'That’s cool.'
'Yes, my first husband actually passed away suddenly.'
Faye’s hands flew to her mouth. 'I’m so sorry to hear that. You’re so young for that.'
Nina had heard the same wordsmanytimes before. 'No, no, it’s actually fine. Well, no, it’s not fine, obviously it’s not fine that my husband died. But I wanted him to be part of the wedding, but I wasn’t sure how. Then I went to my old flat and searched out my wedding things, and then I came across the dress. Without the huge train that pops on the back of the skirt, I thought it would be just right, which is what led me to you.'
Faye held the bodice up to the light near the window and smiled. ‘It’s really pretty.’
‘It is.’
'Well, this won’t be a problem at all. Let’s get you in and see how we go.'
34
Nina was at the chocolate shop. She’d cracked on with most of the first room, but the inner room was in chaos, a stark contrast to the neat and inviting shopfront customers loved on the other side of the wall. Pulling on a pair of gloves, she shoved her earphones in, tapped on a true crime podcast, and set out to tackle the mess head-on. If there was one thing that didn’t faze Nina, it was a gigantic pile of someone else’s clutter.
As she lifted the lid off the nearest box, she shook her head as she found a jumble of papers, some dating back not just a few years but decades. It was clear that no one had gone near the boxes in years. She sifted through the papers methodically and organised them into piles: keep, shred, and check and found herself chuckling at some of the old advertisements and order forms. She’d learned early in her decluttering days when she’d worked for a few clients on the side that the process was slow and tedious at first, which was why most people put it off. Once the hump was over, though, things normally rapidly improved.
As she worked and the podcast ended, her mind wandered to her own life and the changes she had made. Moving to Lovely Bay, planning a wedding, starting a new business, taking onnew challenges, learning to run—it all felt a bit like decluttering herself, getting rid of the old to make way for the new.
Several hours passed in what felt like a flash, and as often happened, one minute, it felt as if she’d got nowhere at all, the next, there was small but significant progress. The pile of boxes full of old papers slowly diminished as she filled bags with documents for shredding and recycling. Every now and then, Millie popped her head in to check on Nina’s progress and deliver something from the front of the shop. Not a bad perk of the job.
‘How’s it going in here?’ Millie asked, handing Nina a mug of coffee and a little plate of chocolate samples.
Nina took the mug. ‘Ooh, thanks. Getting there. I had no idea there was so much stuff crammed into this room. It really did need a good clear out.’
Millie smiled. ‘It’s been a long time coming. Lizzie always said she’d get around to it, but there was always something more pressing to do. I think she’ll be relieved, deep down, to have it sorted.’
Nina nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. ‘Well, I’m happy to help. It’s taken me a bit longer than I thought…’
‘Yes, I can’t believe just how much stuff was lurking in there.’ Millie laughed.
‘I know. I’ve found all sorts.’
‘Well, onwards and upwards. Let me know if you want anything else.’
‘Will do.’
Nina continued to work her way through the clutter and uncovered some interesting bits and bobs – old photographs of the shop in its early days, handmade signs for long-past promotions, and a collection of traditional chocolate moulds. By the time she’d had another coffee, some of the floor was visibleagain, and the piles of junk had been replaced with organised sections for things to keep, donate, or throw away.
Nina stood back, hands on her hips, surveying the room. She cringed at the fair share of chocolate she’d had via Millie’s insistence as she swept the pathway in the middle of the junk. Then she put the dustpan away and picked up the tray with the various mugs and plates on which Millie had delivered her goodies. She then walked through the narrow inner corridor from the back room in the direction of the chocolate shop itself. As she walked, the atmosphere changed from what was little more than chaos to the staff area, which was immaculate, then past another small storage room until she pushed open the door to the shop itself. Her eyes flicked to the huge copper machine in the corner and the counter area where Millie was making a coffee at the same time as dealing with somebody on the phone. Seeing Millie was busy, Nina, still with the tray in her hands, walked around the counter to place it in the working area on the other side.
Just as she was turning right past the counter, the door in front of her to the street opened, the bell tinkled above, and Lindsay walked in wearing the same bright green blazer jacket with the sleeves rolled up that Nina had seen her in before and a pair of too-tight, cheap-looking grey jeans. Lindsay smiled so smugly on bumping straight into Nina she looked like the cat who’d got the cream.
‘Hey!’ Lindsay grinned.
‘Hello.’
‘I knew it! I knew I was right.’
Nina frowned.
‘On your stories! I thought I recognised the chocolate shop logo in the junk you panned. Love a bit of sleuthing on the socials, ha!’
Nina felt herself go cold. Lindsay had examined her stories. What the actual? Who did that? ‘Hmm.’
Lindsay was on a roll. ‘Wow, you get everywhere, don’t you? Lovely Bay has taken you in as one of its own.’
