Respect for the King 39

Clare sat alone in her flat, depressed and confused.

She and Adrian had eaten a good meal in a quiet restaurant where she had reminded him that he had promised to tell her his life story.

With frequent prompts, Clare was able to extract a bare outline of his early years.  She had begun the process by asking him, ‘On New Year’s Eve you told me about spending Christmas in Edinburgh.  Were you born there?’

‘No, Dundee, and then my parents moved here when I was small.’

 ‘Were you upset?’

‘I don’t remember.  Anyway, we went back a lot to visit family, and I always thought it was nicer here.’

‘So did your parents move back recently?’

‘No, ages ago, when I was still at school.  They left me behind.  I was at a private school as a day boy, and they arranged for me to board.  They said they didn’t want to disrupt my education.  I guess in the long run I’ve got some good friends from school, but it wasn’t much fun at the time.

‘I didn’t cover myself in glory academically; mainly because I was too busy feeling sorry for myself.  As a result I didn’t go to University like you.

‘The short version of my life history is that I got a job through the old boy network.  It wasn’t all plain sailing, but I became an accountant.  I still work for the same firm.’

They had strolled to Bampfylde Walk, stopping outside the entrance to Clare’s block of flats where she asked, ‘Would you like to come up?’

Adrian said that he had to be at work early, and gave her a quick kiss before walking away.

After a few minutes spent berating herself, Clare phoned Sasha for advice.  Her friend listened sympathetically before advising, ‘I’m sure he’ll come round, because it sounds like you’re getting back on track.  Keep wearing your good underwear, and please make sure you tell me first when something happens.’

When Clare arrived at the cafe the following day, Kevin beckoned her into the kitchen.  He told her that he was getting rid of Amy and Chris.  He had had enough of both of them: they would be dismissed.

Clare suggested, ‘Maybe you should tell them they have a week to change their ways?’

‘Kevin snorted, ‘Try selling that idea to Sheila.  She’s the one that said they’ve got to go.’

However, Kevin telephoned her later to say that only Chris had been sacked; Amy had begged to say, and promised to come to work with a professional attitude.

The following day, Eddie arrived placed a hand-written draft next to the coffee machine in the serving area, and asked his colleagues for their thoughts.  Amy surprised everyone by offering some constructive suggestions.

The menu agreed, Clare set about publicising the Valentine’s dinner, and within a few days it was fully booked.

This response caused Eddie to become more agitated than Clare had ever seen him, but all the ingredients were delivered on time, and on the day he had reverted to taciturn normality.

His attitude was a good balance for Kevin and Sheila, who were both keyed up, like sprinters on their starting blocks. 

Kevin promoted Amy to head waitress for the event, explaining that he intended to test her stated intention to turn over a new leaf.  Clare grumbled to Sheila that this seemed excessively kind: Sheila pointed out that when Amy made the effort she was the best waitress.

Sheila and Clare were preparing the tables about an hour before the dinner, with Eddie and Kevin working in the kitchen, when there was a knock at the locked door. 

Clare was surprised to see Heather peering through the glass, and hoped that she was not about to ask if she could be squeezed in at the last minute.

‘I know this isn’t a good time’ Heather opened, as she stepped inside, ‘But I just had to tell you what I’ve heard today.  Well, tell Kevin, actually.’

Both women accompanied Heather to the serving area, because whatever it was she had come to tell Kevin, they wanted to hear it as well.  Even Eddie stopped chopping vegetables to listen.

‘You know the hunting and fishing equipment shop across from the cathedral?’

They all said ‘yes’, but with varying degrees of certainty.

‘Well, I found out today that the business is closing, and they’re selling the lease!’

‘Yes!’ exclaimed Kevin, punching the air above his head.

‘Do you know any details?  Like when, or how much?’  Sheila asked.

‘No, I’m afraid that’s all I know.  Still, its very exciting, isn’t it?’ Heather smiled, and wiggled with pleasure at being the bearer of good news. ‘Now, I mustn’t hold you up, but I thought you’d like to know.’

They all thanked her enthusiastically as Sheila ushered her out.

‘Well, that’s a sign, for sure,’ Kevin smiled and rubbed his hands together, ‘I can tell, tonight is going to be good.’

Amy arrived about an hour later, carrying a dress that was swathed in plastic bags.

‘I’ll get changed here when we finish, so I can go straight out.  I’ve double wrapped my dress so that it won’t smell like food.’

‘Will this getting changed be a sort of cabaret act?’ Kevin smirked.

‘In your dreams!’ Amy riposted, as she rearranged the coats so that she could hang up her dress without wrinkling it.

