Page 78 of Cooking Up a Christmas Storm
Jodie’s nerves jangled. Which deception was Veronica talking about?
‘I did wonder what you’d done about your National Insurance number over there.’
‘What?’
‘I mean, it’s one thing not to be able to find your own, but what on earth would one do if in need of an entirely fake one?’ Veronica’s gaze didn’t shift from the road as she coaxed the ageing four-by-four up the hill out of the village.
‘I don’t know.’
‘I suppose one could pretend to have lost it. And buy oneself some time?’
Jodie’s heart thudded rapidly.Breathe. Breathe, she told herself.She doesn’t know. If Veronica knew Jodie would have been out on her ear weeks ago. What Veronica definitely did do, though, was suspect. ‘Can’t do that forever though.’ Jodie tried to keep her voice light.
‘No. Sooner or later an employer will request your National Insurance details from HMRC. I dare say Darcy will get around to it at some point. Let’s hope the McKenzie HR people aren’t any more efficient.’
Jodie froze. She forced herself not to react. Darcy could get her details from HMRC. And then everything would fall apart. No more Gemma. No more chats planning and plotting with Bella. No more Lowbridge. No more Pavel. Nothing.
Something else crept into her mind through the chaos. Why had Veronica told her this? Was it a threat? It didn’t feel like she was being threatened. It felt like Veronica was trying to give Jodie a warning.
Pavel cleared his pots and pans to the washing-up station in the small kitchen at the end of the cookery session, and came back to find Flinty standing determinedly in front of the youngest Strachan holding Bella’s smartphone aloft. ‘Gemma says I have to film things for the internet. So go on, lad.’
Strach shook his head. ‘Nah. It’s bad enough Granddad being all over TikTok. I’m not having him saying I copied.’
Flinty harrumphed lightly. ‘Right. Well, you then, Pavel lad.’
‘Gemma did me last week.’
Flinty shook her head at the lack of willing influencers to hand. ‘Somebody needs to be in my ticky tock,’ she insisted.
‘In your what?’ Veronica Lowbridge asked from the entryway.
‘My ticky tock,’ Flinty explained. ‘It’s on the internet to make young people come and learn about sprouts.’
‘Not just sprouts.’ Gemma followed Veronica into the kitchen. ‘It’s to promote the cookery school. People’s food memories and cooking tips.’
Veronica nodded. ‘Have you filmed one?’ she asked Gemma.
She shook her head. ‘I’m more behind the scenes.’
‘And what if McKenzie sees it?’ Pavel pointed out.
‘He’s right.’ Flinty nodded. ‘It’ll have to be you, V.’
Pavel watched as Flinty positioned her, somewhat reluctant, partner on a stool at the kitchen island.
‘Right, so I’m going to ask you about food, and you have to keep it short, so as them young ones’ll watch it in between their sexting and that.’
Pavel saw Gemma suppress a giggle.
Veronica nodded. ‘I shall attempt to be suitably engaging.’
Flinty stopped and looked at Gemma. ‘I don’t know what to ask her now.’
‘Why don’t you tell us what your favourite food is and why?’
Flinty nodded. ‘But nothing all fancy. You have to be relatable on the ticky tock.’ She looked to Gemma. ‘That’s right, isn’t it?’
Gemma nodded wordlessly, suppressing – Pavel could see – another giggle.
