The post hit the doormat with an ominous thud. Evie sighed, sweeping her curly hair away from her face thinking that it was undoubtedly just more bills. She placed her coffee on the breakfast bar and went to collect the envelopes. Ever since the fateful day that she and Shaun had decided to call their three-year marriage a failure, she had struggled to make ends meet.
Her faithful rescue dog, Tarzan, descended from indeterminate and questionable parentage, danced around her feet like a fluffy brown pom-pom on short legs.
“Right then Tarzan, let’s finish coffee time and read through all this lot!” She paused to pat him as she scooped up the envelopes. Upon returning to her seat, she selected a packet of rich teas and threw one to the dog who chomped it up noisily.
Dunking her rich tea, she started to flick through the envelopes. A bill, another bill, a final reminder, and one from her solicitor! She nearly choked on her biscuit and had to gulp down some coffee. Regaining her composure, she tore the envelope open and saw the long-awaited words – Decree Absolute! She was finally free of the horrific pain of the last eighteen months spent picking apart a life with someone, whom just a short while ago had pledged to love her until the end of time.
A mixture of emotions powered through her and tears sprang to her eyes, not the hot and angry tears she was used to crying but refreshing and cool. She now had her share of the money from the sale of their home and was ready to dust herself down and start her life over again. She knelt on the floor and shared another rich tea with Tarzan, relief pouring out with her laughter and tears.
Wanting to celebrate, she grabbed the lead as Tarzan jumped around excitedly. Finally calming him long enough to attach him to the lead, she then set off into the town to treat herself to a pizza for dinner and perhaps a bottle of wine. A short while later, laden with chocolates and biscuits that had magically been added to the mental shopping list along with a gourmet tray of dog food, she struggled back through her front door.
Putting the food away, she turned on the oven and returned her focus to the pile of envelopes. She could finally sort all this financial mess out – she was by no means on the scale of a lottery winner, but they had invested in a large house with a mortgage to match and the market had been kind to them. Filing them to be dealt with when the funds had cleared, she spied an estate agent’s flyer she hadn’t spotted before. She slid the pizza on to the oven shelf, poured a glass of wine and started to leaf through the pages of pretty flats and houses.
Looking around her little rented one-bedroom flat, she realised how much she had missed owning her own home. Magnolia walls, bland carpets with cheap nasty curtains and light fittings that were as far removed from her taste as could possibly be imagined. She sighed, it was a total pipe dream that she could be out of here soon – she needed a job first. Just last month, she had been made redundant from a tired old B&B on the outskirts of a nearby village. She had loved her job, the team and the customers and it had been a bitter pill to swallow. She knew that no other job would offer the variety of tasks she thrived on, yet none of the B&B’s competitors were currently hiring. With Autumn about to be replaced by winter, they were all on skeletal staff until the Spring.
Turning the oven off, she slid the pizza on to a plate, sliced it up and went to top up her wine. She reached for the flyer to pop it into the bin along with the pizza wrapping when the last page caught her eye. It was the B&B she had worked at advertised for sale – and it was going for a song! Her heart pounded as she started to think of all the little ideas that she had had over the years to improve it and return it to its former glory as a favoured country retreat hotel; ripping up the stained hallway carpet to reveal the original parquet flooring, a brand new stainless steel kitchen and breathing life back into the glamorous house that looked like it was suffering from tooth decay.
She might be able to afford it at a stretch and it would offer her a livelihood to boot! Taking the flyer through to her seat in the bland living room, she ate her pizza, with Tarzan catching the occasional flying crust as she started to plan. It would take an awful lot of time and money – she had plenty of the former (the less said about the latter, the better). If they would take an offer, it could leave some money in the pot to live off and for some immediate improvements. But could she make it work when others had failed?
The next morning the birds were singing extra loudly. Tarzan was snoring and dreaming, ‘running’ in his sleep. Evie sighed and turned over, then a bubble of excitement rose up as she remembered the hotel. She sprang out of bed and hurriedly brushed her teeth before jumping in the shower. Once dressed, she quickly drank her coffee before taking Tarzan to the nearby park to stretch his legs. This done, she was soon bundling them both in the car whilst clutching the flyer.
She drove into town and found a parking space with relative ease, leaving the radio on for Tarzan and began to walk purposefully to her bank. Curse the queue!! She did not want her nerves to abandon her… Come on, come on!! Aeons later (in reality, it was only nine minutes), she made it to the front of the queue. Having ascertained that the funds from the dissolve of her marriage would be available within forty-eight hours, she then asked to make an appointment with the Bank Manager to discuss a business opportunity.
“I’ll look at the diary for you” stated the young man behind the counter, the name badge reliably informing her that he was called Conner. As Conner returned, he exclaimed, “You’re in luck! There’s been a cancellation at half past nine”. She glanced at the clock which had just turned nineteen minutes past. She could wait another eleven minutes, surely? “Thanks Conner, that would be great” she confirmed, sounding far more calm and positive than she felt. Conner indicated where she should sit and she began one of the most terrifying waits of her life.
Finally, after nearly turning on her heels and running away, her name was called and she was accompanied through the large doors into an office that was seemingly designed to terrify everyone who sought some assistance with financial matters. A smartly dressed lady sat behind a large mahogany desk, in a dark suit. She stood and introduced herself and was straight down to business. After a long discussion in which Evie’s balloon of hope was rapidly diminishing, the meeting began to draw to a close. To her surprise, as they ran through the summary, that balloon began to inflate once more. The bank would need to see the B&B’s accounts, but in principle, they would be willing to offer her a business loan, thanks largely to her excellent credit score. She would have to buy the building outright, but they would lend her some money in stages which she could use to refurbish and re-design the hotel.
Elated, she ran back to her car and excitedly told Tarzan the news as she drove to the nearby village to pay a visit to the estate agents who were representing the B&B.
She managed to park right outside and quickly walked Tarzan a few feet along the pavement and back (typically, he didn’t need a pee) before she opened the door. A young lady with bright pink hair who was seated at the desk nearest to the door smiled and stood up, offering her hand. “Hi, I’m Heidi, how can I help you?” Mesmerised by the vibrant colour of her hair, she paused momentarily before replying, “Hi Heidi, I’m interested in discussing the Black Ball B&B that I saw for sale in your flyer”.
“Oh, what a lovely place! A lick of paint and a refresh and that place could be a gold mine!” enthused Heidi. “Would you like to go and have a look around?”
“I will do, but I already know the place quite well as I used to work there” replied Evie “I was made redundant from there a month ago after working there for nearly eight years, so you could say I know it intimately! I am more interested in the number crunching at this stage to see if I could make it work if that’s OK?”.
“Righto, I will dig out the books and we can have a look through” declared Heidi, already on her way to a filing cabinet. A few trips later, the desk was covered in files, none of it being much of a surprise to Evie, who had also helped with the accounts.
“Looking through, it’s clear to see that whilst money was being spent on it, occupancy was much higher – as were the cost of the rooms! The food and beverage sales have also slipped, but surely this demonstrates that it can be returned to a profitable state with some care and attention?” Evie mused, ever hopeful that she would make her dream a reality.
“It’s tired and needs a revamp – before the current owners divorced, they were turning a pretty penny. Now the poor old Missus is running it on her own, she can’t cope and things have slipped into disrepair. She wants out before the building gets her into debt.” agreed Heidi “It’s sad really”.
