Anything but Vanilla(30)
That took a lot more than a straight-to-hell smile.
* * *
Sorrel was squeezing the juice from a pile of pink grapefruit when he returned to the kitchen. Not the most enjoyable job in the world, but she was putting her back into it.
‘How long are you going to be?’ he asked.
‘As long as it takes,’ she said. ‘I’m going to have to make more than one batch of this so I’ll be a while yet. As soon as I’ve got the syrup started, I’ll pop down to the school to catch Nancy,’ she said, checking her watch, before turning to look at him. ‘You don’t have to stay.’ She favoured him with a wry smile. ‘As you appear to have worked out for yourself, Ria gave me a key so that I can pick up stock out of hours.’
‘That sounds about right.’ Ria had a genius for making ice cream and if she’d been focused, seized the opportunities that clearly existed for someone with entrepreneurial flair, she could have been making serious money. He’d given her every chance, but it was obvious that she didn’t have the temperament for it. As Sorrel Amery had discovered, she was like Scotch mist: impossible to pin down. ‘I’m sorry she let you down.’
‘It’s not your fault and she didn’t mean to. She’s just, well, Ria.’
‘Yes.’ Infuriating, irresponsible, impossible to refuse anything... He’d berated Sorrel for handing over cash but he’d done a lot more than that over the years. Wanting to make up for her loss. His loss... ‘I’ve got your lease.’
‘That was quick.’
‘It’s a month’s sub-let, hardly complicated.’
‘Don’t underestimate yourself.’ She rubbed her arm against her cheek where a juice had splashed. ‘You must be absolute dynamite when you’ve had a good night’s sleep.’
‘When I’ve had one, I’ll let you know. In the meantime are you going to sign this?’ he asked.
‘I’ll be right with you,’ she said, squeezing the last of the grapefruit before peeling off the thin protective gloves.
She checked the date and signature on the original lease signed by Ria, then read through the sub-lease and the letter he’d written.
‘You’re my sponsor? What does that mean?’
‘All our tenants are sponsored by a board member. You’ll have to provide audited accounts and references before you’ll be granted a full lease.’
‘And will you sponsor me for that?’
‘I won’t be here.’
She flinched, as if struck. It was over in a moment and if he hadn’t been looking at her quite so intently he’d have missed it. ‘No, of course not,’ she said. ‘Um...this seems to be in order. Have you got a pen?’
‘You’re not going to read the actual lease?’
‘Are you open to negotiation?’ She glanced up, questioningly.
‘No,’ he said, quickly, handing her his pen.
‘Thought not.’ She signed both copies of the sub-lease and gave him back one copy. ‘You’ll find my cheque pinned to the noticeboard.’
She’d been that confident?
‘One month, Sorrel,’ he repeated. ‘Not a day...not an hour longer.’
SEVEN
I’d give up ice cream, but I’m no quitter.
—from Rosie’s ‘Little Book of Ice Cream’
Nancy was waiting by the school gate for her little girl. Sorrel had expected her to be upset, to be looking worried, but, if the bright new streaks in her hair were anything to go by, her response to losing her job had been a trip to the hairdresser’s. Far from depressed, she looked ready to party.
‘Nancy...I’ve been leaving messages on your phone.’
She spun round. ‘Oh, Sorrel...’ She looked guilty rather than distraught. ‘I was going to call you, but I’ve been a bit busy. Is there any news of Ria?’
‘No, but I do have some good news for you. I’ve leased the ice-cream parlour for a month and if everything goes according to plan Knickerbocker Gloria is going to remain open.’
‘Really? But Mr West said...’
‘I know what Mr West said, but we’ve come to an agreement. I’ll be employing you for the moment and once Ria comes back we’ll sort everything out. In the meantime you can come in tomorrow and we’ll carry on as usual.’