Page 12 of Fireworks at Pennycress Inn
Yikes, and there he was. Polly watched as he sauntered into the kitchen, pausing by the oven as he chatted and chuckled with Jackson before Laura walked him through the kitchen, menu in hand. He’d ironed his sweatshirt then. Of course he had. Mr Perfect.
Turning, she looked out of the window behind her just in time to see a robin hop along the banister encircling the decking. She smiled as she remembered the saying her grandma had always repeated whenever she saw one, ‘When robins appear, loved ones are near’. Was this her grandma’s way of telling her she wouldn’t be disappointed if Polly did redecorate the flat?
‘Sorry, Polly, you look deep in thought, but I wondered if you two would like to be seated together for breakfast?’ Laura grinned.
Looking from Laura to Zac, who looked as horrified as she felt about the prospect, Polly nodded slowly. What else could she do? Refuse? Tell Laura exactly what she thought of Zac Sinclair and the fact it made her feel sick just thinking about him staying under the same roof as her, let alone having to force food down her throat in his presence? And all before her first coffee of the day? ‘That would be nice.’
‘Great. Make yourself comfortable then, Zac. Take a look at the menu while I fetch the coffees.’ Once Zac had reluctantly seated himself opposite Polly, Laura passed him a menu before walking away.
‘Good morning.’ Zac pulled a newspaper from beneath his arm and shook it out in front of him, covering half the table.
‘Likewise.’ Bringing her hand to her head, Polly twisted a curl around her finger, Stacey’s words echoing in her mind. She should tell him now. Get it over and done with before they left for the office.
‘Here you go.’ Returning, Laura placed two large mugs on the table. ‘Have you decided on breakfast or do you need a couple more minutes?’
Zac held his hand out, allowing Polly to answer first.
What was he doing? Pretending he was a gentleman? Shame she knew otherwise. ‘I’ll have the French toast again, please.’
‘Perfect. Good choice. And how about you, Zac?’
‘I’ll just have toast.’ Zac flashed a smile before turning back to his paper.
‘No problem.’
As she watched Laura walk away again, Polly placed her hands on her knees, willing them to stop shaking. She really didn’t want to do this. Whatever she thought of this man sitting in front of her, and despite what she believed about him, he was still a person, a person with feelings – presumably – who had transferred to Meadowfield in the hope of bagging a promotion. One he wasn’t going to get. ‘About that promotion…’
‘What about it?’ Zac flicked over a page, his eyes still trained on the newspaper.
‘I… umm… I don’t know how to say this, but…’
‘But what? You don’t think you can work beneath me?’ Zac shrugged without lifting his head. ‘That’s your choice.’
Raising her eyebrows, Polly flared her nostrils. If that was his attitude, maybe she shouldn’t feel bad for him after all. Maybe he deserved to be brought down a peg or two. ‘There’s no point applying. Mr Bob has already promised it to me. That’s why I’ve been given this job, to get to know the team.’
That caught his attention. Slowly, he closed the newspaper, folding it to the size of an A4 sheet of paper before meeting her eyes. ‘No, that’s not quite accurate, is it? Mr Bob said the promotion will go to the best candidate, and given that I have far more experience than you in a paid position and?—’
‘What?’ Shifting in her chair, Polly cleared her throat, willing her voice to sound calmer than she felt. ‘No, you must be mistaken. He specifically told me it would be mine.’
Leaning back in his chair, Zac took his phone from his pocket and placed it on the table between them. ‘Let’s get this cleared up, shall we?’
‘I think that’s probably best.’ Polly nodded. She wasn’t thrilled about seeing his reaction to what Mr Bob was going to say, but then at least he’d know. Zac must have got confused. Unless he was just playing games with her? Something she wouldn’t exactly put past him.
Zac scrolled through his phone until Mr Bob’s name filled the screen. ‘Ready?’
‘Of course.’ Polly nodded. The quicker this misunderstanding was resolved, the better.
9
Hitting the Call button, Zac leaned back in his chair, confidently holding his hands behind his head.
‘Ah, Zachary Sinclair. However may I help you?’ Mr Bob’s familiar jovial tone wafted down the phone.
Glancing behind him towards the other diners, Zac lowered the volume before greeting him. ‘Morning, Mr Bob. I have Polly Burrows with me. You’re on speaker.’
‘Morning, Polly. How are you both enjoying the inn? Beautiful, isn’t it? Mrs Bob and I visited last year for our anniversary. Stunning building in a great location…’
‘Yes, it’s nice. Thanks for arranging it.’ Zac cut him off. ‘That’s not the reason I’m calling, though. There seems to be a slight mix-up on the job front we want to clear up.’
