Page 19 of Trust Fall
“Oh Cleo, it’s lovely! Thank you.” She enveloped Cleo in another hug and then turned to face her husband.
“Why is our daughter more romantic than you? When was the last time you bought me flowers?” She watched Rob squirm as Fiona stood with an eyebrow raised, waiting on a response. She nearly felt bad for him. Nearly.
“I make you breakfast every morning, and a cup of tea whenever I get in from work. Isn’t that romantic enough?” Rob turned to pass comment at Cleo, when she noticed his eyes drop to her discarded coffee cup.
“Sorry Dad, I’ll rinse it out and put it in the recycling,” Cleo said as she reached out for the cup. Rob caught her hand in one of his and picked up the cup with his other.
“Perhaps you were just in a feel-good mood today, and that’s why you bought your mom the gift?” Rob said slowly, while being extremely fascinated with her empty coffee cup.
“Not really, I just saw the pen in a shop I’d not been in before and knew she’d like it, that’s all.” Cleo couldn’t read the look on his face, but it was somewhat akin to being smug.
That’s when Jade moved off the counter she’d been leaning against beside Rob and leaned over his shoulder to see what he’d been looking at.
“So, it had nothing to do with, say, a certain barista fixing your drink today?” her sister asked, laughter in her voice.
“A certain ba... what are you talking about?” How could they possibly know about Ivy when she hadn’t mentioned her to any of them? She could feel the blush start at her neck as she reachedfor the coffee cup out of Rob’s hands. Her sister got there first.Dammit.
“So, Ivy wasn’t the one who made your drink this afternoon?” Jade asked through her grin while moving the cup out of Cleo’s reach.
“What do you mean, Ivy made my drink, how did you know?” Cleo attempted again to get the cup out of her sister’s hand, but Jade moved to the far side of the island like a cat.
“Well, why else would her name and number be on your coffee cup?” Jade announced, turning the cup in her hand to let Cleo see, yet still keeping it out of her reach.
“Jade, that’s enough, give your sister back the cup so that she can tell us why there’s a woman’s name and number on it.” Fiona said, sternly, but with far too much of a smile dancing on her lips for Cleo’s liking.
Cleo grabbed the cup out of Jade’s hand as Evan and Sophie arrived at the kitchen.
“Wait, Cleo got some barista’s number?” her brother joined in. Cleo wanted the ground to swallow her whole, regardless of how happy she suddenly felt finally laying eyes on her brother for the first time in weeks.
“What’s a barista?” her niece asked the room.
“It’s someone who makes coffee in a coffee shop,” Cleo answered without thinking.
“Oh, like Ivy?” Sophie asked innocently, causing all eyes in the room to swivel to Cleo’s face. Almost instantaneously, she could feel her skin match her hair. Fiery.
“Yeah, Soph, just like Ivy. And Toni, too.” Cleo refused to look at anyone else in the room except her niece.
“She was nice. I liked her. She gave me extra marshmallows with my hot chocolate,” Sophie said.
“Oh, did she now?” Jade took a step toward Cleo, baiting her sister to look at her.
“Yeah, that was because Aunt Cleo and Ivy toppled into each other at the door when we were going into the shop. Then they started talking funny to each other, like they didn’t know how to talk—”
“She was really kind to you Soph. Right, what’s for dinner?” Cleo hoped with all her might that her less than subtle attempt at changing the subject would work.
“Oh no, you’re not getting out of it that easy,” Evan said as he walked over and slung his arm around his twin’s shoulder, knocking the wind out of Cleo’s lungs in the process, “let’s discuss this more in the sitting room while we order pizza. It’s not every day my daughter is such a fountain of knowledge about my sister’s love life.” With that, he dragged Cleo through with his arm clamped around her shoulder, while he turned to his daughter. “Well then Soph, tell me more about this trip to the coffee shop with Aunt Cleo?”
Chapter 18
Ivy
“Earth to Ivy,” a voice called from across the table, snapping Ivy from her momentary trance. She looked up from her note pad where she’d been doodling in the column during her meeting with Lucas, only to see his confused expression. “You OK over there? I know I can drone on, but it’s not even been ten minutes. That’s a new record, even for me.” Lucas leaned backin his chair and smiled at Ivy, eyebrows raised, waiting for a response.
“Sorry, I was miles away there, what were you saying?”
“I was saying, with the current franchises of Cuppa Comfort already centrally located, I think this would be a good opportunity to expand our foothold. So, maybe we should look to set-up your franchise a little further out, but still within the main radius of the city center?” Lucas said again, then continued, knowing he now had Ivy’s attention again. “I’m not too worried about which direction from the city center you choose, but if you take a look at some locations and come back to me with, say, three which you think suit the feel of the company, then we’ll talk about the feasibility of turning the unit into one of ours.” Lucas reached into his bag and took out a large information pack, sliding it across the table to Ivy. “Depending on the size of the unit, and the length of term you want to operate for, will determine the initial funds you will need to pay for the franchise.”
Ivy took a packet from him, which was heavier than it looked.
