Page 26 of The Plan
“It’s perfect.”
“Now get up and dressed. We’re going out for lunch at the hotel on the cliff and then Blake and Sinead are coming to Belfast with us tonight for dinner. I’ve booked this new restaurant that’s been getting amazing reviews. It’s one of those TV chef’s ones, you know.”
I do know. It’s been all over the local papers and internet. “Thank you. It will be amazing.” I hope so, anyway. With Blake keeping his distance, I really have no idea how it might go.
Lunch is gorgeous. We’re greeted with glasses of Champagne, followed by afternoon tea. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much in two hours, and by the time we leave I’m feeling seriously bloated. Thankfully, the weather’s lovely, so Aunt Addy suggests a walk, which I am more than happy with. I don’t even want to think about the number of carbs I just packed away.
“Addison, you’ve got a visitor,” Aunt Addy shouts through to the bathroom.
“Shit,” I mutter as I look down at myself dressed in only my underwear as I stand doing my hair and make up for tonight. I wait thirty seconds while my last strand of hair curls before pulling my dressing gown on and going to see who it is.
I barely know anyone here, so there aren’t many people it could be. I’m not surprised when I walk into the living room to see Cara sat on the sofa waiting for me.
“Here’s the birthday girl,” Aunt Addy sings when she spots me.
“Happy birthday,” Cara says, getting up to pull me into a hug.
“Thanks, you shouldn’t have,” I say when she hands me a bunch of flowers and a gift bag.
“It’s nothing.”
I sit down next to her and begin opening it while Aunt Addy goes to put the kettle on. I place the card and box of smellies down on the coffee table as I thank Cara for them.
“There’s something else,” she says, nodding towards the bag.
I grab it and pull out an envelope I didn’t see before, looking at her questioningly, but she just smiles before saying, “I just did it quick so I understand if it’s not right.”
More confused than ever, I rip open the envelope and slide out the single piece of paper inside.
“Oh my God,” I gasp. “It’s gorgeous, and perfect!”
“Really? I didn’t have much to go on but I had this idea while we were talking and I had to do it.”
“It’s really perfect.”
I look down at the paper in my hands and smile. Staring back at me is the most perfect logo. There’s an outline of a shamrock but it looks like flour, and then the company name on top in a script font that has the texture of hessian, I guess.
Baker Girl.
It’s utterly perfect.
I feel myself tearing up as I stare at it. This is something I’ve dreamed about for as long as I can remember. I used to watch that old couple in the bakery when I was a child and imagine it was me back there baking cakes and pastries. Once we moved and I was forced down a certain path, I thought it was unreachable. I’m almost grateful for Edward and everything between us because it led me back here to discover my dream.
“What’s that?” Aunt Addy says when she comes back in the room with a tray of tea. “Oh, that’s gorgeous.”
“You really like it? I don’t mind changing it.”
“Don’t you dare change any of it! I seriously love it.”
“We need to get you a website set up, plus social media, if you haven’t already. Then, stickers to go on all your boxes, business cards, flyers…all that kind of stuff to get the word out.”
I’m totally lost for words, so instead of replying, I lean over and pull Cara into a hug. This is beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined.
Cara only stays for about thirty minutes because we need to finish getting ready to go out. Aunt Addy tries to convince her to come with us, that she can ring and increase the table number, but Cara already has plans. A date with a guy she met in the supermarket, apparently.
“Adds, are you ready? Blake and Sinead are here,” Aunt Addy calls through to the bathroom again, where I’m finishing off getting ready. I’ve pulled my long curls around over one shoulder and put a slide behind my ear to keep them in place before sliding into my little black dress. It’s the only fancy thing I brought with me because I love it. It’s a simple black dress that fits me like a second skin. It has thick straps before dropping to a cowl neck that shows off a hint of cleavage. It’s the back I really love, though. The zip that runs from the base of my neck to the backs of my knees is really unexpected for such a demure dress. It makes it modern and edgy, different to all those other preened women I used to have to spend time with.
Slipping my classic black Louboutins onto my feet I give myself one last look in the mirror. Pleased with what I see, I pull the door open and step out. They hear me coming as I walk towards them in the living room. The second I step into the doorway, all eyes are on me, although the only ones I really see are a dark blue pair as they widen before dropping to take me in.
