Page 71 of Best Mistake Ever
Sitting up, I take a long sip from the mug, feeling the fragrant liquid warm my throat and stomach.
Glorious.
I swing my legs out of bed and walk over to the window of our cottage, peering out between a gap in the curtains.
The sun is out in full force, making the dew-soaked grass shimmer. I can’t help but smile as I gaze out across the lawns to the clay tennis courts that have been recently upgraded. I can see Jonah shaking hands after a game with Ben, one of the hotel staff he gets on with particularly well.
I watch as he makes his way back over to the entrance to the hotel, where Jay is getting out of one of the trucks, a hand held aloft in greeting.
Jonah looks so happy – absolutely in his element, in fact – his gorgeous face relaxed and his eyes shining with pleasure at the sight of our friend.
I, too, still get excited when I see Jay and his entourage arriving with all the glamping tents, marquees and catering supplies. It’s always a joy to have them here.
In the last three years, we’ve hosted seven different events for him here and each time they’ve got bigger – helped by some brilliant reviews, both from influencers and from some of the traditional news outlets. They’re not on the scale of Glastonbury – not that we could even think about hosting something that large – but they’re now big enough to be highly profitable, which means we’re able to charge a very pleasing fee.
The knock-on publicity from Terra Firmer has also meant that we’re now fully booked for the rest of the year, even in low season, with guests wanting to stay at the hotel where it’s held. It’s actually turning into a bit of a celebrity get-away, with somepretty influential people booking the whole place out for weeks at a time.
My idea to turn the lake into a place for picnics, wild swimming and boating has had a really positive effect too, with people citing it as one of the main reasons they loved staying here. It gives the place an especially retro-British feel, apparently.
In fact, last year, we had a film crew use the house and grounds as a location for a period drama, which came out a month ago. It was a big box-office hit, so it’s also driven up the number of enquiries from people who want to visit the ‘movie set’.
After months of intensive research and networking, Jonah managed to get the funding we needed to start up the cider press and it’s gone from strength to strength – both the business and the cider. In fact, we’ve had some pretty bawdy nights doing our own private tasting sessions of the new barrels.
He’s loved getting his teeth into a new project and has been happy leaving the running of the hotel and rest of the grounds to me.
Once we started turning a profit, I was able to start updating the remaining rooms so we’re now able to accommodate even more guests.
I’ve also been looking into opening a separate restaurant here for people who aren’t staying at the hotel, which will be housed in a purpose-built annex. We’re intending to use produce grown on our land, along with goods from local suppliers and perhaps even have a small farm shop too.
But that’s all to come.
A shiver of pleasure runs through me at the thought of what the future holds.
Moving away from the window, I go and take a quick shower in our en suite, then pull on some of the festival clothes Jonahand I have begun building a wardrobe of, so we can blend in with the festivities and feel more of a part of what’s happening.
We’re able to pay staff members to keep on top of whatever Jay and his team might need while the festival’s running now, which means Jonah and I are free to get involved in the workshops and performances if we want to.
Which we usually do.
In fact, Jonah’s played a set during the cabaret at every festival so far and has roped me in to sing with him for most of them too, which I’ve loved.
There’s something so special about performing with him. So connecting.
I adore listening to him playing his guitar in our home too, which he does nearly every day. He’s even started doing small, local gigs in some of the pubs nearby, which are always sold out.
He’s adamant he doesn’t want to be a career musician any more though, so this way, he can really enjoy playing without the pressure to compete with, or be compared to, his rock-star father.
I actually got to meet his dad a year ago. He was very charming, very friendly, but not always emotionally present for Jonah, often acting as if he was just another person in his entourage, which helped make a lot of Jonah’s behaviours and choices make sense to me.
Superstardom seems to be an addiction of Jim Jacobson’s, even more so than alcohol, and brings with it extreme highs and lows that keep him on a different wavelength to everyone else.
It was a fascinating insight into something I don’t ever want to be a part of.
Thankfully, neither does Jonah.
We’re both extremely happy with our life here at Gladbrooke House.
The place truly feels like home to me now, which it has been since I moved in with Jonah two and a half years ago.
