Page 49 of A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street
‘Thank you,’ I whisper to it. It orhim, or both. None of this would be happening without either of them, and that’s a good thing.
13
I feel sick the next morning. I’ve never had a row like that with Ebony before. I’ve never spoken to Ebony like that before. I’ve never spoken toanyonelike that before. Although I went to sleep after she left, I woke up at four and I’ve been tossing and turning since then, wondering what the heck possessed me to be so antagonistic, and by the time nine o’clock rolls around, I’m too jittery to eat breakfast, and I’m convinced that Ebony’s going to be waiting downstairs with my P45 and an eviction notice, but there’s just Witt, waiting outside the door with a tray of three coffees from Lilith’s because he’s even got the charm to make Lilith let him in early, and Lilith doesn’t letanyonein early.
‘Good morn—’ He takes one look at my face. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Ebony knows. She came over at midnight and we had a row. Always in the middle of the night; I don’t know why she’s got such a thing about that time.’
He raises a thoughtful eyebrow. ‘Secretly a vampire? A well-dressed bat in disguise?’
In the middle of the stress, fear, and frustration since last night, it makes me laugh loud enough that I forget everything for a blissful moment.
‘Are you okay?’ He reaches out and takes my hand. ‘I’m so sorry, I was intending to be here for moral support.’
‘That’swhy you’re early.’ I realisewhyhe’s standing outside the shop before opening time with coffee. He knew we were expecting Ebony back today. He was genuinely coming to back me up and make sure I wasn’t alone when she arrived.
After the fraught night, it’s my undoing. Everything this man does makes me emotional, and my cheeks flare red and my nose burns as tears well up, and within seconds, he’s put the coffees down and wrapped me up in his arms.
‘I’m sorry.’ His lips move against my forehead and he winds his fingers in my hair to hold me against his chest. His comforting aftershave – lavender mixed with spice and dark wood – takes over my senses and blocks out the anxious thoughts.
His kindness makes even more emotions rise up. He’s unlike anyone who’s ever been in my life before. The Cinderella dress glitters in the window behind us, and that familiar feeling that he deserves better than someone who can’t be honest with him bubbles up. The thought makes me step out of his embrace, rub my eyes, and steel myself for the day ahead as I open the shop door and let us in.
When I check behind the counter, the till receiptsaregone and the most recent print-outs of the accounts are missing from the desk in the back too, and theywillshow Ebony that letting our second-chance dresses go on to find new owners is a worthwhile endeavour.
‘I don’t know why you don’t go on strike,’ Witt says when I’ve given him a rundown of everything that happened last night. ‘YouareThe Cinderella Shop. It doesn’t exist without you. Show Ebony that and she’ll soon start valuing you.’
‘Ha ha,’ I say purposefully, but the idea worms its way into my brain. Let’s face it, it’s not like things could get much worse, is it?
It’s a matter of minutes after opening time when there’s the click-clack of heels on the pavement outside. Scarlett still lives with Ebony and they come in together. She winks at me as her mum bustles in, stopping in the doorway to tut at the doorstop holding it open.
Witt’s trying to get to grips with corset laces as he dresses a mannequin on the other side of the shop, and I’m not sure Ebony even notices him as she does a sweep of the shop with her eyes.
‘It looks like a jumble sale in here. Have we turned into a charity shop overnight? We’re giving off “Primark after a gang of teenage girls have ransacked it” vibes.’
‘No, we’re not.’ I sound much calmer than I feel. ‘Customers are loving it.’
Witt finishes the corset with a victorious smile and steps down off the plinth he was standing on.
‘Now, look, maybe I was a tad hasty last night; I was tired and hurt by your deviousness, and it had been a long day, but I’ve had the chance to sleep on it… Scarlett also spent most of the night trying to talk me round and shoulder half the blame foryouractions.’
‘Itwasboth of us,’ Scarlett says, sounding as though she’s had a very long night. She picks up her coffee gratefully and goes to take refuge in the back room.
‘And I am not so pig-headed that I can’t admit it’s nice to see the incoming transactions higher than the outgoing expenses for a change, but you are making a mockery of your own work. I’ve been through these till rolls, Sadie. There are worrying things in these receipts. People will never buy our dresses for full price again if they learn that they can get them on sale in a few months. This one, for example.’ A till receipt roll is clutched in her fist as she waves her arm around and describes a metallic satin Bardot dress. ‘That dress was priced at £400, and you sold it for £40!’
‘It was all the woman could afford.’
‘It was all the womantoldyou she could afford. Bargain-hunters are unscrupulous, you know.’
‘I believed her. Better it go for £40 than not at all. And she was so happy with it.’
‘Happy?’ Ebony scoffs. ‘Always with this damn happiness thing. How many times do I have to repeat myself? Happiness doesnotpay the bills.’
‘If I may?’ Witt takes a tentative step over, sticking his head out as if he’s peering around the doorway of this conversation and asking if he can come in. ‘I was here and the customer was absolutely overjoyed. Happy customers tell their friends and post on social media. It’s a good business tactic.’
I appreciate him stepping in and trying to stick up for me. No one’s ever done that before. And the fact he’s putting his own insecurities aside makes it even more meaningful. It isn’t always easy for Witt to speak, but he does it anyway, for me, even though he’d probably prefer to stay quiet. ‘Sadie was right to do that. Word of mouth is the most important thing for any shop.’
‘And you’re an experienced business owner, are you?’ She turns around and narrows her eyes at him.
