Page 19 of Barging In

Victoria twisted her lips and looked down. “Could you manage four Victoria sponges? I think that should be enough for fifty people.”

“Yes. I can manage that,” Clem answered immediately. Victoria sponges weren’t exactly a challenge — eight sponges, some whipped cream, strawberry jam, and a few strawberries to decorate.

Victoria sat back and exhaled. “Thank you.”

“What time do you need them?”

“The party starts at seven.”

“I’ll need to start early in the morning. I’ll have my own baking to do, too. Do you have somewhere to store them?”

“Yes, plenty of fridge space. You’re welcome to use the wharf’s kitchen. I can open as early as you want, and you’re welcome to make anything you need for yourself there, too, if it helps you.”

That wasn’t a bad suggestion. With more space to move around and bigger work surfaces, she’d work faster and more efficiently .

“Sure,” Clem said. “Only one problem: I’ll need some ingredients. I keep a certain amount of stock on board but not enough for all that. And I’ll need fresh strawberries.”

Victoria pulled out her phone and fiddled with it. Offering it to Clem, she said, “Here, write me a list. You’ll have everything you need. I have to go to the supermarket now anyway.”

Catching the strain in her voice, Clem raised her hand, refusing the phone. “I’ll do you one better,” she said. “I’ll come with you.”

Relief flickered across Victoria’s face. “Thank you.”

“I will take your number, though,” Clem added casually.

Victoria’s head tilted in question.

“You know, in case I need to contact you about tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Victoria said, her voice hitching slightly. “Yes. Of course.”

Her cheeks flushed a little, and Clem couldn’t help but wonder what Victoria thought she meant.

Was she hoping Clem meant it in the traditional sense?

But what was Clem thinking? The woman had a husband — a lying, cheating husband, yes, but a husband, nonetheless — and there was no reason to believe Victoria appreciated women the way Clem did.

She noticed everything: the way a woman’s hair caught the late-afternoon light, the dip of her neck, the gentle curve of her waist. There was a quiet beauty in the female form, an elegance in every movement, and she had always been attuned to it.

“Clem?”

Victoria’s gentle voice snapped her from her thoughts. Realising those thoughts were all about Victoria caused the warmth in Clem’s cheeks to deepen.

“Yes,” she replied, hoping it wasn’t noticeable .

“Type your number in.”

Taking the phone Victoria held out, she entered her number and handed it back. A second later, her own phone vibrated on the table as Victoria rang it.

“There. Now you won’t have to come to my office the next time you want to reprimand me.”

The small dig pulled a smile from Clem as their eyes locked. “Behave and I won’t have to,” she said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Victoria’s right eyebrow arched as the corners of her mouth lifted. “I should get back to work. I have a shopping list to finish. I drove in today, so my car is at the wharf. Shall I meet you there at five? It’s the?—”

“Green Jag. Yes, I know.”

Victoria gave a nod.

Max jumped onto the gunwale and hopped across to the towpath, offering Victoria a hand up. She took it with a smile.

“Victoria?” Clem called.

“Yes?”

“Have a coffee, won’t you? Make sure that cider’s fully worn off before you drive.”

Victoria flashed her a warm smile, making Clem’s chest tighten. “Of course.” She turned and walked away.

Clem watched her cross the bridge, still feeling the echo of that smile, as Max dropped into the chair beside her.

“That was a bit flirty,” he teased.

“What?” Clem scoffed. “No, it wasn’t.”

“‘Behave and I won’t have to’?” Max mimicked. “Come on. That was majorly flirty.”

“Well, it wasn’t my intention.”

“If you say so.” He shrugged in a way that suggested he didn’t quite believe it. “I can read body language as well as you. I saw the way you looked at her.”

“What way?” Clem asked defensively.

“Your eyes went all glassy. You couldn’t take them off her. And touching your hair? A classic tell. When you sat down, you turned your whole body to face her.”

“I was simply giving her my full attention.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “She’s a bit older than you, right?”

Clem shrugged. “I guess.”

“And there you were, defending age gaps not ten minutes ago. Now I know why.”

“She’s married,” Clem protested.

“But you’re not denying your attraction to her.”

She shook her head. “We’re not going there.”

“Well, I would have told her to get lost, not offered to go shopping with her. You’re too soft.”

Clem had to laugh at his comment. There was a time she might have done just that, but today she was applying a different tactic to see if it would change the outcome.

So far, it had. She was now in possession of Victoria’s phone number and would soon be zooming into town with her in her cute classic sports car.

When Max seemed to be awaiting a rebuttal to his comment that she was too soft, Clem replied, “Says the man who gave her a hand off Florence.”

“I was being courteous and neighbourly!” he said. “It’s not my battle.”

Clem narrowed her eyes at him and scrunched her face. “Anyway, I’m not soft. I just have a heart.”

“Same thing. More scrumpy?”

“More? I haven’t had any yet. Victoria skulled mine, remember? But no, thanks. I’d best keep a clear head for later. Oh! Which reminds me: I’ve written you a marketing plan.”

Max’s brow furrowed. “Okaaaay.”

“Don’t worry. It shouldn’t take you more than about fifteen minutes a day. You’ll get quicker at it once you know what you’re doing, and your confidence grows. You just need to find your marketing voice.”

Clem went inside to retrieve her laptop from her bed and opened it on the table in front of him. With a few taps, she turned it towards him.

“Type in your email address and I’ll send it over.”

He typed with one finger, making Clem wonder if he was up to the task ahead. Maybe he was better on his phone. Eventually taking the laptop back, she opened the document and proceeded to walk him through each step of her plan over the next forty-five minutes.

“If you forget how to do something, just shout,” Clem urged her neighbour as they reached the bottom of it.

Max gave her a tight smile. “Thanks. I’ll do my best with it all.” He glanced at the screen again and took a deep breath.

“That’s all you can do. It will become second nature in no time,” Clem said gently, noticing the flicker of panic in his eyes.

“Right, I’d better get my skates on. Madam will be waiting.”

“Good luck. You’ll need it,” Max replied, already getting to his feet.

He left Florence with a speed that made Clem wince. A knot of guilt tightened her stomach. Maybe she’d thrown too much at him too soon. Whether he sank or swam was a worry for another day. Victoria’s problems were more pressing, and if Clem could help the woman, then nothing was going to stop her.