Page 21 of The Village Cafe in the Loire

‘A dressing down? What happened?’

There was a pause. ‘I’ll tell you later,’ Amber said. ‘Honestly, I’d better go. People will get suspicious if I spend any more time in the loo.’

‘OK. Well don’t let the bastards grind you down.’

‘I won’t.’

‘And Amber?’

‘Yes?’

‘You still complete me.’

Amber laughed. ‘I know.’

Quoting from the movies they loved had become their thing. An outsider might find it odd, but saying they completed each other had become their way of saying ‘I love you.’

Amber really was her missing piece, the person without whom she wouldn’t be complete, thought Becky. Without Amber at her side, she’d have struggled at times over the last few years. Or the last couple of decades in fact. Amber with her sage advice,her sense of fun. The way she could look through the complex arguments given by Becky’s mother and extract the important bits on her behalf, when she got overwhelmed.

When Dad had had his heart attack, it was Amber who’d come and looked after them both. Staying overnight, making cups of tea. Just being there. She was the sister that Becky had never had. And the soft-sided relative that her mum had never been.

She hoped she’d been the same for Amber over the years. Amber’s mum was anxious, not always easy to confide in. So Becky had tried to be there when Amber’s mum couldn’t.

‘Couldn’t do it without you,’ she whispered into the ether.

Then, ‘Right!’ she said, stepping into her work persona. She walked over to the mirror and corrected her hair, neatening up her blonde ponytail, checked her teeth and nodded. She marched back down to the café and proprietorially made her way to the kitchen at the back. Pascal was there, a jug of milk in his hand. Their eyes met.

‘Right,’ she said. ‘I’ve decided to stay for a while after all. There are quite a few inefficiencies here that I’d like to iron out. And a few improvements I’d like to make.’

‘So you are fulfilling Maud’s wishes!’ he said, seemingly only hearing the highlights.

‘No,’ Becky said. ‘I’m fulfillingmywishes. Getting this place shipshape for sale. And if that helps move things along for you as well, then so be it.’

‘Oh, of course,’ Pascal said, with a cheeky wink. ‘Of course, these areyourwishes.’

‘No! Seriously!Mywishes!’

‘Yes. Iunderstand.’ He gave her an even more generous wink.

‘Pascal! I’m here because Iwantto be. No other reason,’ she said.

‘Ofcourse! Why would anyone suggest otherwise?’

And then, just when she was about to explain again – more forcefully this time – her eyelid decided to do the talking for her, with a quick trembling wink.

Pascal touched a finger to his nose. ‘Your secret is safe with me,’ he said. ‘I understand completely.’

He didn’t. But she was too exhausted with trying to explain. ‘Good,’ she said. ‘So that’s settled.’

8

‘So, I’ve written some plans out,’ she said, determinedly entering the kitchen that evening. Pascal, who was sitting at the large table in the communal kitchen drinking a glass of red wine, looked up, surprised.

That’s right,she thought,I’m in charge now.

She opened her laptop and began to list the things she was aiming to improve in the café in her short duration as reluctant manager. ‘Paint or replace front door. New matching chairs and tables. A decent coffee machine. Perhaps a glass cabinet on the counter – I was thinking we could sell muffins and doughnuts again? Maud used to years ago, I think. Ideally, I’d like to get a lick of paint throughout the place, just to brighten it up.’ Her mouth opened again to form the phraseWhat do you think?But she held it back. She didn’t need this man’s approval – this was her place and if she was being forced to stay, she was doing it on her terms. Still, she felt annoyingly nervous on the inside.

Pascal shook his head, a flicker of an amused smile on his lips. He leaned slightly back in his chair, and she was tempted to bark at him like a teacher, to keep all four legs on the ground. Luckily, she was able to resist.

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