‘I know. She’s so funny. I’m so lucky she came along. It’s weird I can’t imagine life without her now.’
‘Ahh. You are.’
Nina sighed happily and joked. ‘I also like it when she’s sound asleep. She picks her moments sometimes when she’s ratty. I thought she was going to whinge all the way through this.’
‘I bet.’
Nina looked over at the counter, ‘Did you order?’
‘Yeah, I got you a coffee.’
‘Great. I need it. Right then. Ready to tackle another project?’
‘Absolutely. What's the scoop?’ Cally replied, eager to hear about the new job.
Nina gestured out the window. ‘There's a beautiful old house near the harbour. The owner is an artist, and the place is filled with years of accumulated stuff. She wants to create a more organised space to work and live in. I scoped it out a good few months ago and heard nothing, but she wants to get going on it now. No exact date yet, though, so we’ll see. Have you got any time coming up? Got much on?’
Cally nodded. ‘No more than usual. The only thing in my diary really is the Chowder Festival.’
‘You’ve not started on a course or anything yet?’
‘Nope. I’m still not sure what I want to do. I may actually wait on that front and do it once I get a flat sorted.IfI get a flat sorted.’
‘Oh, right, okay. That’s music to my ears then.’
‘Ha.’
Nina shook her head. ‘I have so much work. It’s coming out of my ears. Who would have thought? It’s just all grown by word-of-mouth. Can’t complain.’
‘Your reputation goes before you. That has a lot to do with it. What about the manor? I heard there's an extension there?’
Nina sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. ‘Yes, more rooms to declutter. Apparently, Cecilia decided to open up the other wing. Did you hear that from Logan?’
‘Yeah, more Doreen, really. I think she’s concerned it will cause a lot more work for her.’
‘I don’t think she’s wrong. Honestly, there is so much junk in there. Have you been in?’
Cally shook her head. ‘No.’
‘I wanted to run it past you. Are you up for it, or is it too weird for you to be working there now you’re, well, an item with Logan? No worries at all. I wanted to ask you first. I’ll put a post on Facebook if you’re not interested.’
Cally mused for a second. It was a little bit tricky working at the manor now that she was going out with Logan. However, she was more interested in continuing to add to her savings account than feeling awkward. The equation was pretty simple: the more she worked, the quicker she’d be able to add to her savings for a deposit so that she would be able to buy a flat of her own. Saving and the deposit were driving just about everything she did, and she wasn’t going to stop until she got what she wanted. Her decision was a quick one. ‘I’m in.’
Alice brought over their coffees, placed the steaming mugs on the table, and added a plate of freshly baked scones. ‘Here you go, ladies. Fresh out of the oven,’ Alice said with a smile.
‘Yum. These smell amazing.’
Alice winked. ‘Enjoy!’
Nina took a sip of her coffee, sighing with contentment. ‘Ah, I needed this. What a morning, already.’
Cally nodded. ‘There's nothing like a good cup of coffee to kickstart the day, even though mine started at the crack of dawn.’
Nina leaned forward and frowned. ‘So, you think you'll be fine working at the manor, even though you're now involved differently with it?’
Cally nodded and waved her hand dismissively. ‘It'll be fine, yeah, not a problem. It is what it is and I love working with you.’
‘Nobody even goes over to that side, do they? To that wing, I mean?’ Nina clarified.
