Page 22 of The Hampton Beach Café 6
Lucinda leaned her shoulder against Frances and conceded the point. They said their goodbyes to Adam and sat in silence for a few moments.
Sitting at the desk, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the debt that now loomed over her, Frances felt tears prickling her eyes again.
“Listen, I know this feels like an absolutely insurmountable hurdle, but we'll find a way through it,” Lucinda said calmly.
Frances looked over at her best friend, her eyes reflecting a mix of worry and frustration.
“But how, Luce? The debt is huge! And it's not something I anticipated or ever planned on. It feels like it's suffocating any chance we had for the café to succeed…it feels like he's won.”
With a squeeze, Lucinda said in a quiet voice, “I understand that, but we need to remember that this is just a setback. We've both faced challenges even bigger than this before. That jackass has not won, and he will never win.”
Frances let out a sigh, leaning back in her chair. “It's so not fair...”
“I know. It is unfair. But sometimes, we get curveballs that are entirely out of line. What's important is how we handle them. We'll explore all avenues to clear the debt, but if we can't, we'll find a way to pay it off.”
Desperation in her voice, clear even to herself, she said, “But how? It will take years! I wasn't expecting to stay past the end of the season...”
Lucinda smiled her gentle coaching smile. “We'll treat it like a mortgage. We'll create a repayment plan, cut back on expenses, and keep working hard to generate more income. It won't be easy, but we'll navigate through it together.”
The feeling of dread was dissipating. It was an odd feeling. She realized that she had been handled by a very accomplished people manager.
“Luce…it's almost like you're a business coach or something,” she said with a smile. “Am I your worse client ever?”
That made Lucinda laugh properly. “No! You haven't smashed anything or called me a slur—you remember that fintech start-up guy two years ago? I had to rewrite my contract with him to include that he attend therapy and anger management sessions before I'd meet him in person again. He was my worst client.”
As her laughter settled, Frances looked at Lucinda with a curious expression.
“Look, I have to ask you something. You've been helping out at the café since day one, putting in more time and effort than anyone, but you won't let me pay you. How can you be content with that? I know you care about the place...”
Lucinda smiled warmly, her eyes reflecting a genuine sense of fulfillment. “Frances, I may not have a pay slip, but that doesn't mean I don't derive satisfaction from being a part of it. Anyway, you can't afford me…you have a mortgage now.”
The bitter bark of laughter surprised her. She didn’t think she’d be able to laugh about the situation without the bitterness for quite a while. Despite this, she leaned forward and continued questioning Lucinda.
“But don't you ever feel like you're giving too much without receiving anything in return? I don't want you to feel burdened or taken advantage of…it's not like I can give you a stake in a business with this much debt. That's not right.”
Leaning in to bring her face almost uncomfortably close, Lucinda made deliberate and unwavering eye contact.
“Stop worrying about me,” she said.
With a mock glare, Frances leaned back. “Fine, but I'm not dropping this.”
FOURTEEN
One of her favorite parts of the day was attending to a few last-minute tasks before closing time. She was tired from the day but satisfied. It was days like today when she felt like she'd achieved something and knew she would sleep well. The soft chatter of a small table of customers filled the air, combined with the soft piano playing through the speakers, created a warm and inviting atmosphere. Despite everything, Frances felt at home here.
Home,she thought,how has this place become home?
The doorbell jingled.
As she glanced up to tell the new arrivals she was closing soon, she noticed that it was Alex and Martha approaching, their expressions serious but excited.
Curiosity piqued, Frances greeted them with a smile.
“Hello, you two, what brings you both here?”
Alex took a deep breath, his eyes shining with excitement.
“We have something important to discuss with you. It's about Clarkson and his various frauds.”
