A Pretty Beach Wish by Polly Babbington (scary books to read TXT) 📗

between the tables. An eclectic mix of wing-back leather and cafe chairs were grouped around the tables, each one holding large dark vases stuffed full of greenery.

‘This place has been here for years. I must have walked past a thousand times and never been in,’ Juliette said.

They both looked towards the back wall, the whole of which was covered in chalkboard paint where the restaurant’s dishes were written out and each one carefully explained.

Juliette and Luke sat down at one of the tiny tables and studied the menu. Five minutes later, a waiter took their order and delivered a bottle of red wine. Luke poured out their wine and went to the toilet. Juliette slipped her phone out of her bag and checked her messages. Nothing from Jeremy. That was a bonus and a very good start to the evening. She idly started scrolling through her phone as she waited for Luke to come back from the toilet, opened her emails and began to check through for anything that had come in that afternoon. She saw an email with the subject ‘Vintage Christmas Decoration Opportunity’ and opened it.

Hi Juliette,

My name is Victoria Hadley-Jones and I am the operations director for Lellery department store in Piccadilly. 

I heard of you and your vintage decor store from the podcast Where the Heck is Pretty Beach? I hope you don’t mind me getting in touch.

I am looking for some new unique brands within the store and was wondering if you would be interested in chatting. I have had a nose around your website and social media and think your vintage collections would be a really good fit for both our store and our customers. 

On another note, we are also looking for a Christmas stylist (due to a maternity leave this year at that time), and I was wondering if you take on contracts for styling work at all?

Thanks so much - please do give me a call on the number below if you’d like to discuss.

Kind Regards,

Victoria Hadley-Jones.

Juliette read the email again and looked around almost to see if she was being filmed for a prank. Lellery, the very famous department store, was contacting her! It seemed so unreal that she thought it must be a fake. She sat there in amazement.

Luke sat back down at the table as Juliette stared down at her phone.

‘Everything okay?’ Luke queried. ‘You look like you’ve had a surprise.’

‘Read this,’ Juliette replied, and passed her phone over the table.

Luke read the email and looked back up. ‘Lellery! Juliette this is absolutely massive.’

‘I know. Do you think it’s real?’

‘Sorry, what do you mean? Is what real?’

‘As in, could it be a fake? Is the email fake?’

‘Not by the looks of the email name and the branding all over it. Why would anyone want to send a fake email, anyway?’

‘I can’t believe it.’ Juliette said, shaking her head in disbelief.

‘It’s amazing.’

‘Styling for Lellery. I've wished for a job like that for such a long time, and now they are contacting me, and not the other way around. It must be a mistake.’

‘I doubt it. You’ll soon find out when you call this Victoria Hadley-Jones.’

‘I can’t believe I may have the opportunity to do Christmas styling with one of the most prestigious department stores in the world!’

‘Oh, I can, Juliette, your stuff is amazing, everyone can see that, even me and I know nothing. Just as Sallie said he would, Lucian McIntyre and the power of digital media has propelled your brand into a whole new arena.’

‘I think it has,’ Juliette answered. ‘I’ve felt like there’s something in the water for weeks, something around the corner - maybe it was this and not something bad like I kept thinking.’ Juliette said, picking up her glass and taking a sip of her red wine. But the nasty, niggling little thought was undeniably still there.

Chapter 19

Juliette walked all the way along the unmade road, watched the funicular railway go up the side of the cliff and checked her phone. All good and no problems from anyone, and nothing for her to deal with. Hooray.

She watched as the railway carriage stopped at the top of the cliff, vowed to herself that she must go for a ride on it soon with Luke and Maggie, and then knocked on the door of Daisy’s house. Daisy opened the door, dressed in a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans and a grey t-shirt, her hair up on top of her head and tied with a scarf and kissed Juliette on the cheek.

‘Ooh, you smell nice as usual. Lovely perfume. How are you?’

‘Good. Very good, actually.’

Daisy looked back at Juliette with her eyebrows raised in question. ‘Very good?’

‘Yes, you will never in a million years guess who I have had an email from.’

‘As long as it’s not an ex-wife or long-lost teenage boyfriend I’ll assume it’s good. Nope can’t guess. Who?’

‘Lellery.’

‘Lellery? As in the department store?’

‘Exactly the one.’

‘Elaborate please.’

‘They want to stock A Christmas Sparkle!’

‘Woohoo! Congrats. That’s huge. Like massive. Oh my! Well done you.’

‘I know. I can’t believe it.’

‘I can. Your stuff is amazing and your styling is even better. We all know that, Sparkles.’

‘That’s the thing, too. They’ve also asked if I contract for styling. As in, their Christmas displays. I can’t even take it in.’

‘Wowzas. This takes Sparkle to a whole new level. You’ll have to keep the name now, even if you marry Luke. There’s something in the air I can feel it. Something coming up with you.’

‘Daisy, why does everyone keep talking about me getting married? Lottie was asking if there were wedding bells in the air too. I’m not marrying Luke. Even if I did have a tiny little bit of inclination towards it, he’s not asked me.’

‘That’s a development - before you were adamant you wouldn’t ever get married again.’

‘I won’t.’

‘You know - you could ask him.’

‘I am aware of that, and it won’t be happening. The sooner everyone stops ringing wedding bells