A Change for the Better? (12 page)

“Why not?”
Lucy answered belligerently, “he was going to take me” she added with incontrovertible logic. Ben decided to step in.

“Why don’t you come?  I’m not meeting Stew ’til seven and it won’t take long. You can buy me a drink to say thanks for all my help.” he added, tongue slightly in cheek.

In fact, the idea had some appeal for Katie, it was the first chance she’d had for an evening out of any sort since arriving in Laxley Heath, so she may as well grab the opportunity whilst it was on offer. “Okay then Ben” she agreed, “but I think you owe me the drink, as you started this whole pantomime.” Ben laughed, “So what am I? Prince Charming”

“Ugly brother” said Lucy and Katie in unison.

Shortly after Ben and Katie were making their way up the main street in Laxley, the earlier rain had cleared and although it was still wet under foot there was a clear, crisp feel to the air that felt invigorating. Lucy had been installed in Poppy’s flat for the next couple of hours with many and varied instructions from Ben about her behaviour, to which Lucy had listened to at least half!

As they walked through the familiar street they chatted about times past, how the main street had seemed like such an adventure when you were nine, how running past the shops, buying penny chews in the grocery store from old Mr. Beadle as you tried to hide another five pence worth in your pocket until you reached the green at the end. For Katie this had been a magical place, she revealed slightly embarrassed.

“Oh yes” Ben enquired “So what magical qualities did it possess?”

“Well, you see, the bridge” Katie pointed “at the far side was the magical land of ’far far away’ - if you could get past the troll under the bridge. Over there,” she pointed to the shelter in front of the little row of antique shops “is the castle where the princess grew up, but she had to cross the green with all
its
swamps and dragons and then cross the bridge to reach her Prince Charming.” Katie felt herself blushing at her childhood fantasies.

“So was he there when you made it?” Ben asked gently

“Oh, not really - well not how I thought he’d be anyway” Katie sighed and Ben looked at her thoughtfully, wondering who had brought such a sad look into her expressive brown eyes.

“And what about you?”
Katie asked, shaking herself out of her reverie, “what did it all look like for you?”

“Oh that’s easy” Ben laughed, “this was the American Plains - Injuns lived over the bridge and we had to fight them. We weren’t very PC at
nine!” he added. Katie laughed and they passed on into the Rose & Crown at the side of the common. The pub was decorated like a typical village hostelry, exposed wooden beams, gleaming brasses around the central hearth, which even had a real fire merrily burning and popping away. The slightly orange glow from the various lamps and wall lighters added to the welcoming warm feeling as Ben and Katie entered. Ben pointed to an empty table in one of the bay windows overlooking the green and Katie sat down as Ben walked over to the bar. In no time a cheery man appeared behind the bar as if he had been waiting there for Ben to arrive, business looked a bit thin, so he probably had been Ben reflected wryly.

“Hello Ben,” the deep gravelly Yorkshire accent assailed Ben “how
are
you, young man? I haven’t seen you in here for a while. Is it a special occasion?” he added with a wink and a knowing look across at Katie making herself comfortable on the red velour window seat. Ben ignored the innuendo and ordered a white wine for Katie and a coke for himself. Andy, the landlord gave him another knowing smile as he gave Ben his change,

“Have a nice evening!”

“Get lost Andy” Ben replied, finally rising to the bait. Andy disappeared
back into the black hole he had appeared out of, still chuckling to himself, getting under anyone’s skin was an added bonus for him. Of course he never tried it when Lily, his wife, was about then he kept up the jovial landlord image, benignly looking after his flock of customers.

Ben returned to the window seat “So what did you say to him to have him roaring” Katie enquired.

“Well, actually I told him you weren’t my girlfriend - he found that hugely entertaining” Ben told her

“Oh” Katie didn’t know how to reply to that and they both sank into quiet reflection as they surveyed the common through the slightly flaky and slightly condensated bay window. Ben felt fidgety, why had he said that, it had only made them both uncomfortable - he decided not to examine why. And they had been having such a laugh before. He hated these silences, he never felt comfortable in them, he thrashed around in his head for an opening gambit, just as a drowning man thrashes around for anything to hold onto, but the more he sifted through his head the less he could think of to say, it either sounded contrived or rude, or worse - both! Just as he felt the waters closing over above his head he spied a life raft

“So why wasn’t the prince so charming in the end?” he asked. Katie jumped out of her solitary thoughts with a start.

“Sorry?”

“You said, when you were the princess that the prince came to rescue you - but that it wasn’t worth the bother or something like that.”

“Oh you know” Katie tried to laugh it off “Prince Charming, all talk, no substance.
Shiny hair, empty brain - never like the story.”

“What happened? How did your prince become charmless?” Ben persisted and he watched as Katie fought with herself as to whether to share the story of her humiliation or to bat on with the faux humour and keep the conversation light

“It’s not a pretty story” she answered eventually “I don’t come out of it very well either.”

“Hey - we’ve all made mistakes” Ben replied sympathetically,

“Oh and talking about them cleanses the soul, cleans the slate - helps me to ’move on’” Katie said, not a little sarcastically.