“Please can you let me have copies of the yearly accounts so that I can show my bank manager?” Evie asked, hoping that what they read would not deter them from supporting her venture.
Leaving the estate agent’s office with the heavy stack of paperwork, she went back to the bank to pass the accounts over, before heading home to practice her patience reluctantly once more.
A few weeks later, with a bottle of Prosecco thoroughly chilled in the fridge, Evie was on the brink of becoming the new owner of the Black Ball B&B. It had been a baptism of fire, learning new skills at every turn, taking every waking moment and ounce of energy, but the hard work would pale into insignificance when she managed to succeed. She was so far ahead in the planning stages, that she was practically ready to open the hotel in her head! She daren’t consider the possibility that it may not go ahead now as she had pinned all of her hopes and dreams for her future on it happening. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough to pick herself back up again if yet another disappointment loomed around the corner…
She was walking along the nearby canal path with Tarzan, when a shrill ringing interrupted natures’ music that she was so enjoying. Yanking the phone from her pocket, she hurried to answer it.
“Hello?” She answered expectantly, keeping an eye on Tarzan (who had an annoying habit of jumping into the canal before recalling he was anything but an expert swimmer) whilst she listened. A smile played on her face as she listened and heard the news that she had been waiting for. “Thank you SO much! I will come and get the keys later today” she replied, barely believing her luck. As she stowed her phone back in her pocket, she heard a tell-tale splash. As she turned around, there was Tarzan in the canal, ducking and diving in an inelegant fashion trying to keep his head above the water.
After a cold and squelching walk home, the muddy clothes and towels were in the washing machine and her walking boots stuffed with newspaper, they both had a long shower (one a more willing participant than the other) and when they were once again warm and dry, they set off for the estate agents.
Half an hour later, having driven down the bumpy, narrow country lane, Evie and Tarzan stood side by side in the harsh grey light of dusk observing all they owned. A large, tall, double fronted Georgian house looked back at her with echoes of past architectural decadence. With no lights on inside and no street lights, it looked like it leapt straight from the pages of a horror novel. A shiver of fear ran up Evie’s spine, had she bitten off more than she could chew? In awe of all of the new challenges she had yet to overcome, she went home via the fish and chip shop to start a plan.
The next morning, she had a much better idea of what she was going to do – advertise for help! She knew that she would be able to afford a general handy man for a few months as it was in her plan, but what about an interior/exterior designer? If she could just get a little inspiration, she was sure that she could execute the ideas. She’d advertise and pick the cheapest one she thought, as an image of dwindling gold coins flashing through her mind.
She found a site where it was free to advertise, and started to put a short advert together.
WANTED: An Interior Designer to help a recently divorced woman in her early 30’s who has gone completely mad and risked all of her hard earned savings on a run-down B&B that has not made any money for nearly 4 years.
Perhaps not… She sent herself a silent message “Pull yourself together Evie! You can only rely on yourself to make this work!” She took a deep sigh, deleted the first attempt and tried again.
WANTED: Interior and exterior design ideas welcomed for a new business venture in the hospitality sector. Experienced new owner seeks supporting, inspirational designer to breathe new life back into a dated Georgian property.
Much better! She could barely wait to start sifting through the applicants and left the laptop running while she went to make breakfast.
Later, with the dinner done and the kitchen tidied, she looked once more at the laptop and sighed at the empty emails. Not one applicant! Oh boy… Luckily she had managed better on the handyman front and had two great sounding chaps coming to meet her at the hotel (it will not be a B&B under her ownership!) tomorrow morning.
Just as she was about to pull the plug on the laptop, an email from a Frankie xxx popped up. OK, she thought, an image of an extravagant lady with high heels and mint green hair forming in her mind. Reading through her CV, she had excellent experience with period properties and had even appeared on TV. OK, perhaps not so much green hair, she thought to herself whilst she replied to invite her to the house tomorrow. A reply instantly confirmed the appointment as ‘I’m in the area anyway’ followed by the sign off; Frankie xxx. Tomorrow would tell!
Tomorrow dawned and the first of the handymen had been and gone and Evie was delighted. Alan was experienced yet didn’t charge the earth and was able to start in the next week or two. The next chap would have to do extremely well to knock him out of the running. He was due at 10:30 and as she casually glanced at her watch, she saw she had a few minutes to spare. “Coffee time!” she declared to Tarzan who happily followed her to the tired lemon Formica kitchen for his rich tea biscuit.
Twenty minutes later, she was silently fuming as she saw Chris, the second handyman applicant arriving on the large gravel driveway – fifteen minutes late! A very tall and large man in a stylish grey suit with dark blond hair styled in a sort of quiff lolloped towards the front door carrying a large portfolio. He certainly doesn’t keep a watch in there!
With the rap against the front door still echoing around the large hallway, Evie wrenched open the door.
“Evie?” questioned Chris, “I’m…”
“LATE!” interrupted Evie, who prided herself on being punctual at all times, “Come on, let’s get on with it as I’ve got someone else coming to see me in a quarter of an hour”. She found his face vaguely familiar, but couldn’t put her finger on it. She must have seen him around the village at some point or somewhere else. She flew around all the rooms, summarising some of her ideas in an extremely concise manner, not letting Chris get a word in edge-ways. Tarzan, deciding to be in another annoying mood today, seemed to like Chris and was sniffing at his trousers and trying to lick his hand at every opportunity.
“So do you have any questions Chris?” Evie said, as she pulled the dog gently away, more calm now having worked the edge off her annoyance by marching around the hotel at breakneck speed.
“Yes” he replied, calmly, “However, I think there has been a misunderstanding or two. Firstly, I am not here for the handyman job and secondly, my name is not Chris.”
Evie felt the flush of heat on her face. “Oh my, I am so sorry!! What an idiot I am…” she replied, covering her face with her hands. “Wait,” she continued, a sudden realisation sweeping over her that she had no idea who he was or why he was here… “who are you then?!”.
“Good morning Evie,” as he extended his hand in greeting, “I am Frankie”.
Evie stood rooted to the spot gazing at Frankie with not a green hair or high heel in sight. “Oh, you must think I am such a wally! I am so sorry, I’m not sure why, but I was expecting…” she caught herself before she continued, mentally taking her foot out of her mouth and stoutly refusing to admit she had thought he was a woman!
“Yes, a Chris who is a handyman, I gather” stated Frankie, good naturedly. “Not to worry, it was quite the most entertaining fifteen minutes I have had in a long time! Now, do you think we could have a look at the house again, perhaps at a slower pace?” As he crouched down to fuss Tarzan, Evie felt a rush of gratitude for this man not to have laughed in her face and run from her as fast as his legs could carry him.
So, off they went around the house, with Frankie furiously sketching and making notes. When Evie tried to see what he was writing, he tucked the pad under his arm and went to the next room.
As they walked, she ran through some ideas, stating that she wanted the stay to be an experience, not another boring cream and chrome soulless canvas. All the while, he jotted in his notebook which he managed to always avert from her gaze when she tried to see what he was writing.
Once the tour was complete, he requested that they look at the grounds and the entrance to the house. Once again, he infuriatingly hid his notes and asked occasional questions. Finally, after a couple of hours, he was finished.
“Right, thanks for your time this morning Evie, I’ll be off now. I will send you an email in the next couple of weeks to arrange to come back and go through some suggestions for you.” He held out his hand and Evie shook it.
