‘Of course. Now come here and tell me all about who disturbed your peace the other night.’
CHAPTER 30
‘Could I have chocolate sprinkles on there too? Thanks, Amira.’ Rosa directed. Then added, ‘How are you getting on?’
‘I love it here.’ Amira straightened up her Christmas hat, retied her apron strings and looked around Rosa’s with a huge smile on her face. ‘As I said, I used to work in a restaurant back in my hometown near Damascus before it got bombed nearly three years ago, so this is like a dream for me to be here. I will be thanking you every day of my life, Rosa. For this and for sorting everything so quickly.’
‘We all need a little leg up, sometimes.’ Rosa smiled. ‘How is Zaki?’
‘Leg up? I do not understand.’
‘A little help. We all need a little help sometimes.’
‘Ah, I will remember that one now. And my Zaki, he loves Gladys. I mean, who would not? She says she has the bingo wings. I don’t understand that either. I say “No, Mrs Moore, you have the angel wings”.’
Amira turned to serve the next two customers in the queue while Nate came out from behind the counter and gave his sister a quick hug. Hot whined and did his cute little dachshund dance up and down, nudging at his legs. ‘OK, OK.’ Nate reached for some chopped cucumber behind the bar and the little dog trotted after the two humans to the back of the café. ‘Ready, sis? I thought we could just sit here to chat.’
Rosa took off Hot’s lead and he sat under the table to attack his healthy treat. She spoke quietly. ‘I’m so glad it’s worked out. I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do at all.’
‘Amira is such a hard worker. She’s so good with the food and with the customers. And I trust her to work alone at quieter times so I can catch up with admin in the back and at last I’ll be able to have the odd whole day off now without worrying.’
‘Good – but Nate, you must have more time off than just an odd day here and there or you’ll burn out. Running this place solo is a big responsibility.’
‘I’m fine. There’s enough time for a good rest in January. We all go into hibernation then down here; you know that.’
‘And I haven’t seen Danny or Tina yet to ask how Amira is getting on in the house. Is that OK too, do you know?’
‘I haven’t heard otherwise. I think Danny quite fancies her.’
‘I think Danny fancies anyone at the moment.’
‘True.’ Nate relit the candle that had gone out in its holder. ‘Have you been in Tom’s place before? It’s a huge house and the attic room is on its own level, so I reckon it’ll be fine.’
‘No women in your life at the moment then?’
‘Er. No. I…there’s no time for women. I want to make a great success of this place for you and for me. I still can’t believe you are giving me a profit share. It’s so kind.’
‘Like I’ve said before, we’re family, Nate.’ There was a silence. Then: ‘Nate, why did you take the summerhouse option then, if there’s so much room in the main one?’
‘That’s what Tom offered me,’ Nate explained, and he laughed. ‘But I love it in there. It means I’m nearer the beach and, as much as I love them, I could do without being surrounded by noisy kids when I do have my downtime.’
‘I’m with you there, bro.’ She cleared her throat. ‘The Grotty Grotto opens in the Ship car park today, remember.’
‘I know, hence our own festive hats. Is Father Christmas coming on his sleigh down this hill? Joking aside, I have got supplies in. Lucas did the decent thing and agreed as part of the ticket price to offer a Rosa’s Café mince pie and hot chocolate for all kids, so I expect we will be busy as long as the adults do eat and drink too when they are here.’
‘Is he not doing food too then?’
‘Yeah, the usual pub grub, but not everyone will want that, and they may not have enough space at busy times, he reckons.’
‘It’s good you’re working together,’ Rosa said quietly.
‘Yeah. Makes for an easier life, that’s for sure. Hey, sis, Josh must be due back soon, surely?’
‘Couple of weeks – it’s flying by now. I’ll be so excited to see him.’ Rosa licked the hot-chocolate moustache from her top lip.
‘I saw you advertised your Carol-oke Concert. Genius, but what else would I expect from my clever sister?’
‘I’m still looking for members for my singing team.’
‘Well, don’t be looking at me with “Good King Wenceslas” in mind. My backside plays better tunes than anything that comes out of my mouth.’
Rosa laughed out loud. ‘I wonder if that’s where the saying “bum note” comes from.’
‘Don’t give up the day job.’ Nate grinned. ‘Oh, you already did.’
‘Right, that’s it, you’re lead vocal after that comment.’
Rosa stood up as Amira approached and said shyly, ‘If Zaki can come with me, I’d like to sing with you, please. It brings joy to hearts, I think. The singing.’
Rosa smiled at the dark-eyed, dark-haired beauty in front of her. ‘Then joy to hearts we will bring, Amira.’
CHAPTER 31
Lucas groaned as his alarm went off at 7 a.m. He knew he shouldn’t have sat up drinking at the bar with Danny last night, but Davina was on the last of her night shifts and it had been a good laugh and much-needed lads’ time. As he came to, he heard the sound of a lorry engine vibrating right under his window. Looking outside he was shocked to see a low-based trailer which had had to reverse its way right down the hill. He was even more shocked to see the size of the Christmas tree which was being unloaded into the pub car park. Throwing on some joggers and a sweatshirt, he ran downstairs.
‘You just need to sign here mate, please.’ The driver shoved a clipboard in front of him just as Tina appeared to start her cleaning.
‘What size tree did you order for the grotto entrance?’ Lucas shouted across the car park to her.
‘Five metres, like you said.’
Lucas was more amused than cross. ‘I said feet, not bleeding metres.’
The driver laughed too. ‘Look mate, I can’t take it back as the gaffer would find it hard to sell another one of this size.’
‘We’d better keep Santa busy to pay for it then, hadn’t we?’ Luke signed the form.
‘And a second mortgage for the lights,’ the driver replied, tooting loudly as he made his way back up the hill.
Rosa, who was walking Hot on the beach with Little Ned held close to her in his papoose, wandered over to see what the commotion was all about. She looked at the tree, then at Lucas, who was smoking a cigarette, and put a hand to her mouth in mock horror.
‘What the fuck?’ she asked, pointing to the colossal tree.
‘Tina thought I said five metres.’
Rosa burst out laughing. ‘You wait until Jacob sees it; he’ll definitely be coming out in hives with erection competition of this kind.’