Massage with Sunny’. According to the monthly schedule, tomorrow was ‘Ladies Bridge Night’.
‘O… k, I really need to get to dinner with Jenny. We clearly have a lot to talk about.’
Half an hour later Lori had finished her second shower of the day and changed into something a little cleaner. She stepped into her favourite black maxi dress. The stretchy fabric was forgiving, perfect for dinner, and tied loosely around her sunburnt neck. Not bothering to dry her hair fully, she picked up the envelope from earlier and went downstairs.
Peace had been restored. All the children had been collected and the boys were now tidying up. Lori watched them working in silence for a moment before interrupting them.
‘I’m off next door then, if you’d be so kind as to lock up when you leave, I’d appreciate it.’
‘Wow! You look incredible…’ Younger Turner spoke as the pair, dressed in their blue Police overalls, looked up from their sweeping.
‘Shut up Jonah,’ Zeb barked at his brother. ‘Of course we’ll lock up.’
Feeling brazen, Lori stuck her tongue out at him, making Jonah laugh. Un-amused, Zeb just stared at her, his eyes boring through her already stinging skin, making her shiver.
Time to go.
‘Right, well goodnight officers,’ she chuckled as she turned and left them to it.
Lori’s stomach let out a growl of anticipation as she walked up Jenny’s front path, the smell coming from inside was mouth-watering, and having only eating a few slices of bread she was ravenous.
Just as Lori went to knock on the door, Jenny pulled it open with a flourish. Dressed in head to toe paisley, great swathes of silk and chiffon billowed around her.
‘Va va voom! You look absolutely stunning darling. Now come straight in and help me with Skippy. I’m having a little trouble getting him into the oven.’
Chapter Six
Full to bursting point and just a bit tipsy from Jenny's homemade Raspberry wine Lori had made it home and into bed not long after midnight. She'd had a lovely evening, the unease she initially felt about eating one half of the coat of arms hadn't lasted long. Her host was an incredible cook, and made it all look so effortless too. They'd eaten three courses, Jenny's own recipes, and each one more delicious than the previous.
Jenny also did most of the talking. She told Lori everything she knew about the shop and about the role Jack had created for it to play in the community. In the mid-nineties, soon after he and Robin had separated, Jack came into a modest amount of money as a result of a tragic accident that claimed both his parents. Using his inheritance to buy the shop in Murfey's Beach he threw himself into community life and quite literally opened his doors to the residents so that there was a place for local clubs and groups to establish. According to Jenny, his standing in the town had been regarded as that of legendary. Lori found this hard to hear, so had chosen to offer no contribution to the conversation.
To her, her father was the epitome of uselessness.
After dessert, Lori had opened the list of shareholders and Jenny, sworn to secrecy, provided her with as much information as she could about the six other names on the list. She'd need all the ammunition possible if there was to be any chance of gaining a majority vote, but from how Jenny had described in great detail the nuances and eccentricities of the majority of the investors, Lori came away from her evening feeling as though she'd need more than a fully stocked armoury to penetrate the over-protective hold they have on the future of the shop.
The alarm clock woke Lori at six, just as Simon pulled up on the drive at the front of the shop. She planned to go for a swim straight afterwards and so greeted him dressed in her bikini and shorts. It was far too hot and humid to care about the quantity of flesh she had on display. The day was already showing signs of being a scorcher.
‘You must be Lori.’
‘O… k, I really need to get to dinner with Jenny. We clearly have a lot to talk about.’
Half an hour later Lori had finished her second shower of the day and changed into something a little cleaner. She stepped into her favourite black maxi dress. The stretchy fabric was forgiving, perfect for dinner, and tied loosely around her sunburnt neck. Not bothering to dry her hair fully, she picked up the envelope from earlier and went downstairs.
Peace had been restored. All the children had been collected and the boys were now tidying up. Lori watched them working in silence for a moment before interrupting them.
‘I’m off next door then, if you’d be so kind as to lock up when you leave, I’d appreciate it.’
‘Wow! You look incredible…’ Younger Turner spoke as the pair, dressed in their blue Police overalls, looked up from their sweeping.
‘Shut up Jonah,’ Zeb barked at his brother. ‘Of course we’ll lock up.’
Feeling brazen, Lori stuck her tongue out at him, making Jonah laugh. Un-amused, Zeb just stared at her, his eyes boring through her already stinging skin, making her shiver.
Time to go.
‘Right, well goodnight officers,’ she chuckled as she turned and left them to it.
Lori’s stomach let out a growl of anticipation as she walked up Jenny’s front path, the smell coming from inside was mouth-watering, and having only eating a few slices of bread she was ravenous.
Just as Lori went to knock on the door, Jenny pulled it open with a flourish. Dressed in head to toe paisley, great swathes of silk and chiffon billowed around her.
‘Va va voom! You look absolutely stunning darling. Now come straight in and help me with Skippy. I’m having a little trouble getting him into the oven.’
Chapter Six
Full to bursting point and just a bit tipsy from Jenny's homemade Raspberry wine Lori had made it home and into bed not long after midnight. She'd had a lovely evening, the unease she initially felt about eating one half of the coat of arms hadn't lasted long. Her host was an incredible cook, and made it all look so effortless too. They'd eaten three courses, Jenny's own recipes, and each one more delicious than the previous.
Jenny also did most of the talking. She told Lori everything she knew about the shop and about the role Jack had created for it to play in the community. In the mid-nineties, soon after he and Robin had separated, Jack came into a modest amount of money as a result of a tragic accident that claimed both his parents. Using his inheritance to buy the shop in Murfey's Beach he threw himself into community life and quite literally opened his doors to the residents so that there was a place for local clubs and groups to establish. According to Jenny, his standing in the town had been regarded as that of legendary. Lori found this hard to hear, so had chosen to offer no contribution to the conversation.
To her, her father was the epitome of uselessness.
After dessert, Lori had opened the list of shareholders and Jenny, sworn to secrecy, provided her with as much information as she could about the six other names on the list. She'd need all the ammunition possible if there was to be any chance of gaining a majority vote, but from how Jenny had described in great detail the nuances and eccentricities of the majority of the investors, Lori came away from her evening feeling as though she'd need more than a fully stocked armoury to penetrate the over-protective hold they have on the future of the shop.
The alarm clock woke Lori at six, just as Simon pulled up on the drive at the front of the shop. She planned to go for a swim straight afterwards and so greeted him dressed in her bikini and shorts. It was far too hot and humid to care about the quantity of flesh she had on display. The day was already showing signs of being a scorcher.
‘You must be Lori.’
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