Page 29 of Barging In
“Would you like to start again?” Victoria asked, returning to her own chair. “More calmly this time, so I can establish exactly what I’m being accused of.”
Victoria’s tone was different to what Clem had been expecting, more composed. She’d prepared herself for another shouting match, but something had changed. It was unnerving.
Clem drew in a deep breath, realising she was still shaking. “You tried to put me out of business.”
“Hardly, it was just a bit of free cake.”
Just a bit of free cake!Clem’s jaw tightened.How dare she trivialise it.
Victoria continued before she could respond. “For what it’s worth, I don’t want to put you out of business. I think you have a great one. I just wish you would conduct it elsewhere, so I don’t have to keep looking at you.”
Clem’s eyes narrowed. “No one’s forcing you to keep looking.”
Victoria’s gaze flicked away, and her cheeks tinged pink. She stood abruptly and began pacing the room.
“We are all desperately trying to keep our businesses afloat. You aren’t unique in that. The wharf has to make a profit, too, or it’ll close.”
The comment knocked Clem back in her seat. “What?”
The wharf was also struggling. How? It was an amazing place except for the supposed shit cakes. But then, shit cakes alone were unlikely to bring down an entire business. Except maybe her own.
“Yes, we are struggling, and you haven’t helped,” Victoria said, holding up her hands, “but I’m not one for underhanded tactics.”
Clem opened her mouth to argue, but Victoria’s unexpected honesty held her back.
“Having you moved on has nothing to do with me, I assure you. I admit the free drink offer was my idea, but the execution had nothing to do with me either. I suspect I have a wayward catering manager, who likely blocked your sign, too.” Victoria let out a breath. “I will deal with her.”
“And the reviews?”
“Not me either. I will investigate it, andifwe are responsible, I will do everything I can to have them removed. I promise.”
Clem’s mind drifted as she watched Victoria — the sway of her hair, the animated movement of her arms — her words passing by unheard. Her stomach betrayed her with that familiar tingle, the one that said,We know you hate her, but you’re wrong, and we feel something else entirely. Suck it up.
She sighed, realising her body was winning this one. Victoria turned and glared at her with a look so icy it made Clem shiver. It was then she realised she’d sighed aloud.
“I’m sorry if my apology is boring you,” Victoria snapped.
“No — shit — sorry. I wasn’t—”Wait, she apologised? Why wasn’t I paying attention?“I didn’t mean to?—”
Fuck.
The shift in atmosphere was enough to put Clem on her feet. It was time to leave, before things escalated again. She’d said everything she needed to, and Victoria, well, she had been nothing but calm until a moment ago. Annoyingly so. Clem wanted to blow off steam at her, not be lightly pricked with a pin so she could quietly deflate in her chair.
“I should get back.”
Victoria rolled her eyes and gestured towards the door. As Clem reached it, her voice came, soft and insistent.
“Clem, I will sort this out. This isn’t me.”
All Clem could do was nod and leave, flushed with embarrassment and angry at herself. If Victoria was telling the truth, then she’d done little more than advertise some free shit cake, which was likely hurting her business as much as it was Clem’s. It wasn’t sustainable for either of them, and she decided she would remove the offer, regardless of whether Victoria did or not. She needed to stop reacting, but she couldn’t help it. The woman got under her skin.
The day had barely begun, and already she wanted it to be over. Back on the towpath, it was so busy that Max had to rush off to his own customers, and Clem hit the ground running with her own. She didn’t even get a chance to tell him what had happened.
By the time the day ended, she was completely drained and even more disappointed at herself after dropping half the banana loaf on the floor. With poor weather forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday, it was the perfect time to take a break and gather herself. She craved a lie-in and the chance to catch up on sleep. Maybe she would take a quiet cruise down the canal for a change of scenery. Anything to clear her head of Victoria Hargreaves.
She fired off a text to Max to thank him for his help and say she’d see him Friday. Heading back to her jetty, she vowed to stay well away from the woman at the wharf in future.
CHAPTER 9