“Thank you for coming and um…, I am sorry once again for being such an idiot earlier” she said, with Tarzan gently nudging at her leg as he was convinced it was past his lunchtime. Frankie got into his car and was off with a wave. Evie heaved the door shut and went through to the kitchen once more to make lunch.
When she and Tarzan were fully fuelled, she took a drive into the nearby village and parked up to explore. A cute little Church nestled within a pretty graveyard at the start of the main thoroughfare. Although small, the variety of shops surprised her. There was a florist and greengrocer, a small supermarket, newsagents and a gift store. As she was about to turn around, she saw a large shop with a pretty window display of soft furnishings and light fittings. Deciding that she should go in and take a look for some inspiration, she looped Tarzans’ lead around a lamppost outside and made her way to the door. The door was heavy and fitted with an old fashioned bell which jingled loudly to announce her arrival.
“Be with you in a minute!” a high, silky voice announced from a hidden spot.
She gazed around and was pleasantly surprised with what she saw. Room sets depicting a wide variety of styles ran around the circumference of the shop. They were all beautifully displayed and coordinated, with a twist of charm showing real flair for design. This was not a one-bedroom flat in a beige town – this was better than the inside of a magazine!
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the owner of the silky voice appeared, “How can I help you?” the petite lady with dark blonde hair enquired.
“Hi, I’ve just moved to the area and am about to start refurbishing my hotel. I’m really just after inspiration if that’s OK?” said Evie, liking the friendly face smiling back at her.
“Ooooh, sounds exciting! Well, we’re really new here also. We have another shop about 30 miles away, but it is so small that we can barely swing a light, let alone a cat!” she cooed in a sing-song voice. “It’s early days, but so far so good”.
“That’s good to hear! Maybe when I’m up and running, I can offer a discount to your clients travelling from afar to see your wares!” joked Evie.
“Sounds like a plan to me! My name’s Anne and I am the co-owner here. Let me give you a card, we could come and give you some ideas for the hotel?” she offered.
Evie delightedly accepted the card and put it in her pocket. “What I could really do with is some paint. The bedroom that I have chosen in the owners’ accommodation has seen better days, unless you like pink cord curtains and green walls!”
“Sounds horrendous!” agreed Anne, “Follow me!” She went to the back of the shop where there was wallpapers and paints along with brushes and trays.
Selecting some duck-egg blue paint, she saw some curtains and bedding that would work with in. On impulse, she added them to her purchases. Picturing her room, she realised the dusty old velvet ceiling shade would have to go and went to look at the light section. A gorgeous selection awaited her there and before long, she had selected a feather shade that looked soft and dreamy, just like a cloud.
Anne gave her a new customer discount at the till and helped her bag up her purchases.
“Remember to give us a call when you’re ready to start the works on the house! We’d love to come and have a look and help in any way that we can.” Anne reminded her as she made her way with her bags to the door.
“I will do – thank you!” Evie shouted back over the jangling bell. She put the bags down and picked up Tarzans’ lead, managed to pick up the bags again and made her way cumbersomely back to the car.
The rest of the day was spent in a flurry of painting over the dark, mossy green walls in her new bedroom. She made it all the way round the room and briefly wondered exactly how many coats it would take to cover. Hundreds possibly at this rate!
She made her way downstairs to heat some soup for dinner after lighting a fire in the main lounge. She should really start unpacking some boxes, she thought, perhaps she’d start tomorrow. At least to unearth the TV if nothing else.
As she sat on the sofa, she remembered the card that Anne had given her and pulled it out to inspect it closely for the first time. She stifled a giggle – the business name was Frankie xxx!!! Anne must be Frankie’s wife! Well, she was certainly destined to have them help her as she’d found them twice now…
Over the next few weeks, Alan expertly carried out the essential repairs and the pipes no longer grumbled their resistance every time a toilet was flushed. The electrics had been updated, the beautiful wooden parquet flooring had been unearthed and polished and the plasterers had just finished re-plastering the walls.
Evie looked around with glee – the worst bits were over and now injecting the life and soul back into the building could begin. Frankie was due to see her tomorrow to go through his ideas. When he had called, she mentioned that she had met Anne and had suggested that she came too, if she could be spared from the shop. Dog tired, she and Tarzan turned off all the lights and made their way up the stairs slowly for a well-deserved nights’ sleep.
Early the next morning, after a brisk walk around the grounds with Tarzan (who seemed to be in a compliant mood for a change), she was back in the kitchen putting some biscuits on a plate and boiling the kettle ready for her guests. She was trembling with anticipation at the thought of finally seeing what designs Frankie had come up with. She really hoped that he had understood the essence of what she was trying to achieve, she really needed to agree the designs and get them applied to the hotel as soon as possible – she would very soon be running out of funds and would need to get the bank to come and look to agree the next stage of the business loan.
Bang on time, Frankie’s car pulled into the driveway and soon he was rapping once more on the front door. Opening the door at a normal pace this time, a smiling Evie welcomed her guests. She motioned for them to go through to the bar whilst she hung up their coats.
Seated at a table, they began going through the plans.
“Right, so from our initial meeting,” he allowed himself a small smirk, “I recall that you want the hotel to ooze personality. What you said you hated was uniformity and boring colours.” Frankie began. Evie nodded before he continued, “So, what we thought would work well is to incorporate uniqueness at all levels. Therefore, rather than room numbers, we thought about having room colours. The Blue Room, The White Room and so on and so forth and we would coordinate the colour scheme within the room to match the name.” He took a slow gulp of coffee. “Along with this, I would recommend a name change as the ‘Black Ball’ is hardly inspiring or befitting of this scheme, but I haven’t been able to come up with one as of yet, so we need to get our thinking caps on.” He placed his mug back on the table and after a small pause enquired “So, Evie, what do you think of the concept?”
Evie thought this was an intriguing concept and ideas were already scrambling through her mind. “I think you could be on to something with this…” She mused, grateful that he had understood her so well. “What were your ideas for the communal areas?” She asked.
“Well,” Anne began to answer, “We thought about this long and hard understand that you have two dining room areas along with two lounge areas. Is that right?” she paused to verify.
Evie confirmed, so Anne continued, “We thought that we could offer a varying theme for each of the dining rooms and living rooms, one glamorous Georgian splendour and the other modern complete with all the mod cons and charging points that they could wish for. This way, the customers can select which room best suits their needs and tastes.” Anne was gesticulating as she spoke, with an infectious gleam of excitement shining brightly in her eyes.
Evie thought this through and whilst she liked the ideas, they were not quite unique enough for what she had envisaged.
“It’s an interesting thought, but I don’t think it’s quite right for this place.” Evie said. “Do you have any other suggestions?” She directed the question to a visibly shocked Frankie.
“Well, I have to say that I thought I’d nailed it, so have not got any more ideas to present to you at the moment.” he answered, his usual confidence taking a dent, “Do you know, it’s been years that my first idea has not made the grade; I can see that you are going to keep me on my toes!” he added with a wry smile.
