‘All part of the service,’ Nina joked.
‘I have a baked cheesecake to trade you with as promised.’
‘Music to my ears, Jeff.’
‘It’s one of my better ones.’
‘I’ll need a crane to get me up to bed if I have a slice of that.’
‘That’s the aim, ha.’
‘See you later.’
‘Will do.’
Nina smiled as she walked away and made her way around the harbour. She loved living near the water, and the neighbours had turned out to be more than she could have hoped for. Everyone helped each other out and did little things for each other here and there. It was a long way from her old life and London flat where people had barely been able to give her the time of day. Lovelies and Lovely Bay made everything feel better.
5
Nina pottered around the kitchen as the chowder did its thing on the hob. She moved the utensil pots and little baskets full of condiments onto the table and then sprayed down the sides with raspberry-scented kitchen spray and wiped the worktops until they were sparkling. Carefully popping back the kitchen bits and bobs, she finished the chowder by adding a healthy dose of cream and seafood, just as she had seen happen to the stockpots in the back of the deli. About five or so minutes later, she carefully ladled the chowder into a line of rectangular glass dishes.
As the wind outside really started to pick up, she could see the sea churning and the wind knocking the boats back and forth. Tucked up inside the cosy kitchen, however, she was thoroughly enjoying herself. The whole kitchen smelt of garlic, herbs, spices, and seasonings and she was quite pleased with how the chowder had turned out.
Taking a huge wicker shopping basket from one of the shelves above the kitchen table, she placed the dishes of chowder neatly inside, grabbed a stash of sourdough loaves she’d removed from the freezer a few hours before, wrapped each one in a clean tea towel, and carefully wedged them inthe basket next to the chowder. As she bustled about, getting ready to deliver the chowder to various people living around the harbour, the weather had really started to come in. The windows rattled at the front of the building, waves were crashing against the harbour wall, and the boats were bobbing around as she’d never seen them before. An angry, deep purple, almost black sky punctuated every now and then with slices of grey-white cloud topped the sea; things were not looking calm at all in Lovely Bay.
Grabbing Robby’s Lovely coat, she shrugged it on over her shoulders, put the basket over her arm, slipped her phone into her pocket, and made her way outside. As she walked down the side of the house, the wind whipped her hair, and a driving cold drizzle of rain came in from the sea. She shielded herself as she hurried around the building and made her way to her first delivery. Knocking on the door of the property a couple down from hers, she stood and chatted for a bit, handed over the sourdough wrapped in a tea towel and the little glass dish, and went on her way to her next delivery at the other end of the row of fishing sheds.
After knocking on Jeffrey’s door, she watched the boats careering on their moorings and peered at a woman hurrying along by the harbour wall, trying to keep her brolly from turning inside out. With no answer from the front, she went round the back, pressed the buzzer on the back gate, and a few minutes later, Jeffrey was opening the gate.
Nina beamed and held up the wicker basket. ‘As promised. Chowder to keep you warm through the storm.’
‘Come in, come in,’ Jeffrey said as he opened the gate and ushered Nina in.
Nina followed, glad to get out of the wind, and stepped into Jeffrey’s property. It had been renovated throughout, the difference being that most of the downstairs was a working area for Jeffrey’s maritime business. Nina followed him upstairs tothe first floor, where, from his windows, she gazed at a different view compared to the one she saw from her windows at the other end of the row. The wind howled outside, and the boats on the water bobbed around precariously as Nina took the dishes out of the basket and popped a sourdough loaf on the side.
‘Ooh, thanks. I can’t wait to have this later. So kind of you. Your cheesecake is ready.’
‘You’re welcome. Yum, thanks!’
‘So, what have you been up to?’ Jeffrey asked as he took the chowder, opened the fridge, put the glass dish on a shelf, and closed the door again.
‘Oh, you know. Not much at all, really. Keeping busy.’
‘I hear our Robby has been doing well in business.’
Nina nodded. ‘Yes, he's going gangbusters. He's been tendering for something in Singapore and Bangkok.’
‘Yeah, I heard that. Birdie told me he’s had some interest from overseas clients.’
‘He certainly has.’
‘Sounds like quite a niche little world, that one.’ Jeffrey noted.
‘Yes, for sure. It’s a small world. They all know each other, which is ultimately how he got going with the tender for the overseas work in the first place.’
‘Right, makes sense. What about you? How are you finding business?’
‘Ahh, not bad. It’s doing well and growing slowly but surely. I’m never going to be making my billions out of A Lovely Organised Life. Not that I want to. I just like being my own boss and not having to answer to anyone. That’s enough for me.’
