Page 50 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
It’s the sort of moment where, in a movie, they might hug. They’re not huggers, though. Not with each other.
‘Let’s do some jazz ballet,’ Anna says instead.
Ingrid peers across Anna to the studio building. ‘I don’t like the look of it.’
It’s so in character of Ingrid to criticise something before she experiences it that Anna laughs.
‘Maybe it will live up to your expectations,’ she says, then she switches off the engine and heaves open the car door, waiting for Ingrid to arrive beside her before they walk up the path.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
‘Josie, pet, what’s going on?’
Trudy frowns in the direction of her apprentice, who is dancing around as if the floor is on fire and sighing and huffing and doing all sorts. It’s been going on for about five minutes.
‘Oh, nothing.’
‘Clearly that’s a lie.’ Trudy stubs out her cigarette in the ashtray then picks up both and walks toward the back room, nodding at Josie to follow her.
‘Cough it up,’ she says after pushing the door half closed. Evie and Sam aren’t likely to eavesdrop but she thinks Josie deserves some privacy.
‘My mum made an appointment,’ Josie blurts.
From the look on the younger woman’s face Trudy guesses this appointment is not something she wants.
‘At two o’clock,’ Josie goes on.
Trudy glances up at the clock on the wall above the sink and sees that it’s five to two. Which would explain the fire-dancing.
‘With you,’ Josie adds.
‘Ah, so she’s the Erin in the book.’ The name has a big N next to it, which means new client.
‘I didn’t know until this morning,’ Josie rushes on. ‘I think Sam or Evie took the call.’
‘You’re saying all this like it’s a bad thing.’
‘It is!’
Josie’s face crumples and Trudy wants to pull her into a hug, but as her boss that’s probably not a great idea. She needs to retain some authority and hugging won’t do that.
‘You don’t get along with your mum?’
‘I do. Mostly.’ Josie does some more sighing.
Trudy hasn’t known the girl to be this emotional but maybe her mother brings it out in her. ‘So what’s the problem?’
‘She doesn’t like me having this job!’
‘Then why would she come here for an appointment?’
‘Probably to gather information she can use to tell me to stop working here!’ Josie’s voice has gone up a register.
Trudy wants to help calm her employee but not negate what she’s said because she doesn’t know the facts. ‘Why don’t you give her the benefit of the doubt, pet? Maybe she just wants to see what you’re up to. A mother likes to know what her child’s doing, especially when she’s just starting out in the world.’
She thinks of her mother, who used to drop round to the salon in the early days, bringing Trudy lunch. Trudy liked it; she never thought it was an intrusion. But her relationship with her mother was usually calm and respectful, and she doesn’t know anything about Josie’s mum.
‘Trudy!’ Sam calls and Trudy reckons it’s because the lady herself has arrived.