“I’m sorry Frankie, I don’t mean to be rude, but it needs to be perfect.” Evie said humbly. “I did have one idea, but I wasn’t sure if you were going to laugh at me or not…”
Both Anne and Frankie made encouraging noises, so Evie began to describe her idea. “Well, I have four floors here and I was thinking about stripping things back to basics. This got me thinking and I considered having each floor inspired by nature.” She paused and took a sip of her drink. “The basement could be earthy with natural minerals and could be made into the small spa area I would like. The ground floor could be the water table, with rivers, lakes and ocean inspired design. The next floor could be forest, trees, grasses and leaves with the top floor echoing influences from the sky, stars and moon.” She looked at their faces and was unsure if it was awe or bewilderment, but in for a penny, in for a pound, she soldiered on… “We could then call the rooms names linking to the themes, such as Forest of Dean, or the Cumulus Cloud and use the names to inspire the décor within the room.” She finished, hoping that they didn’t think she was out of her mind.
After a stunned pause, Frankie spoke. “Wow. That’s absolutely amazing! I think you’re in the wrong job…” he stood up and gathered his paperwork, “Do you have a bin for this lot?”. He was genuinely impressed with the concept. Had he taken his eye off the ball? Her description had enlivened a sense of challenge in him that he hadn’t felt for a long time. Anne agreed that it sounded like a brilliant idea and said that they would go and work up the new ideas and come back to her in a week or two.
Evie waved them goodbye and with Tarzan treading on her shadow, she returned to the warmth of the house.
At the end of the following week, Evie had once again prepared the table for Frankie’s arrival. She went to answer the door and hoped with all her might that he had hit the nail on the head this time. It was just Frankie this time, as Anne had just had a delivery back at the shop.
Once seated at the table, they began to chat through the plans once again.
“Right,” Frankie began, “Let’s start on the basement.” As he pushed a copy of the design towards her, she knew in an instant that they were on the right track. “Grey marble effect mixed with dark wood. We would be able to have a steam room and a Jacuzzi here,” he indicated the wall opposite the entrance door, “and in the corner here, we could put the sauna and a couple of showers. Along this wall, we would have a couple of toilets and sinks”. The layout worked really well and left a large area in the centre of the room, allowing for each element to feel separate.
“Lighting wise,” Frankie continued, “we would suggest to keep things subdued, perhaps to have some recessed wall lights on these three walls at floor and shoulder height. This will offer a warm and welcoming ambience to help the guests relax.”
Evie absolutely loved it. “It’s perfect!” she breathed a small sigh of relief, “I can’t believe you managed to get all of that in and still keep a feeling of space!” She replied, with a beaming smile. “What about the next floor?”
“Great! OK, so the water floor…” He paused as he located the correct paperwork, “Right, in the hallway, I was thinking about a water feature with a small river. It would loop next to the reception desk and self-circulate. We would be able to put some trees in pots in the river to add some texture to this corner.” He indicated where a boring wall stood next to reception which housed a small storage cupboard. “Then to the floors, we could have a deep bluey turquoise carpet,” he reached back in the file, “here’s a sample.” He then handed her a sample of wallpaper which was a cloudlike, pale blue and white, with glitter accents, “and I thought this would work throughout all the hallways, stairs and landings as it works with all the themes.” He added. “Lighting wise, I thought these transparent seeded glass wall lights would work, as they almost look like bubbles! There are matching ceiling pendants too, so we could have a pair over the desk.”
Evie took the designs and studied them. With a couple of tiny tweaks, it would work really well. “I love this, but if possible, could we have the desk half the length again so that we can help two customers at the same time with ease?” She added, as he nodded and began to make a note on the sketch, “and perhaps on the two side walls, we could have some artwork of lakes, or rivers?” he confirmed that was a great idea and added them on to the sketch. “And I really wanted to leave the lovely wooden parquet floors exposed on this floor – is it possible?” She asked, knowing that she would not allow another carpet to cover them up, regardless of his answer!
“Well,” Frankie thought for a moment, “it could work as leaves or earth which would still fit within the theme ok.” He mused and made a note on the sketch.
“Now for the dining rooms and living rooms, I think you should knock down the dividing walls between them and make them large rooms once again. Carpets, no,” he paused to correct himself, “parquet flooring and wallpapers would flow from the hallway.” He reached in for the sketch once again, “For the dining room, I’m thinking ‘boating lake’. I’ve found these boat shaped tables that each sit four, and perhaps a couple of these ones that seat eight in the centre for larger parties, and I have found some chairs with the backs made out of oars to complete the look.” He showed the pictures and they looked great.
“This is brilliant, just what I’m after!” Evie confirmed. The theme was strong, but in a luxurious way, with excellent quality furniture and lights.
“Great!” Frankie smiled, looking slightly relieved, “and in the lounge, I was thinking of a relaxing day at the lake. A couple of stripy sofas along the long wall, with matching stripy deckchairs dotted around the other walls.” He held out the pictures for her perusal, “and in the middle of the room, some old style trunks covered in tartan throws to evoke a picnic feel. Around the walls, would be large images of a lake, taken from a central point and travelling around as if we are on an island in the centre”.
“I like the idea, but would want to check that the deckchairs are comfortable enough. Perhaps we could add a few armchairs to ensure our older guests are comfortable?” suggested Evie. Frankie nodded, “Good point…” he confirmed, making a note.
“Now for the bar,” he continued, “it is currently like a traditional old pub which would work alright, but it is really a bit tired and jaded. I thought of perhaps turning this into a luxury yacht?” he pushed the design over to her, “I’m thinking cream leather, warm browns and chrome. It’s not the largest of spaces, so we could have the small bar area as the helm with a large clock in the shape of the wheel right in the centre, leather and chrome bar stools at the bar, then large comfortable yacht style sofas in sociable angles taking up the rest of the space,” he continued, “then through the double doors on to the patio, we could make it a boat deck, with rope edging flanked by flowerbeds with blue and white flowers to replicate the sea. The stern would feature steps down to the garden.” He concluded.
“Oh, that is brilliant!” Evie enthused, imagining the setting. It would be great at bringing the outdoors inside too! “Can we just head there and check the measurements please?” she asked
After a few tweaks and some more intimate seating added for couples which Frankie noted down, they made their way back to the table.
“Now for the upstairs, starting with the tree floor”, he pulled a list from the file which listed the room names and brief concepts:
- Royal Forest of Dean: Regal, lush greens, rich textures with accents of gold
- Sherwood Forest: Think Robin Hood, rope detailing, cartwheels, feathers
- New Forest: Oak, warm textures, images of New Forest Ponies, pale greens and orange browns
- Black Country Urban Forest: Modern use of pale wood, teamed with blacks and chromes
- Greenwood Forest: Rich greens, tapestries, with bright orange accents
- Burnham Beeches: Beech woods, nature images, peaceful greens and blues
- Wychwood: Magical, dark oak, dark greens with red accents
- Winterfold Forest: Palest maple, whites, blues and silvers, frozen, twist on Scandinavian theme
Evie took the list and liked what she saw, but needed to understand the detail. “Shall we run through the sky floor, then you can show me the designs in the rooms?” she asked.
“Absolutely fine. Feel free to tweak any ideas, you’re a natural at this!” confirmed Frankie, handing her the list for the next floor which read:
- Cumulus: Whites, blues and greys with soft textures, white feathers
- Sunshine: Warm yellows, reds and oranges with gold accents
- Moon: Textures, deep and mid greys with whites, accents of steel with lights that play with light and shadow
- Star Suite (the master suite of rooms): midnight blue walls and ceiling with glitter clusters, ‘starlight’ panels on the ceiling, images of Celestials lit up by subtle picture lights, crystal, silver,
“Those star ceiling light panels are stunning!” exclaimed Evie, knowing that this man had worked his magic well. She blew a mental sigh of relief as she looked through the designs again. Frankie was a genius!
