Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Café

‘I think spring will be early this year. Quite often is around here.’

Jed sat back, taking up most of the room on the bench. ‘And I wouldn’t dream of complaining about this view. It’s fantastic, isn’t it?’

Millie nodded and, feeling self-conscious about eating something so messy in front of him, wrapped the remainder of her pasty back into its paper bag. ‘You can see Portland today. That’s the bump of land far out to the right of the coast. And the sun’s just coming onto the red cliffs at West Bay, look. That’s where they film Broadchurch. And the highest bit of the coast is –’

‘Golden Cap. I know.’

‘Sorry, was I being boring? Too much of a tour guide?’ Millie deflated.

‘Millie, you’re never boring. It’s just that I know Lyme a bit. Ma and Pa had a holiday cottage near Dorchester for a couple of summers.’

‘Oh. I thought you said you’d never had a beach holiday.’

‘And I never have. Mum didn’t like the mess everything got into with sand. So we did days out, the museum here in Lyme, the tank place over at Bovington, that kind of thing. My brother and I liked it best when we had a day by the pool, though.’

‘You had a pool? A swimming pool?’

Jed nodded. ‘Yes, for a while it was great. Alex and I spent all day splashing about in it. Mum got bored, though, after a few years and bought something in France.’

‘Like you do.’

Jed didn’t seem to notice her mild sarcasm and answered cheerfully enough, ‘As you do. She’s sold that now. A restless spirit is my mother. She mentioned she’d quite like a pied- à-terre in Lyme, so I’ve just been pressing my nose against the estate agents’ windows.’

‘Along with everyone else, I would imagine.’

Jed laughed again. ‘Oh yes. I had quite a crowd to fight my way through.’

‘Lyme’s very sought-after. It’s the thing to do when coming here. Gaze at the houses for sale and gasp at the ridiculously high prices.’

‘Actually, I didn’t think they were all that bad; certainly not compared to London.’ He stretched his legs with evident enjoyment and nodded at the view. ‘And you can see why it’s so popular. I wouldn’t mind living here myself. Have you had much success with your shopping?’

Millie was about to launch into how difficult it was trying to be generous with a limited amount of money, but didn’t feel someone who accepted Lyme’s property prices so glibly and had a mother who bought and sold holiday cottages on a whim would empathise. ‘Oh yes,’ she nodded. ‘Think I’ve got what I wanted.’

She looked at his bright-orange puffa jacket and at the collar of his rugby shirt, snowy white against his tanned skin. Who was sun-tanned in January? She spotted the gleam of an expensive-looking wristwatch and the designer logo on his coat. He was a creature from a very different world to hers and her little café in Berecombe. She wondered, fleetingly, whether Cinderella had ever really been happy with her Prince Charming. They hardly had scrubbing floors in common. Millie had to scrub the old lino in the café quite a lot, what with muddy sand being walked in. She couldn’t exactly see Jed on his hands and knees, dipping a brush in a bucket.

Millie dismissed the mental image of Jed with soapsuds on his nose with a giggle. ‘So is that why you’re in the area? To suss out property for your mum?’

‘Partly.’ Jed replaced his sunglasses. He gave an embarrassed grin. ‘You don’t say no to my mother and live. She’s supposed to be checking up on me at some point.’ He paused and then added, ‘But I’ve one or two clients around here too, so I might have a bit of business to deal with. And how did you like the shopping, Trevor?’ He bent down and fussed the dog.

The change of subject wasn’t subtle and Millie didn’t miss it.

‘I envy you being able to have a dog. I’m always here, there and everywhere. It wouldn’t be fair on it.’ He sighed. ‘Not enough time, either.’

There was that note of yearning again. The same as when he’d complimented Berecombe. Millie didn’t understand it. How could anyone like him be envious of what little she had? ‘What do you do, Jed? For a living, I mean.’

He continued to fuss Trevor and didn’t answer for a moment. Then seemed to come to a decision. ‘I’m a management consultant. Freelance.’

‘Sounds high-pressured.’

‘It can be.’ He straightened and looked out to sea. ‘It most certainly can be. I enjoy a challenge, though.’

