Page 23 of Cosy & Chill
Taking the Leap
Finn hadn’t expected the rental contract to be ready for signing three days later, but when the solicitor called on Friday morning, he dropped the table runner he was working on and headed into town. Leo was there ahead of him, bouncing on his toes, and giving Finn a smile that spoke of excitement and hope. A feeling that only grew stronger when they stepped inside Mr Tienfield’s office, where both the solicitor and his wife waited for them with a bottle of champagne.
“We wish you all the best in your new endeavour.” Mr Tienfield toasted the newly signed contract. “Have you decided on a name for your shop yet?”
The lump in Finn’s throat was so huge, he struggled to breathe around it. He swallowed over and over, trying to force it down until, to his horror, his lashes grew wet. He blinked, relieved when Leo jumped in to answer the question.
“Richmond’s newest store is named Cosy & Chill. When we get around to it, it will be decorated in deep green and a very pale blue.”
Mrs Tienfield raised her glass for a second toast. “Then here’s to Cosy & Chill! Make sure you keep us updated of your progress and don’t hesitate to ask if you need help. Do you think you’ll be open in time to take advantage of the Christmas shoppers?”
“Finn might get the yarn side going. The ice cream café can wait until the new year. It’s late January and February when people will need it most, you know?” Leo’s voice was steady, but the hand holding the champagne glass trembled.
Finn breathed a little easier, seeing he wasn’t the only mushy one. Leo just had a better poker face.
“Finn? You’re rather quiet. How do you feel about your new venture?”
“It hasn’t sunk in yet.” He set the glass down before he spilled the wine. “Starting a new business six weeks before Christmas when I’m flat out with work is a bit crazy.” His words didn’t sound positive at all. Neither did they reflect what he felt. Finn drew a deep breath and let the joy inside him have its way. “It’s the best thing ever. I’ve been pining over that store all summer and now we’re going to be there! I’m moving in as soon as you give us the keys!”
Leo’s joyful laughter tempered Finn’s embarrassment at the outburst, and the Tienfields didn’t seem to mind at all.
“You’d move in right away?”
Finn didn’t need to think about it. “I’d move in today if I could!”
“Then I don’t want to stand in your way.” The solicitor held out two bunches of keys, his eyes twinkling when he saw Finn’s shock. “We’re nothing if not expedient if it suits us,” he teased. “As you’ve noted, the house has stood empty for far too long. Do you need a hand moving your possessions? I have a few contacts I can ask for help.”
“Leo will need help moving his freezers,” Finn said, confidence tinting his voice. It had to be the champagne kicking in. “I just have my clothes, my laptop, and my yarn. It all fits into my backpack. I just make a few trips.” He felt twitchy all of a sudden, desperate to get moving.
“You’ve got your work all planned out, I see. Call on us if you need help, won’t you?” Mrs Tienfield said. “We’re always here for our clients. And… good luck!”
They said their goodbyes, and Finn held on to the keys and his copy of the signed rental agreement as if there was a chance someone would steal them.
“I’ll help you move your things,” Leo said when they left the solicitor’s office.
Finn hesitated. “I’d rather you didn’t. My dad isn’t… he gets angry when he drinks, and he barely stops these days. I don’t want him to start in on you.”
“It’s okay,” Leo said. “I don’t have to come in and meet him. I’ll get the van and wait outside. You bring your stuff down, we’ll load it up and bring it home.”
Home. The way Leo said it so easily settled something in Finn’s chest. He hadn’t had the courage to do this alone. Now, with Leo’s help, he was walking away from his father’s insults to open the yarn store he’d dreamed of.
They were really doing this.
Leo’s van already held some of his possessions when he pulled up outside Finn’s parents’ house. Finn had clearly been watching, because the moment Leo opened the driver side door, Finn came down the short drive, balancing a stack of large boxes. “Bulky, but light,” he said as he handed them over. “That’s my yarn.”
Given the swiftness with which Finn brought out box after box, he must have stacked up all his things beside the front door.
“You’ve been busy.”
“Started packing as soon as we agreed we were going to do this,” Finn admitted.
“No, I meant today. Bringing the van ‘round didn’t take me that long.”
“There’s method in my madness. My father’s down at the betting shop, and my mum’s gone for groceries. Best chance I’ll ever get of escaping without a fight.”
They hurried, Leo loading the van and Finn racing up and down the stairs bringing everything he wanted to take. The boxes, bags, and baskets of yarn kept coming until Leo thought they’d be able to stock Finn’s side of the store that very night. Then Finn brought out three medium-sized holdalls, a box filled with stationery and folders, a printer, and a laptop bag.
“That’s the lot.”