“Shall we have a wonder around the house and I can show you my ideas in detail? We can take the sketches and materials with us?” Frankie offered. He was so relieved that he had got it right this time. She fascinated him, she was polite and friendly but with an eye for detail that was second to none – and talk about tenacious! He had absolute faith that this woman would make this hotel work.
The two of them, with Tarzan’s help, visited each room and visualised with the help of the sketches. The designs used a clever use of lighting that on her own, she would never even have begun to think of. The two of them made the odd change here and there, but in principle it was looking great.
“Now,” began Frankie as they were coming down the stairs, “One vital piece of work that we have yet to discuss is the outside. The entrance to this place looks little better than a footpath. We need lights and signage so people know where to find you!” He pulled a sketch of the entrance-way, with the hedges trimmed and bright lights leading invitingly to the driveway. Evie closed her eyes to envisage it, it would make such a difference! She was so used to knowing where it was that she hadn’t even thought of how new customers could find the hotel.
“The archway would go directly over the entrance to the lane, and I thought we could put the hotel name on it,” he continued, indicating on the sketch, “with little LED lights that gently twinkle like the night stars,” he flipped the page and continued, “which then leads into the lane which is lit by bollards either side, so it is like a welcoming, illuminated path.”
They then discussed the lighting of the driveway and the front of the house – he even suggested safety lighting in the event of a power cut! She was glad that she had decided to ignore her misgivings and meet the ‘lady with green hair’, he had left no stone un-turned!
Evie was beaming from ear to ear when they had finished, it was becoming tangible! It was so much better than she had even dared to hope for. But now was the time to pose the most difficult question; “It’s absolutely perfect! Shall we head back inside and discuss the quote?” She asked, crossing her fingers behind her back.
With fresh coffee on the dining table and Tarzan chomping on his biscuit, they sat down and the air turned serious.
“OK,” Frankie pulled out two pieces of paper, “Option one is where we offer a full service. We provide the materials, the expertise and the manpower so you can concentrate on getting the other aspects of the business ready. We would estimate eight to ten weeks for the works and you could therefore have a grand opening in twelve weeks.” He pushed the piece of paper over to Evie, who looked at the amount and swooned.
“OK. And the second option?” There was absolutely NO way on earth she could stretch to that. Although it would be an absolute godsend to be open in twelve weeks…
“Well, option two is a supply only. You would have to manage the coordination of the design creations with your own team. I would estimate for you and a team of 4 could probably complete it in around fourteen weeks, but then you would have to focus on the other business requirements separately, so you’ll probably be able to open in around six or seven months”. He offered Evie the second piece of paper with a substantially smaller amount on it, but seven months? Her dwindling funds could not withstand that…
Evie’s heart sank, sure that neither option was particularly viable. “Thank you for coming and working so hard on the designs. I am going to have to take some time and think about this. I love the ideas, but I’m just not sure that I can afford either option at the moment.” Evie spoke quietly, disappointment etched on her face. Frankie began to pull a third piece of paper from the file.
“I thought that might be the case and have one last option to share with you. I would be willing to set up a new business plan for you with interest free installments for a year. This means you could have option one and be open in twelve weeks, allowing for revenue of forty weeks’ worth of trading before you need to pay us back in full.” He slid the paper over to her as Evie gasped at the generosity. It was still a lot of money and she would have to think long and hard, but at least at a pinch, these figures might be achievable.
“You are so lovely to offer this! I can’t quite believe it! Thank you!!” Evie gushed, genuinely surprised. After a moment or two with numbers and ideas still racing around her thoughts at an alarming pace, she asked “Please can I have a think about it for a day or two?”
“Sure, take all the time you need. I understand it’s a lot of money.” Frankie confirmed, “Just give me a call when you’re ready and we’ll take things from there.” As Evie went to fetch his coat, he thought how much he enjoyed her company. She was real and honest, not at all like the women he usually met, who gushed and swooned over him. She had a great work ethic and an infectious sense of humour.
As he got in the car, he heard her yell, “I’ll be in touch soon!” from the front door, dressed in her usual attire of jeans and a jumper. The look suited her personality well, he decided.
Shutting the front door, her mind a whirl as she considered all that had been discussed in the last few hours. She curled up on the sofa with Tarzan whilst a cookery program on the TV played in the background and began to work on the figures. It would be very tight and occupancy would have to be a steady fifty percent, something that would be hard to achieve in the first year of opening.
The program had finished, so she popped into the kitchen and poured a glass of chilled wine. As she made her way back to the TV, she heard a familiar voice booming from room. At the door, she froze in shock. A lighting expert and designer was advising a couple on how they could utilise the lights in a different way to maximise the effectiveness of the design. Her eyes were deceiving her, surely? It’s just the tiredness…
She took a large gulp of wine, blinked hard twice. Upon reopening her eyes, he was still there, large as life on the screen. It really was Frankie! Her interior designer was Frankie Bright, the home interior TV guru!!!
Evie put her glass down with a shaking hand. He must think she’s as mad as a box of frogs! Accusing him of being a handyman at their first encounter just served to highlight that she had had no idea who he was. She groaned and hung her head in her hands. Tarzan looked up at her from his cosy spot on the sofa momentarily, before deciding the drama didn’t need his attention (there was no food, after all…). He returned his head to the cushion, moaning contentedly.
She recalled her first meeting with Frankie with a flush of embarrassment. At the time, she had thought he was vaguely familiar, but the black cloud of anger had disabled her usually reliable recollection of faces. How could she be so stupid?
Turning on her laptop, she began to scour the internet in an effort to learn more. He was a legend in the field of lighting and he actually taught interior designers! It transpired that the three kisses at the end of his name were not actually kisses at all, but part of his logo for the shop enterprise with Anne. They stood for three extras; care, quality and flair. The last of the green hair lady disappears in a puff of smoke!
He had been a young entrepreneur, designing an adjustable table lamp when he was just fifteen years old for his exam revision. It had caught on and was the first in many innovative designs. He has even designed lights for Royalty.
She decided that at whatever cost, she had to have him implement the designs at the hotel. She would call him tomorrow and ask if she was OK to use his name on advertising and publicity material and if so, surely that would help draw in some new customers?
Decision made, she turned her attention to deciding on the menus. She couldn’t wait to get back in the kitchen after months of cooking for one. Deciding on keeping things simple, especially whilst the hotel was building its name (ironic, as she still hadn’t thought of one!), she had settled on cooked breakfasts along with cereals and fruit for breakfast and lunches by prior arrangement only so that she could agree the menu in advance and purchase the ingredients. Dinner was proving to be trickier; she wasn’t even sure whether to offer two courses or three!
Researching nearby competitor hotels, she discovered most of them had a theme, be it Indian or Thai inspired menus. Remembering that she may also have to plann to cater for younger guests, she considered Italian or perhaps a healthy twist on traditional English dishes. Deciding on sticking to two courses for now and executing them well, she elected offering main courses and deserts. Working quietly, she made her final selection.
