The Endgame Duet by Cleary James

Author:Cleary James [James, Cleary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Balally Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

2

Lisa was ready for a drink to soothe her nerves when she arrived at Martha’s that evening for dinner. She had gone home briefly to shower and change, swapping the somewhat tattered jeans she wore to the market for a newer pair, and teaming them with a colourful hand-painted silk shirt she had picked up in a local craft shop. Her newly-washed hair fell loosely around her shoulders, and she had put on a little make-up. She was glad that casual dressing was the order of the day in the village, and a night out at the pub didn’t call for anything more glamorous than a good pair of jeans and a bit of jewellery.

When she arrived at Martha’s, Katya and Ellie were already sitting at the table in the big kitchen/diner drinking wine.

‘Lisa!’ Ellie beamed, leaping up as she entered the room. She rushed over to her and pulled her into a hug. ‘It’s so nice to see you again.’

‘You too,’ Lisa grinned, squeezing her tight.

‘Oh wow, you look amazing!’ Ellie said, pulling back and holding her at arm’s length. ‘I’d hardly have recognised you.’

‘Um … thanks. I think,’ Lisa said with a wry smile.

Lisa had only met Ellie once before, when she had been home for a visit, just after Lisa had started working for Martha.

‘You’ve put on weight, haven’t you?’ Ellie blushed and clamped a hand over her mouth as soon as the words were out. ‘God, I mean that in a good way. You’ve put it on in all the right places,’ she added with a cheeky smile. ‘No offence.’

‘None taken.’

‘I suppose Mum has been feeding you up?’

‘She needed it,’ Martha said, carrying dishes in from the kitchen area. ‘She was nothing but skin and bone when she first came here.’

‘Not much chance of staying that way with Mum around,’ Ellie said conspiratorially to Lisa. Small and curvy, Ellie had her mother’s black hair, merry brown eyes and round, rosy cheeks. They even had identical dimples when they smiled.

‘No,’ Lisa said, smiling fondly. ‘Your mother is an amazing cook.’

She had been so lucky to meet Martha in the first week she had come here. In her mid-forties, she was twenty years older than Lisa, but they had become great friends. Martha owned The Kettle, the cafe where Lisa worked as a waitress, but right from the start she’d been more like a mother to her than an employer. It had taken all of Lisa’s courage to go in and ask about the job when she saw the ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the window of the quaint little coffee shop. She had only done it after pacing the street for hours, walking past the cafe several times before she finally got up the nerve to go inside.

Martha had seemed to pick up on her nervousness instantly, and had quickly put her at ease. She’d been so kind and friendly that Lisa had soon forgotten to feel shy. After a few cursory questions, Martha had offered her the job almost on the spot, and then made a pot of tea and sat down with her for a chat.

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