Page 35 of The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop

‘No, maybe not.’ They had only seen a handful of people in the last hour; some had drifted past the window looking at the display, but hardly anyone was coming in.

For Holly and Adam, the young man from the hotel, romance was blooming. He still called in for his weekly chocolates for his gran, but also added a box of whatever Holly was fancying that day, which was very sweet. They had been on several dates over the summer and they also liked to borrow Alfie for walks on the beach, which her spaniel was very happy to accommodate. Adam seemed to be a real nice lad, and Emma was so pleased for Holly. It was lovely to see their young relationship developing.

Soon she was out on the open road, driving along country lanes that wound their way along the coastal route, a glimpse of sea here and there, roadside cottages and farms, hedgerows, fields with cattle and sheep grazing. She loved this county of Northumberland; it felt so much like home.

Holly went out the back to get some more packaging supplies and was coming through from the kitchen area, armed with colourful reels of ribbons and cellophane bags, when the shop door clanged, and a rather good-looking, if slightly on-the-old-side-for-her, man came in (not that she was looking, anyhow, she was so happy with Adam, but you couldn’t help but notice some things). He reminded her of Gerard Butler in the film P.S. I Love You – tall, well-built in that muscle-toned kind of way. He had cropped brown hair and a short, stubbly beard.

‘Hi.’ She smiled.

‘Hey.’

‘Can I help?’

‘Ah, are you the owner of the shop?’ She half expected him to have an Irish accent, but no. Just English, with a hint of the local Geordie in fact.

‘No, that’s Emma. She’s not in just now.’

‘Oh …’ He seemed a little taken aback.

‘Can I take a message for her, or anything?’

‘Ah, no, that’s fine. I was only bobbing in on the off-chance. It’s okay. Thanks, anyway.’

He didn’t seem interested in looking at the chocolate for sale; perhaps he was with Health and Safety or an Environment Agency or something, Holly mused.

The man turned to leave and she couldn’t help but notice the muscled curve of his butt in his jeans. With his smart leather jacket and slightly rugged appearance he certainly didn’t seem like a candidate for a Health & Safety inspector at all. Oh well.

Holly got on with making up some gift boxes ready to fill with truffles, and restocked some of the shelves. They’d have to start thinking about their Christmas display soon. Emma liked to have that all set up around the October school half-term time and Holly loved the shop when it was decorated for the festive season – it was just so pretty. Before she worked there she’d loved popping in with her friends and she was so glad she’d escaped from the chip shop job. Just think, she’d have been skipping off to see Adam with greasy, fat-smelling hair – now it was all yummy chocolate aromas. They’d arranged to see each other later today, in fact. They were meeting after work, and he was – drum-roll – going back to her house to meet her parents for supper. Things were definitely moving on. In fact, she felt a little nervous for him, hoping that they would all get on really well. She texted him whilst there were no customers: See you later x Can’t wait for you to meet Mum and Dad! x

Fingers crossed I’ll make a good impression! x

You will. It’ll be fine. After all, you made a big impression on me! xx J

Her dad would no doubt ask loads of questions, wanting to make sure he was a suitable lad, and Mum would be trying to make it all relaxed, and have a nice meal prepared for them for sure. The last she’d heard, her mum was making a roast chicken dinner – a roast chicken inquisition, ha!

Emma got back to The Chocolate Shop about thirty minutes after the handsome visitor had called.

‘Agh, the traffic was awful coming back. Got stuck behind a tractor and a queue of vehicles on the coast road. Ten miles an hour. Sorry! So, all been fine here, then? No mad rush?’

‘No, just the usual. Actually, that’s not quite right, some guy came in, asking to see the owner.’

‘Oh, okay. Don’t worry, might be some sales person, or possibly a trading standards official or something doing a drop-in check,’ Emma mused aloud.

‘I don’t think so. He didn’t look that kind of official council type.’ There was a second’s silence, before Holly resumed, ‘More of a Gerard Butler lookalike. Quite good-looking, really. I don’t know why he was here, he wouldn’t say.’

It couldn’t be, could it …? Emma felt her pulse race. She found herself stopped in her tracks in the middle of the shop. ‘Oh, umm, how old would you say he was? Hair colour?’ She tried to sound casual.

‘Not sure, maybe fortyish. Hard to say, he didn’t really look old, but then his face was a bit lived-in.’

‘Hah, tell me about it. And forty is not in any way old!’ Emma laughed. Or maybe it was when you were only seventeen.

‘Umm, brown hair, built. Stubbly beard. Attractive.’

OMG – it sounded so like him. Mr Kiss. The one and only time he turns up at the shop, and she wasn’t bloody here!

‘Did he say anything about calling back, or leave a number or anything?’

‘Nope.’