Page 9 of Right Place, Right Time
I pull a wry face. ‘He’s a comedian now! My life isn’t all antiques, you know?’
I’ve known Luca long enough to understand when he’s teasing me. Other than Orla, our newest and youngest member of Clockmaker Court, Luca and I are two of the younger shopkeepers in the court. When I first arrived here to help my grandparents with their shop, we immediately formed a friendship. There were quite a few of us back then, but that was in the good old days before Covid, Brexit and the country’s economic instability that sadly led to many of our fellow shopkeepers both in Clockmaker Court and the rest of Cambridge closing their independently run stores.
But, fortunately, some of us in Clockmaker Court managed to survive. We’d been able to keep our heads above water because many of us owned the building our shop was in, so we didn’t have to pay any additional rent. Most lived above their shops, but I was lucky enough to live elsewhere in Cambridge, in an old terraced house my grandparents lived in before me, so I earned extra cash from renting the top floor of my shop out to a local accountancy firm.
Of the twelve buildings in Clockmaker Court, currently five of them are still trading as shops. Just last year the shop next to me – an antique bookshop – closed down when Gerald, the owner, passed away. I still have hope someone might take on the shop, but so far no one has come forward.
So although we are all a tight-knit bunch in Clockmaker Court, and we get on really well, Luca, with his Italian charm and optimistic outlook on life, is secretly one of my favourites.
Luca grins at me. ‘OK, maybe antiques are not yourwholelife, but, you have to admit, they are an awfully large part of it.’
One of the bar staff finally comes over and we place our order. We wait while they pour our drinks and then Luca helps me carry them over to our table.
We hand all the drinks out, with Ben nodding his gratitude from his armchair in the corner as I place his glass of rum in front of him. Then, finally, I sit down in my wooden chair between Rocky and Luca, with Harriet, Orla and Adam all on the other side of the table.
‘What have you got there?’ Rocky asks, looking with interest at my drink.
‘It’s an apple juice cocktail. There’s a cocktail menu on the bar – it’s half price before seven. I don’t know why, I just fancied it for a change.’
‘Non-alcoholic?’ Rocky asks, smiling.
‘Not quite – there’s vodka in there somewhere.’
Rocky winks.
‘We were just discussing Clockmaker Court with Adam,’ Harriet says, lifting up her own glass. ‘He’s quite fascinated by its history, aren’t you, Adam?’
‘I am indeed,’ Adam says, smiling at me across the table. ‘You never told me quite how old your shop is, Eve.’
‘Oh!’ Orla suddenly gestures excitedly between Adam and me. ‘Your names – I’ve just realised, they’re Adam and Eve!’
‘Orla, darling, how could you only just have noticed that?’ Luca asks, his eyes wide. ‘We were all open-mouthed when Eve introduced him – and not just because of your name, Adam,’ he adds suggestively.
Adam takes this all in his stride. ‘Thank you! Eve didn’t seem to think it was anything unusual.’
As if we are at a tennis match, all heads turn back to me in unison.
I’m just taking a sip of my drink, so I hurriedly swallow and put my glass down.
‘What?’ I ask. ‘It’s notthatunusual, is it?’
‘I should read your cards.’ Orla looks between us. ‘Both of you.’
‘Cards?’ Adam asks, looking confused.
‘Orla reads tarot cards,’ I say.
‘Not only tarot. I do angel cards too. I’m very good.’
Adam nods. ‘I’m sure you are. Have you not had a reading then, Eve?’ he asks innocently. ‘It sounds like you should sometime?’ He raises his eyebrows at me and I know he’s trying to wind me up as usual.
‘I will someday,’ I reply diplomatically. ‘When the time is right. Perhaps you might like a reading, though, if Orla is keen to do one for you?’ I smile at him, blinking slowly so he’s in no doubt I’m aware just what he’s doing.
‘Sure, why not?’ Adam shrugs. ‘I’d welcome knowing what my future might bring. I’m not scared.’
‘Er … neither am I!’ I quickly say. ‘I just said that it isn’t an appropriate time right now.’ The truth is it’s never going to be an appropriate time, but I’m not going to let Adam know that.
‘Uh-huh …’ Adam says, raising his eyebrows again.
