The Cherry Tree Cafe (26 page)

I didn’t bother getting changed or fixing my hair or makeup. I was going to be five minutes max, so what was the point? I grabbed my jacket and then ran back for my purse. The least I
could do was offer to buy him a consolation pint.

‘Straight through to the restaurant, Lizzie,’ Evelyn commanded the moment my face appeared around the door. ‘He’s already got you a drink.’

‘Shit,’ I muttered under my breath.

I had been hoping, as I was a good few minutes early, that Jay would still be sitting at the bar. It would have been far easier to duck out after a quick drink and chat but now, with him already
sitting at a table, it was going to look like a proper stand-up job.

‘Thanks,’ I mumbled, heading into the restaurant.

Jay was sitting all alone at a table tucked away in the furthermost corner from the bar. He was reading something, the menu I guessed, and I was surprised to see he was wearing glasses. Suddenly
his face took on a new perspective and his personality a wholly different slant. I imagined him working away in his framing workshop, meticulous and focused. It was a kind of Superman revelation
but in reverse. I’d been aware of his rough and rugged exterior first but now his softer side had come to the fore.

Sensing my presence, he looked up and smiled then quickly whipped off his glasses and hurriedly stuffed them in his shirt pocket.

‘Lizzie,’ he croaked, ‘sorry, I didn’t see you.’

He jumped up, his knees colliding with the underside of the table and almost upsetting the drinks as he rushed round to pull out a chair for me. I didn’t sit down.

‘Look, Jay,’ I began shamefacedly, ‘I’m ever so sorry but something’s come up. Can we do this another night?’

‘Oh,’ he looked crestfallen, ‘OK.’

He pushed the chair back and began shuffling together the papers and photographs, which I could see now were not the menu at all, but some kind of portfolio.

‘I really am sorry,’ I said again, my resolve weakened by his disappointment.

‘Have you at least got time for a quick drink?’ he asked, all puppy-dog eyes that were filled with hope. ‘Evelyn said you were rather partial to cider.’

He pointed at the glass already on the table and I knew I had no choice. It would be churlish to turn down a drink he had already bought and paid for.

‘Of course,’ I nodded, ‘thanks.’

I hung my jacket over the back of the chair and sat poised on the very edge of my seat ready to make a quick getaway before anyone saw us and reported back to Jemma, the town’s resident
relationship expert.

‘I hope it isn’t anything to do with your dad?’ Jay asked.

‘No god no,’ I said, shaking my head and feeling more guilty by the second, ‘nothing like
that.’

I didn’t offer any further explanation because I didn’t have one to give. I didn’t go in for lying as a rule and in my haste to get to the pub early I hadn’t had a chance
to dream up a credible excuse for cancelling. I took a long sip of my cider to buy me a few seconds and did all I could to avoid Jay’s piercing gaze. My eyes fell on the papers he had been
reading.

‘What have you got there?’ I asked.

‘Oh it’s nothing,’ he blushed, ‘it’ll keep.’

‘No, come on,’ I pleaded, ‘I’ve got a few minutes and it’s obviously something you wanted to show me.’

We sat together and pored over the beautiful photographs and outline business plan that Jay had been getting together in preparation for launching his bespoke framing business. He explained that
he had attended evening classes to get the basics right but the artistic flair and idea of adapting the frames had been all his own work. He was obviously proud of his idea and his passion and
enthusiasm made him look like a far more appealing romantic prospect than when he was just a local ‘journo’ looking for a lead.

‘Like I said this afternoon,’ he concluded with a shuddering sigh, ‘it all comes down to funding, or lack of it.’

‘Doesn’t it always?’ I said with an understanding smile.

If it hadn’t been for Dad’s timely generosity there was no way I could have even allowed myself the luxury of dreaming about crafting at the Cherry Tree.

‘If I could just lay my hands on enough to tide me over for a couple of months I’m sure I could make a go of it,’ Jay continued.

‘So folks, what can I get you?’ Evelyn asked. ‘I take it you are eating?’ she added, throwing me a quizzical gaze.

Jay looked at me expectantly. He was wearing his glasses again and I had to admit they really did enhance his appeal considerably.

‘Oh go on then,’ I smiled, then quickly added, ‘a couple of hours won’t hurt. I can sort out what I was supposed to be doing tomorrow as easily as tonight.’