“Well possibly” Ben replied “but I was thinking it might just give me a good laugh” he paused, then smiled and Katie smiled back. So she told
him, the
whole sorry tale about Marcus and their unhappy demise.

“So” Katie concluded “did it give you a laugh”

“Well, it’s not exactly a jaw breaker, no - but at least I understand why you’re back in Laxley Heath.
A bit of respite from a cruel world.”

“Yes that, and the broken hip and mild concussion!”

“Well that was just- Ummm- ‘convenient’” Ben plucked the word out carefully.

“I wouldn’t let Mo hear you call it that” Katie laughed “she thinks it’s anything but convenient.”

“But she’s still glad you’re around - she missed you
a lot
.” Katie was just about to enquire how Ben knew Mo missed her granddaughter when
he stood up to greet someone who had just entered the pub.

“Stew, Stew mate over here” An extremely tall, almost lanky, and angular man strode over to them

“Ben, hi, how
are
you?” They shook hands and Ben introduced Stewart to Katie.

“My cue to leave I think. I know you have business to discuss.” Katie stood up as she spoke.

“There’s no need really” Ben answered, “it’s nothing covert - is it?” he asked Stew, realising he didn’t actually know what it was about.

“No, nothing covert - just a possible opportunity” Stew confirmed

“Well as intriguing as that may be, I’ve just seen Tamsin appear with her yoga class - so I’ll make myself scarce and go learn a few chants or possibly a few new positions.” Katie coloured immediately the words were out, double entendres and risqué talk were not her thing. She scuttled over to the bar where Tamsin’s crowd soon welcomed her and to her relief were actually discussing last
night’s
reality TV show to
which she was able to add plenty to the conversation, having sat through every episode. Ben and Stewart both gamely resisted the urge to laugh at Katie’s less than graceful exit and turned to the business in hand.

“So Stew - what’s on the table?” Ben set the ball rolling.

“Well then” Stew continued “I might have the perfect job for you.” Ben felt his stomach tighten, BW needed a break,
maybe
at last they were going to get one.

“Go on then” Ben prompted

“Well it’s a renovation, but it’s two rows of derelict terraced housing, going for a song because they’re at the wrong end of the town, but I happen to know that a lot of the derelict commercial buildings around them are going to be pulled down and a new commercial and residential cosmopolitan precinct built with bars, cafes and apartments, which should make twenty newly renovated town houses in an up and coming area extremely desirable. But the plans for the precinct are going to be released at the end of next month so we’ve only got a window of about four weeks before everybody will see the
potential and the price could double.” Stew could barely contain his excitement.

“So you want to be a part of this?” Ben asked

“Yes, 10% plus design for free.”

“Okay, tell me a bit more about it, I can’t think of the area you mean in Rawlinston.” Ben pondered.

“Ah well, that’s the point. It’s not in Rawlinston.” Stew announced

“Where is it?” Ben took the bait.

“Southampton” Stew produced it like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

“Southampton” Ben repeated incredulously, “could it be any further away. We don’t have anybody in Southampton.” Ben could see the dream which had been so promising slipping through his fingers.

“But that’s the beauty - you don’t need to” Stew answered, “if you
send down a few of your best workers who could live on the site during the week, pick up the rest from the pool down there and then supervise it yourself.”

“Me!” Ben was incredulous.

“Yes - if you worked on it full time you could have it done in six months and the property’s all sold within a year. Plus you’d keep full control of the project.” Stew was very persuasive.

“And you think it’s do-able?” Ben was starting to hope

“Look, absolutely it’s do-able - if you want it. But like I said we’ve only got a short time frame.”

Ben sat back and exhaled, in his stomach he could feel the butterflies of excitement starting to fly. This could be just the project they were looking for, but Southampton, it was a shame it had to be so far away.

“Stew, thanks,
give
me a couple of days to talk to John and Charlie and I’ll get back to you.”

“It’s a great chance Ben. I wouldn’t let it go if I were you. First step to your first million!” he joked.

Ben laughed “First step to my first thousand will do me - or even to paying off the overdraft.” They shook hands with an arrangement for Stew to email Ben all the details so he could bring it to the BW team. Feeling the need for a small celebration he tried to catch Katie’s eye to see if she wanted another drink. Tamsin’s friend Rita nudged Katie as they sat talking about the lotus position; at least that was the last position they had been talking about when Katie had actually been listening, they had soon moved off reality TV and onto their shared love of yoga. It seemed to Katie that yoga was definitely a participation sport. Rita nudged her again

“
Don’t look
now but I think someone wants your attention?” Rita giggled

Katie looked up to see Ben gesturing did she want a drink - Oh God, yes and a large one! Seeing her chance to escape any more talk about mantras she made her excuses and headed to the bar.

“Another one?”
Ben asked

“Oh please, yes - remind me never to take up yoga, it is possibly the most boring conversation piece ever.” Katie rolled her eyes and grabbed the large glass of Chardonnay that Andy had just plonked in front of her, taking a large slurp she smiled,