A ripple of jealousy crossed Clare’s consciousness as she watched Amy replace the coats so that the dress bag was hidden.  She had wanted a new dress for the evening. She had harboured good intentions of saving up to buy one, but instead had expanded her collection of CDs.

Soon she was too busy to think about anything but making sure each pair of diners was provided with food as ordered, and clearing dishes away to achieve a timely turnover of customers.

The evening fulfilled Kevin’s highest expectations.  A good number had expressed their appreciation, and Clare had ensured that all were presented with business cards with their receipts.

When the last customers had gone, Eddie emerged from the kitchen, and sat down at one of the tables with Sheila, Kevin and Clare.  Amy had virtually followed the last diners out of the café, having changed her clothes in the ladies’ room at lightning speed.

Kevin was ecstatic, and enthused about how well everything had gone.

‘Yeah, but I’m shattered.’ Eddie sighed, ‘And we’ve still got to clear up.’

‘Couldn’t we do that in the morning?’ Clare asked, wistfully, knowing what the answer would be.

She was suddenly struck by the relentlessness of the business.

Sheila pushed her hair off her face and said, ‘We’ll have to get more kitchen staff to manage an evening trade as well as the day stuff.  That’s all there is for it.’

Relief arrived, in the form of Adrian. He had promised Clare that he would take her out for a drink at ‘close of play’.

Looking around the café, he offered, ‘I’ll give you a hand at getting straight.’

‘You don’t need to do that, mate.’ Kevin said, but without much spirit.

‘Well, I’ve got a vested interest.’

‘You’re my accountant, not my backer.’ Kevin grinned.

‘Did I say my interest was in you?’ Adrian tipped his head towards Clare as he spoke.

For once, they all left at the same time, with Kevin offering a lift home to Eddie and Sheila.

Clare said that she needed to get changed before they went out, but Adrian said she looked fine to him. She silently congratulated herself on the decision to spend her money on CDs, rather than a dress. Perhaps she was getting better at managing her money.

She steered Adrian towards the river, rather than up the hill. She guessed that Amy would have gone to the Black Horse, as that seemed to be her regular venue, and she did not want to be seen wearing her waitress clothes outside the café, especially not while Amy was wearing a new dress.

When they were finally in a pub, Clare said that she would have a beer, and some nuts or crisps, as she was actually quite hungry.

After she had eaten a packet of crisps, she decided that she was more, rather than less, hungry, so they sought out the nearest chip shop. As it was a cold evening, Clare suggested that they should wrap them up, and take them back to her flat.

So, they ended up having their first Valentine’s dinner in Clare’s rather untidy flat, eating fish and chips straight from their paper wrappings.

It was certainly not what Clare had envisaged, but it was fun, and at long last Adrian did not claim to have an appointment with an important client early in the morning. In fact, he did not leave until early the next morning.

After he had gone, Clare stayed in bed, dozing until she judged it was time to ring Sasha.  When she did phone, she was disappointed that her friend did not answer: she was probably on the early shift at the supermarket.  Clare left a simple voice message, saying, ‘Something finally happened.’ After a few minutes she decided that was too coy, so she called again and left a message of elucidation: ‘And he’s definitely not gay.’

She still wanted to talk to someone, but reminded herself that she was a business-minded adult.  She dressed and went straight to the bookshop, greeting Heather with a wide grin, and exclaiming on the perfect weather.

‘You must be very happy about something! It was threatening rain the last time I look outside.’ Heather laughed.

‘Really?’ Clare blushed, and was pleased that the low lighting in the shop probably hid the evidence of her embarrassment.

‘How did it go last night?’ Heather asked.

For a moment, Clare was even more embarrassed, as she wondered with rising panic if there was anything in her appearance that might hint that she had just spent the night with Adrian.

‘I mean, how did the special evening at the café turn out?  Was business brisk?’ Heather clarified her question in the face of her friend’s strange confusion.

‘It all went really well!’ Clare’s enthusiasm stemmed from relief that Heather was actually asking a perfectly reasonable question.  She added (truthfully), ‘And of course, I’m really excited that you may have found a building for the new restaurant.’

Adrian: accountant

Amy: waitress at the Copper Kettle cafe

Ann Marie: Kevin’s ex-wife

Clare: a young woman who has moved to the city in hope of starting a career

Eddie: chef at the Copper Kettle cafe and long-term friend of Kevin

Heather: bookshop owner

Kevin: owner of the Copper Kettle cafe. 

Sasha: friend of Clare’s

Sheila: Kevin’s older sister.  She works in the cafe