the salon to visit Millie.

      The evening before, she’d taken a good, long, hard look at herself in the mirror and decided that she wasn’t happy with what she saw. Was it any wonder Mike had looked elsewhere? No, that was a stupid thought to have. She couldn’t blame herself. Whether she’d looked rubbish or not, he still shouldn’t have done it. Appearance wasn’t everything, and there was no way on earth that she’d start to believe that. It wasn’t her fault he couldn’t keep it in his trousers. But besides all of that, she really did need a tidy up if she were to begin as the café’s new waitress. She wanted to make a good impression and a haircut was just the ticket.

      Maria was eager to learn more about Millie, and excited about being in her bubbly company once more. She hoped they could squeeze her in, because the more time she’d spent faffing with her hair, the more she’d realised how much it was actually in need of a cut. How had she allowed it to get this bad? Well, considering everything that had gone on, her hair had shifted down her list of priorities so she supposed that explained it.

      Millie grinned when Maria entered the salon that afternoon. ‘Hurray, you came! And what do you know, we can fit you in! Here, take a seat.’ She indicated to the chair an elderly woman had just got up from. It was clear that she enjoyed her job, and Maria СКАЧАТЬ