Page 44 of A Clean Sweep

The next day, after a surprisingly good sleep, Tabitha woke at just after seven. There was no sign of Meryl and a couple of hours before they needed to open the shop. Dressing quickly and gathering up her bits, she headed home to shower and change.

Back at her flat, she made a strong pot of tea and scoffed a round of toast dripping with butter and marmalade. Then she hopped in the shower, feeling better than she deserved after the wine consumption. After blow drying her hair and painting on a layer of slap she was all set.

Meryl was already busy putting price tags on some new stock when Tabitha walked in. She put down her stickers and pen and rushed to give her an enormous hug.

'Sorry about last night. Too much wine always makes me maudlin and tearful. Particularly when I've had a day like yesterday. But I can't thank you enough for being there for me. And with me. I think I'd have collapsed on the spot if you hadn't been there to take care of me.'

Tabitha hugged Meryl back with fervour. 'You've nothing to apologise for.

I'm just glad we know the truth now and you can get on with your life and meet some delicious hunk who'll treat you like the goddess you are.

' Meryl laughed, and patted Tabitha on the cheek.

'I'm hardly a goddess, sweetheart, more of an ancient relic.

And I don't need to be worshipped, just treated with kindness and respect.

Anyway, I'm having a sabbatical from dating for a while.

Just need time to lick my wounds and … damn it.

I completely forgot!' Meryl slapped her hand on her forehead, her smile gone.

'What did you forget?' asked Tabitha, her own face creased with puzzlement. 'If it's about placing that order for those fancy wallet things then I did it already …’

Meryl shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh.

'No, I was supposed to text Miroslaw about the money transfer and to arrange a night out to celebrate.

Ha! As if that's going to happen. Over my dead body, or rather, his.

The thing is, if nothing shows up in his account he'll no doubt appear spouting his usual bullshit and I truly never want to see his conniving face ever again. '

Tabitha decided this required some careful thought and more tea.

She popped to the loo first – empty then refill –with a promise to return with refreshments and a suitably cunning plan.

A few minutes later and she was back, bearing two steaming mugs and a broad grin.

'I've got it!' she announced in a tone that suggested she had just discovered a cure for something horrible.

'Let me just grab a bit of paper and a pen … '

Meryl watched curiously as Tabitha scribbled away, occasionally crossing something out. Finally she stopped and pushed the piece of paper in front of her boss. 'There. What do you think?'

Meryl put on her glasses and read the words out loud:

Dear Miroslaw. Or should that be Martin?

Or Marvin? Or Maurice? My sources tell me it might even be Malcolm.

Whatever your name really is, I just wanted to let you know that you won't be seeing a penny of my money.

If you ever dare to show your slimy, deceitful face around here I'll be calling the police.

And I'll be letting all the dating agencies you've signed up with know what a cheating bastard you are. Meryl.

She turned to Tabitha, her mouth wide open. 'You really think I should do that? Contact the dating sites, I mean?'

Tabitha nodded with conviction. 'Absolutely! Fire off that message to him now and, when we get a break later, I'll help you to email the ones we found. They might not do anything but maybe they have a kind of blacklist of creeps like him. If it stops him scamming someone else …’

The rest of the morning passed pleasantly. Unsurprisingly, there was no reply to Meryl's text, not that she expected or wanted one. Time to draw a line under the whole sorry experience and move on. Onwards and upwards, that had always been Meryl's motto when life didn't go to plan.

At just after midday, when a couple of customers had departed laden with goodies, she turned the shop sign to 'Closed'.

Tabitha had just returned from the loo – all that tea had got to her – and she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Normally they stayed open at lunchtime, with one of them manning the shop while the other nipped out for sandwiches or a takeaway salad.

'What's up? Are you feeling all right?' she inquired, worried that Meryl was still in shock and wasn't really up to a full day's work.

'I'm absolutely fine, Tabbie. All the better for having my golden girl around to look after me. And, on that note, I'm taking you out for lunch so grab your coat and let's go!'

Seated in a booth in Wine O’ Clock, one of Emily's favourite hang-outs, they perused the glossy menus.

Meryl had insisted they have a glass of bubbly each – 'to celebrate getting rid of M Man!

' – so they toasted one another before placing their orders.

Seafood risotto for Meryl and Cajun chicken salad for Tabitha.

'It's lovely in here, isn't it?' said Meryl, forking up a mouthful of rice and prawns. 'I can't believe I haven't come here before. Didn't you say your mum's a regular?'

Tabitha took a large gulp of water before replying. The chicken was extremely spicy but very tasty. 'She comes every couple of weeks with my aunt Celeste. Ooh, there's something I completely forgot to tell you about. You are not going to believe this!'

She proceeded to relate how Emily had started dating but been very reluctant to share many details. How she'd found the shop where the mysterious Joe was based, only to discover …

'Your mum's dating a thirty-year-old? Oh, my goodness, that must have been a shock for you.

Although, why the heck not? As long as he's not after her money, only her mind and body!

Let's face it, Tabbie, your mum's a good-looking lady who's spent far too long alone.

If they're happy together who are we to judge?

' Meryl gave her a stern look, obviously anticipating a long list of reasons why it wouldn't work.

Instead, Tabitha gave a hands-up, "who knows?

" gesture and forked up the last bits of salad.

'You're right. It's none of my business and if she's OK with the age difference – and he certainly seems to be – then who am I to interfere?

All I've ever wanted is for my mum to be happy and find someone who really cares about her. If Joe's the one, so be it.'

Suddenly feeling a bit emotional, Tabitha dabbed at her eyes with her napkin.

Wouldn't it be strange if her mum ended up living with – even marrying– the undoubtedly handsome and charming Joe while she remained resolutely single.

Destined to be the bridesmaid but never the bride.

Except …honestly, Tabitha wondered if she had some kind of ea rly onset dementia, so many things seemed to slip her mind these days.

"Senior moments" was how her mum jokingly referred to them when she couldn't find her car keys or came back from a food shop minus a vital ingredient.

'Meryl, with all the drama of the past twenty-four hours I forgot something else. Or someone else. Not only did I meet Joe, I met the very attractive Adam!'

As Tabitha related the tale of their flirtation at the shop and their text exchanges last night, Meryl called the waiter over.

'Two more glasses of fizz, please. Don't look at me like that, Tabbie.

I promise to drink nothing but fennel tea for the next few days but I think we should kick back a little and mark the fact that two very special ladies have found themselves some hot men.

If you could just find one for me then we could celebrate a triple victory! '

On the way back to the shop – both a little giggly and praying they weren't inundated with demanding customers – Tabitha found her thoughts returning to her trip to Where the Hearth Is.

Meryl's mention of luck coming in threes reminded her of the third person she'd spoken to that day.

Steve, Joe's dad. A fine-looking specimen and – if first impressions were accurate – a genuinely nice man,too.

She had no idea if he was married, divorced or widowed but she could find out.

And a chat with her mum was well overdue, if only to reassure her that her relationship with Joe wasn't an issue.

Unlocking the door of The Little Shop of Treasures, Meryl turned to Tabitha. 'You look very pleased with yourself, young lady. And you've been humming away since we left the restaurant but I couldn't quite name that tune. What was it?'

Tabitha looked at her with an expression of pure innocence. 'Oh, nothing. Just a silly song I heard on the radio the other day. Come on, let's get ready for some serious selling!'

Following her boss into the shop she resumed her discreet crooning: Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match…