Head for the Hills, page 19
The proposed hotel had taken up all Margot’s free time. She’d been on tenterhooks since her Monday meeting at the council office. Unfortunately the meeting had been cut short by a fire drill but she’d come away with a deal of information to process. And the council officer’s parting words had given her some hope. There was a process to follow and council were still gathering information and, yes, she could certainly present her petition.
She’d put a post on the Jesserton Jabber asking those who were interested and able to attend a meeting next Tuesday. It’d been her phone buzzing that had distracted her with the tray of crockery earlier. She took it from her pocket now and glanced at the group page. There were several more members now and quite a few replies just in the last little while. Most were full of encouragement for her but also a lot of excuses for non-attendance. She read on.
Thelma: I’LL BE THERE
Sandy: I’ve had a cancellation for tomoz am if anyone wants their nails done
Margot frowned at the next response.
Kath: It’s good to gather info but we should make sure it’s not biased one way. I suggest we meet with Xavier and ask him to answer any questions raised from the next meeting.
Geraldine: Good idea
Sozz PO: Yes very sensible
Freds Hotel: Don’t let them think we’re interested
Sandy: Who’s Xavier?
Kev: Sounds like a plan
Golds: How can protecting Jesserton be biased? maybe it’s you who needs to rethink Kath
Thelma: XAVIER IS THE HEAD HONCHO FOR THE DEVELOPER
Greg: No personal attacks here lets keep it nice
Geraldine: I’d love my nails done tomorrow Sandy
The strong smell of toast snapped Margot’s attention back to the kitchen. She dropped her phone on the bench and lifted the lid on the sandwich press. The toasties were deep golden brown and some of the cheese had oozed out. Margot tidied them up, slipped them into brown paper bags and took them out to the counter where there was still a short line of people waiting for coffee.
Lani looked at the two bags in Margot’s hands. “Which one’s got tomato?”
“Oh, damn, I forgot.” She handed over one of the bags and went back to the kitchen. She didn’t dare put the sandwich back in the press so she started again. By the time she took it out Lani was looking a little agitated.
“I told them it would be quick,” she hissed as Margot handed over the bag.
“Sorry,” Margot murmured. Sometimes she wondered who was the boss here, but while Lani could be brusque she was also reliable and efficient.
The afternoon continued in a series of near mishaps but somehow Margot got to the four pm closing without breaking anything else or mucking up any more orders. She was glad it was her weekend off. Since her trip to the council office she was too distracted for the shop. It hadn’t just been the hotel development she’d been looking into. She took out her phone and read Esther’s message again. She’d never responded to it but she’d re-read it several times in the last few days.
“Thanks for all your hard work, Lani,” Kath said as she gathered her things.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Lani waved and hurried out the door.
Margot put away her phone and went back to unpacking the dishwasher, but instead of going out to close down the till, Kath hung in the kitchen.
“I’d like to talk before we finish up, Margot.”
Warning tingles radiated in Margot’s stomach. She’d been feeling them a lot lately.
She shut the door on the empty dishwasher and turned around. Kath had put a small bottle of lemonade and two glasses on the table they used for food prep. She drew up a stool and began to pour the lemonade.
“Coffee machine’s off,” she said. “Thought we’d have something cool. It’s quite warm outside still but then it is almost mid-December so I guess it’s to be expected.”
Kath was flustered, which was so unlike her. She put a glass in front of Margot as she pulled up a stool opposite.
“I’ve heard from the installers. The blinds will be done early next week.”
“Goodness, they have been quick.”
“I didn’t think we’d have much luck this close to Christmas. Even though they said they’d fit us in you can never be sure but they said they can come Monday or Tuesday. That’s good for us. We’re not open so we won’t have to worry about customers being in the way.”
Margot nodded and took a sip of her lemonade. The bubbles added to the turmoil in her stomach.
“I really think it will improve our street presence.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Margot smiled encouragingly. She was happy to go with it as long as it didn’t mean more work for her, especially now.
“I’d like to advertise for two more casuals.”
“Two!”
“And I think we should offer one of our long-term casuals permanent hours.”
Margot nearly choked on her lemonade. “Why?”
“Lani’s a great worker but if we had another full-timer, we could extend our hours and overlap for the busy times.”
“Wait a minute. What do you mean ‘extend our hours’?”
“There’s nowhere close for people to get an early-morning coffee. I’ve been asking around – people would like to buy a coffee and maybe even a bite to go on their way to work. Instead of opening at nine and missing all that traffic, I think we should open at seven thirty.”
This time Margot did splutter into her glass. “Which people?”
“Greg next door and his staff, some of our regular tradies, people travelling to the city for appointments or work. I’ve been talking to the bakery that supplies our bread. We can get our delivery early and sell some of their speciality loaves.”
“This is getting out of hand, Kath. It was meant to be our little business, not the huge concern you’re talking about.”
“Opening a little earlier and selling bread is hardly a huge concern.”
“But you want to take on extra staff.” Margot shook her head. “I don’t want to start earlier than I already do.”
