Read Online Seeing Stars by Christina Jones - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christina Jones
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spandex,
was deciding if she should wear her hair upor down, and which of her pairs of dangly earrings would look best with the hippie frock.
The pub was empty. It really wasn’t worth opening up at all in the day time on St Bedric’s Eve. Not even the regulars put
in an appearance. Everyone was saving themselves for the evening.
Timmy Pluckrose was in the pub’s kitchen with Mitzi Blessing from the neighbouring village of Hazy Hassocks, unloading the
St Bedric’s Eve food and there was a lot of laughter escaping through the open doorway.
Mitzi, Zillah’s age and very sparky, made everyone laugh, Zillah thought as she tidied the pristine bar top for the umpteenth
time. Mind you, she’d probably laugh if, like Mitzi, she was lucky enough to be sharing her life with a drop-dead gorgeous
man several years her junior.
Zillah paused in realigning a row of Paris goblets which had never been used in all her years in the pub and smiled as Mitzi,
looking like a teenager in faded jeans and a white T-shirt, emerged from the kitchen. ‘All sorted?’
‘Yep, all under control. Timmy’s happy with the spread. Enough traditional herbal-based goodies in there to intoxicate the
whole of Berkshire and a few neighbouring counties as well – and all livid green, as ordered. But blimey, it’s sooo hot.’
‘Have a drink before you go. You look as though you could do with one. You must have been up all night cooking that lot. Something
long and cool?’
‘Thanks, Zil.’ Mitzi hauled herself onto one of the high bar stools. ‘I really should be getting home to clear up the debris,
but a lime and soda with an entire floating iceberg would be lovely.’
‘Coming up. Can’t you get someone to help you now your Hubble Bubble Country Cooking thing has taken off so well? What about
your daughters? Couldn’t they lend a hand?’
‘Both too loved-up to be any use at all.’ Mitzi tucked some strands of streaked red hair behind her ears andgrinned. ‘Can’t prise either of them apart from Brett or Shay long enough to hold a decent conversation, let alone get them
to do any work. No, seriously, Doll’s still working at the dental surgery and her baby is due in two months, and Lulu is about
to take her RSPCA exams, so I wouldn’t dream of asking them to take on anything else – but you’re right about needing help.
I’ve got more bookings than I can handle. I’ll have to advertise – especially if I’m going to be doing food for all your astral
shindigs this summer as well.’
Zillah reached for the ice bucket. She was delighted that Mitzi’s business was such a success; that she was so ecstatically
happy in her new relationship. It proved that there was life – and love – and hope for the over fifties. Maybe it would be
her turn next.
Mitzi peered at her. ‘You’re looking a bit down, though. How’s everything going? Really?’
‘With St Bedric’s?’
‘With Timmy. With Lewis. With life in general.’
‘The first still proposes on a daily basis. The second spends a lot of time avoiding me in case I say something he doesn’t
want to hear. The third is about as humdrum as ever.’
Mitzi giggled.
‘Fine for you to laugh.’ Zillah expertly foamed soda over a heap of ice cubes with one hand while dispensing lime juice with
the other. ‘Your life is about as good as it gets.’
‘True … oh, thanks, Zil – that’s great. What? On the house? Thanks even more, then.’ Mitzi gulped at the glass. ‘Oooh, that’s
better. I thought I was going to melt. And yes, OK, my life is great now – but this time last year I was really stuck in the
doldrums: divorced, living alone, doing a job I’d done since I left school. Same old routine, with no chance of any of it
changing anywhere on the horizon … But you never know what might happen – look at me now.’
‘Hmmm.’ Zillah propped her elbows on the bar. ‘MaybeI should eat some of your “Find Me A Man –
was deciding if she should wear her hair upor down, and which of her pairs of dangly earrings would look best with the hippie frock.
The pub was empty. It really wasn’t worth opening up at all in the day time on St Bedric’s Eve. Not even the regulars put
in an appearance. Everyone was saving themselves for the evening.
Timmy Pluckrose was in the pub’s kitchen with Mitzi Blessing from the neighbouring village of Hazy Hassocks, unloading the
St Bedric’s Eve food and there was a lot of laughter escaping through the open doorway.
Mitzi, Zillah’s age and very sparky, made everyone laugh, Zillah thought as she tidied the pristine bar top for the umpteenth
time. Mind you, she’d probably laugh if, like Mitzi, she was lucky enough to be sharing her life with a drop-dead gorgeous
man several years her junior.
Zillah paused in realigning a row of Paris goblets which had never been used in all her years in the pub and smiled as Mitzi,
looking like a teenager in faded jeans and a white T-shirt, emerged from the kitchen. ‘All sorted?’
‘Yep, all under control. Timmy’s happy with the spread. Enough traditional herbal-based goodies in there to intoxicate the
whole of Berkshire and a few neighbouring counties as well – and all livid green, as ordered. But blimey, it’s sooo hot.’
‘Have a drink before you go. You look as though you could do with one. You must have been up all night cooking that lot. Something
long and cool?’
‘Thanks, Zil.’ Mitzi hauled herself onto one of the high bar stools. ‘I really should be getting home to clear up the debris,
but a lime and soda with an entire floating iceberg would be lovely.’
‘Coming up. Can’t you get someone to help you now your Hubble Bubble Country Cooking thing has taken off so well? What about
your daughters? Couldn’t they lend a hand?’
‘Both too loved-up to be any use at all.’ Mitzi tucked some strands of streaked red hair behind her ears andgrinned. ‘Can’t prise either of them apart from Brett or Shay long enough to hold a decent conversation, let alone get them
to do any work. No, seriously, Doll’s still working at the dental surgery and her baby is due in two months, and Lulu is about
to take her RSPCA exams, so I wouldn’t dream of asking them to take on anything else – but you’re right about needing help.
I’ve got more bookings than I can handle. I’ll have to advertise – especially if I’m going to be doing food for all your astral
shindigs this summer as well.’
Zillah reached for the ice bucket. She was delighted that Mitzi’s business was such a success; that she was so ecstatically
happy in her new relationship. It proved that there was life – and love – and hope for the over fifties. Maybe it would be
her turn next.
Mitzi peered at her. ‘You’re looking a bit down, though. How’s everything going? Really?’
‘With St Bedric’s?’
‘With Timmy. With Lewis. With life in general.’
‘The first still proposes on a daily basis. The second spends a lot of time avoiding me in case I say something he doesn’t
want to hear. The third is about as humdrum as ever.’
Mitzi giggled.
‘Fine for you to laugh.’ Zillah expertly foamed soda over a heap of ice cubes with one hand while dispensing lime juice with
the other. ‘Your life is about as good as it gets.’
‘True … oh, thanks, Zil – that’s great. What? On the house? Thanks even more, then.’ Mitzi gulped at the glass. ‘Oooh, that’s
better. I thought I was going to melt. And yes, OK, my life is great now – but this time last year I was really stuck in the
doldrums: divorced, living alone, doing a job I’d done since I left school. Same old routine, with no chance of any of it
changing anywhere on the horizon … But you never know what might happen – look at me now.’
‘Hmmm.’ Zillah propped her elbows on the bar. ‘MaybeI should eat some of your “Find Me A Man –
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