Finally satisfied, she closed down the laptop, hungrily eating her dinner after thinking about all that food. When she had finished, she called the kitchen company who were due to start putting in the new commercial kitchen tomorrow and confirmed all was on track. She finished her glass of wine whilst thinking of what she was going to name the hotel… It had been known as the Black Ball for years, but she found it bleak and depressing. Perhaps a modern twist? White Ball? No, still too boring… White Globe? Bright Globe? New Lease of Life? Second Time Around? Rainbow Ball? Hmmmmm, none of them were hitting the spot… What about the Artichoke Globe Hotel? It could work, she mused and thought that she would sleep on it and see how she felt in the morning.
The morning dawned grey and drizzly. After a wet walk with Tarzan, Evie spent most of the morning tidying and cleaning as the plaster had covered everything in a thick layer of dust. Most of that dust seemed to have landed on her, she thought as she washed her hands before calling Frankie to let him know her decision about the implementation of his designs. She just hoped that he would be kind enough not to laugh at her, as he had been good enough to refrain from doing so until now.
Frankie answered on the third ring and it sounded like he was in the car. After checking that he was OK to chat and he was on hands free (she didn’t want to be held responsible for him being arrested!) she asked about using his name to promote the hotel. She held her breath waiting for the pivotal answer.
“Sure, I’d be more than happy to assist.” He said, as Evie breathed out a huge sigh of relief. “I want to try and get out of the TV game as they suck all of your time and energy. I need to go back to my roots and focus on designing and the shops, so it may help to encourage that message”. He paused and then asked, “Am I to assume that you made your decision then?”.
“Yes, I would be delighted to accept the quote on the terms of the interest free credit please.” Evie confirmed. “I love your ideas and concepts so much; I can’t wait to get started!”
“Well that’s great to hear. This is exactly the type of project I need right now, so thank you too! I am really looking forward to working with you, your hotel is going to be gorgeous very soon Evie!” She could hear the genuine pleasure in the low timbre of his voice, “We’ll pop round and see you very soon to chat through the dates”.
They said their goodbyes and then she went to see how they were getting on in the kitchen.
Messily, as it turned out! She spent the rest of the day helping them and it was beginning to take shape. The ovens and hobs were yet to go in, but the microwaves, cupboards and surfaces were looking good. Luckily, she had planned ahead and had some meals prepared in the freezer. She picked one out and popped it in the microwave.
There was a loud knock at the front door, so Evie left the microwave and went to answer it, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she did so. Oh my days, she looked a state! Greasy marks all over her face, her dark curly hair full of dust and tangled, wearing her oldest jumper and jeans that were also filthy. Oh well, she doubted the caller on the doorstep would wait the hour or so she would need to make herself presentable and decided to give in and made her way to the door.
As she slowly opened it, it revealed an impeccably groomed Frankie standing there with a bunch of flowers and a bottle of champagne in his hands.
“Congratulations on getting the best designer in the business to work on the nameless hotel!” He declared, if he was shocked at her dishevelled appearance, he hid it well!
“Come in, come in! I apologise for the state that I am in, I have been helping in the kitchen all day.” Explained Evie, mortified at the difference in their appearances. “Thank you, you really shouldn’t have you know.” She blushed as she accepted his gifts and indicated for him to follow her to the semi-finished kitchen. “Have you eaten? I am heating up a meal at the moment.”
“As it happens, I haven’t and I am starving! It smells amazing so yes please if there’s any going.” He replied. Evie pulled the roulade out of the microwave, and explained, “It’s a trial for my new menu, sweet potato roulade.” I’m sorry to say that my crockery, cutlery and glasses are not here yet as my kitchen’s not ready.” She plonked the hot Tupperware pot down in front of him and handed him some plastic cutlery before popping another portion in the microwave for her.
“Thanks for this, it looks great!” he declared, before adding “Where are your drinking receptacles? I’ll get the champers open.” Evie retrieved two chipped mugs as he expertly removed the cork. “Cheers!” They clinked their mugs and then she found another one which she filled with water for the flowers.
He made quite a picture, dressed up in a smart suit, shirt and tie, standing in a filthy kitchen eating out of a plastic pot with cutlery to match. Tarzan was not helping, staring longingly at his feet waiting for any morsel to drop into his waiting mouth. Way to go at improving his opinion of you Evie, she thought to herself! After the meals were consumed, they moved into the lounge and chatted into the evening about the plans for the hotel. They had agreed they would start the week after next. He had only one half mug of champagne as he was driving and after a pleasant couple of hours, he got into his car and drove off into the dark.
Evie tidied up the kitchen, fed Tarzan and looked forward to climbing into bed. Frankie really was a lovely man; she couldn’t wait until a couple of weeks away, when it would all be starting to get underway. She smiled at all of the good fortune that had come her way in the last few months. Long may it continue!
The next few weeks past in a blur of activity with the house beginning to take shape. Frankie was great at overseeing everything and was there for a full day or two each week. On each occasion, the habit had been formed that they ate together in the newly finished kitchen, nowadays utilising new crockery, cutlery and glasses. Anne also popped her head in regularly to see how things were going and to deliver the items needed from the shop. She was delighted with the progress and busily snapped photos for the shops’ portfolio.
All in all, things were progressing entirely to plan, with the exception of the name of the hotel, which Evie could just not make up her mind about. Every time she thought a name suited, she would talk herself out of it again. She sighed, realising that she just had to come up with a name by tomorrow otherwise she’d miss the deadline on the website, flyers, menus and route maps that were all complete with the exception of the name.
She sighed and wandered into the kitchen with Tarzan at her heels. She got a glass and reached into the fridge, grabbed a block of cheese and a bottle of wine before adding some crackers to her plate. Occasionally throwing a chunk of cheese at the patiently expectant dog, she considered all that she had achieved. She really had to put the credit firmly at the feet of Frankie, Anne and Alan who had all worked tirelessly in an effort to get the place back on its feet.
She cleared away her dinner and took her glass into the living room, all the while thanking her lucky stars that the three of them had rescued her and were fast becoming friends. Worn out from the weeks of activity, she snuggled up on the sofa with Tarzan and flicked on the TV. Her eyelids heavy, she rested them and was soon beginning to drift into sleep. Tarzan barked at a dog on the TV and startled her awake as the last of her glass of wine seeped into the sofa and her clothes. “Oh Tarzan!” she cried, “Look at this mess!” upon clearing it up, a thought struck her. Here she was, surrounded by people who were stars (and an irritating dog) and had finally stumbled upon the name!
She grabbed her phone and dialled, jittering with excited energy as she listened to it ringing, “Hi Evie!” welcomed Frankie’s deep voice.
“Frankie, I think I’ve finally thought of the name for the hotel!” She said hurriedly, “What do you think of ‘The Celestial’?”
“My dear, I think you’ve cracked it! A star shining brightly to welcome one and all,” he began, “I think we should look to add some star lights around the garden?” he suggested.
“That’s a great idea,” agreed Evie, when suddenly she heard a knock at the door, “hey Frankie, I’m sorry, I’m going to have to go as someone’s at the door – I’ll call you again soon!” they rapidly said goodbye over Tarzan’s barks as she made her way to the door.
As she pulled open the door, looking down to ensure Tarzan didn’t escape, she heard a voice from long ago. “Evie, babe! It’s good to see you!!” Snapping her head up, she came face to face with the man she hoped she’d never see again – her ex-husband, Shaun.
It was fair to say that Tarzan was less than happy. Evie made a grab for the growling dog which allowed Shaun to take an uninvited step over the threshold.
“Aren’t you pleased to see me Evie?” asked Shaun, putting on a hurt puppy dog expression.
