Page 13 of Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop
Molly sighs impatiently.
‘So what’s he like … Did you at least find out his name?’
‘Jack, his name is Jack, and he’s … confusing,’ I say, realising this is how I actually feel after my drink with him at the pub. One minute he was stubborn, awkward and a little insensitive, and the next he was funny and, I’d even go so far to say, kind.
Jack is definitely a mystery, and I don’t want to wait until his shop opens to discover more about him.
Six
‘Urgh!’ Sebastian groans as he dumps the box down on the shop counter. ‘Next time you ask me to go and collect something for you, remind me to take my forklift truck!’
‘Sorry,’ I apologise. ‘I probably should have warned you it might be a bit heavy.’
‘Ooh, what have you got in there, dears?’ Anita asks, appearing from the basement.
‘This,’ I say, lifting the old sewing machine from the cardboard box. I open up the latches on its case and reveal what’s inside.
‘My mother used to have a very similar one when I was young,’ Anita says, examining the machine. ‘Does it still work?’
‘I don’t think so. I got it from Noah – he thought I might like it for display in the shop. I doubt it’s sewn anything for years.’ I try to turn the rusty old handle, and the machine creaks as it tries to move its balance wheel and lift an imaginary needle.
‘Painful.’ Sebastian grimaces. ‘Sounds like it needs a good oil to me.’
‘I think it might need a bit more than that to begin sewing again, but Noah’s right – if I give it a bit of a clean we can make a very nice window display with this.’
‘I hope you didn’t pay much for it?’ Sebastian says, still eyeing the machine. ‘In that decrepit state it can’t be worth much.’
‘Freebie actually. Noah got it in a house clearance – it was with some other art equipment. Apparently Jack, the guy who is opening the art shop on the high street, has taken that.’
Sebastian nudges Anita. ‘She means her date last night …’
‘Oh, really?’ Anita says, her pale blue eyes widening, ‘I didn’t know you had a date … Tell me more.’
‘There’s nothingtotell, Anita. It wasn’t a date – it was simply a business meeting.’ I turn to Sebastian. ‘How did you know about that anyway?’
‘I saw Molly on her way to school this morning—’
Of course he had.
‘—she said you thought Jack wasconfusing.Is that your way of saying he’s enigmatic and mysterious?’ he asks, wafting his hands above his head.
‘No. It’s my way of saying he’sconfusing.’
‘In what way, dear?’ Anita asks.
‘I don’t know. He’s a bit odd, that’s all. I mean one minute he wants you to be all open with him, and then when you ask a question he doesn’t like he closes up on you.’
‘Heterosexual malesarevery confusing,’ Sebastian says matter-of-factly. ‘It’s something to do with an overload of testosterone mixing up their emotional pathways. Either that or it’s something to do with pheromones. I can never remember which.’
‘Yes, thank you, Sebastian. Jack is nice enough, he’s just …’ I struggle for a new word to describe him. ‘… complicated. He’s got a lot going on. Did you know he’s in a wheelchair?’
Anita and Sebastian both nod.
‘Yes, I’ve seen him about town,’ Anita says. ‘Lou in the post office told me who he is.’
‘Amber in the flower shop pointed him out to me,’ Sebastian explains. You know what it’s like here in St Felix – anyone new who’s not a holiday-maker gets noticed immediately.’
‘Great, so you both knew of him and I didn’t. I could have got a heads-up.’
