Page 2 of The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove

I spun around. ‘Oh, soyou’reDennis. Vi’s grandson. She talks about you all the time. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Nancy.’

‘So I gathered. Nan has talked about a bookshop coming to the village non-stop for weeks now. Invited me along to a launch day.’

‘Bless her. And yes, the more the merrier. I’ll just go and get some mugs and get that coffee machine on the go. The loo is that door over there.’

Heading into the kitchen, and swilling the mugs that I’d used the day before, I wondered what on earth had made me just invite someone I’d never met before to join me for a coffee. I didn’t do things like that. Not my style at all. But then, he wasn’t really a stranger if he was a relative of someone I knew. And Vi too. One of the loveliest people who has ever lived in Driftwood Bay. Most of the village would describe her as a real character, even if she called herself a daft old bag most of the time.

As I came out of the back room, he was back in the main area browsing the non-fiction shelves and I smiled when I saw him reaching out and touching the spines.

‘Ah, so you’re a book toucher, are you, Dennis?’

‘Caught red-handed. Though, I suppose, better than a book sniffer.’

‘Absolutely nothing wrong with a person who loves the smell of a good book I’ll have you know.’

‘Ah, soyou’rea book sniffer then, Nancy?’

‘I couldn’t possibly confirm or deny.’ We both grinned at each other as I handed him a plate with one of my sacred almond croissants. ‘Coffee won’t be long.’

‘Thanks. So what do people around here do for fun? It’s always seemed like a little sleepy village with not much life in it.’

Insulted on behalf of Driftwood Bay, I was a little surprised at the turn of mood.

‘I can’t speak for everyone but I’m all for doing everything I can to save the environment.’

I couldn’t be one hundred per cent sure, but he may have started to roll his eyes at me and then stopped himself.

‘Yet you sell books, which are made from paper, and paper is damaging to the environment. Interesting!’ I knew that Vi didn’t mince her words. Maybe her grandson had inherited her traits. A smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes got me wondering about him blowing hot and cold. ‘So tell me about your little shop, Nancy. Nice little earner for you, is it? I always wonder how businesses survive in Driftwood Bay. I don’t get down here very often these days but there never seems to be loads of people around.’

Sure that my eyebrows were reflecting my quizzical thoughts, I thought about what a bizarre question it was and how out of the blue. One minute we were talking books and the next, this insult about my beliefs followed quickly by a personal intrusion askingabout money. It was almost as if he knew finances was my weak spot, something that I hadn’t admitted to anyone.

He could see that I was a little flummoxed by his questioning and I was a little lost for words. I never was very good at hiding my thoughts, my inner feelings written all over my face, and right then I wasn’t sure if he was being passive-aggressive or just downright nosy.

‘Gosh, that’s quite a personal question when we’ve only just met.’

What I really wanted to say was that it was none of his business, but my parents had always brought me up to not be rude.

‘I’m a business analyst and I can’t help myself. Always worrying about the money side of things of a business.’

This was clearly an explanation and not an apology, and it was getting my hackles right up. Particularly because I had no explanation on the paper front.

‘Regarding the income I earn from the shop, I’m a huge believer in what will be will be, so try not to worry about such things.’

This timehisexpression showed me what was going on in his head.

‘Good luck with that,’ he mumbled as he took the mug of coffee I’d offered him. There was a little bit of me that was wondering whether I’d done the right thing by showing kindness to him. ‘Honestly, I visit so many people who have set up a business and have absolutely no idea about how they need to run it. They get these airy-fairy ideas and romanticise that running a business is easy. Did you know that most start-ups fail? It’s mainly because the owners live with their heads in the clouds.’

‘Thanks for the motivational words. I’ll bear them in mind. Have you ever considered doing a TED Talk? You’d be aknockout. Think of all the business owners dreams you could kill in a whole fifteen-minute speech.’

I glared at him, now absolutely wishing I hadn’t bothered to invite him in.

Dennis bit the inside of his lip and had the good grace to look a little sheepish.

‘Sorry, Nancy, I’m tired and grumpy and have a lot on my mind right now, but it’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have voiced my opinions out loud.’ His brow furrowed. ‘All you’ve done is show me kindness and I’ve not repaid that.’ He took a big swig from his mug, put it down on the counter, and turned towards the door. ‘Thank you for the coffee. See you around. And I promise to keep my views to myself if I do.’ He walked out, mumbling away to himself incoherently.

As I put my mug up to my lips, to sip at my drink, I wondered what on earth had just happened. Who was this opinionated man who had waltzed into my life on this Wednesday morning, making the wonderful effects of that gorgeous sunrise, which normally put me in a great mood for the day ahead, a distant memory? He knew nothing about me and he had no right to cast aspersions on me or my bookshop. However good looking he was.

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