‘As long as you’re sure?’ Jay asked, his sparkling blue eyes searching my face. ‘Date back on?’

‘Date back on,’ I confirmed.

We ordered quickly. I hadn’t realised just how hungry I was, but after Evelyn left us the thread of conversation was lost and we sat for a few moments in awkward silence.

‘So it’s all systems go with the crafting classes now then, is it,’ Jay asked eventually, ‘or do I still detect a glimmer of hesitation?’

He looked at me intently, his observation too astute to be anything near comfortable and I turned again to my cider, my second cider. I gave myself a moment in which to consider whether I knew
him well enough to confide in him. Did I trust him enough to share my current conundrum?

In many ways, as he had suggested earlier, we were the same; both passionate about handcrafted and homemade and both about to embark upon the self-employment path with all its associated
excitement and pitfalls. Surely it would be OK to talk to him about the City Crafting Café and Deborah’s proposals, wouldn’t it? In the absence of my best friend and faced with
such inner turmoil I didn’t see that I had much choice if I didn’t want to go completely mad.

‘Something has come up,’ I began tentatively, ‘something that might mean a change of plan for me.’

‘Go on,’ Jay encouraged, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his napkin.

I explained about Deborah’s business, Heather’s health scare and the fact that I now had first option on the place if I wanted to buy it.

‘But what about the Cherry Tree?’ he asked as he picked up his knife and fork. ‘What about Jemma and Tom?’

‘I haven’t dared mention it to either of them yet,’ I cringed, colour flooding my face, ‘I don’t want to say anything until I’ve made a decision and if I do
decide against it I probably won’t say anything at all to be honest.’

‘Why upset the apple cart,’ Jay nodded in agreement.

‘Exactly, but even if I do go ahead it won’t impact on the Cherry Tree financially. I wouldn’t dream of pulling out the money I’ve already invested.’

‘I didn’t know you had invested,’ Jay said, his eyebrows raised.

I coloured an even deeper shade as I realised how indiscreet I had been to mention the Café’s financial arrangements.

‘Oh not much,’ I said casually, ‘I just wanted to help get the place going and of course if I do decide to stay then I’ve secured myself a share in the business as well
as a roof over my head, haven’t I?’

I shut up then. Playing back in my head what I had just said, my words sounded calculated and callous and that wasn’t how I felt about the Cherry Tree at all. I’d invested because I
loved the place, like I loved Jemma and Tom and Ella. My interest in the Café was bound up with far deeper emotions, with family and friendship and you couldn’t and shouldn’t
ever put a price on that.

‘So what’s the latest scandal at the paper?’ I asked, draining my glass and steering the conversation in to safer waters.

By half ten I was yawning and soon discovered I was more than a little tipsy when I stood up to leave. My earlier plan to cancel our date had turned into dinner, dessert and a couple more drinks
and I wasn’t entirely sure how it had happened.

‘No,’ Jay insisted as I pulled out my purse to go halves on the meal, ‘this one is on me. I asked you, remember?’

I stuffed my purse away and leant across the table on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek as a thank you for what had turned out to be such a lovely evening. However, just at the crucial moment he
turned his head and what should have been a light peck turned into a full on kiss, complete with eye contact, a quickened pulse and a definite flicker of desire that started in my toes and blazed a
trail towards my stomach.

‘Now then, you two!’ Jim boomed as he came through with the bill. ‘Break it up, will you? It isn’t that kind of establishment!’

As soon as I opened my eyes the next morning I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t see properly for a start, everything was fuzzy and out of focus.

‘Here, I thought you’d probably need this.’

I pulled myself upright, far too quickly, according to the way my stomach complained, and took the mug Jay proffered with a sheepish grin.

‘Thanks,’ I croaked. Apparently my voice had come out in sympathy with my eyes.

I sat back and breathed in the rejuvenating smell of the strong, black coffee he had made.

‘How’re you feeling?’

‘I’ve been better,’ I whispered, self-consciously pulling the duvet tighter around me.

‘You were pretty drunk last night!’ Jay laughed, his words hitting my tender head like a sledge hammer, ‘and you’d only had a few halves of cider!’

‘I don’t usually drink it any more,’ I said weakly. ‘I learnt the hard way what kind of effect it has on me.’