“A couple of casuals and one more permanent would mean more flexibility. You and I could stagger our hours too. That way there’d be four of us for the busy time and two for the mornings and afternoons.”
Kath’s face was alive with enthusiasm but Margot could also see the determination in her look.
“I’m worried we’d be taking on too much. We don’t make a huge profit as it is.”
“That’s why I want to do more. I’ve been going over the figures and the projections look better than what we’re doing now. There’d be some extra power and wages but what we sell should more than cover that. We’d need to talk to our accountant of course, get her opinion.”
Margot shook her head. “This is all moving a bit fast – first the new blinds, now staff and extra hours.”
Kath drew a deep breath and clasped her hands together on the table. “I know this is a hobby for you but—”
“Hardly a hobby,” Margot said. “And I work just as hard as you do.”
“I’m not saying you don’t put in. Of course you do, but you’ve got Dennis’s income. You don’t rely solely on the Prov, whereas I do.”
“You’ve got your cleaning business.”
“Actually.” Kath cleared her throat. “I’ve been thinking of giving it up altogether.”
“But you always said you didn’t want all your eggs in one basket when it came to your income.”
“I did but life changes, doesn’t it? I enjoy working here so much more and I’d prefer to put my energy into cleaning my own business rather than someone else’s.”
“That’s certainly a surprise.”
“I wanted to get it straight in my head before I put it to you. I know you don’t want extra hours but if we could continue to alternate our weekends, I’d like to open Tuesday, maybe even Monday.”
Margot shook her head, a small lump of dread forming in her chest. When would she fit in her volunteer work and time to help Dennis and her family, and still have time for some precious moments to herself, let alone a new direction that was starting to gain traction?
“When the new supermarket’s open we’re sure to get more custom. They’re going to be open seven till seven.”
“How do you know that?” There’d been tradies there for the last week or so and lots of rubbish carted away.
“There’s a sign in the window. They reckon they’ll open in January.”
“In that case we wouldn’t need to open early and sell bread.”
“Specialty bread,” Kath stressed. “And most of our sales would be coffee. The supermarket won’t have local bread or a barista.”
Once more Margot shook her head. “It’s not what we agreed when we started, Kath. I can’t manage extra days.”
“I’d work them, with an employee or two but…” Kath flapped her hands. It was a skittish gesture, not like her at all. “I’m jumping ahead. Let’s just see what the accountant thinks about extra staff and one more permanent.”
She picked up their empty glasses and put them in the dishwasher and together they finished shutting up the shop. Kath chatted about a music gig her daughter had been to, the weather predicted for the weekend and the success of their latest vegan addition, the spinach, artichoke and zucchini bite recipe Margot had perfected. To Margot the conversation felt forced, as if they were dancing around the real topic, that their once-in-sync ideas about their business were on shaky ground.
The delicious smell of slow-cooked beef brisket met Margot as she let herself into her house. Thank goodness she’d had the forethought to put it on before she left for work. Preparing more than a salad for tonight’s meal was the last thing she’d felt like doing but she really needed to talk to Dennis about her plans and he loved her Mexican-style beef. She gave a brief thought to a Friday-night wine with Roslyn but she still had to pickle the onions to go with the beef and make the dipping sauce.
Everything was well and truly ready when Dennis arrived home – luckily the dish was hard to spoil – but her spirits dropped when she saw his face. He was what her dad would have called well-oiled.
“How did you get home?” she asked as he brushed a boozy kiss across her cheek.
“One of the new mechanics lives this way. He dropped me off.”
“I didn’t know you had a new mechanic.”
“We’ve got two.” He lifted the lid on the meat to take a sniff.
“Two?”
“We’ve been understaffed since Bob retired. These two blokes are from India. Their English is good and they’re Renault-trained, which is a bonus.”
“I’d forgotten Bob had gone. I feel as if I’m out of touch with the car yard.”
“We just had a few drinks after work for him, back in May. I told you about it at the time. You wanted to throw him a party but he didn’t want a fuss, remember?”
Margot nodded. She did now that he’d said.
“Anyway, you manage the donation requests and keep up with the sponsorship stuff. That’s an important part of our business.”
“Hardly.” Margot knew he got her to deal with the regular requests they received and to liaise with the clubs they sponsored because he didn’t like doing it but knew it was important for their business to be seen to support the community. It wasn’t the money he begrudged but the time, and Margot quite enjoyed it.
“And you provide the little cakes with the car badge for new vehicle purchases.”
“I keep a stash in the freezer and ice them as needed. It’s not a lot of effort.”
He threw an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “It’s a personal touch and customers like it.”
She pulled away. “I suppose I’ll have to design an Audi badge now.”
“No rush. I don’t want you worrying about the yard. I do that for both of us. Anyway, everything’s fine now. A big improvement from when things were so tight last year, and the Audi dealership will add a real feather to our cap. I’ve already got a lot of interest.”
“That’s a positive.”