“What are you doing here Shaun? It’s been over for months; we’ve said all we needed to say to each other via our solicitors.” Evie’s voice trembled with her shock, unable to believe he thought he would be welcomed.
“Yeah I know babe, it’s just that I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently and realised just how good we were together.” He continued, unperturbed that she wasn’t being in any way welcoming, “I want us to get back together, to try again. We can even have that baby that you wanted. What do you say?” he began walking into the hallway.
“Urm, let me think about it a minute. How about NO!” she was aware that she was beginning to shout, but how DARE he wander in to her property at night after all these months. Anger at this injustice coursed through her, “Has your dirty little affair run its course then?”
“Oh come now Evie, she was never anything special to me. She was just a distraction – I got caught up with her attention and flattery, I’m embarrassed that I was so weak willed.” He spoke in an authoritative, soothing voice, far removed from the last time she had heard it when he hurled abuse at her before walking out. “I’ve left her to come back to you, babe…”
“Grow up Shaun. I am so over you, you ruined our marriage and I will never, ever want to have anything more to do with you.” Tarzan was thrashing around in her arms, clearly disliking this strange man.
He started strutting about the hallway with his hands clasped behind his back, trying to emulate the style of a country gentleman but falling short. “Nice little number you’ve got here Evie. I could see myself slotting in here just fine!” he continued to strut, angling his head to look through doorways. “I’m bored of the nine to five, but I could help to entertain your guests whilst you’re working? Regale them with tales of shooting parties and hunts!” he thankfully ceased his strutting.
Evie was too astonished to utter a sound as he walked towards her, he wouldn’t even walk off pavements for the entire duration of their relationship for fear of ruining his designer trainers!! “C’mon Evie, let’s skip the blame game and get to the make-up part!” he went to pull her in to a hug and at the same moment, Tarzan leapt free and bit into his hand with all his might. “Aggghhhh!!!!!! Get his rat off me! NOW” he screamed, shaking his hand to try and shake Tarzan off.
“You’ve met your match with that dog – he’s the most stubborn being that I have ever met!” she made to grab Tarzan as she didn’t want him to be hurt if he lost his grip. She got hold of him, but Shaun’s free hand wrapped itself tightly around her wrist. “I think it’s time that you were off now then Shaun. Goodbye!” she edged him towards the door and finally managed to extract her wrist painfully and push him through the door. Only when he was safely back outside, face contorted in pain, did Tarzan finally release him. Ignoring his maniacal shouting, Evie quickly slammed the door and slithered to the floor, covering her heroic rescuer in relieved kisses.
After a while, the shouting with increasing obscenities ceased, so she went to look out of the window to make sure that he had gone away, but she hadn’t heard a car at any time. He had shouted that she owed him and he was going to take what was due to him… Thankfully, she knew that he had no grounds as everything she owned was now in her sole name, but he had sounded crazed! She sought her mobile with a shaking hand, who could she call to help?
Frankie put down the phone, grabbed his car keys and leapt in his car. It had been awful to hear Evie so distressed, but he couldn’t quite make out what on earth she was trying to say. “Calm down, I can’t understand you, but I’m on my way. I’ll be with you in five.” He had said. The unexpected drama had him thinking about her once again on the journey. She was a woman of quality and he respected her, possibly more than any other woman he had ever met.
Moments later, he pulled in to the driveway and ran to the front door. Knocking loudly, he heard Evie ask through the heavy oak door, “Who is it?”
“Evie, it’s me, Frankie.” He said and opened the door to see her usually happy face, red and tear stained with mascara running down her cheeks. Without a second thought he enveloped her in his arms and guided her through to the living room, placed her on the sofa and held her whilst she sobbed out her ordeal uninterrupted.
“He’s a snake Evie, you already knew it and now you’ve been able to tell him again. I doubt he’ll be back now, but I will do a quick check around the place.” He offered. “Do you have a torch that I could borrow?”.
A short while later, he confirmed that the coast was clear, but although she was now calmer, Evie still had a scared expression on her face. “Would you like me to stay here tonight and test drive one of the finished rooms so that you’re not on your own?” He offered, unsure what else may put her mind at east.
The relief on her face was short lived, “But won’t Anne mind?” she asked.
“Why on earth would she be? I think she’d be cross if I didn’t help.” Confirmed Frankie, thinking it was a strange question. He sent Evie off to bed with a herbal tea, before he did a tour of the downstairs, ensuring all the windows and doors were locked.
Over the next few days saw the new signage finally arrive and all the other little finishing touches were completed. The flyers for the Mayday Bank Holiday grand opening barbeque had been distributed around the village and nearby towns and the social media sites were doing their jobs splendidly for potential customers from further afield. She had already sold all but 3 rooms for the weekend and had managed to sell an impressive two hundred plus tickets to the barbecue.
Tomorrow, she was conducting a training course for the new staff. Alan was staying with her as he wanted to semi-retire, so he was going to manage the bar ordering and any ad-hoc repairs. The rest of the team were made up of the best staff that were made redundant from the Black Ball alongside her.
First, she had the local paper coming round. Frankie was due any minute and would be conducting the tour of all the rooms, giving a summary behind each of the designs and the people we hoped they would appeal to. She smoothed her knee length black dress and checked her lipstick in the hallway mirror… Show time now Evie, she thought to herself.
At the sound of the door, she made her way to greet the ever prompt Frankie. He came straight in and quickly checked all the rooms were perfect ahead of the visit. When the next knock at the door came, they were ready. The reporter and his photographer entered, delighted to meet the famous Frankie Bright and were fawning over him.
“Thanks gentlemen, let me introduce you to Evie, the brains behind The Celestial.” He stepped back to allow her the limelight. They began in the hallway, talking about the original parquet flooring…
After a gruelling start-stop trip around the hotel with the photographer stating, “Just one more…” at least a hundred times, he and the journalist were finally heading back towards their van.
“I’d love to stay and chat, but I have another appointment that I need to get to.” apologised Frankie, “but perhaps we can catch up later on or tomorrow?”.
“No probs… Thanks so much for your help, I think I would have been eaten alive today had you not been there to guide me!” Evie went to the door and opened it to allow him to step through.
“I doubt that Evie!” Frankie said as he turned around on the doorstep, “A lesser person could never have created this wonderful hotel from the dated shell you started with. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.” Evie flushed and he leant in to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you on Monday at the barbecue. Don’t forget to buy tomorrow’s paper!” he added as he set off towards his car. Blimey, she had looked fantastic in that black dress! She looked classy and in control – just right for an owner of a new boutique hotel. She would do well… he was sure of it.
The following week, Evie took Tarzan for a walk into the village to get the paper. She had paid for a three page advertorial and couldn’t wait to see how the descriptions and images came across. Tying Tarzan to a post outside, she went in to the newsagents and made her way to the counter.
“Ah! Here she is, the woman of the moment!” shouted Paul, the owner. “I’ve got your copy right here – free of charge!” He slapped it down on the counter where there was a large picture of Frankie kissing her cheek on the doorstep along with the headline; The Celestial brings the Stars!
“There’s nothing in it – we’re just friends.” Murmured Evie, who scooped the paper up, thanking Paul and running back to Tarzan. Walking as fast as they could, they made their way back to the hotel. What must poor Anne think?!
As soon as they got in, she gave Tarzan some fresh water and sat at the kitchen worktop to begin to read.