Jay smirked and patted my leg sympathetically. I couldn’t remember getting home; in fact, I couldn’t remember anything much beyond the kiss in the pub.

‘Did you stay?’ I asked, fearing the worst.

I gingerly moved my legs in the bed and was relieved the sense of touch hadn’t deserted me. I still had my jeans on and my top. It could have been worse.

‘Yes,’ Jay smiled. ‘I slept on the sofa. I didn’t like to leave you on your own. I hope that was OK?’

I nodded my thanks and took a sip of the hot bitter coffee.

‘We talked for hours,’ Jay explained, beginning to fill in the gaps. ‘Can’t you remember anything?’

Embarrassed by the state I must have been in, I shook my head.

‘Oh well, that’s a shame,’ Jay said, standing up.

‘You’ll have to help me out, I’m afraid.’

‘No, it doesn’t matter,’ he said, moving to the door.

‘No please,’ I insisted, ‘go on. I hope I didn’t embarrass myself,’ I cringed, ‘I didn’t suggest anything inappropriate, did I?’

‘You offered to put some money in towards the launch of my framing business actually, but if you can’t remember.’

Had I? Had I
really
offered to do that? It certainly didn’t sound like the sort of thing I would do, but then I had been drunk, very drunk. I didn’t know what to say.

‘Don’t worry about it,’ Jay said with a shrug, ‘it doesn’t matter. I’ve got an appointment with the bank. I’m going to see if I can get a
loan.’

‘But when we looked through your portfolio you told me you didn’t want to start the business beholden to the bank.’

Now
that
I could remember; we had been talking about it early on in the evening. I wracked my brains but still couldn’t remember the part where I’d apparently jumped in to
save the day.

‘Is there really no other way?’ I frowned, feeling increasingly guilty that I had dashed Jay’s hopes, especially now that I was beginning to find him so attractive. ‘Is
there no one else you could ask, family perhaps?’

‘No, I’m afraid not. You really were my last hope, Lizzie.’

‘Well, in that case I feel even more sorry,’ I said.

He came back into the room and sat next to me on the edge of the bed.

‘I should never have said I’d help and being drunk was no excuse.’

‘Then you really can’t help?’ he asked, pushing my guilt level up another excruciating notch. ‘Not even a couple of thousand?’

I couldn’t believe he’d asked. Surely he could see how bad I felt? If he was trying to guilt me into making another offer he was making a right hash of it. I didn’t say
anything and he stood up again.

‘Sorry,’ he said, colour flooding his face, ‘I didn’t mean to ask you like that. It’s just that last night I really thought I was there, but it’s not your
fault. I’ll go to the bank.’

‘I really am sorry, Jay,’ I said again, ‘I never meant to make you feel like this.’

‘I know,’ he said sadly. ‘I’ll see you later.’

By mid-morning my head had stopped spinning so I went down to the Café. I didn’t really want to in my fragile state, but I was worried about Jemma. Yes, I was annoyed she had been
talking so freely about my love life in front of Ella but she was still my best friend and I knew there was something bugging her besides cupcake orders. I wondered if she knew there was something
bugging me too.

‘Help yourself to coffee,’ she smirked as soon as I appeared, ‘something tells me you need it this morning!’

My concern was stamped out in a second. She looked far too smug for my liking and I didn’t think I could take one of her ‘I told you so’ lectures about my love life with such a
gargantuan hangover in tow.

‘So,’ she said, drying her hands and joining me at the counter, ‘how was your evening?’

Bloody Jim! That unfortunate kiss was probably the hottest gossip the pub had been a party to since I did a bunk with Giles. I really needed to kick this unfortunate habit of providing the town
with their regular supply of tittle-tattle.

‘It was OK,’ I said tentatively, ‘but whatever Jim has been saying, you can guarantee . . .’

‘I haven’t spoken to Jim,’ Jemma interrupted, ‘although I know now I probably should if I want all the goss! I saw Jay leaving the flat this morning.’

That was even worse. I could hardly tell Jemma the truth, could I? I couldn’t imagine that she would be thrilled to learn how I had blabbed about my investment in the Café and how I
had then gone on to offer Jay, the guy I had only just met and shared one fleeting kiss with, the same level of financial commitment!

‘We met in the pub,’ I explained lamely, ‘and I had a bit too much to drink. Jay stayed at the flat to make sure I was OK. Nothing happened,’ I added feebly.