‘This all sounds lovely, but how are you paying for all this?’
‘From the kitty.’
‘What kitty?’
‘Luke said there was a small kitty to help with anything that needed repairing or any decorating or refurbishments. It was donated by an anonymous donor.’
‘Well, that’s the first I’ve bloody heard of it.’
‘What?’
‘I’m so annoyed,’ her nan went on. ‘I’ve always told Luke I didn’t want his money.’
‘Luke is the anonymous donor?’
‘Of course he is. I don’t know anyone else who would have thousands of pounds to spend on a new café and other expensive renovations.’
How could Flick have been so stupid? She had suspected he had something to do with it at the beginning but then he’d thrown her off the scent with this anonymous donor business. And she’d believed him.
‘Everyone sees him as a cash cow because he’s a millionaire but I’ve always been very clear that I didn’t want anything from him,’ her nan went on.
‘He’s… a millionaire?’ Flick asked, her voice breaking.
‘You didn’t know?’
‘No.’
‘Oh, I thought with you two sleeping together he would have told you. I’m such a romantic. There’s me seeing the next big love story and you two are just having sex. Well, why not? You two are young, you deserve some fun. It doesn’t always have to be marriage and babies just because you sleep together.’
Flick felt her cheeks heat because her romantic heart had started hoping for that. Not marriage and babies, it was way too soon to think about that, but a big love story. She was falling for Luke so hard and fast. Was this really just sex for him? Why wouldn’t he tell her? Did he not trust her?
‘Is he really a millionaire or are you exaggerating because he has a few thousand in his bank?’
‘He’s a millionaire. I have no idea how much he has in the bank. He gives hundreds of thousands away to charities but he’s still earning a mint.’
‘How?’
‘Oh, remember that song that came out about four or five years ago? “Crazy Monkey”?’
‘That really annoying song from the phone commercial that ended up being number one in the download chart and the official top forty for most of the year?’
‘Yes, Luke wrote it. Or created it. It was all done on the computer. He made it for the phone company but he retained the rights. All royalties from the downloads went to him.’
Flick had no words at all. That song, by a group called Purple Dragon, had been everywhere thanks to the annoyingly catchy tune and the stupid video that accompanied it. There was even a ‘Crazy Monkey’ dance which everyone knew and would recreate in the clubs and pubs. She’d danced to it herself when going out with her friends in London. There were videos of people doing the dance from all over the world. And there was merchandise, hats, t-shirts, mugs with the silly monkey on it, it was a phenomenon. And while the furore had well and truly died down now, Luke must still be making fairly decent money from it. He’d get money from people watching the video on YouTube, let alone any other revenue streams for it.
Suddenly the penny dropped. That was why Natalia and some of the other women of the town were always sniffing around him. They wanted him for his money. That was why Polly had come out with a massive list of utensils and machines that she absolutely must have because she knew Luke was footing the bill.
Flick felt sick. The list of all the things she had got Luke to buy for the gift shop cost thousands too. She had unknowingly been as bad as everyone else. It would all have to go back, every single thing, and she felt her heart break a little because of that.
She heard a noise behind her and turned round tosee Luke, who judging by his face had heard a good portion of the conversation or at least her side.
‘I, umm… I need to go,’ Flick said.
‘Oh OK. Tell Luke I’m not happy about any of this.’
‘I will,’ Flick said, weakly. She said her goodbyes and hung up.
‘I was going to tell you,’ Luke said.
