After the One, Cass Lester [top romance novels .txt] 📗

held up the costume against her. It was barely going to cover Charley’s arse.

‘No!’ said Charley, resolutely. ‘I’m not offering to pop anyone’s Prosecco.’

It was inevitable that Ricky would choose that precise moment to pitch up, ostensibly to see if they needed any help with the launch. When he saw Charley apparently trying out the costume, he said tactfully, ‘Wow. Err, bold outfit. Are you all wearing them?’

‘No, I’m not!’ spluttered Pam. ‘I’m sixty-three, for crying out loud!’

‘It’s for the launch,’ explained Tara to Ricky. ‘Tell Charley she’ll look great in it,’ she ordered.

‘You’ll look great in it,’ he said obediently, but with a transparently appreciative gleam in his eye.

Pulling a face, Charley pushed the costume away, while a burning flush crept up her throat and across her cheeks.

Witnessing Charley’s obvious discomfort, Pam said to her protectively, ‘You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to,’ which caused Nisha’s face to fall.

Guilt flooded through Charley at the thought of letting Nisha down after all the work she’d put into the launch. A guilt that only deepened when Tara cried, ‘Well, I’m up for it! Come on, Charley, where’s your entrepreneurial spirit?’

If she bottled it, Charley knew Tara would never let her live it down, but it was Nisha who ultimately won her over.

‘Look Charley, I do know the outfits are trashy and vulgar, and you probably don’t want to be seen dead in them, but – and it’s a very big but – they are also an unforgettable gimmick which will get your business noticed, and remembered, for a long time.’

‘Fine,’ sighed Charley, outnumbered and defeated, knowing she would live to regret it. ‘But I’m not wearing that apron.’

Hearing a choked-off laugh from Ricky, she whipped round to glare at him. He rubbed a hand across his mouth to try and hide the smile that Charley could still see twitching the corners of his lips.

‘Go, Charley!’ whooped Nisha. ‘You won’t regret it, I promise you! It’ll have a huge impact. You’ll be all over social media!’

‘All over social media – wearing that. Oh, great!’ Charley couldn’t think of anything worse.

Regretting her decision already, she looked at Ricky and rolled her eyes. He merely shook his head in silent sympathy.

By late morning on Saturday, Charley and Pam had finally finished pricing up and displaying all the stock.

Stepping back and stopping for a moment, it suddenly struck Charley what they’d achieved in such a short time. It was astonishing. Looking around her, even to her self-critical eye she thought the shop looked amazing. The displays were methodical and professional-looking, full but not crammed. The dresser shelves were neatly stocked with soaps and toiletries, flutes and wine glasses, mugs and cups and saucers, and tote-bags and tea towels. Chocolates and confectionery were displayed in white wicker baskets scattered around on the tables, while a pile of the cushions Pam had had her eye on were neatly stacked on one of the chairs. The only thing unfinished was Angie’s slogan on the back wall above the clock, but Charley had cannily Blu-Tacked a display of her gift bags over that, partly to conceal it, but also to advertise that side of the business.

She turned to Pam, who was busily tidying away the packaging.

‘We did it!’ she exclaimed.

Pam stopped trampling down some cardboard boxes and looked over. ‘Yes! Well done you!’

‘Well done us,’ corrected Charley. ‘I couldn’t have done this without you, Pam,’ she added earnestly, and when Pam opened her mouth to protest Charley put her hand up to silence her and continued. ‘And I don’t just mean the money, Pam. You’ve been incredibly supportive of me over the last few months. I wouldn’t have had the guts to do any of this if you hadn’t encouraged me and believed in me.’

‘You’ve been supportive of me too,’ Pam reminded her. ‘Extraordinarily so. It’s not every young woman who’d let her mother-in-law move in with her!’

‘Ah, but then not every young woman has a mother-in-law like you!’ Charley sobered before going on. ‘If I’m honest Pam, I wasn’t exactly…’ Charley paused. She’d been going to say ‘keen on the idea’ but tactfully changed it to, ‘sure it was a good idea. Us sharing the flat. Well not to begin with. But it’s worked out well, hasn’t it? For both of us.’

Pam nodded but she didn’t reply, and Charley saw her face suddenly cloud over as if she were struggling with her thoughts. Eventually she said, ‘Actually, I’ve been wanting to talk to you… but what with getting the shop ready, and Angie’s baby and everything, I couldn’t find the right moment.’

Intuitively, Charley guessed what the older woman was going to say. ‘You’re going to move back to your place, aren’t you?’ she said.

Pam sighed apologetically. ‘Yes, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I am.’

‘Don’t be silly! I think it’s a really good decision. Really I do,’ Charley assured her, and she meant it. Although the two of them had by now settled down into an easy living-together arrangement, she instinctively knew that, whatever her mother-in-law’s future might be, Pam would be happier and better able to deal with it in her own home.

‘I’m going to tell Geoff to move out.’

‘Good for you!’ said Charley.

‘But I’ll give you a couple of months’ rent notice,’ Pam went on hurriedly. ‘I’m not going to leave you in the lurch!’

Charley shook her head. ‘You don’t need to, I can get another lodger. And anyway, with a bit of luck, if the shop takes off, I won’t have to!’

‘Fingers crossed for a roaring success tonight then!’ replied Pam.

Charley crossed the fingers on both her hands and held them up. ‘Absolutely!’

After lunch there was nothing for the two of them to do but wait and try not to get too anxious. It was the kind of tension that reminded Charley of throwing a party when, just for those last few moments before anyone’s actually arrived, you begin to panic that you’ve either told everyone the wrong date or everyone’s