He handed Lizzie the jar and she studied the label.
'You can't be serious. Instant coffee?' She screwed up her nose and a teasing smile crinkled her eyes.
'Since when is a small town girl a coffee snob?'
Lizzie tilted her head to one side. 'Since when does a city boy drink instant?'
Dan shrugged his shoulders. 'Take it or leave it, baby. It's all I've got.'
'It'll have to do, for now.' Lizzie moved past him, squeezing her way out of the space between his body and the cupboard. 'But there's no way we're going to get this job finished in a few weeks if we don't have real coffee. I'll put it on the list,' she announced as she crossed the room, grabbed a notepad and pen from her handbag, moved to the kitchen table and sat down. She flipped open the cover and tucked the pen behind her ear. 'I've been thinking about this a lot and I've already sketched out some ideas.'
Back to business.
'Of course you have,' Dan smiled. As he pulled out a chair across the table from her and lowered himself into it, he wondered exactly what he'd let himself in for.
CHAPTER
7
'Mayor Graham, I understand.' Julia paced up and down in front of the gleaming stainless steel appliances in her designer kitchen, her mobile phone pressed to her ear, winking at her best friend. Lizzie was perched nervously on a steel chair on the other side of the huge marble breakfast bar, watching her reflection in the oven, her stomach in knots. She'd been serving drinks to Mayor Jessie Graham for ten years at the Middle Point pub – always and only a champagne cocktail – but now Lizzie felt anxious. Everything about this situation was way more serious. Julia had been on the phone to her for ten minutes, trying to convince the mayor that the redevelopment was a good idea.
'I know, parking will be an issue for people living near the pub, you're right. But did I mention that the extended dining area will only be open for business during summer?'
Julia stopped her pacing and repositioned the phone under the curls by her other ear.
'What's she saying?' Lizzie whispered.
Julia shooshed her friend with a wave of her hand. Lizzie had never seen Julia in her professional mode and the part that wasn't a bundle of nerves was enjoying the performance immensely.
'Exactly. We think it will keep people here in Middle Point. We won't have to watch them drive off to Goolwa or Port Elliot for Sunday brunch and a bit of shopping. And as you know, most of Middle Point is an easy walking distance from the pub.'
Julia closed her eyes, trying hard to listen to the mayor down the line.
'Exactly, Mayor.' Julia gave Lizzie the thumbs-up. 'And imagine how convenient it will be for you to meet with your constituents when they're all gathered at the market on Sunday mornings. Who knows, we might even get you cooking the bacon and eggs.'
Lizzie smiled at her friend. Damn, she was good.
'Thank you so much. I appreciate you talking to me about this on the phone. We're on a tight deadline to get the first market up and running before Christmas. Do we have your support? You don't think we'll have any problems getting the parking issue through Council? A temporary permit? I'll take it. Thank you so much. Yes, we'll be sure to let you know the date of the first market.' Julia winked at Lizzie. 'Perhaps we could invite you to do the official opening. Fancy cutting a ribbon? Wonderful. I'll be in touch.'
Julia ended the call and calmly placed her phone on the marble bench.
'Sorted.'
'Really?'
'She loves the idea.'
'You are brilliant, you know that?' Lizzie was still perplexed as to how Julia had sweet-talked the mayor so quickly.
'Me? You got this ball rolling in the first place, Lizzie. It's always easy to sell a great idea. It's going to be amazing.' Julia reached over and grabbed Lizzie's empty coffee cup. 'You want another one?' Julia was very much enjoying using Ry's expensive European coffee machine and Lizzie was very much enjoying drinking the real coffee.
'So, how are things going with your project manager?'
Lizzie glanced at her watch. 'Why, Julia Jones, I believe that is a record for you. I've been here for a full half hour and this is the first mention of the elephant in the room. What self-control you have.'
'This casual thing I've got going on?' Julia shimmied her hands up and down in front of her and rolled her eyes. 'It's all a front. I'm dying on the inside.' With a flick of a button, steaming hot coffee poured out of a silver tube on the coffee machine and filled Lizzie's cup. Julia topped it up with hot, foaming milk and slid it across the bench.
