‘Easy is what you need after you know who.’
‘Don’t. Let’s not bring him into this.’
‘Sorry. You’re right. Seriously, Darbs, it’s so good to see you like this. All glowy and nervous and actually interested in someone.’
‘Dare I say it because I don’t want to jinx myself, but it feels good for once.’
Penny’s phone buzzed. ‘That’s Jack. He’s on his way with his drill and approximately seven thousand screws, apparently.’
‘I should probably clear some space in the kitchen.’
‘In a minute. First, you’re going to text Archie.’
‘What? No! It’s too soon. I’ll seem desperate.’
‘You’re going to send a simple, breezy message thanking him for last night. Something like “Had a lovely time yesterday, thanks for dinner.”’
‘Shall I?’
‘Yep, defo.’
Darby started typing, deleted it, and typed again. ‘How’s this: “Thanks for last night, I really enjoyed it.’
‘Add an x.’
‘Is that too much?’
‘Darby, the man kissed you on your doorstep. An x is perfectly acceptable.’
Darby added an x and hit send before she could overthink it further. The phone immediately showed “read” and three dots appeared. ‘He’s typing back already!’
Penny practically launched herself across the table. ‘What’s he saying?’
Archie:Same.
Darby nodded and looked up at the sky for a second.
Archie:Do you fancy coming to the Night Markets?
‘What do I say?’
‘Say yes, you muppet!’
Darby was already typing back when they heard Jack’s voice calling from the gate. ‘Is it safe to come in, or are you two still dissecting every microsecond of Darby’s date?’
26
It was the next day. The day before had started off with the kitchen in disarray; dust sheets, piles of saucepans, dishes all over the show and chaos pretty much at the fore. But after Darby, Penny and Jack had spent the day working like the clappers, to say that the kitchen was a thousand per cent improved was an understatement. Darby had set up her phone in the corner of the kitchen and done a time-lapse of what had taken place with a view to popping the whole thing on her channel as a makeover video. However, she didn’t need a video to tell her what a good job they had done. It was right there in front of her eyes.
What was looking back at her? The shell of an old pine kitchen and the beginnings of a very nice one. In the space where the three double carcasses had lived for decades, there was now, running from left to right, a long, large expanse of open shelving. Underneath that, a line of hooks ready to hold Darby’s favourite cooking bits and bobs was in situ. Directly below that, Jack had attached a long, mounted magnetic knife holder for Darby’s vast collection of kitchen knives and utensils.
Looking to the left of the kitchen, where another ugly pine cupboard with a built-in country-style shelf underneathsat, things had improved immensely, too. Now relieved of its doors, the cupboard had been rehoused and repainted as open shelving. On the other side, Jack had completely dismantled a base unit and worktop and slotted in a butcher-top workbench Darby had found in the garage when she’d first moved in. She’d stripped it back to its natural wood, painted the bottom of it in a Farrow & Ball cream, and left the top in timber with a food-safe varnish over the top. Slotted next to the new range cooker, it looked fabulous.
Now, Darby’s job for the morning was to start the mammoth task of sorting out the rest of the kitchen, continue with her decluttering and filling the cupboard and the shelving with things she wanted on show. Turning the camera on, she flicked it so it faced her and started to chat away about the state of the kitchen and the mess from deciding to rip down the old units on a whim. Despite her lack of skills, it had actually gone well and now here she was with a cream wall, a lovely long open shelf and hooks for her favourite things. Amazing what a bit of brain power and three willing bodies had achieved.
After filming the shelving, she then took the few steps to the other side of the kitchen and opened up a walk-in pantry to the right side of the far corner of the kitchen. The pantry had been one of the things she’d loved when she had first viewed the house. Very old-school and complete with a built-in marble cold shelf and ventilation panel in the top, it was a proper old-fashioned larder with floor-to-ceiling shelving. Right from the word go, she’d always loved filling it with all her little bits and bobs for cooking.
Darby chatted away as she filmed. ‘For sure, this needs a good clear out and I thought you might like to join me in doing it. Is there or is there not anything better than watching someone else clear out their stuff?’
