Kate
‘You should come up with a code,’ Juliet told her as she helped Kate move the stack of small galvanised steel vintage troughs out of treatment room No 2.
‘Won’t that confuse him?’ With the tubs that were going to be used as country-chic foot-spas moved out to the corridor, Kate concentrated on straightening bottles of essential oils, so the labels were facing forward attractively on the top shelf of the treatment trolley. After a second’s contemplation she rolled the trolley to the other side of the treatment bed and stood back to take in the overall ambiance of the room.
‘Or you could use a euphemism in place of a code?’ Juliet said, turning the dimmer switch so that the chandelier above the massage table emitted only the softest glow.
They were talking about how Kate should broach the subject of moving in with Daniel in order to gauge his reaction because she certainly wasn’t going to bring it up until she was one hundred per cent certain he was open to the idea. The only problem with her logic was that if she never brought the subject up, how was she ever going to know how he felt about it?
‘A euphemism,’ Kate pondered, prepared to consider everything, because after talking it through with Emma the other night, the idea, instead of fading away, had started to take hold. ‘What should I use that would make him completely get it without, you know, getting it, so that he then magically thinks moving in together was his idea?’
‘That’s the part I get stuck. Ooh,’ Juliet gave a click of her fingers before reaching out to straighten the sign pointing to the shower. ‘Forget euphemisms. Why don’t you use the Cosmo technique?’
Kate pouted. ‘See? Cosmo has written about a new sexual position and I haven’t even had time to read up on it, let alone try it.’
‘No. The other technique – the one where you leave a copy lying around, left conveniently open on a page with an article about moving in together?’
Kate screwed up her face. ‘Let’s be honest, if he even noticed it, he’d just pick the magazine up and turn to the Cosmo-technique pages. I don’t know, getting all crafty about asking him doesn’t feel right.’
‘Unlike this room, which is now perfect, yes?’ Juliet asked as she moved to stand in the open doorway.
Kate nodded. At least she felt confident about something. Happy, she looked around the treatment room with its painted walls in the same soothing eau de nil as the rest of The Clock House, its soft polished wooden floors, and the serene white of the furniture with the details picked out in flecks of gold-leaf, giving a hint of sparkle under the crystal chandelier that hung from the centre of the ceiling. ‘It definitely looks better with the equipment trolley on that side and the armoire moved to the opposite wall, right?’
Juliet nodded. ‘So that’s all three rooms laid out just how you want them now?’
‘Yes. I went ahead and added another bed and two treatment chairs to room three because it’s so much bigger. That way we can have group treatments if someone books a package but they’re going to have to be done on days when we’re not booked out because I’m not hiring more than three therapists until I know trade can support the cost.’
‘You know, you don’t sound nervous at all,’ Juliet remarked, looking proudly at her.
‘About this?’ Kate breathed deep and shook her head. ‘I really think I’ve got my head around embracing the madness that comes with opening four businesses at once.’
She’d given herself a bit of a talking to. She had a responsibility to make this work now. Not just for Bea. Or herself, Daniel and Juliet. She had staff to look after as well and you couldn’t run a day spa and not be able to chill out. So, now, every morning, no matter the weather, she’d taken to walking through the moon-gate to stand in the wild meadow, amongst the little white beehives.
The wildflowers were non-existent at this time of year, the buddleia straggly and forlorn-looking, and the grass no longer a lush green, but a sea of beige. And although the bee activity was quieter, if she stood still she could hear them working away inside their homes to keep warm.
Being around Bea’s bees was proving to be the nectar that kept her focused. About The Clock House at any rate. Every time she had nothing to think about, the subject of moving in with Daniel started tapping her on the shoulder.
‘The spa rooms really do look wonderful, Kate. Calming. Sumptuous. Luxurious.’ Juliet gave a tired but happy grin. ‘We’re so close to opening now, I can taste it.’
Kate grinned back. ‘Come on, let’s take the new pedicure spas downstairs and set them up in the salon.’
Juliet picked up one handle of the stacked tubs and walked them downstairs with Kate because they’d sworn a pledge they wouldn’t get lazy and use the lift that had been installed for guests.
‘What’s the worst that could happen if you ask Daniel about moving in together?’ Juliet asked setting her end of the tubs down at the bottom of the stairs so that she could open up the doors to the salon.
‘He could say no,’ Kate huffed out.
‘So if he says no you keep “Rocking All Over the World” anyway.’
‘Huh?’ Her days of travelling all over the world were packed up in a large trunk, thanks to coming home and laying down roots again.
‘You know,’ Juliet did a little guitar and box-step dance, ‘Keep the status quo.’
‘Oh. Ha. But that’s just it, could we? Surely it would change everything, because then,’ she said, making her eyes crazy-scared, ‘it, would be out there.’
Juliet picked up her side of the troughs again and walked them over with Kate to the back wall of her salon, to where five plush white leather pedicure chairs had been installed. On the dividing wall that separated the salon from the old kitchenette, which had now been made into an area for mixing up hair dyes, Oscar had installed special, custom-built racks to hold Beauty @ The Clock House’s vast selection of colours you could choose to have your nails painted in.
