Page 36 of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop
Max grinned. ‘Surely a half-done deal is better than no deal? You’ve got nothing to lose from an online meeting, and a Christmas event with a bestselling author to gain. Thea will see that.’
Ollie pressed a hand to her forehead. ‘Thea’s going to be mad that I went ahead behind her back, but she’ll be extraordinarily happy with me once she’s calmed down, won’t she?’ She dropped her hand. ‘Right. It’s all going brilliantly. No need to worry! Now, what were you saying to me before Arabella’s phone call interrupted us?’
Max was smiling at her, his expression slightly dazed. ‘Sorry?’
‘You were saying something before my phone rang. You went all serious, said “Ollie”in that deep voice that means you’re about to be profound.’
He shook his head, and she could see he was struggling to hold in his laughter. ‘Iwasabout to say something important.’
‘Go on then. What was it?’ She beamed at him, feeling the charge between them, a shimmer like a phantom set of Christmas tree lights, sparkling and infinitely desirable.
‘I’ve decided something,’ he said. ‘There’s a caveat to me helping you and A New Chapter out.’
Ollie folded her arms on top of the glass display case, and rested her chin on them. ‘I knew this was too good tobe true. Come on then, Max. What condition are you placing on your help?’
He leaned against the coffee machine, his hands on his hips. ‘Once you’ve got good coffee up at the bookshop, you won’t need to come here anymore, will you?’
Ollie frowned. ‘You told Lizzy that you weren’t worried about us being competition.’
‘It’s not the competition I’m worried about,’ he said. ‘We offer a lot more here, refreshment wise, than you ever will at A New Chapter. And I don’t sell books, so competition isn’t a concern. What I’m actually, genuinely worried about is not seeing you anymore. Or, not as frequently, at least.’
Ollie’s heart thudded, her mouth drying out in a second. ‘I’m never going to stop coming into Sea Brew, Max,’ she said. ‘And I’m sure Thea and Becky won’t, either. As you say, we’re never going to replicate what you have here: I don’t think any of us are considering baking sausage rolls or Danishes, not even on special occasions.’
He stepped forward. ‘So I’m guaranteed to have your custom? Your company, still?’
‘You are,’ she said, her voice scratchy. ‘And I presume that sometimes – and not just tomorrow afternoon – you have a life outside of Sea Brew?’
‘I do,’ he replied. ‘Your point is …?’
‘My point is that my company and my custom don’t have to go hand in hand. We could see how tomorrow goes, and then, maybe, we could plan to see each other again, without the interests of A New Chapter being part of the equation.’No no no,the cautious side of her brain screamed.What are you doing?
‘Are you saying, Ollie Spencer,’ he murmured, closing the gap further so that they were both leaning on the glass, only the display case separating them, his face so close that she could see the different shades of green in his irises, smell that heady, herby scent, feel the gentle puff of his breath on her hand, ‘that you’d consider spending time with me as a friend? Away from the café?’
Ollie swallowed. If she stood up straight, he would be within kissing distance. She imagined that even kissing him on the cheek would be a transcendent experience. He was by far the most attractive man she’d ever come into contact with.
‘I am,’ she said. ‘I would. Consider it, I mean. I may have been considering it for quite a long time prior to this conversation.’
She saw him swallow, then his lips lifted into a gentle smile. ‘Good to know. Very good to know. Chai latte?’
‘Please.’
She watched him go through the routine he must have performed tens of thousands of times, his movements deceptively smooth, while she knew both of them were trying to return to a state of normality: to café owner and customer. But things had changed between them. A whole evening in Max’s presence, beneath the fake-snow-covered awnings and twinkly lights of a Christmas market, stretched ahead of her like a delicious promise.
The voice of reason was still shouting at her, trying to warn her, but right now Ollie couldn’t bring herself to pay attention to it, not even for a second.
‘I just need to introduce Thea to it casually,’ she said later that evening. She was in Liam’s study, the fire cracklinggently, a berry-red Anglepoise desk lamp spotlighting the stack of written notes while she typed the words onto her laptop.
Liam was on the sofa, a glass of red wine glowing in the light from the flames, and Henry was stretched out on the rug. A few well-placed decorations in here, Ollie thought, and it would be a Christmas grotto of magical proportions.
‘Introduce Thea to what?’ Liam asked. ‘And can you really read my notes, type them up, and talk at the same time?’
‘Sort of. I only need half my attention for the copy-typing. I’ll check everything for errors afterwards.’
‘Whatever works best for you, lass. So, introduce Thea towhat? Unless you were thinking out loud?’
She grinned at him. ‘Introduce Thea to the very real possibility of holding an event with Sophia Forsythe-Hartley. She’s dubious about having such a big author in A New Chapter. She and Becky are both new to bookshop events.’
‘Thea worked in a busy library for years: I don’t think she’s clueless.’