Famous Interior Designer, Frankie Bright has been lured to The Celestial to help the mysterious divorcee Evie Forrester bring the old hotel back to life. But is it the designs or the owner that keeps the star shooting back there? More on Page 5…
She turned to page five with a sense of foreboding, but was pleasantly surprised that any note of a personal relationship had been kept out of the advertorial which was excellent at describing the very essence of the hotel and the designs.
Feeling mollified, she called the paper to take the person responsible to task for the front page, but all she got was ‘Sorry. You agreed to the photos so they are our property. Look, it’s free advertising, what’s your problem?’. She gave up and instead called Frankie to alert him to what had happened. There was no answer, so she rang off and decided to text him instead.
Got more than thought in paper. Have u seen? Hope Anne OK. Call me when you can, E.
She had twenty minutes before the team arrived to go through the retraining, so she got the newly enlarged dining room ready, placed biscuits, sugar and milk on the table and had the cafetiere and teapot filled in time for the first arrival.
The day went smoothly, as the team that she had been lucky enough to secure all had excellent knowledge. She was simply imparting on how she wanted to run it differently. The team unanimously agreed with her and by four o’clock they had all gone home and she was tidying up.
Hearing her phone beep, she picked it up and looked at the screen. It was a reply from Frankie…
Oops! Never mind, it may add an extra bit of interest. I’m free later, will pop round. Anne’s fine last time spoke, y? F
Oops? Oops! Oh like that it is Mister! She had thought him to be a nice man, with decent morals but clearly he was just another man for whom monogamy was just too much of a bore. And who would it add extra interest to? Certainly not his wife, nor her!! Well, the world knew now that he was responsible for the designs so she’d need to have nothing more to do with him!
A little later, there was a knock at the door. Evie looked out of the window and saw it was him. About to retreat into the shadows and pretend she wasn’t home, Tarzan leapt up and ran barking at the door. Nice one – thanks Tarzan!
She went to the door and opened it, but stood in the doorway to block his entrance.
“Hi Evie, sorry about the paper thing,” he began, “on the upside, the advertorial was brilliant! Everything that we’d…” he tailed off as Evie interrupted.
“Oh yeah, THAT! Pah… ‘Oops, no worries’ wasn’t it? What does your poor wife think?!” Evie screamed back at him, slamming the door in his face. She could hear him shouting through the door but she ran to the back of the hotel and sat at the bar where she couldn’t hear him.
When she checked the driveway half an hour later, he had left. Good riddance!
On the day of the grand opening, Evie stood under the starry arch at the start of the lane leading to the hotel, looking over the sea of faces in front of her. More tickets had been sold as a result of ‘the paper’, attributed to which page she didn’t know… or particularly care.
“Welcome everyone. Please follow me round to the rear gardens where we have our tables and chairs all laid out for you.” She began, “Please show your tickets at the barbecue to get your food, there will be drinks available at the bar which is just through the double doors off the roped off area of patio”, she continued, “If you need anything at any time, please ask myself or one of the team who are all wearing purple shirts. I hope you enjoy your afternoon!” Evie spoke, relieved that the words had come out correctly. Photographers recorded the moment as a cheer erupted and they all snaked along the lane to the hotel.
Following them some minutes later as the queue began to dwindle, she observed the plates stacked high with meats and salads accompanied by positive comments about the quality of the food. Drinks were flowing and people seemed to be having a great time. In an hour or so, she had lined up some Morris Dancers for some traditional entertainment, then later, they would offer to teach come of the guests which could prove to be comical!
“Hello stranger!” a familiar voice spoke sang into her ear, she whipped around and was grabbed into an embrace by Anne.
“Anne, thank you for coming!” as they parted, “How have you been? And is everything OK between you and Frankie after that paper incident?” the words tumbled out in a rush, “nothing in it of course…” she tailed off, nervously awaiting the answer.
“Of course it is, why wouldn’t it be?” chuckled Anne, a bemused look on her face.
“I’m not so sure that I would be so understanding if it had been my husband! You must have a very strong marriage!” said a very relieved Evie.
“Ummm, rewind just a moment, whose husband? Oh! You think Frankie and I are married?!!!!” she waited for Evie’s hesitant nod before dissolving into peals of laughter. “No honey, not in a million years! We’re business partners and friends, nothing more… Silly billy!” still laughing, Anne added as she walked away, then stopped as a sudden thought came to her. “ Wait – did you say the same to him?” She clutched her tummy as her laughing turned a bit hysterical, “ Oh that explains his foul mood recently!” she continued to roar with laughter, gentle tears beginning to fall accross her cheeks. “I’m going to have to go and fix my panda eyes!” and she set off inside, still giggling. All the while, a mortified Evie looked on.
When oh when Evie, are you going to stop jumping to the wrong conclusions?! Oh boy… and once again, she had shouted at that poor man on her doorstep without hearing him out. Note to self; learn from your mistakes, rather than repeat them! A beep in her pocket alerted her she had a text so she reached for her phone.
Hope you heard what I said. Am here. Safe to come to the garden? F
Oh boy. What had he said???
Oops. Went to bar didn’t hear. Yes, please come to garden. E
She looked all around, but couldn’t see him. Suddenly, she heard the familiar deep voice in her ear. “Evie.” She turned and was about to speak, but he shushed her. “It is MY time to speak. Just as I am not Chris the handyman, I am also not married to Anne.” He said. “I think you need to stop jumping to conclusions and appreciate that I am actually one of the good guys!”.
“I know. I realise that now. I am so sorry!” She spoke slowly, and held out her hand, “Friends?”
“Perhaps.” He said as he shook her hand. “But only if you come out for dinner with me on Friday evening to celebrate the future success of The Celestial?” He bargained.
They were still holding hands, and upon shaking once again, she replied, “Deal”.
Epilogue
The Christmas lights twinkled by the roaring fire in the living room. It was Christmas Eve and only three rooms were occupied by guests visiting family. Tarzan stretched lavishly in front of the fire with Evie by his side, warming her feet.
Frankie hovered nearby, before clearing his throat… “I know it’s Christmas Day tomorrow, but I have two presents that I want to give to you now.” he said. Evie went to protest, but he continued talking, “and I’m not taking no for an answer!”. This was accompanied by a certain look in his eye that she had seen before and knew better than to challenge.
He held in his hands two boxes, one slightly larger than the other. He offered this larger one to her. She tore off the silver paper and opened the box. Inside were a bunch of keys.
“You just can’t have one star as The Celestial you know, so this is for your second one.” Tears sprang to Evie’s eyes. The hotel had performed much better than anyone would have hoped and she was already making a steady profit. They had mulled over starting the next hotel as partners, but had never got to looking at any – well she hadn’t anyway!
“Wow! I hope I like it! Well, that’s either a brave or stupid move… I’m really looking forward to seeing which one it is!!” Evie said, secretly knowing that Frankie and her as a team would stop at nothing to make it work.
He then passed her the smaller of the boxes, and as the silver paper tumbled to the floor, he got down on one knee.
“Evie, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” He asked looking up at her, she opened the box and saw the beautiful cluster of diamonds in a star shape.
“Yes, I will” she said smiling. He picked her up and twirled her round and round with Tarzan barking with excitement at their feet.
Thank you so much for reading, I really hope that you have enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave comments and let me know if you want to hear about the next hotel! There will also be a blog about the design inspiration and the lights they used coming soon.