Page 9 of One Perfect Day in Lovely Bay
‘It’ll be done in no time. I bet our Birdie is jealous that you got an invite to go to Scotland.’
‘Ha, she did say that.’
‘She’s had an eye on going up there for years.’
‘I’m getting in first.’
‘I like it.’
'Right, you are. Well, thanks, Colin. I’d best push on or I’ll be late. Nice to bump into you. I'll see you later.'
‘See you. Next time I see you, you might be showing off your new coat.’
‘Yes, hope so, see you later.’
As she got to the end of the road, Cally felt ridiculously excited about the coat and going into the shop for her fitting. She’d walked past the shop many times, but never actually gone in. She’d got on the waiting list itself by way of Molly, who owned the shop, coming in the chemist. The shop stood out at the end of a long row of similar buildings. Its exterior a bright white teamed with a deep navy blue that matched the famous coats it was known for. Cally stopped on the other side of the street and looked at the window displaying several of the coveted coats, and blue and white bunting strung along the top of the window. The bunting fluttered back and forth in the breeze next to an old-fashioned sign hanging just above the door.
After waiting for a few cars to pass, she crossed the road and peered in the window for a moment, then stepped up the little front step and pushed open a heavy wooden door. A small brass bell tinkled overhead, and she stopped in her tracks as her eyes adjusted to the light. A new to her but somehow familiar scent filled her nostrils. A gorgeous mix she’d smelt many times before as she’d gone about her business in Lovely; an amalgamation of waxed cotton, leather, and something indefinably old. The shop and its smell were something else, as if tradition, craftsmanship, and old-school Lovely had fused into one gorgeous hit and landed in a tiny little boutique at one end of Lovely Bay.
‘Hello?’ Cally’s voice sounded muffled in the quiet, packed-to-the rafters shop.
‘Just a moment!’ came a cheerful reply from the back.
Cally looked around, drinking in every detail. Lovely Bay Coats was much smaller than she'd imagined, but somehow, that only added to it. Old timber floors, polished to a soft matte-like sheen, creaked under her feet as she stepped towards the back. The walls were lined with glass-fronted cabinets, their brass fittings tarnished with age, and floor-to-ceiling shelves stood ina row on a far wall. Inside the cabinets, neatly folded stacks of waxed cotton fabric in the Lovely navy blue looked as if someone had taken a lot of care to line them up perfectly. Spools of thread and old-fashioned cutting tools were neatly arranged on a side cabinet. To her right, a long timber counter stretched along the wall, its surface marked with the patina of years of use. Behind it, more shelves reached the ceiling, laden with more perfectly aligned bolts of fabric.
In the centre of the shop, a large wooden table dominated the space, its surface covered with a partly unrolled length of waxed cotton. Beside it, a half-finished coat was neatly folded with a label on its top. Nearby, a beautiful old sewing machine sat ready for use with a chair tucked underneath and a little sewing lamp beside it pooled light onto the table. Several dress forms were scattered around the shop each draped with a Lovely Bay coat in various stages of completion. A large bolt of the Lovely signature striped lining was laid out on another smaller table together with an old-fashioned timber utensils basket full of tools. Cally wanted to have a cup of tea and stay for the night.
A small seating area tucked in the corner with two worn leather armchairs was flanked by a low table and a leather-bound ledger of some sort took pride of place. In every nook and cranny, little lamps lit the tiny shop and every available surface seemed to hold some treasure – vintage buttons in glass jars, ancient-looking scissors, and well-worn measuring tapes neatly rolled up here and there. Cally couldn’t quite get enough of it. Even the air itself appeared imbued with history. She whirled around, taking everything in as motes of dust danced in shafts of sunlight streaming through the front bay window.
‘Ah, there you are!’
Cally turned to see Molly emerging from the back of the shop. In her thirties, with blonde hair pulled back in a neat bun and eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled. ‘Hello.’
‘Hey, our Cally. How are you?’
Cally clapped her hands together. ‘I’m good, thanks. I can't tell you how excited I am to be here. A bit pathetic, but true.’
Molly's smile widened. ‘Not at all! I can imagine. You've been on our waiting list for quite some time, haven't you?’
Cally nodded. ‘I'd almost given up hope.’
‘Ah, well, good things come to those who wait,’ Molly said with a wink. ‘Right, let’s get you fitted. I hear we might have to do an express job for you.’
Cally laughed. ‘Ha, who told you that?’
‘Who do you think?’
Cally put her finger to her lips and pretended to think for a second. ‘Hmm. Let me guess.’
‘It might have been in a certain shop around here and we might have been accompanied by the dulcet tones of the Shipping Forecast.’
Cally shook her head. ‘I can’t get away with anything, can I?’
Molly chuckled. ‘You most certainly can’t if you work in there. I hear you’re going to Scotland.’
‘I am.’
Molly whistled as she led Cally to a small raised platform in front of a three-way mirror. ‘Best we get on with it then.’ As Cally stepped up onto the platform, Molly bustled around her, pulling out a measuring tape and tapping on a laptop.
