Winter at Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington (best affordable ebook reader TXT) 📗

of them - Lucian would be offering a great prize in the very place his podcast was set and she would be gaining a huge, targeted advertising audience.

She lay there looking out at the white scene laid out in front of her, mulling over the live streaming idea. Her mind went into overdrive further as she gazed out the window. It would be magnificent - a huge tree in the corner, a bride in a simple dress and white fur, the Orangery adorned with fairy lights and a surprise wedding for the main party. They could live broadcast the whole thing online, giving them both content and new viewers and hopefully providing her with the marketing she needed to really get the Orangery going.

The more she thought about it, the better it got - a live broadcast from the Orangery at Pretty Beach for a Christmas Winter wedding in the snow.

Chapter 15

Sallie walked along the laneway and made her way up to Holly, who, dressed in a glitzy black ski jacket with gold piping, was waiting outside the front of the bakery and looking down at her phone.

Sallie approached, said hello, kissed her on the cheek and they made their way all along the laneway, stopping here and there to chat and saying hello to Nel who was on her way to work.

They arrived outside the beautiful old door of Maisy’s cafe, knocked their boots against the doorstep to bang off the snow, pulled open the door and were hit by warm air and the cosy smell of wood from the fire. Sallie pulled off her beanie, sunglasses and scarf, and looked around for Nina, who was sitting in the corner tucked up next to the wall.

‘Hi,’ she leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, ‘Feeling any better?’

Nina’s asthma had been getting progressively worse and making her feel more and more down. Holly took off the huge black and gold coat and popped it on the back of a chair.

‘A bit better with the new inhaler,’ Nina replied.

Sallie sat down opposite her, ‘At least you’re on top of it now, I guess.’

‘Yeah. Anyway, what’s been going on with you two then? Apart from loving the snow, Sallie.’

‘Nothing interesting from me. About the only thing I have been doing is binge-watching Nordic crime and testing more and more fudge for my Christmas limited editions.’ Holly replied.

Sallie smiled and said, ‘Now you're asking. Are you ready for my next Pretty Beach Boat House Enterprises idea?’

‘Hang on, let me settle in for the night. Haha.’ Nina said laughing.

They ordered hot chocolates, slices of chocolate log and started to discuss Sallie’s new idea.

‘So, you’ll live broadcast the whole thing on social media?’ Nina asked, tucking into the chocolate log.

‘Not quite the whole thing, that’ll be too long, it’ll get too boring and too many things could go wrong.’

‘So just the ceremony bit then?’

‘Yeah, just the bit where the bride arrives, walks through the grounds to the door of the Orangery, and then up the aisle and the actual getting married bit. Then maybe a second instalment later of the dance or some of the reception.’

Nina stirred her hot chocolate and sliced off another piece of the log and replied, ‘It’s got legs.’

‘It certainly has. Rory said he knows loads of people who know of Pretty Beach now because of that podcast,’ Holly replied.

‘Lucian has millions, and I mean millions of followers - it would be gold.’

‘You reckon he’ll do it for free though?’ Nina asked, frowning.

‘I hope so. I've thought about it from his point of view as well, and what it gives him is great content and a bit of solid equity about Pretty Beach rather than him just talking about it. He gets to give away a big prize on his account to what I’m guessing is his ideal audience. It’s worth a huge amount if he had to pay for it - but for me, really, with most things at cost, it won’t be too much. I already have the building and the contacts and the experience. There’s no way I’ll be able to afford to get that sort of advertising any other way.’

‘It’s a good idea; you're pushing it though aren’t you, for Christmas?’ Nina asked, finishing off the chocolate log and putting the fork down on the plate.

‘There’s not a whole lot to plan - everything is ready in the Orangery and for the reception I’ll do the easiest menu I can for the lowest price - probably some kind of share platter for each table. Some of the decor will already be there following on from Tillie’s naming ceremony and the tree etcetera will all be in place.’

‘You’re right.’ Nina nodded her head in agreement and Holly joined in, pursing her lips together and nodding.

‘I’ll probably just need flowers which Felicity will help out with, the caterers and the usual extra workers we use at the marquee and I can’t think of any other problems - obviously there will be accommodation either in a hotel or the boathouse cottage and I suppose there will be costs I’ve not yet thought of.’

‘Famous last words Sal!’ Nina chuckled. ‘I’ve said I’m totally planned before court in the past and wished I hadn’t.’

‘The main issue will be finding someone who is experienced and confident enough with a camera - and that will cost a lot,’ Sallie said.

‘I’ll send a text to my photographer friend - he did a great job of those pictures last year, didn’t he?’

‘Oh yes, I forgot about him. I don’t think he does video, but I bet he knows someone who does.’

All three of them sat there finishing their hot chocolates and cake by the fire, starting to go through all the things that could possibly go wrong.

Chapter 16

Sallie carefully walked through the ice-filled puddles in the car park and over towards The Pretty Smugglers pub on the corner. Cosy, warm light glowed from the dark paned windows and a huge fire flickered in the middle.