Page 10 of Barging In
“Well?” Jasper asked cautiously.
“Any ideas how you sink a narrowboat?”
“That bad?”
Victoria nodded. “Drew’s threatening to shut us down and convert the ground floor into apartments if we don’t turn a profit soon. He knows it takes at least three years for a business to become profitable; hetoldme that, for pity’s sake. The café is our biggest earner.”
“Then why is he pushing?”
“I don’t know,” she exhaled.
“Is business bad for him, too? Maybe he’s looking to recoup his investment?”
“I don’t know,” she repeated, her tone sharp. “He doesn’t tell me anything.” She took a breath. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I just feel… out of my depth. Out of control. It’s not something I’m used to. But one thing I do know is business and profits come first with him.”
Jasper rubbed her arm. “We’ll come up with something. We’re a team. We started this together; we’re not letting it end anytime soon.”
His reassurance was comforting, but doubt lingered. From the moment her research had led her to Jasper, an esteemed fashion historian specialising in corsetry, and he’d agreed to join forces with her on bringing the heritage centre together, they’d faced every hurdle side by side, becoming firm friends in the process. Jasper was unshakeably optimistic, a steady force who never let her lose sight of the vision. This time, though, the worry was harder to ignore. To come so far and fall at the last hurdle would be gut-wrenching.
“Why don’t we go and check out the enemy camp?” he suggested. “See what we’re up against?”
Victoria’s jaw dropped. “You mean try the goods?”
“Yes.” He smirked. “I’ll pay if it’s too much for you to part with cash to a competitor. Come on.”
CHAPTER 4
Victoria reluctantly got to her feet and trailed after Jasper, catching up with him on the bridge.
“You queue,” she instructed him. “I’m going to sit and watch.”
“What can I get you?” Jasper asked.
“Lemon drizzle if there is any, otherwise surprise me.”
Victoria settled on a wooden bench a little way down the towpath, not yet ready to come face to face with whoever was causing the headache now pulsing behind her temples. She wanted to observe. Knowing one’s enemy didn’t simply mean sampling their wares; it was about understanding the person behind the product.
People heading towards the wharf paused at an A-board, eyed the boat, and joined the queue. The length of it didn’t seem to deter them; if anything, it drew them towards the boat like a magnet.Typical.
Victoria’s eye caught the hatch of the narrowboat, where a woman who looked to be in her late thirtiesfrantically served coffee. A high ponytail constrained her long, brown hair, and a rather intriguing smile was flashed at every customer. Her eyes looked kind and genuine, and her face was so expressive that Victoria struggled to look away. Was this annoyingly attractive woman… Clem?
A couple of plastic benches sat in front of the narrowboat, crammed with people shovelling cake from paper plates into their mouths. They nodded to each other with satisfied smiles. A group of people stood up and wandered over the bridge into the wharf, where, under different circumstances, they might have headed into the café. Her stomach churned over the lost revenue.
Jasper finally joined her after ten minutes, presenting her with a small cup and a paper plate. “An espresso and a lemon drizzle.”
“Thanks.”The cake looked irresistible, making Victoria’s mouth water.
“Shit,” Jasper muttered, mid-bite. “That’s the best damn coffee and walnut cake I’ve ever tasted. How’s yours?”
Victoria remained silent for a moment, overwhelmed by the perfect balance of sharp, zesty lemon cutting through rich, buttery sweetness. The sponge was light and moist, soaking up the tanginess that seemed to seep into every crumb. The crisp sugar glaze gave a satisfying crunch before melting into lemony bliss. It was divine.
Jasper reached over, unable to wait for Victoria’s assessment, and scooped a forkful into his mouth. “Oh, wow,” he mumbled around the bite. “Who knew cake could taste this good?”
“Indeed,” Victoria agreed.
“What the hell are we selling? Our cakes are like rubbery plastic compared to this.”
Victoria winced. “Yes, thank you for that observation. Sadly, you’re not wrong.”
