Page 49 of Eden's Comfort Kitchen
‘Yes. Sort of. With help, of course.’
‘Why?’
‘What do you mean, why? Does there have to be a reason?’
‘Of course. What do you get out of it?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Rubbish!’
‘OK, I get…It makes me happy.’
He shrugged. ‘Well, there’s no accounting for taste. A rare steak and a decent red would be more my thing, but whatever.’
‘Listen, Cam, I’m asking you…’ She lowered her voice and glanced uneasily around the pub before turning back to him. ‘I know we were never close and you don’t owe me any favours, but please…could you see your way to leaving this one be? Set your sights on something in a town that won’t be quite so affected? Surely Sea Glass Bay isn’t all that? And I’ve seen the plot – its tiny, hardly worth bothering with.’
‘I’m perfectly aware of how big it is; I wouldn’t have come here if I hadn’t thought it worthwhile.’
‘No. Come on, Cam. Please. There must be a dozen places on this coast that would be better. Surely the other partners would be pleased if you got somewhere already established. It’s just one lousy little plot in a tiny seaside town. Just leave and forget about it. Let us have our thing.’
He shook his head. ‘All you’ve done now is intrigue me.’
‘Look, I’m telling you it won’t be suitable. I’m trying to save you a wasted trip.’
‘Of course you are. So you don’t need to run your thing from there?’
‘Why do you think I’m asking for this? What do you want? You want to make me beg?’
‘Not really…All right, maybe just a bit.’
She shook her head slowly. ‘You haven’t changed. This is all just a game for you, isn’t it?’
‘I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy a challenge, but no, it’s not a game. At the end of the day, I’m doing my job.’
‘You don’t have to enjoy it quite so much.’
‘What’s wrong with enjoying my job?’
‘Depends on what it is, doesn’t it? When it involves ruining people’s lives?—’
‘How is this ruining anyone’s life? Just find somewhere else to do your supper club or whatever it is.’
‘There is nowhere else.’
‘There must be.’
‘Nowhere we can afford.’
‘Not my problem. Put your prices up so you can afford…Who even uses it anyway? A handful of scroungers?’
‘Loads of people! They come every week, and they love it – and they’re not scroungers!’
‘OK, OK, they’re not scroungers. There’s no need to get angry. You do realise I’m a customer here and you’re supposed to be nice to me?’
‘I ought to have you barred.’
He shook his head slowly, regarding her with amusement. ‘Entertaining as I’m finding this, I don’t have time for it. I’m going to acquire the land. Where you go or what you do is not my problem.’
