Page 42 of Lost in Love

Chapter 11

Anna stood at the counter, hands on her hips. She was wide awake, full of energy, and the tingle in her chest told her she was happy.

Gloria spotted her and headed to the coffee machine.

“I’ll have some of your finest green slime this morning please, Gloria.”

Gloria stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her. She grinned and walked to the backroom where she seemed to concoct it. Anna suspected it was so no one could see what she put in it. She returned a few minutes later with the same grin and placed it on the counter.

Anna wondered how long Gloria could go without commenting. She placed the money on the counter and picked up the cup. She got to the door before Gloria caved.

“All right, tell me everything right now, young lady!”

Anna smirked around the straw in her mouth and returned to the counter. “I knew I could break you.”

“Come on, out with it.”

“There’s not much to tell.”

“Are you and the other green slime lady green-slime-ing together now?” Gloria did a strange gesture with her finger.

Anna nearly spat out her mouthful of slime. “You seriously need to work on your lesbian metaphors, Gloria, but at least you avoided the word ‘scissors’.”

“Scissors? What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Never mind. We’re friends, maybe a little more.” She held the straw tightly in her mouth, hoping to disguise her smile, and headed back to the door.

“Well, good luck to you, I say. You need a bit of happiness, darling.”

* * *

The abbey was a hive of activity when she arrived. Flatbed vans were in the car park with spades leaning against them.

Carrie walked to meet her as she entered through the gate.

“They started at six this morning, both vans laden with fresh turf and eight men. It means we can open today.”

“Wow, Margaret sure can pull some things out of the bag.”

“The abbey received an anonymous donation yesterday, so I imagine that helped.”

“Great,” Anna replied, rather subdued at the thought that someone else was paying for her error.

“It was a mistake, Anna, don’t beat yourself up. They aren’t.” Carrie nodded at Margaret and another trustee who were overseeing the men as they finished up.

They perched on the bench and watched as the men packed their vans.

Margaret spotted them and joined them at the bench.

“Morning, ladies. Those chaps have done an excellent job of it. You would never know there had been a problem; they are even coming back to keep the turf watered for us, to make sure it all takes.”

Margaret walked back to the visitor centre and waved the workers off in their vans.

Something didn’t add up; Margaret was acting too cheery. She hadn’t said anything to Anna about the whole palaver, though the repairs must have been a cost the abbey could ill afford.

Anna watched the vans leave; they pulled out of the car park and drove straight onto the drive of Abbey House. She was going to murder Katherine.

Cars began to pile into the car park, though; it was opening time. Anna supposed Katherine would have to wait.