Page 80 of Daydreaming at the Boathouse Cafe

‘We just need to spread the customers out a bit,’ said Lily, who suddenly began to smile as if she had had a brilliant idea. ‘They need to go somewhere that’s already set up for catering so nobody ends up with any extra work.’

‘Somewhere with a kitchen,’ said Ben, looking at his girlfriend as he too broke into a smile.

‘And an amazing view,’ added Lily, grinning back at him.

‘Where are you two talking about?’ asked Faye, looking bemused.

‘The Boathouse Café, of course!’ said Ben.

Everyone turned to look at Hannah.

‘But we’re closed in the evenings,’ she told them.

‘So?’ laughed Frankie. ‘Keep the café open instead! Oh, it’s perfect.’

‘It is!’ said Beth. ‘It can be a cocktail bar in the evening at the weekends. Just imagine a few fairy lights twinkling and the view over there at sunset. You’ll be inundated with customers.’

Hannah bit her lip. It would mean a lot of extra work, if only for a short while. But could she do it? She wasn’t sure.

But for once, as everyone looked at her, and knowing that Frankie desperately needed some kind of break with all the customers, she decided to take heart from everything she had achieved so far and found herself saying, ‘Oh, why not?’ instead.

As a whoop of approval ran around her family and friends, she found herself looking at Alex for reassurance. But he was smiling and nodding at her as well. And if he thought it was a good idea then it must be, she told herself.

43

Early the next morning, eager to set up before the heat built and the crowds came to cool off, Hannah raced around the café. It was her usual routine and she had it down pretty quickly these days.

So when she was all set, with the cakes in the oven, she allowed herself a few thoughts as to how the cocktail bar could work.

Thankfully Frankie came along after breakfast and had a few ideas. ‘Ben’s getting some signs printed up,’ she said. ‘About the cocktail bar.’

‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’ asked Hannah. ‘The snug has been such a success.’

‘Can we have too much success after the many previous years of failure?’ drawled Frankie, before laughing.

‘Yes, but you’re the cocktail guru, not me,’ said Hannah.

‘Listen, I’ve been thinking it over ever since my second espresso this morning,’ began Frankie. ‘And here’s how it’s going to play.’

Frankie then handed over a short list of cocktails, most of which Hannah had helped her make whenever she had given her a hand behind the bar. They were mostly simple and ones that she was used to making. Rhubarb and ginger cocktail. Mojitos – mint, rum, ice and soda water. Home-made pink lemonade. Frozen strawberry daiquiri – strawberries, rum, sugar and lime. Gin, elderflower and cucumber cooler.

Then there was the idea for the ice cubes. Ice trays sprinkled with edible pansies, violets and rose petals before freezing. They looked enchanting when sitting in the tall cocktail glasses. They even made ice-cold water look glamorous.

Ben had already applied for an alcohol licence, although because it came under the hotel grounds he thought they would be OK anyway so pretty much everything had been thought of.

Hannah’s nerves were still rattling though.

‘What if I can’t do it?’ she said, confessing her worst fears to Alex when they had a private moment later that day.

‘You’re always so quick to write yourself off,’ he told her. ‘Have faith in yourself.’

‘That’s easy for you to say,’ she said.

‘Actually, it is,’ he replied. ‘It’s part of my athletic training. To win. To succeed. Determination.’

‘I know,’ she told him. ‘But like I said. It’s easy for you. You win at everything.’

He looked at her intently. ‘Not everything,’ he said.