‘But if he says it’s too soon, how is that the end of the world?’ Juliet asked, setting out one of the kidney-bean shaped tubs in front of each chair.
‘It isn’t, really.’ Kate automatically pulled out each portable nail bench to check sufficient amounts of towels had been stored. ‘It would actually be eminently sensible.’
‘And isn’t that part of what you love about him?’ Juliet checked, standing back to look at their handiwork.
‘Yes.’ Kate heaved out a sigh. ‘Am I rushing to get to the next part when I should be enjoying the now? On the other hand though, by the time we’re open, we’re going to be so rushed off our feet, it will be too easy to concentrate on business. You were right the other night. Our private life isn’t going to get a look-in once we open, is it? Tell me honestly, do you think it’s too soon?’
‘Hey, when it’s right, it’s right.’
‘Good. I mean I figured since you and Oscar…’
‘Are what, perfect?’
The way she said it had Kate whipping her head round to look at her. ‘Hey, sorry I didn’t mean—’
‘No it’s me who should be sorry,’ Juliet said with a sad smile. ‘It’s just a lot of pressure.’
‘To be the perfect couple. To be the perfect family?’
Juliet wandered over to one of the hair-dressing stations and straightened the chair. ‘Don’t look so worried. Not all of my waking thoughts are about babies. After the other night though I’ve been doing a bit of thinking, yes, while I was crafting! And you know what I concluded?’
‘What?’
‘That Emma was right about me hitting the silly season. I really want to wait at least a year before I revisit thinking about babies. I want to get the salon up and running properly. Enjoy the success. Enjoy the madness of running my own business.’ She caught Kate’s eyes in the mirror and smiled. ‘Really, I feel so much better having decided.’
Kate honestly couldn’t tell if she’d genuinely decided or simply talked herself into it, and gently mentioned, ‘You don’t look that happy about your decision.’
‘It’s not that. It’s Christmas. I can’t help thinking about how Oscar had it perfect with Bea and—’
‘Oh, Jules,’ Kate walked over to plonk herself down in the chair Juliet had straightened. The hard act of following Bea was always going to resonate with her. Her twin had had such a knack for getting everything she wanted, in the nicest possible way. ‘Oscar was never going to give his heart easily after Bea, but that’s how I know he thinks it’s perfect with you.’
Juliet gave a nod and a shake of her head as if willing herself not to get upset. Almost absent-mindedly, she turned Kate around to face the mirror and started pulling out the band holding her hair in a ponytail. ‘I guess I just need it to be perfect in a different way. In our way and well, that’s going to take time, isn’t it? We’re both so busy. And both so practical. It’s almost too easy to fall into a pattern, but is it our pattern, or is it recycled from his and Bea’s?’
‘Juliet, I promise you that Oscar doesn’t see you as a substitute Bea,’ Kate assured, meeting her cousin’s eyes in the mirror.
Juliet fanned Kate’s long brown waves over her shoulders and then picked up a hairbrush. ‘We were at your mum’s for Thursday night dinner last week, and she let slip how Christmas Day used to be with Bea and it was all: wakeup and he’d cook breakfast while Melody opened her presents, then it was off to the mid-day service, and back so that she and Sheila could put the finishing touches to lunch, then it was a walk in the afternoon and silly board games in the evening.’
With a sigh, she pushed Kate’s hair over to the side, and studied the effect before moving it back to its natural parting. ‘It’s not that I don’t think all that would be nice,’ Juliet mused. ‘It’s just that I was looking forward to starting my own traditions with him and Melody.’
‘How about if I invite Mum to Myrtle Cottage for Christmas?’ Kate said wanting instantly to make everything better if she could. She’d have to run it past Daniel, but then he still hadn’t told her if he was going to invite his mother down. Before she could give herself time to worry about that, she was thinking about how the four of them would fit around the tiny table. Not that the one Daniel had in Mistletoe Cottage was much bigger.
‘I don’t know,’ Juliet said, brushing all of Kate’s hair back and pulling it into a neat low ponytail. ‘I don’t want to deprive Melody of seeing her Gran on Christmas Day.’
‘What’s your mum doing?’
‘Oh, she told me in August she’d been invited to Trudie and Nigel’s so I needed to “sort myself out” for the day. I made her walk around for an entire weekend with a giant Christmas rosette pinned to her top, for being the first to talk about Christmas plans.’
Kate laughed and then sobered as she thought it was all very well her advising Juliet, when she couldn’t drum up the courage to talk to Daniel about their living arrangements, but it was worrying her seeing one of her favourite people on the planet struggling when she should be feeling so happy. ‘Don’t let this one fester, Juliet. Mention it to him tonight, okay? Have a think about what you’d really like to do and suggest it to him and see what he says.’
‘You’re right. I should. I don’t know why I’m feeling so emotional the last couple of weeks.’
