Page 44 of Whispers at The Bookshop Pretty Beach
‘Oh, God no! Nope, no money worries, that isn’t even a consideration.’
‘Do you want her to come?’
‘I don’t know. I think I want whatever brings him some peace. If that means she’s here and he’s around more, then maybe it’s not the worst idea. I don’t know, it’s starting to all feel very serious. My whole life is, ha ha.’
Lotta reached for her bag and rummaged until she found her lip balm. ‘Look, Daise, none of this is my business, but it doesn’t sound as if it’s going to be simple, but you’ll make it work.’
‘I hope so.’
‘Time will tell. Right. I’ll get out of your hair and let you bask in your achievement. But seriously, that trolley? Genius. Absolute bookshop catnip. It’s going on my reels. Prepare to be ambushed by bookworms all over the world.’
‘Ha, you’re too good to me.’
‘See you at the meeting.’
‘Will do.’
Daisy walked Lotta to the door and held it open as Lotta stepped out into the street. As she watched her head off down the laneway, Daisy leaned against the doorframe and took a breath. She had no idea what to do about Miles, the GayesBooks problem or anything. Time, she supposed, would tell.
28
Daisy hadn't thought that the GayesBooks threat would turn into a Pretty Beach crisis meeting, but that it had. Word about the GayesBooks issue had spread through Pretty Beach with the efficiency of a bush telegraph, and by the time the meeting was about to start, the small community hall was fuller than it had ever been.
Suntanned Pete had arrived first, still in his work clothes and flip-flops, carrying a thermos of coffee with a look that meant he was ready for a fight. Holly and Xian had rallied lots of people and brought reinforcements in the form of boxes full of cinnamon buns.
After Daisy, with the help of Maggie, Lotta, and Annabelle, had made many cups of tea, people took their seats, and it began. Pete was in charge and had the air of someone chairing a very serious board meeting. After a detailed synopsis, he put things to the floor.
‘Let's get this sorted. What exactly are we dealing with that I haven’t said? Holly?’
Holly relayed what she had ascertained and then, in turn, Daisy explained what she knew about GayesBooks. Faces around the room grew increasingly outraged as Daisy detailed whatshe presumed would be GayesBooks's plans. She conveyed the way they'd researched her business, calculated her weaknesses, and identified Pretty Beach as what they clearly believed was a market ripe for corporate exploitation.
‘Absolute parasites! They think they can waltz into our town and destroy what we've built here.’ Chloe shook her head.
Pete tutted. ‘It's not just about Daisy's shop! If GayesBooks moves in and drives out the independent businesses, what's next? Are chains coming to replace the bakery? Supermarket pharmacies instead of our little chemist? Pretty Beach could end up looking like every other soulless town centre in the country.’
Holly nodded grimly. ‘That's exactly what happens. I've seen it in other coastal towns. The chains move in promising jobs and choice, but what they actually bring is homogenisation. All the character gets sucked out and you're left with something that could be anywhere.’
‘Over my dead body.’ Pete was defiant. ‘I've lived in Pretty Beach my whole life and I'm not watching it get turned into some corporate shopping centre. What do we need to do to stop this?’
Daisy felt a flutter of hope mixed with anxiety. The support was overwhelming and not just about her, but she wasn't sure how much difference community opposition would make against corporate resources and professional planning. The research she’d done on GayesBooks and its other locations and how it swooped in showed that the company was serious and acted quickly; that was part of their business strategy. After her previous few years, a large part of her didn’t have the energy for a fight.
Xian pursed her lips together. ‘The sale hasn't gone through yet and they're still at the survey stage. If there are problems with the building, or if they decide Pretty Beach isn't worth the investment after all, they might pull out.’
Pete nodded. ‘We need tomakethem pull out. Make it clear that Pretty Beach doesn't want them and won't support them if they do open.’
Maggie made a grimacing face. ‘How do we do that, though? They're not going to care about a few disgruntled locals if they think they can make money here.’
Pete leant forward. ‘We could get a petition going, for starters. Get every person in Pretty Beach to sign something saying they oppose the GayesBooks development. That would show them we're united against this.’
‘Yes, a petition's a good start, but we need more than signatures. We need to make noise, get attention, show them this isn't going to be the easy takeover they're expecting.’
‘What about Lucian's Where the Heck is Pretty Beach podcast?’ Chloe suggested. ‘He could record an episode about the threat to Pretty Beach's independent businesses. Make it about preserving the character of the town.’
Daisy pulled out her phone and started making notes. A petition, media coverage, and community pressure. It wasn't much against GayesBooks's corporate machine, but it was something.
‘We should contact the other independent businesses in nearby towns too and get them involved, make it clear this affects everyone. If GayesBooks succeeds here, they'll be looking at other targets next.’
‘It won’t stop if we let it start. They’ll come for the gift shops, Pretty Beach Fish and Chips, even The Orangery. We should reckon that anyone who could be replaced by a chain should be worried about this.’
