Nicky’s voice is overkill but Dad is lapping it up, full-on grinning now.
‘I’ll be sixty-three in a couple of months.’
‘Wow, you’re looking good, Clive. This Jane is a very lucky woman. You should definitely ask her out.’
Dad’s grin slips. ‘Nah. I’m really not after a relationship. Far too long in the tooth for all that.’
‘Who said anything about a relationship?’ Nicky asks. ‘Go out, have a bit of fun. No strings.’ She winks at Dad and I feel a shudder of my own coming on. ‘You only live once, Clive.’
‘Why don’t you bring Jane along tomorrow?’ I suggest, and not only because it’ll mean an extra body in the teashop.
‘Like I said …’ Dad stands and slips on his jacket ‘… I’m too old for all that, strings or not.’
I’m up extra early on Saturday morning, my eyes bleary as I move around the teashop’s kitchen, measuring, mixing and pouring ingredients, sliding trays in and out of the oven, transferring cakes and biscuits to cooling racks and containers. The croissants and cinnamon buns are already cooling by the time Mags arrives just after six and a batch of double chocolate chip muffins are being lifted onto the counter.
‘Blimey, girl. Have you been baking all night?’ Mags asks as she removes her jacket.
‘Not quite, but who needs sleep anyway?’ I say through a yawn.
Mags grabs an apron and slips it over her head. ‘Where do you need me?’
I consult the list that’s already splattered with flour and gooey cake mix. ‘Can you make the chocolate custard for the trifles?’ As well as our regular menu, I’m making the sample desserts for the party this afternoon, including Nicky’s favourite Black Forest trifle. I made the black cherry jelly last night, which is now set in little pots in the fridge. We’ll top the jelly with chocolate custard and whipped cream, adding chocolate sauce and a glacé cherry to finish.
‘Will do.’ Mags ties the apron around her waist and washes her hands before she makes a start on the custard while I pop a batch of bite-sized cherry scones into the oven. We work our way through the list, adding more tiny desserts to the menu, including all our favourites: peanut butter blondies (Victoria’s), raspberry cream cheese brownies (Mags’s) and fairy cakes (mine). Fairy cakes aren’t the most sophisticated of desserts but they remind me of Gran and they never fail to raise a smile. Who can say no to soft sponge covered in sweet icing and rainbow sprinkles?
Victoria arrives just before eight with Nathan and the rest of the band. I’ve heard a lot about Tom, Daniel and Josh but I’ve never actually met them before now, so it’s nice to put faces to the names. Even if I am covered in flour and starting to panic about the day ahead.
Victoria serves the trickle of early morning customers while Mags and I rush around the kitchen to make sure we’re as ready as we can be for the party. We can bake more as needed throughout the day but we’ve managed to get the bulk of the desserts ready by the time the boys head into town with the remaining flyers.
‘Cup of tea?’ Mags asks as I pull the ramekin dishes half-filled with apple crumble out of the oven and set them out on the side. I’ll make the custard nearer the time to top the dishes up with.
‘I’d rather have a vodka and Coke,’ I say. ‘But I’ll make do with tea.’ I’m hoping that in a couple of hours we’ll be so rushed off our feet with new customers that we won’t be able to sit down for a rest, so I’m going to grab this opportunity with both hands. We take our cups of tea out into the teashop, where Robbie and Annette – his sister and fellow florist – are working their way through a banana milkshake and a Danish pastry respectively.
‘I’ve made you a cup of coffee,’ Mags tells Victoria, setting the cup down on the counter before grabbing a couple of the cinnamon buns I made earlier. One of the perks of working at Sweet Street are the treats on tap, which we often make the most of. Even with my better than average metabolism, if I didn’t go for a run three times a week, you’d have to roll me out of the teashop (and I’d probably end up wedged in the door frame).
‘Are you ready for this afternoon?’ Mags asks as she places my bun in front of me.
‘As I’ll ever be.’ There’s a mix of anticipation and apprehension battling for supremacy in the pit of my stomach. Today needs to be a success.
‘I’ll make a start on the decorations once I’ve finished my bun.’ Mags takes a bite, sighing happily at the sweet, cinnamon-y hit. We have balloons and bunting to go up as well as flamingo-shaped fairy lights and bright paper flower garlands that Mags made at home (all those mornings at mum and baby groups when her children were younger have finally come in handy, she told me as she revealed the Hawaii-style garlands). Outside is looking a bit grey and there’s rain forecast for this afternoon, but at least it’ll be cheery inside.
‘There you are!’ Marjorie, the florist from down the street, stands in the doorway of the teashop, glaring at her offspring. ‘We’ve got ten orders waiting in the shop. Stop stuffing your faces and get your backsides back to work.’ Her eyes wander towards the counter as Robbie and Annette troop out of the teashop. ‘Are those chocolate fudge cupcakes?’ Marjorie is constantly on a diet but she often sneaks into Sweet Street for a snack. She will, however, try to incorporate her treat into her five-a-day; a cherry Bakewell, carrot cake or a blueberry muffin, for example. I’m not sure if she genuinely believes these count or whether it’s just something she tells us – and herself – to justify her sweet tooth. Her favourite treat – when she isn’t being ‘good’ – are chocolate fudge cupcakes. She reaches out a hand, letting her fingertips rest on the glass front of the counter.
‘Can I get one to go?’
‘Are you coming to the party later?’ I ask Marjorie while Victoria pops her cake into a paper bag.
‘I wouldn’t miss it,’ Marjorie assures me. She pays for her cake before following in the wake of her children. Mags and I finish our tea and buns before getting back to work. There’s still lots to do, including the washing up. Fun times.
The cakes, puddings and desserts are all set out on platters, the boys have distributed the flyers and Victoria has set up her face-painting station in the corner of the teashop. We’ve blown up so many balloons I don’t think I’ll ever catch my breath again, and we’ve hung them on the walls and ceilings, along with the bunting and strings of flamingo fairy lights. Mags has draped a flowery garland around our necks and pushed cocktail umbrellas into our hair. We’re ready to go.
The party is set to start at twelve and there are only ten minutes to go. Dad is here, already sampling a miniature apple crumble while Mum and Ivor hover awkwardly by the counter, not sure how to act in Dad’s presence. When they first got together, Dad tracked Ivor down and threatened to thump him on the nose and although Dad has accepted the relationship (as best as he can while still harbouring the hope of a reconciliation with Mum), they’re never entirely comfortable whenever they’re in the same room. It doesn’t happen often – the last time was during my engagement party eighteen months ago.
‘Are you sure I can’t get you a tea or coffee?’ I ask Mum and Ivor, but they both shake their heads, their eyes darting in Dad’s direction. I’ve assured them that Dad won’t do anything silly (like fling a hot drink in their faces) but they’re adamant that they’re fine with the mini scones they’re nibbling for now.
We’ve lined the counter with trays of mini treats and Mags and I will also be circulating the teashop offering more. Nathan and the boys have already had first dibs at the treats (it was only fair after their morning’s work, especially when it started to drizzle part-way through their leaflet distributing) but they’ve decided to stick around, which I’m grateful for as it makes the teashop look more popular before the party has actually