‘Let’s face it, what we’re doing here is pretty big,’ Kate said, looking at Juliet and thinking she really did look quite pale. Not that she looked the picture of vitality, either. They just had to get through to opening, she thought. Then all the wondering about was this going to work would stop and the real day-to-day work could begin proper. She and Juliet would be so busy they’d have no choice but to follow their own lead.
‘That must be it,’ Juliet said. ‘I’m actually really looking forward to tonight. Emma must be nervous though. I haven’t seen her all morning and I’m dying to see what she’s doing in Cocktails & Chai.’
‘I haven’t seen her since eight this morning when she made me promise not to step foot in the room until tonight.’
‘Hmmn. It doesn’t seem quite right,’ Juliet grinned as she spun Kate around in her chair, ‘you being the owner of this fine establishment,’ and then walked over to the salon doors, ‘and not being able to wander freely into each room.’
‘Juliet Brown are you trying to get me into trouble?’
‘Me? How could little ole me, get you into trouble?’ she asked, beckoning her over, and then poking her head out to look left and then right.
Kate stepped up behind her, poking her head out above Juliet’s. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Do you want a sneaky-peak on what’s going on in there or not?’ Juliet whispered.
‘Okay, but just to check if Emma needs a hand with anything.’
‘Exactly. After all, there’s no “i” in “team”.’
‘Or in “nosy”,’ Kate whispered.
‘Coast is clear,’ Juliet observed.
‘Roger Bilco.’
‘I think it’s Wilco.’
‘I thought that was a shop that was all about filling up your basket with essentials like extension cord towers, sticker sheets of cute little pandas, lampshades, glittery notebooks, and pic ‘n’ mix?’ Kate muttered as she tip-toed with Juliet across the foyer, up to the doors of Cocktails & Chai.
She’d just put her hand on the round brass doorknob when a voice bellowed, ‘What are you two doing?’
‘Waaah,’ Kate whirled around as Daniel came up behind them. ‘Never you mind,’ she said popping a hand against her beating heart.
‘Hey,’ he said, casting the doors a brief glance, ‘if there’s a spying mission going on, count me in.’
‘Okay, but you have to be super-quiet.’
‘Okay.’
‘We’re trying to see what Emma’s doing for tonight.’
‘Why? Don’t you trust her?’
‘Of course we do.’ Kate had her hand on the brass round doorknob when she got a tap on the shoulder and a completely unsubtle clearing of a throat.
‘Shh.’ Kate said, waving her hand about behind her and not connecting with anyone. ‘We’re nearly in. Damn. She’s locked it.’
‘If it wasn’t for those pesky kids,’ Emma said in a perfect Scooby-Doo impression.
‘Busted,’ Juliet whispered as the three of them turned around.
‘It was her,’ Daniel immediately said, pointing to Kate. ‘She’s the ring-leader.’
‘Hey,’ Kate elbowed Daniel in the ribs.
‘Yeah, she made us do it,’ Juliet giggled.
‘Hey,’ Kate turned to Juliet her eyes narrowing, even if it was nice to see her laughing.
‘Kate Somersby, you promised,’ Emma said, folding her arms and tapping her foot. ‘Well, what have you got to say for yourself?’
‘That it’s outrageous your agent didn’t get you a part on Orange is the New Black.’
When Emma merely raised an eyebrow and waited, Kate was impressed and said, ‘We didn’t see anything. Promise.’
‘And you,’ Emma said, throwing Juliet a stern look. ‘I’m surprised at you.’ Then the tiniest crack appeared and her voice faltered as she looked at the three of them. ‘Is it that you think I’m going to mess this evening up?’
‘Absolutely not,’ Kate said, feeling bad that her and Juliet having a little fun might not feel that way to Emma, who felt she had something to prove. ‘In fact we’d just been talking about how much we were looking forward to tonight.’
‘But you couldn’t wait a few more hours and let yourselves enjoy the surprise?’
‘Surprise?’ Kate, Juliet and Daniel chorused.
Emma shook her head sadly at the trio. ‘Now I’m going to have to come up with some sort of punishment.’
‘Yes. We must be punished,’ said Daniel, which Kate thought thoroughly deserved another elbow in the ribs.
‘But we didn’t see anything,’ Juliet moaned.
‘Doesn’t matter,’ Emma said shaking her head. ‘The intent was there.’
‘Ugh, you’re not going to make us wash dishes, are you?’
Emma held up her finger as her phone signalled an incoming text. Reading it, she suddenly grinned from ear to ear. ‘Well, what do you know? Perfect timing. And perfect punishment.’ Emma’s grin got bigger. ‘Yeah, so, your evening just got extra-special because that was Gloria Pavey confirming that she can come tonight.’
‘Oh, sh—’ Daniel said, turning to Kate.
‘Nooo,’ Juliet moaned, also turning to look at Kate’s reaction.
‘Is this a joke?’ Kate demanded.
‘Mwahahaha,’ Emma evil cackled as she left them standing in the foyer.