After the One by Cass Lester (novels for students .txt) 📗

said quietly, then turning to address the agent said more loudly, ‘We’ll be back in a moment.’

Charley followed Pam into the gift shop. It was awash with Prosecco products and Pam saw Charley’s face fall at being confronted by candles and coasters, body washes and bubble baths, tealight holders and tea towels. There was hardly any item with a Prosecco theme that the shop didn’t seem to stock. Charley groaned and Pam shot her a sympathetic look and mouthed, ‘Sorry.’

‘Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition!’ said the estate agent, when they broke the news to him. ‘It’s all about the location,’ he told her. ‘Location, location, location!’ he quipped.

‘Sorry. This time it’s all about the competition,’ said Charley. ‘Competition, competition, competition!’ she quipped back.

His face hardened. He obviously didn’t appreciate Charley’s little joke. ‘Look, I don’t want to pressure you, but there’s a lot of interest in this shop, and I mean a lot. I showed some people round yesterday. They were extremely interested.’

Pam wasn’t at all sure she believed him, until Charley moved closer to her and, turning her back to the agent, whispered softly in Pam’s ear.

‘I hate to say it, but I think that’s probably true. If I learnt one thing from working at the letting agency it’s that when a property stands and shoulders above anything else on offer, like this does, it generally gets snapped up instantly.’

Clearly sensing Charley was weakening, the agent pushed his advantage. ‘I can promise you there isn’t anything else around nearly as good as this anywhere in the city. Not for what you have in mind.’

Pam watched Charley’s face anxiously. She was wavering, and it was obvious, so, scenting blood, the agent went in for the kill.

‘This really is a unique opportunity. You don’t want to miss out.’

A small, slightly helpless frown settled over Charley’s eyes as they flicked over to meet Pam’s. Worried that Charley was about to make a rash decision, Pam said, ‘Why don’t you just take a look at the others before you decide?’

The agent turned his back on Pam and addressed Charley directly. ‘Well, it’s your decision, but…’ He said, and deliberately left it hanging.

‘Let’s see the other shops first,’ said Charley, much to Pam’s relief.

The rest of the shops were pretty dire. Most of the time it was barely worth parking the car, and on one occasion, it was impossible to park the car, since the shop was stranded in the middle of a one-way system with double yellow lines stretching as far as the eye could see. The only vaguely possible property was a former book cafe – a traditional, double-fronted shop with a wood-and-glass door in a slightly run-down corner to the east of the city. It looked like a shop in a child’s picture book, with its windows still bedecked with sun-bleached, polka-dot bunting. But it was right at the end of a dead-end street.

‘No footfall,’ assessed Charley despondently. ‘If there was decent footfall it would be ideal.’

‘If there was decent footfall, it would probably still be a book cafe,’ said Pam sagely. The agent shot her a filthy look, which she took delight in ignoring.

Nevertheless, Pam was saddened by the sight of the shop, with its faded decor, its flaking and battered woodwork, and its general air of neglect. It had obviously housed someone’s passion project, but was now abandoned and in desperate need of some TLC. In its heyday she guessed it might have been a bakery or a grocery store, and in her mind’s eye she could see it thronging with customers, the lively central hub of the local community. But now it was unloved and not needed any more. You have my sympathy, she thought wryly.

‘So, now how do you feel about the other shop?’ the agent was asking Charley. It wasn’t really a question. More a prompt, confirming that he’d been right all along.

‘Well I did absolutely love it, and you’re right, it would be the best one out of all those we’ve seen today…’ Charley paused, and Pam held her breath and mentally crossed her fingers that Charley wouldn’t make a foolish decision. ‘But I’m still worried about the competition from the gift shop,’ said Charley, and Pam breathed out and mentally uncrossed her fingers.

‘You’re worrying unnecessarily.’ The agent replied smoothly. ‘If you set up next to a rival, and you’re the better shop, with better products and competitive prices—’ again, he trailed off provocatively.

‘Setting up a shop is going to be hard enough,’ Charley told him, ‘without launching an all-out trade war with the one next door.’

‘Yes, but setting up a shop is going to be impossible if you haven’t got a shop,’ he pointed out. Which was undeniably true. He left the thought hanging for a while, then, when Charley still didn’t bite, he said, ‘Well, I think you’re going to regret this, I honestly do.’

Pam mentally put two fingers up at him.

They were both in low spirits as they headed back to the car. Pam suddenly stopped in her tracks. ‘Lunch!’ she suggested. ‘Somewhere nice. On me.’ Then, seeing a look of protest begin to cloud Charley’s face, she added, ‘I insist.’

Charley led the way to an inexpensive Italian restaurant by the dockside. They cut through one of the city’s oldest squares with a central, tree-lined lawn, bordered by tall Georgian houses, and then walked along the cobbled quayside to the restaurant. It was a beautiful, warm sunny day and despite the fact that the water was its usual muddy brown, the colourful bustle of the waterfront lifted their spirits.

Holding open the door of the restaurant for Pam, Charley joked, ‘After you, madam. Age before…’

‘Don’t even finish that sentence!’

Charley laughed. ‘You’re not old, you’re…’

‘Vintage,’ Pam offered.

‘Classic!’ decided Charley.

‘Precisely.’

The waitress let them to a table in the window.

‘I thought we’d be celebrating,’ sighed Charley. ‘I mean, I wasn’t expecting to actually sign on the dotted line today, but I honestly thought I’d have at least found the right shop.’

They both ordered the