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“Pleasure to meet you, Gloria. Now teach me to use this beast better.”
“Ah, she’s not a beast. She’s a beautiful machine.”
“She?” Sarah raised her eyebrows.
“Of course. Didn’t you know all coffee machines are girls? This one is Bessie.” Gloria reached her hand forward and patted the top of the machine as if it were a dog or a cat.
Over the next few minutes Gloria demonstrated to Sarah how to froth milk perfectly. They traded places and Sarah tried again. Performing slightly better this time, Sarah still laughed at her attempt. Rather than waste the milk, the two women made themselves cappuccinos in take away cups. Armed with their coffees they sat down at a nearby table.
“It’s pretty embarrassing to be the owner of the café and not be able to froth milk properly. Maybe it’s my penance for actually preferring tea,” Sarah admitted, laughing at herself.
Gloria shrugged. “From what I can see here it looks like you’ve got everything else under control. It’s okay to have one thing that isn’t.”
Sarah took a sip of her coffee surprised at the comment. It seemed a rather philosophical statement from someone she suspected was only in her early twenties. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t consider you for the job here. Your resume is good, really good in fact. You would have made interview stage.”
“Would I have gotten the job though?” Gloria asked softly looking down into her lap as she asked.
“That part I’m not going to answer,” Sarah replied truthfully. She knew that she would have hired Gloria based on her experience and the way she could handle a coffee machine, but didn’t want to torture the young woman with the truth. Better off to wonder than to know that she missed out on the job just because she didn’t get the application in on time, Sarah thought.
At this statement Gloria lifted her head and looked Sarah in the eyes. A beat passed between the women before Gloria shrugged. “Fair enough,” she conceded. Picking up her coffee she took another sip. Smiling, she began, “Maybe it’s a good thing I won’t be working here. You’ve got a terrible singing voice. Imagine having to work for you if you sing like that all the time.”
Sarah looked up from her own coffee to see the great smirk that was plastered across Gloria’s face. Grinning along with her she responded, “Yeah, well, I couldn’t imagine hiring someone so impertinent as to not know quality music,” she quipped in retaliation.
Gloria threw her head back with laughter. “Oh, burn.”
“Would you be willing though, to do some quality control for me with your coffee?” Sarah asked, digging out her phone from her pocket before typing something into the device.
“Um, I’m not quite sure what you mean,” Gloria admitted.
“I baked a raspberry cheesecake this morning, and I need someone to try some and give me an honest opinion.”
“That I can definitely do,” she nodded.
“Good. Make yourself useful then. Can you grab some paper plates – they’re under the counter. There should be some plastic spoons or forks down there somewhere too. I’ll grab the cheesecake out of the fridge.”
“What? Don’t you have real plates that you’re going to make me eat off a paper one?” Gloria asked cheekily as she searched for the plates as Sarah headed to the rear of the café where the fridge was located.
“There’s no clean up this way. Plus, the plates aren’t here yet.” Sarah admitted smiling.
“Aren’t you opening in two weeks?”
“Thirteen days,” Sarah confirmed. “The plates are getting picked up tomorrow together with the cutlery and some other things in Franklin. There should be a delivery later this week with bulk foodstuff on it. Linens are due Wednesday. Signwriter in Penwick has said the sign will be ready on Friday.” Sarah’s voice quivered slightly as she began listing off things still to be completed.
“And you’re completely crapping yourself that you’re not going to be ready.” Gloria observed evenly.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Sarah admitted honestly, walking back into the dining area of the café with the cheesecake in one hand. Serving a slice for each of them, she smiled as Gloria took a bite and made a small sigh of appreciation at the taste.
“Oh my God! I think I’m gonna have a foodgasm. Who needs a man when there is cheesecake like this?” Gloria declared.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m pretty sure we’re good for some things,” a male voice intoned from the doorway into the kitchen. “But by all means, if you’re going to have a foodgasm, whatever that might be, I’m more than happy to watch.”
Sarah groaned. “Gloria, meet Jamie, and apparently his ego is along for a visit as well today. And don’t believe him for a second when he says he doesn’t know what a foodgasm is. He knows.” Sarah smiled thinking back to the day that she had officially moved to Mount Kiernon and having her own foodgasm over the fries that were served at the pub. She’d gone back several times over the past few months for more of those fries. They were just that good.
“Hey, how are you?” Jamie walked over to where the two women sat and held out his hand towards Gloria.
“Thoroughly embarrassed, thanks,” Gloria said, taking the proffered hand and shaking it.
Jamie leaned over to Sarah and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for the text. I’ve been working on oil changes all morning and needed the break.” Without being asked he dragged a chair from a nearby table across to join the women. Sitting down he reached over and took the fork from Sarah’s plate and helped himself to some of her cheesecake.
“This is good. Could be your best yet. Dad’ll love it,” he stated. “You know, if I had a coffee to go with it, I’m sure it would be even better.”
“Oh really?” Sarah asked archly.
“Yes, really.” Jamie smirked back at her, leaning across and taking another mouthful of cheesecake. “You made the fruit taste really amazing in here,” he mumbled around the food in his mouth.
“Now for that comment you can have a coffee,” Sarah smiled, pushing her chair back and beginning to stand.
“You stay there. I’ll do it,” Gloria offered. Before Sarah had the chance to protest Gloria had risen from the table and was walking over to the coffee machine.
Jamie’s gaze followed her as she moved across the room. “Where’d you find her?” Jamie leaned in and asked Sarah quietly as Gloria went about her task.
“She applied for the job.” Sarah admitted.
“You going to hire her?”
“No. Her application was too late.” Sarah replied with a shake of her head.
