can get Robert’s receptionist to give me a list of the names.’ Lori stood up.
‘I’ll give you a lift if you like?’
‘I need the walk, but thank you.’ Grabbing her bag, Lori headed out through the shop, picking up a bottle of water from the soft drink fridge as she went.
‘Lorikeet?’ Jenny followed her to the verandah. ‘Perhaps you’d like to have dinner with me tonight? My way of making it up to you for… well, you know.’
‘Sure, that’d be lovely. I’ll pop over around seven, if that suits?’
‘Perfect. I’ll see you then.’ Jenny gave her a little wave as Lori strode across the driveway and out onto the street.
It didn’t take long to get a list of the investors from the receptionist at Matthison, Walker & Young. It did however, come with a very stern warning from the masculine looking Maureen Walker, that any breach of privacy could seriously jeopardise any chance Lori may have in gaining the confidence of the shareholders, and this would almost certainly result in a majority vote against her selling.
The list had been handed to her in a sealed envelope and Lori tucked it into her bag. She’d open it later. First, she wanted to investigate a little Bakery she’d passed the other day on her unintentional detour.
Dough Raise Me stood out amongst the old weatherboard homes that surrounded it. Beautifully renovated it looked both out of place, but also perfectly situated at the same time. The tree lined street gently camouflaged its commercial nature and a charming cottage garden surrounding the converted house afforded its neighbour’s privacy.
‘Well, hello there!’ A friendly face behind the counter welcomed Lori as she stepped inside. A little bell on top of the door jangled as she closed it behind her.
‘What an absolutely stunning Bakery.’ Lori was captivated by the floor to ceiling racks of artisan bread behind the counter, which itself was a glass fronted chiller-cabinet filled with miniature sweet pastries.
An attractive girl standing behind it, wearing a crisp white apron embroidered with the business name in swirly font, smiled. ‘Your first time?’
Lori nodded and returned the smile. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like Willy Wonka for wheat lovers!’
The pretty assistant laughed. She had the most amazing green eyes and unlike Lori’s dirty blonde ponytail, her dark brown hair was silky smooth and tamed neatly over one shoulder.
‘My name’s Kristy,’ she extended her hand, ‘are you just passing through Green Bay?’
Lori took her hand and shook it. Even her nails were perfect.
‘If only. I’ve actually just inherited the local store in Murfey’s Beach, and was passing by on my way back from the Solicitors. I arrived on the weekend.’
‘Gosh, you lucky lucky thing! I’ve been past your store. It has such enormous potential. You must be so excited.’
‘Excited? Hell no! I can’t wait to sell the place and get back to my life in the UK.’ Lori took a swig on her now lukewarm bottle of water.
Kristy looked shocked. ‘You’re kidding right? Why would you want to sell?’
Tired of the recent drama Lori felt she really had nothing more to lose, and so she gave Kristy the unabridged version of her predicament.
In return Lori learnt how Kristy and her husband had moved to Green Bay eighteen months ago, having given up their well-paid jobs in Sydney, to follow a dream they had of opening their own business. It hadn’t always been their aspiration. They’d both been quite happy earning a comfortable living, working hard and moving up their respective career ladders. But quite unexpectedly, Simon, a senior level stocks trader had taken up baking bread in a strange form of nervous breakdown a few years ago. Kristy explained how she’d come home one Monday evening to find he’d not gone into work that day. Their kitchen was filled with two dozen different breads. He never really reintegrated back into the workplace very well
‘I’ll give you a lift if you like?’
‘I need the walk, but thank you.’ Grabbing her bag, Lori headed out through the shop, picking up a bottle of water from the soft drink fridge as she went.
‘Lorikeet?’ Jenny followed her to the verandah. ‘Perhaps you’d like to have dinner with me tonight? My way of making it up to you for… well, you know.’
‘Sure, that’d be lovely. I’ll pop over around seven, if that suits?’
‘Perfect. I’ll see you then.’ Jenny gave her a little wave as Lori strode across the driveway and out onto the street.
It didn’t take long to get a list of the investors from the receptionist at Matthison, Walker & Young. It did however, come with a very stern warning from the masculine looking Maureen Walker, that any breach of privacy could seriously jeopardise any chance Lori may have in gaining the confidence of the shareholders, and this would almost certainly result in a majority vote against her selling.
The list had been handed to her in a sealed envelope and Lori tucked it into her bag. She’d open it later. First, she wanted to investigate a little Bakery she’d passed the other day on her unintentional detour.
Dough Raise Me stood out amongst the old weatherboard homes that surrounded it. Beautifully renovated it looked both out of place, but also perfectly situated at the same time. The tree lined street gently camouflaged its commercial nature and a charming cottage garden surrounding the converted house afforded its neighbour’s privacy.
‘Well, hello there!’ A friendly face behind the counter welcomed Lori as she stepped inside. A little bell on top of the door jangled as she closed it behind her.
‘What an absolutely stunning Bakery.’ Lori was captivated by the floor to ceiling racks of artisan bread behind the counter, which itself was a glass fronted chiller-cabinet filled with miniature sweet pastries.
An attractive girl standing behind it, wearing a crisp white apron embroidered with the business name in swirly font, smiled. ‘Your first time?’
Lori nodded and returned the smile. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like Willy Wonka for wheat lovers!’
The pretty assistant laughed. She had the most amazing green eyes and unlike Lori’s dirty blonde ponytail, her dark brown hair was silky smooth and tamed neatly over one shoulder.
‘My name’s Kristy,’ she extended her hand, ‘are you just passing through Green Bay?’
Lori took her hand and shook it. Even her nails were perfect.
‘If only. I’ve actually just inherited the local store in Murfey’s Beach, and was passing by on my way back from the Solicitors. I arrived on the weekend.’
‘Gosh, you lucky lucky thing! I’ve been past your store. It has such enormous potential. You must be so excited.’
‘Excited? Hell no! I can’t wait to sell the place and get back to my life in the UK.’ Lori took a swig on her now lukewarm bottle of water.
Kristy looked shocked. ‘You’re kidding right? Why would you want to sell?’
Tired of the recent drama Lori felt she really had nothing more to lose, and so she gave Kristy the unabridged version of her predicament.
In return Lori learnt how Kristy and her husband had moved to Green Bay eighteen months ago, having given up their well-paid jobs in Sydney, to follow a dream they had of opening their own business. It hadn’t always been their aspiration. They’d both been quite happy earning a comfortable living, working hard and moving up their respective career ladders. But quite unexpectedly, Simon, a senior level stocks trader had taken up baking bread in a strange form of nervous breakdown a few years ago. Kristy explained how she’d come home one Monday evening to find he’d not gone into work that day. Their kitchen was filled with two dozen different breads. He never really reintegrated back into the workplace very well
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