As they headed next door to the cash and carry, Josh asked, ‘How come you aren’t as confident about yourself as you are with the shop?’
‘Because it’s not personal,’ she told him, after a pause. ‘Designing shop windows is always easier.’
She followed him into the cash and carry and was amazed at the sheer volume of goods available.
‘It’s all good quality,’ he told her, picking up a few bales of loo rolls and kitchen paper. ‘That should keep us going until Christmas.’
She hesitated before nodding.
‘What?’ he asked, turning to face her. ‘Why am I sensing disapproval?’
‘No, no,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I understand why you shop here.’
‘But…?’ he prompted.
‘I don’t know,’ she said, feeling uncomfortable. ‘It’s just not very, er, countrified?’
He looked at her. ‘What do you want? Straw on the floor and hay bales to sit on?’
‘Not that,’ she said. ‘It’s just all this stuff is cheap, and that’s great. But it doesn’t feel very individual. Original, I mean.’
‘We can’t afford original,’ he told her. ‘This stuff just about keeps our head above water.’
He picked up some pints of milk and added it to their large trolley.
She hesitated before deciding to speak up. ‘What about your ecology credentials?’
He looked at her. ‘What do you mean?’
‘How much of this is recyclable? Sustainable?’
He frowned. ‘We don’t have the luxury of profits to be sustainable unfortunately.’
His good mood seemed to have completely evaporated, so Amber kept quiet for the rest of their trip.
Josh had been running the shop for a very long time so he obviously knew what he was doing profit-wise. She just wasn’t sure in her mind’s eye that the vision she had for decorating the shop quite fitted with the generic goods he was buying.
But what did it matter? She gave herself a strict talking-to as she helped load the van. She was helping with the decoration, that was all. What stock they held was nothing to do with her. Anyway, another month and she’d be on her way.
But, deep inside, she found herself secretly hoping that perhaps she could stay on for just a few more weeks to see if the shop succeeded once they’d finished the redecorating.
22
Josh huddled over his pint of beer, deep in thought.
‘You’re not very chatty tonight,’ said Mike, polishing a glass over and over with a grubby tea towel.
‘It’s been a bit hard to hear myself think let alone speak above that lot,’ said Josh, nodding at the band who had been playing nearby. ‘They don’t seem to have improved over time.’
Thankfully they had just stopped for a cigarette break. Although to Josh’s mind it was only metaphorically playing.
‘I said I’d give them a try for a month,’ said Mike, with a grimace. ‘Thought they’d be better than me having to talk to Angie for any length of time.’
‘At this point, I’ll take the peace and quiet,’ said Josh, taking another sip of beer.
‘No chance of me ever getting that with my wife,’ muttered Mike.
Josh put down the pint glass and looked at his hands, which were still splattered with paint. He probably still had lots in his hair as well, but he was so tired that he was past caring.
In all honesty, Josh wasn’t in the mood to chat anyway. He had received a phone call from his mum sounding somewhat alarmed.
‘Grandma Tilly says the tractor is in the middle of the shop!’ she’d said.
‘It’s a temporary thing,’ Josh had replied. ‘How’s Pete? Are you having a good time?’
But she didn’t accept the change of conversation tack he had tried and he’d spent the next ten minutes trying to placate her.
‘I know I said I’d give you carte blanche,’ his mum had said. ‘But it’s sounding a bit of a mess.’
‘Amber seems to know what she’s doing,’ Josh had offered, pulling out his ace card.
‘Amber’s OK with the tractor?’ his mum had asked, sounding shocked.
‘It was her idea,’ Josh had told her.
It was only then that his mum began to be somewhat reassured.
‘Well, I’m sure she knows what she’s doing,’ Cathy had replied.
Josh sincerely hoped so. He had tried to go along with Amber’s enthusiasm, but privately he was having severe doubts as to the whole refurbishment of the shop.
‘Can’t you pay them to shut up?’ said Dodgy Del, who had just come in and sat next to Josh at the bar. ‘I’ve had a hell of a day and I’m not in the mood for a bad version of Coldplay tonight.’
‘You know what? I’ll tell them to take their money and hop it,’ said Mike, grimacing. ‘I’ve got a splitting headache myself.’
‘I’m not surprised,’ said Josh, turning to look at Del. ‘What’s up?’
‘This weather,’ said Del, gesturing through the murky window to the darkening sky outside. ‘This rain had better ease up soon or else the roads are going to start flooding. I’ve already had my fill of pensioners moaning today about how wet they’ve got going round their gardens and parks. It doesn’t help that the tea rooms were all full up because of the bad weather. Wasn’t my fault.’
‘Glad somebody’s full of customers,’ muttered Josh. ‘Maybe I’ll open up a garden instead.’
There was a small pause whilst the band began to pack up their set in a somewhat noisy fashion.
‘How’s the makeover going?’ asked Del. ‘Still can’t believe that tractor’s stuck in the middle of the place.’
‘Me neither,’ said Josh. ‘It’s going far too slowly for my liking. And expensive to boot.’
‘Well, she’s from New York, ain’t she?’ said Del, between sips of beer. ‘Used to living the high life in her fancy Manhattan loft. Yeah, I’ve seen Sex and the City. Although there weren’t enough sex in it for my liking. Just women chatting all the time and I can get that from my sister and mum all evening. Why do you think I come in here to escape?’
‘Amber’s not like that,’ said Josh, shaking his head. ‘Anyway, she’s from England.’
‘How would I know?’ said Del. ‘She’s not said one word to me yet.’
‘Wise lady,’ said Josh.
‘By the way, is she single?’
Josh turned to look at his friend. ‘Leave well alone,’ he warned him. ‘She’s too sweet and innocent for the likes of you.’
‘Ha!’ said Del, laughing into his pint. ‘So you’re keeping her to yourself.’
‘I’m not keeping her for anyone,’ Josh told him. ‘She’s only here for a few more weeks. And it’ll be my mum and grandma you’ll have to contend with if you upset Amber.’
Del gave a mock shudder. ‘I’m right scared at that!’
‘You should be,’ said Josh, draining his pint. ‘I’ve seen Grandma Tilly threaten the turkey with a carving knife at Christmas and she’s pretty good.’