“Sure is. I hope you haven’t forgotten our work end-of-year drinks party the Friday before Christmas.”
“Of course I haven’t.” Margot had been freezing food for weeks in readiness.
“Everyone loves your catering.” He kissed her forehead. “And we can hopefully make it a celebration of the new dealership as well.”
“I haven’t been much help to you with that. I really have been distracted between the hotel and council and…there’s…there’s something I’d like to—”
“You’ve got plenty on your plate with your petition and the Providore and the kids, you don’t have to worry about the car yard. I’ve got it humming.” He plucked up the bottle of red she’d opened and poured himself a drink. “That meat smells damn good. Let’s eat.”
Margot waved him towards the dining room. “You go in – I’ll bring the food.”
“I thought we might eat in front of the telly tonight. There’s a show I’d like to watch.”
Margot’s spirits dropped lower. She disliked eating on her lap, especially a messy meal like this one, but she nodded in agreement. The night was ruined anyway. There was no way she could talk things over with Dennis when he’d had several drinks already. He was a happy drunk but in no state for the serious conversation she’d planned.
twenty-one
Dinner at Roslyn’s
Beetroot Hummus, Assorted Nuts, Potato Crisps
Rissoles, Crumbed Chicken, Green Salad, Pasta Salad, Roast Vegetable Salad, Garlic Bread
Fruit Salad & Ice Cream, Cheese Platter
Margot and Dennis walked through their yard towards Roslyn’s. Margot had tried several times over the weekend to talk to him but something had always stopped her. He had to go in to work, he was watching TV, he’d gone off to golf. Surely her husband should be the one to discuss such an important decision with? But it was just that lately she didn’t feel as if she’d have his support. That he might try to shut her down before she began. That’s why she’d decided on a more public family announcement. Now her words were trapped inside her in a tight knot and she wasn’t sure she’d get them out at all.
They were met with the sound of splashing and shrieks as they wound their way around Roslyn’s fruit trees towards her house.
“The kids must be here already,” Dennis said.
Margot glanced at her watch. It was only just five. She’d assumed she and Dennis would be the first to Roslyn’s for dinner. She wanted to find out if Amber was going to be there. She hoped not. She needed a private talk with her family and she couldn’t do it with a stranger there. And she wanted to suss out Roslyn’s menu. She’d only brought a cheesecake but she had some other things prepared that she could always nip back for if necessary.
Roslyn, Nick and Kayla were sitting at the outdoor setting watching the boys in the pool. Roslyn caught sight of them crossing the drive and waved. Margot put down her basket and kissed each one on the cheek. She thought Nick and Kayla’s responses a little cool whereas Roslyn was effusive – not like her at all. The knot in Margot’s stomach tightened. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to Dennis about Nick’s van yet either.
“Sit down, sit down,” Roslyn called. “Would you like a beer, Dennis, or straight to the red wine? You don’t have to drive.”
Dennis lifted one of the beers from the esky he’d carried over. “All good for now, but I’ll take you up on the wine later.”
“I think it will cool down by mealtime so I thought we’d move inside to eat.” Roslyn was still exuberant. “I was hoping you two men might cook the meat for me. The barbecue’s clean.”
Dennis and Nick both acquiesced and Roslyn turned her attention to Margot. “Now, what have you made?”
Margot lifted her chin. “How do you know I made something?”
“Because you always do,” Roslyn quipped and the other three laughed, a quick break in the wall of tension around them before it slammed up again.
“Raspberry cheesecake,” Margot conceded. “I know you don’t always make sweets so—”
“I’ve got fruit salad and ice cream,” Roslyn said with no sign of annoyance. She glanced at Kayla. “No good for you though, I’m sorry.”
“That’s why I brought the cheesecake. It’s vegan friendly.” Margot smiled at Kayla but got barely a response.
“Does it need the fridge?” Roslyn asked. “I’ll take it inside.” She reached for the dish. “What are you drinking? Kayla has a riesling on the go and I’ve opened a chardonnay.”
“Chardy, thanks.” Margot moved closer to the crystal-blue water to watch her grandsons, who were having a wonderful time diving for toys in the bottom of the pool. Behind her Nick and Dennis were having a stilted conversation about golf.
Roslyn had just returned when Emily and family arrived with Geraldine. Margot’s nerves frayed just a little more. She was relieved to have Emily and Cam here – she felt certain of their support – but she hadn’t pictured Geraldine being a part of her reveal. She didn’t usually come to family dinners when they were at Roslyn’s.
“Emily kindly offered me a ride when I saw her during the week,” Geraldine said. “My car’s broken down again.” She gripped Margot’s arm in a tight squeeze. “I can’t wait till I get your car.”
“My car?” Margot gaped at Dennis, who flung his arm around Geraldine.
“Remember I said you’d have to wait just a little longer? Margot’s new car isn’t quite ready yet.”
Margot felt as if her jaw was almost at her feet. She snapped it shut as Dennis winked at her.
“I hope one extra’s okay, Roslyn?” Geraldine said as Dennis offered her a drink.
