Page 74 of Cooking Up a Christmas Storm
Fiona nodded wordlessly beside him.
‘I saw the potential in her. See the same thing in you. A mind we can mould to the McKenzie way.’
Jodie’s smile didn’t budge an inch. Was this a job or cult? ‘Can’t wait to get started.’
Out of the corner of her eye she could see that not only was Fiona fixated on John’s every move, but Saira was as well. Another piece slotted into place in the jigsaw in her head. I see you, John McKenzie, she thought. I see you.
Once John had disappeared to do whatever terribly important things he didn’t involve Fiona in, they got down to work. Fiona showed her round the key elements of the estate. The visitor experience hub. The three retail spaces. The multiple convenience kiosks offering refreshments around the estate. The four different gastronomic experience venues. And finally the main events space, adjacent to what Fiona referred to as the central administration and management hub. ‘Over there is the hotel, and we’ve got lodges all over the site. Four star officially but obviously deserve a fifth. The health club is down there too, and the spa site.’
That building was the job Pavel was hoping to be working on.
‘That spa will help us get that fifth star,’ Fiona added. ‘I mean, we should have had it from the start. John was…’ She paused for a second. ‘He was very cross about that.’ She shook her head and, within a second, the corporate happy face was back. ‘I mean, none of us were happy. We’re all really invested in this place.’
‘It seems like a wonderful place to work.’ Jodie reminded herself that she had a whole other job to do. ‘Why don’t you show me the event space? I’m excited to hear what you’ve got planned for Hogmanay.’
What they had planned for Hogmanay, it turned out, was everything plus the kitchen sink. Jodie had thought Gemma’s plan for a gala evening, with accommodation, a nature walk and a low-key breakfast on the first of January for the survivors was a lot to organise. McKenzie’s plans took things to a whole other level. The guests arrived on the thirtieth of December and stayed until the second. As well as the ceilidh – advertised, Jodie noted, as being hosted by the Highlands’ most in-demand ceilidh band – on Hogmanay itself there was also a murder mystery evening the night before – which actually sounded fun, and something they could definitely put on at Lowbridge – and live music and a quiz on the evening of New Year’s Day. And that was before you got to the menu of additional activities guests could pay extra for during daylight hours. Quad biking, wildlife jeep tours, spa treatments.
‘I thought you didn’t have a spa yet?’
‘There are treatment rooms in the health club, obviously,’ Fiona explained, as if the absence of treatment rooms was a horror no McKenzie estate guest should ever have to contemplate.
Jodie read on. ‘Cinema afternoons?’
Fiona nodded towards the door off the small event room they were sitting in. ‘We have a screening room that seats up to sixty.’
Of course they did.
There was also archery, field and target, shooting and fishing, art sessions and dance lessons.
‘We’ve got someone fromStrictlycoming to do those,’ Fiona explained. ‘Not one of the good ones. One of them that only lasted a couple of series. We wanted Anton Du Beke, but his people have got him doing panto.’
‘Maybe next year?’ Jodie muttered.
‘Maybe. And we have Jay from Redd Level turning on our Christmas tree lights next week.’
Jodie’s incomprehension must have reached her face, because Fiona explained.
‘Redd Level. With two Ds. You know, the song where they’re on the bus and they’re trying to get to the Christmas party.’
‘No.’
‘You do know.’ Fiona popped her tablet down on the floor next to her and held her hands out as if turning a massive steering wheel and sang uncertainly, ‘It’s Christmas, in my heart. It’s Christmas, and I’m gonna dart right back to you. On a train! On a plane! On a bus! There’s no fuss. I’ll be there for Christmas babe with you…’
By the time Fiona was recreating the plane wings with her arms, the dance routine and the whole damn song was back in Jodie’s head. ‘I remember. Wow. Was Jay the one that turned out to be gay?’
Fiona shook her head. ‘That was Pete, with the white-boy dreadlocks. Jay was the blond one.’
Jodie just about managed to swallow her laughter. Anna and Nina would be apoplectic when they heard the McKenzies had a celebrity for their lights turn-on.
‘That’s next Saturday. Jay and Santa, of course.’
‘Of course.’
‘Actually,’ Fiona pulled a face, ‘I know it’s not really your job, but John does like everyone to muck in.’
‘OK?’ Jodie suspected John McKenzie liked an atmosphere where everyoneelsemucked in.
‘Santa will need some elves, and we quite often ask a few of the team to take part. Saira will be donning the tights as well.’