‘And you say you’ve got clients around here?’

‘One or two. Mostly in Exeter. I do some work for the university and for Lodgings.’

‘Blimey. They’re the biggest chain of solicitors in the south-west.’ Millie was impressed.

He named another couple of prominent companies and then returned to tickling under Trevor’s chin.

‘What does it involve? Your job?’

‘Oh, you know, I identify strengths and weaknesses, help to develop strategies, reduce costs. That sort of thing. Help companies do what they do but better, I suppose. And it’s always useful to have an outsider look over things.’

‘True.’

‘I’m the maverick of the family, though. My brother, Alex, is the successful one. Banker in the city,’ he added at her blank look.

It really was another existence. For the first time, Millie felt restlessness tug at her, felt the frustration of a life that had been so horribly derailed on that awful day in June. The one when the police had arrived on her doorstep asking if there was anyone who could be with her. The only people she could think of had been the Bartletts. Owners of The Plaice Place and parents of her best friend at school. Millie had a sudden vision of Dora pushing past them, running into the café and bursting into hysterical tears. Mrs Bartlett had simply hugged a dry-eyed Millie to her. Millie hadn’t cried for a long, long time. Instead, she had given up on school and a university place, to run the café. She’d layered her grief under solid hard work ever since. Had re-named the café and begun to enjoy the life it gave her. But what if her parents hadn’t died? What if she’d gone to university after all, got a job like Jed’s or his high-flying brother’s? Trevor nudged at her knee and whined a little, bringing her back. It was stupid to think that way. Her life was perfect as it was.

Jed had been talking, explaining more of what his job entailed but she’d missed most of it. She gathered it meant a lot of international travelling. She’d been right. They were from different worlds. Different galaxies, even. She imagined him with a sleek blonde on his arm, at parties, skiing, at one of those resorts where cute little huts were built over a tropical sea. Or did that constitute a beach holiday? She doubted it.

‘You’re miles away,’ Jed said and took her hand in his. ‘That’s why I don’t go on about my job, or one of the reasons, anyway. It bores people rigid. And I’d hate to bore you.’

He was very close. Yes, they were different animals but even Millie, inexperienced as she was, couldn’t mistake the warmth in his expression.

‘I’m so sorry. You’re right, I was miles away.’ Fervently hoping her hand wasn’t greasy from the pasty and that she didn’t have onion breath, she blurted out, ‘I’m just a bit worried about how the new café opening up in Berecombe will impact on my place.’

Jed sat back and removed his hand. Perhaps she had bad breath after all?

‘I’ve heard the gossip in town. You’re talking about Blue Elephant?’ he asked after a long pause. ‘I can’t see it myself.’

‘Can’t you?’

‘Millie, you’ve got something very special going on. Millie Vanilla’s does exceptional food, great coffee and you’ve a loyal band of customers on top of seasonal trade. You’re at the heart of your community, any fool can see that. I certainly did on my first visit. They all love you, don’t they?’ He shoved his sunglasses up his nose with one finger and seemed embarrassed at being so serious. ‘Plus,’ he added, more flippantly, ‘you’re much nearer to the beach. Practically on it. And that sun terrace you have is a huge bonus.’

Millie wasn’t sure she was loved by everyone. It certainly didn’t feel that way with Biddy most of the time. ‘The terrace is my secret weapon, I agree. It’s a fantastic draw in the summer.’ She glanced across. ‘So you think I’m worrying about nothing?’

‘Well, it’s wise to be cautious. I wouldn’t invest in changing any major stuff for the time being. Sticking with what you know goes down well with your customers and your strong brand.’

Millie laughed. ‘My brand? I don’t think I have one of those.’

‘You may not think it but, yes, Millie Vanilla’s is strongly branded. In its own way. And remember your links to your community. Blue Elephant can never hope to emulate that.’

‘Thanks, Jed. I appreciate you saying that. Is that some of your management consultancy in action?’

He laughed. ‘Sort of. Need a lift back to Berecombe?’

‘No thanks. I’ve got my car.’ She rose and he passed her the shopping bags.