'Well, let me just say that you have much better coffee. He only has instant. It's like the Third World next door.' Lizzie took a sip and then blew across the milky froth to cool it.
'C'mon Lizzie. Spill. What's it really been like working with him? No more door slamming?'
'No, none. We've done most of our communicating by text message. I don't believe there's an emoticon for "door slam".' Lizzie searched around in her handbag for her phone.
'You mean you haven't seen him in the flesh?' Julia sounded perplexed.
'No. He's a man of very few words, our Dan. I get lots of messages like this: "Bobcat organised for Thursday 7 a.m." Or,' Lizzie scrolled down the screen with a fast index finger. '"See pix and choose pavers". '
'Such a sweet talker.'
'Sweet? No. Talker? Not exactly.'
'He really is the strong, silent type, huh?' Julia grinned.
For a week, Lizzie and Dan had been going back and forth like that. Since their first discussion, when she'd propositioned him in his living room and he'd given her some feedback on her rough plans, she hadn't seen him face to face. He still hadn't emerged from his house. One of the young waitresses had volunteered to do the meals on wheels run every night and for some reason didn't need much convincing to take on the task. Lizzie was glad to be relieved of that duty, what with the extra work on the car park, on top of her regular job. And although Dan hadn't been seen on the site, he was obviously working all hours because things had been happening. The bitumen had been ripped up, deposited in a battered old truck and taken away to be recycled. The paving crew from Victor Harbor had had a cancellation – conveniently facilitated by a 25 per cent bonus on their payment for doing the job more quickly – and were starting the next day. It was all going too smoothly and with a lot less face time than Lizzie had anticipated. While part of her was relieved about that, another part was just the slightest bit disappointed. He'd been keeping his distance for a reason. But, she reminded herself, the most important thing was that the work was being done and done quickly and they would meet their deadline.
'Lizzie?' Julia clicked her fingers in front of Lizzie's face.
'Huh?'
'You were off with the fairies.'
'Sorry, thinking too much.'
Julia smiled. 'I was saying how much this means to Ry and me.'
'Stop it.'
'I'm serious, Lizzie. We didn't know how to help Dan. And then you come up with your brilliant idea for the pub. Maybe all he needs is to get back to work.'
Lizzie knew it wouldn't be as simple as that by a long shot. But what Julia said was true. It was a start. 'Everyone wants to feel useful, Jools.'
Julia exhaled in frustration. 'Arrrgh! Tell me about it. I'm so bored I baked cupcakes yesterday. With real icing. And then I ate them all.'
'Ouch.'
'Tell me about it. I had to go for an hour-long walk on the beach today to atone for my sins. And that wasn't even enough to work off the icing.'
Lizzie put her cup down on the bench, spread her fingers out on the marble, feeling the cool stone.
'So work not pouring in?'
Julia sighed. 'A few small jobs, but if things don't pick up I'm going to have to change the name of my business from Middle of Nowhere Consulting to No Consulting.'
'Why don't you just take the summer off? I'm sure we can do a lot of scheming and planning for your life out there on the sand under a beach umbrella.'
Julia sighed. 'Crises don't have seasons, Lizzie. I'm a consultant. We never take holidays. If the work flows in I'll have to grab it. But until it does, there is already something I need your help with.'
Lizzie propped her elbow on the bench and rested her chin in her hand. 'In the spare few seconds I have in the day, in between managing your fiancé's pub, working on the renovation with Dan and sleeping - all by my little old self, I might add - I'm all yours.'
Julia walked around the bench and sat on the stool next to Lizzie. 'Do you think you can spare a minute or two in your busy schedule to be my bridesmaid?'
'Of course I can.' Lizzie half-laughed, half-cried as she jumped to her feet and threw her arms around her best friend. 'I've been wondering when you were going to ask me. I'm thrilled. Beyond thrilled.' Lizzie let go and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Julia smudged hers away too. 'Unless, of course, you make me wear a disgusting dress. Can it please not be lavender? Or purple of any description? God, I hate purple.'