“Shame,” Jamie said quietly looking over at the counter where Gloria stood. “You two would have made a good team.”
***
Jamie left shortly after Gloria had finished making the coffee. With a lid on his cup to stop the contents from spilling and two slices of cheesecake in his other hand – one for himself and one for Don - he had made his way back towards the garage.
“Thanks for making the coffee for Jamie,” Sarah thanked Gloria as the younger woman began wiping down the counter.
“It’s okay,” she paused. “He seems nice. You two make a cute couple.”
“Me and Jamie? Nope. We tried it once, kinda, but it just didn’t work between the two of us.”
“Really? The two of you aren’t together?” Gloria stood in place looking at Sarah.
Sarah confirmed what she had said with a shake of her head. “Nope. Don’t get me wrong, I love the man, just not in that way. He’s well and truly in the box labelled ‘friend for life’ for me.” Sarah picked up the rubbish that was sitting on table and walked to the bin depositing the few things into it. “He’s single, you know,” she said, casting a sly glance in Gloria’s direction.
Gloria suddenly seemed intently focussed on one spot on the counter, cleaning it furiously. “Is he?”
“Oh, crud, no he’s not. He started seeing someone recently,” Sarah admitted having momentarily forgotten about Jamie’s new romance with Fiona. “But if he was single I’d throw him your way. He’s a good guy. No, scrap that. He’s a great guy. One of the best actually. I met him and his dad on the first night I ever came to Mount Kiernon when my car broke down. We’ve been friends pretty much since then. And now he’s going to be the main supplier of produce here when we open.”
“Him? But that was Jamie Preston wasn’t it? I thought he worked at the garage?” Gloria had stopped and looked at Sarah once more.
“He does. But he also has a small organic produce business. He grew the berries that were in the cheesecake.”
“That must keep him busy,” Gloria noted.
Sarah nodded. “Yeah, it does. But he makes time for people. He’s the type of guy that would literally give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing the body under that shirt.” Gloria blurted. She looked at Sarah with her mouth open and flaming cheeks. “Oh dear God, please don’t tell him I ever said that,” she stammered.
“It’s okay, your secret’s safe with me,” Sarah said conspiratorially.
“I just can’t get over the fact that you have a guy around you who looks like that and you’re not interested.” Gloria said earnestly.
“Nah, I don’t really date.”
“What – men?”
“No, I just don’t date at all. Been there, done that, got the scars to prove it. Not interested in finding love anymore. Just give me my business and I’ll be a happy woman.”
Gloria glanced at her sideways from where she was standing. “Uh huh. I don’t believe you for a second.”
“Well, you should.” Sarah stated firmly attempting to bring a close to the path the conversation was heading.
“Okay then,” Gloria replied, taking the hint. Dropping the cloth she had been cleaning with into the sink she turned to Sarah. “Anyway, things are all tidy here and I should be heading off. I need to pick up my son from school.”
“You have a child in school?” Sarah was astonished.
“Yes I do.” Gloria looked at Sarah and sighed loudly before she puffed her chest out and squared her shoulders. “I’m twenty three. My son is seven. I fell pregnant when I was fifteen. His father is not in the picture. I’m not proud of getting pregnant at fifteen, but I did, and I love my son. Any other questions that you want to ask?”
“What?” Sarah looked at Gloria in astonishment. She was stunned at the turnaround in Gloria’s attitude. Where she had seemed so carefree only moments ago, she was now short and snippy.
“I’m sorry,” Gloria rubbed her forehead. “I just thought....sorry. I should go.” Quickly she strode over to the chair where she had been sitting with Sarah and reached to pick up her bag that she’d had placed on the floor, her eyes intently focussed on the floor as she did so.
Just as quickly Sarah walked over and placed her hand on Gloria’s arm and began to speak. “Gloria, stop.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t judging you, I was just surprised, that’s all. We all have things that we aren’t necessarily proud of in our past. God knows I do. I’m truly sorry if you thought I was judging you. I wasn’t. If you thought anything other than that, I’m really sorry. It wasn’t my intent. And I’m also sorry that it seems like I’ve just given you a speech.”
Lifting her head to meet Sarah’s gaze, Gloria gave her a shaky smile. “Thank you. It was nice to hear. Usually people just judge me for having had Kyle when I was so young. Particularly in this town.”
“Screw them,” Sarah declared. “Only you really know what you’ve been through. You won’t find any judgement about it from me.”
“Thanks Sarah.” Gloria picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. As she opened the door to leave, she turned one last time to face Sarah. “I really wish I could have worked for you. I think you would have been a kick ass boss to have.”
“Thanks.” Sarah laughed gently. “I guess we’ll find out what the staff really think of me when we open in a few weeks and I’m riding their asses because I’m stressed to the hilt.”
Gloria giggled. “In that case maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t get a job here then.”
“You going to be alright?” Sarah asked gently.
“Yeah, I am. Thank you for the coffee and cheesecake. It really was good. You’re going to have such a success here, I just know it.”
Sarah walked forward closing the gap between them and embraced Gloria in a hug. “Thank you. Stay in touch, okay?”
“I will. Bye.” Gloria gave a half wave as she stepped through the front door Sarah catching the door and pressing it closed.
Sarah watched Gloria walk down the street towards the primary school and thought about the similarities they both had that Gloria was unaware of. I know what it’s like to be judged, Sarah thought silently. I know what it’s like to have people decide that your actions aren’t good enough. Running her hands over her face Sarah sent up a quick prayer of thanks to the heavens. Thank God no one knows about my past here. I don’t think I could handle being judged for it again.