Page 47 of The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop

‘I was going to call up at the hotel to see Adam before I head home and I thought I’d say hi.’

‘Aw, that’s nice. Thanks. Time for a cuppa?’

‘Yeah, sure. Even better if you can make it a hot chocolate?’ Holly gave a grin.

Ooh, yes, that sounded a good idea. It was getting dark and the sky outside was a whirl of autumn leaves. It was now officially the season for hot chocolate with whipped cream and a chocolate flake.

Emma pulled through the two stools from the kitchen and set them up beside the counter; that way she could still keep an eye on the shop.

‘So, how’s it all going, then?’ her assistant asked her five minutes later, as Emma came through, popping two lush-looking hot chocolates in front of them. ‘Heard you had a date over the weekend?’ Holly continued.

Not another one! The Warkton grapevine certainly spread like wildfire. Even old Mrs Clark had quizzed her earlier over her milk chocolate brazils order, after commenting that it was a bugger of a windy day.

‘Six foot two, bit of a hunk, built like Gerard Butler, with the face to match,’ Emma responded to Holly, tongue in cheek. May as well spill the beans and get it over with. The whole village was no doubt talking about it.

‘Ah, so that guy came back then.’ Holly looked serious.

Well, he did look a bit like Gerard Butler.

‘So, what was he like?’

‘Nice … we got on well.’ Em was playing it fairly cool.

‘Woo-hoo. Good for you, Em. It’s about time you found a hunky man and a bit of happiness.’

‘Thank you, I think. But just because everyone else is loved up doesn’t mean I have to be too.’

‘No, I know. But you’re grinning about it, and that’s nice to see. You have a little glow about you.’

Did she?

‘Hah. Probably a hot flush,’ Emma jibed.

‘Mmm. Fab hot chocolate, Em.’ Holly resurfaced from the mug with a creamy white moustache.

‘Yeah, just right for a chilly autumn day.’ Emma took a sip too. Chocolate didn’t have to come just in a truffle or a box!

‘You know what? I really like this, Em, sitting here, being able to chat and have a cosy drink. Especially this time of year, when it’s nearly dark outside already.’

‘Yeah, it is kind of nice.’

‘There’s nowhere like this in the village. Me and my mates, we can’t really go to the pub at our age – well, not that I’d let on to my mother.’ She smirked. ‘And Adam’s hotel is nice, but awfully formal and more for the holidaymakers, really. You need to open a little café, Em.’ It was half said in jest. ‘So I can have a chocolate stop and a natter on my way home. My friends would love it too.’

‘And old Mrs Clark,’ Emma took up. ‘She was moaning about the climb up the hill again this morning and needed a little sit down. I brought her a chair out for a bit, so she could catch her breath. Actually – bloody hell, Hols, that’s it! You’re a star.’

‘I am? And what’s it?’

‘What we need to do – have a little coffee shop so people can have coffee and chocolate by the sea: The Chocolate Shop Café.’

‘Brilliant! Can we really do that? Have a coffee shop in here too? That’d be ace.’

‘Well, it’d have to be fairly small because we don’t have loads of room to spare in here. But yeah, why not? We could put some chairs and tables out in the front space. A couple of stools like this at the counter, maybe – and just there, by the bay windows, we could make those areas into window seats. Ooh, I can just picture it and I can smell rich, warming coffee, hot chocolates, fragrant teas … and all things chocolate.’

‘Brownies.’

‘Choc-chip shortbread.’

‘Chocolate milkshakes.’