‘How are you getting on, sweetheart?’ asked Jeff, setting down a mug of coffee and a plate of his signature doorstop sandwiches as Gabbie took a five-minute break from the back-to-back appointments that had been the norm that week in the Summerhouse of Happiness.
The print edition of Devonshire Lifestyle magazine had been published the previous day and since then she had been inundated with clients, not just for aromatherapy treatments, but for bespoke perfumes for special occasions. She loved every minute of being in her little wooden sanctuary, talking to people, hoping to delve beneath the veneer to understand their personalities, to find out which fragrances lingered in their memories, then experimenting with her essential oils until she had created the perfect perfume for them.
‘Great, thanks, Dad. Only another two people left to see and they’re hardly clients!’
Her father laughed and she loved the way his eyes crinkled at the corners and how his chuckle came from deep within his chest. He looked ten years younger now the financial anxiety of running the garage had passed, and again her heart performed a cartwheel of adoration for the man who had been integral to making that happen. She loved Max and she never grew tired of saying that to him, nor of hearing him say it back to her.
Many of her clients had commented on her cheerful, smiling demeanour, telling her that they wanted a phial of whatever she was using. She laughed. If she knew how to bottle the feeling of being in love, she would become a millionaire overnight.
‘Sweetheart, you really should tell Wil that Alicia will still love him if he stops using that cologne you make for him. And you do know he’s still calling it Gabbie’s love potion, don’t you?’
‘Yes, I do know that, Dad,’ she giggled. ‘How can I not when I get asked for it at least twice a day! As Clara is my last client of the day, we’ll catch up with you in The Pear Tree, if that’s okay?’
‘No problem, see you later.’
Gabbie had already made up a bottle of Wil’s signature aftershave, so when he turned up on the veranda, she handed it over to him straight away along with a hug. He thanked her profusely, just like he always did, telling her that his recent good fortune in the arena of love was all down to her and the Summerhouse of Happiness, and her heart gave a nip of delight at the pleasure that spread across his face as he clutched the glass column of liquid magic in his fist.
‘Hey, Gabbie, was that Wil I saw skipping across the village green just now?’
‘Probably,’ she laughed, telling Clara that she’d just supplied him with his love potion.
‘You know, you should take credit where it’s due, Gabbie. What you create in this little shed really does provide people with a splash of joy, even if it’s just for a few short moments while they relax in that gorgeous chair and tell you their innermost secrets.’
‘Well, it is called aromatherapy!’
‘Yes, but the Summerhouse of Happiness gives people something else, too. The chance to take that fleeting emotion away with them in a bottle so they can open it whenever they need to recapture that feeling of contentment. I actually think your dad was right when he suggested we called this place the Happiness Apothecary – it’s the perfect description of what you do here.’
‘Thanks, Clara. Now, what can I make for you? Do you have something special planned?’
‘I do.’
Gabbie met her best friend’s bright-green eyes and saw that they were filled with sparkle.
‘Oh my God!’
‘Yes, you’ve guessed it! Owen proposed last night and I said yes! Oh, Gabbie, I’m so happy. I actually think there might be something in the air in Oakley, what with Wil and Alicia getting together, then you and Max, and now me and Owen getting married at last. Now, I need to ask you for two favours.’
‘Two?’
‘First, I’d like you to create an amazing perfume for me to wear on my wedding day. Something with lily-of-the-valley, which is my mum’s favourite perfume, and maybe a few drops of gardenia and frangipani oil? What do you think?’
‘Sound perfect. I’ll make up a few different samples and you can tell me which one you like best.’
‘Thanks.’
‘What was the second favour?’
‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’
‘Oh my God! Yes! I’d love that!’
A surge of emotion overtook Gabbie and tears flowed down her cheeks, causing Clara to join in until they were laughing and hugging and chatting about what Clara had planned for her wedding day, which seemed to Gabbie to be very well organised, bearing in mind Owen had only proposed the night before.
As they walked arm-in-arm towards The Pear Tree, she saw Max and Owen were waiting for them on the doorstep and her heart performed a somersault of joy for her good fortune. With Max by her side, she knew she would continue to be the best advertisement the Summerhouse of Happiness could ever have.