Page 118 of Cooking Up a Christmas Storm
‘I’m sorry. I really am.’
Pavel stared at her. ‘I don’t know what you want me to say.’
She wanted, so desperately, for him to say everything was forgiven and they could turn back the clock to how things were, but she knew she didn’t deserve that. ‘It’s OK. You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry.’ There was more than that. ‘And that us, you and me, that was real. It wasn’t a lie. I promise.’
He nodded quickly. ‘Right. Thank you.’
She let him go this time. He’d spoken to her. That was more than she had any right to hope for. Jodie made her way back into the kitchen. The babble of excitable chat hushed the moment she came through the door. Everyone was here – Bella, Adam, Darcy, Flinty and Veronica. Jodie took a deep breath in. ‘I am so sorry for everything that happened before, but I saw the storm on the news and I know how important Hogmanay is for you and I really do want to help.’
Adam and Bella exchanged a look.
‘You really want to help?’ Bella asked.
‘I do.’
‘You broke that boy’s heart.’ Darcy wasn’t letting her off the hook.
‘I know.’
‘And you lied to all of us,’ Bella added. ‘People thought you might be the mole feeding stuff to McKenzie and I said, “No. I trust her.” How much of an idiot am I?’
‘I didn’t tell McKenzie anything. I promise. You trusted me. And I really wanted to be the person you thought I was.’ Jodie was determined to stick with her new truth-first policy. ‘I’m not Gemma. I never was.’ The next part was the hardest to say. She believed it. She really did and the belief itself was new. ‘And if you let me help, I really think I can.’
Bella sighed. ‘I don’t know.’
Veronica cleared her throat. ‘It strikes me that we require all the help we can get at the moment.’
‘That’s true,’ Adam conceded.
‘And,’ Veronica continued, ‘whatever her indiscretions, Miss…’ She paused. ‘Simpson?’
Jodie nodded.
‘Miss Simpson was actually very helpful in her time here.’
Bella rubbed her eyes. She looked exhausted. ‘Fine. You’re in.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah. You’re on trying to get our customers back. Adam and Darcy are going to sort out the ballroom. I’m going to replan the food to use what we’ve actually got and then work out how to fill the gaps without spending any money.’
‘Yes boss.’
By New Year’s Eve afternoon they were almost party ready. Now Jodie just had to find them some customers. Her research over the last few days, combined with what she remembered from her time as Fiona’s assistant, had been helpful. She talked her bosses through it at the kitchen island. ‘So, the McKenzie guests basically break down into two groups. There’s the ones they stole from us. So far as I can tell they’ve paid McKenzie in full already.’
Adam frowned. ‘So?’
‘So,’ Jodie couldn’t quite look him in the eye, ‘so even if we get them back I’m not sure how we make them pay us as well. If we just say “Hey, why not come to this different party?”, they’re going to say, “No thanks. We’re already here.” And if we trick them…’
‘Which is your idea,’ Bella pointed out.
‘Yeah. And we still could, and it fills the room and advertises Lowbridge for the future and all that, but it doesn’t make us any cash right now, cos so far as they’re concerned they’ve already paid.’
Both her bosses’ faces fell.
‘But, then there’s the other group.’ Jodie had seen when she was working with Fiona that the McKenzie estate was taking bookings through agents and tour operators. She’d mentally logged it as something she should look into for Lowbridge in the new year, but now she realised it could make all the difference to Lowbridge’s fortunes today. ‘They’re all booked through tour operators, and they’ve paid the operator, but the operator doesn’t pay McKenzie until the end of the trip. So…’ She let the conclusion dangle.
Adam shook his head. ‘So?’
