Page 17 of New Beginnings at the Little Christmas Inn
‘It has, hasn’t it?’ Livvy’s expert eyes took in the simple décor. Someone had had a clear vision. Bare brick walls, a mixture of long sharing tables and tables for two, white linen, real napkins – a nice touch – and candles and fresh flowers. On the walls were enlarged black and white photographs of when the building had been a school, and nestled in corners were tall leafy plants which softened the look. Apart from the stunning white wreaths made with tightly clustered gypsophila and twinkling white lights,there was nothing Christmassy on show, though carols played quietly in the background. It was classy, understated, with the emphasis on what was important – the food. It was exactly the sort of vibe she hoped for in the restaurant.
A waiter came to take their order. Livvy asked some probing questions which were skilfully fielded. Not only that, expert advice on what wine to choose was offered. It was going to be hard work training up Brittany to a similar professionalism.
Aware of Mark giving her a speculative look and that she’d been ignoring him, she said, ‘This all looks pretty perfect, doesn’t it?’ She sipped her water. Even that was stylish, served in good quality plain glasses from a jug brimming with lemon and ice. ‘It’s just all so… exactly what I want for The George.’
‘And your place will be perfect too.’
She pulled a rueful face. ‘I’m getting cold feet.’ Gesturing around she added, ‘This all looks so good. Classy but unpretentious. It’s hard to pull off. And look, there’s only one long sharing table empty and that’s on a midweek night in early November.’
‘Give yourself a chance. You haven’t even opened The George yet. You’ve been working too hard. You’re too close to it. When you actually open, I’m sure everything will fall into place. And you’ve got one outstanding asset.’
‘Fabio? Yes, he’s great.’
‘I meant you.’
Livvy blushed. ‘Thank you. You’re very good at this.’
‘Eating out? I’m excellent at it. Have some wine, it’s positively moreish.’
‘No.’ Livvy giggled, feeling instantly more relaxed. ‘I meant this thing you do.’
He frowned.
‘Listening then saying exactly the right thing. Bolstering confidence.’
He paused, took a sip of wine and then answered. ‘I’ve been told I’m a good friend.’ He laughed shortly. ‘Lots of women see me that way.’ Spreading his hands he added, ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. At university most, if not all, of my closest friends were women. I seem to get on better with women than men. Perhaps it’s because I’ve a sister I’m very close to. Listening is part of my job too. I analyse company accounts, give advice on profit and loss, how to move forward. There’s a surprising amount of counselling involved.’ He twirled his wine glass around by its stem, not meeting Livvy’s eyes. His mouth worked. ‘It would make a change, sometimes, to be seen as the sexy alpha guy though.’
Livvy didn’t have time to answer, nor had she one ready. She didn’t think Mark needed to be the sexy alpha guy. He’d do just as he was. ‘Oh look,’ she said in relief, ‘here are our starters. The prawns with aioli for you? And yes, mine’s the goat’s cheese and beetroot.’
For the rest of the evening they managed to keep the conversation light. Livvy stopped sulking about how perfect The Old School Kitchen was and concentrated on learning from what they were doing and Mark kept up a charming commentary about nothing in particular. It succeeded in keeping Livvy entertained and her mind occupied.
Once they’d reached the coffee stage, a man circled the room. Tallish, with dark hair and smiling eyes, he worked his way round the tables, stopping to chat to diners.
‘Hello, I’m Rick, the owner,’ he said as he reached them. ‘I hope you’ve enjoyed your meal this evening.’
Livvy held out her hand. ‘Livvy Smith. It’s been perfect. My plaice was excellent.’
Rick’s eyes brimmed with humour as he shook it. ‘Livvy! So nice to meet you. You’ve taken on The Runaways, haven’t you? Congratulations.’
‘Thank you. Now renamed The George.’
‘Good choice of name. Much more appropriate.’
Livvy smiled. ‘I think so. We’ve our soft opening this week. Please come if you can.’
‘I’d be delighted.’
‘I love your white Christmas wreaths. Can you tell me where I could get some?’
‘Absolutely. My fiancée makes them. Daisy Wiscombe. She runs Va Va Bloom. It’s a few doors up from here. You can get your Christmas greenery from her too.’ He looked around at the restaurant, now gradually emptying. ‘I haven’t gone to town on Christmas yet, I always wait until at least Bonfire Night is over, but I’ll have one of her trees in here. She orders them in from a local Christmas tree farm and can deliver.’
‘Brilliant. I’ll do that. And I agree with not starting Christmas too early.’ Livvy hesitated. ‘This is Mark, my friend.’ The two men said hello. ‘Forgive me but we noticed how good your meat is. Mark said his beef was incredibly tender. Do you source locally?’
‘When I can. I was in the supply business before I opened up here. I had lots of local contacts in place already. My philosophy is to source locally and keep food seasonal. Where I can. It’s not always possible, of course.’
‘My philosophy too.’
‘I can email over a list of suppliers if you like. And have you thought about joining the local trade association? It’s well worth it.’
