Jennifer Bohnet - Rosie’s Little Café on the Riviera

‘Are you ready to party next door, then?’ James said.

Rosie shook her head. ‘I’m way too tired. If you want the invite, you take it.’

‘I’ve got one of my own, thanks,’James said. ‘My new stepbrother is a friend of Seb and wangled me one.’ He shrugged his shoulders into his denim jacket. ‘D’you want me to stay while you lock up?’

‘No, you get off. And thanks for your help. See you in the morning,’ Rosie said.

As James left, a blast of music drifted over in the air from the hotel. The party was clearly going strong. Lucky was curled up outside on the terrace and thumped her tail as she saw Rosie before getting up and wandering over to her.

‘You ready for supper?’ she said, bending down to gently stroke the dog.

The dog lifted her head from the bowl of minced meat that Rosie had put down for her on the kitchen floor and growled as there was a knock on the door before Seb entered.

Tonight, dressed in smart black jeans and a crisp white shirt, a single woven leather bracelet on his right wrist, he was less of a drifter, more of a suave party animal. Even his hair had been subdued into behaving.

‘Nice dog. Is she yours?’

‘Yes. She turned up a couple of days ago and nobody seems to want her so I’m keeping her. I’ve always wanted a dog. I’ve called her Lucky,’ she said, glancing at Seb. ‘I’m hoping she’ll be my good luck mascot as well as a deterrent.’

Seb raised his eyebrows.

‘There were a couple of scruffy men – boys, really – hanging around earlier,’ Rosie said. ‘Probably perfectly innocent but…’ She shrugged. ‘Anyway, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at your party?’

‘I’ve come to collect you. Your champagne awaits.’

‘Seb, I’m sorry but I’ve had a busy evening. I’m tired – besides I’m not dressed for a posh party.’ She glanced down at her smart, but plain, little black dress.

‘You look fine to me,’ Seb said. ‘Maybe comb your hair. Bit of lipstick. Come on, Rosie. Just the one glass. There are a few people over there who could be potential customers. Come and do a bit of networking.’

Rosie looked at him dubiously. ‘You keep telling me, we’re aiming for different parts of the market.’

‘They might want to slum it one evening,’ Seb said.

Rosie gasped at his cheek before seeing a smile twitch his lips and realising he was joking. A bad joke but a joke nevertheless. Maybe she should go. He had, after all, taken the trouble to come and find her. It was just a drink with a neighbour. Be churlish not to go.

‘OK. One glass,’ Rosie said. ‘Then I’m really going home to bed. It’s been a long week.’

‘You can bring Lucky if you want,’ Seb said.

‘No. I’m not sure how she’ll behave,’ Rosie said. ‘She can stay on her blanket in the restaurant. I’ll come back for her after I’ve had that glass of champagne.’

The party was in the conservatory Rosie had spied from the studio room upstairs and was packed to overflowing. Sipping the champagne Seb had poured for her while he went to fetch some nibbles, she looked around.

Seb was obviously well connected. There were a few, if not exactly famous, then certainly well-known, Riviera faces and a couple of minor A-list celebrities she recognised. And GeeGee was here, too, Rosie was pleased to see. She raised her glass in her direction when she saw her glance across, but before she could make her way over to her James appeared at her side.

‘Seb changed your mind then?’

Rosie nodded. ‘Just having a quick glass. So, which is your stepbrother out of this crowd?’

‘He’s… over there,’James said turning to look around the room. ‘You should recognise him.’

‘Why should I?’ Rosie said as she followed his gaze. ‘Oh.’

‘How long has he been your stepbrother?’

‘My mum married his dad a month ago. Oh, he’s seen us. He’s coming over.’

‘Rosie. How lovely to see you. I do miss not having you onboard. How’s the Café Fleur going?’ And Charlie leant forward to kiss her cheek. He sighed as Rosie averted her face and he kissed air.

‘What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be on your way to Sardinia.’

‘We’re leaving at the crack of dawn Monday. I hope James is behaving himself and being useful?’

Rosie stared at Charlie as realisation dawned. ‘You sent him, didn’t you? To spy on me!’

‘To help, Rosie. To help.’

Furious, Rosie turned to James. ‘You’re fired. I’m leaving. Goodbye.’

Rosie was still fuming when she got into bed that night. As far as she was concerned, sending James to spy on her was a step too far even for Charlie the control freak. Furious didn’t start to describe her feelings that, after all these years, he expected her to like having him back in her life.

If she’d had any sense she’d have walked off A Sure Thing the moment she’d heard the name of the new owners fourteen months ago . Unfortunately, there’d still been a year of her contract to go and the agency had refused to release her even when she’d begged them to let her go. So she’d thought of the money and prepared to be a good employee until she could legitimately take her money and run.

She’d been busy preparing a lobster for dinner the first time Charlie had strolled into the galley and asked for another bottle of champagne to be sent up to the aft deck. If it hadn’t been such a standstill moment, Rosie would have laughed out loud at the look on his face when he saw her. As it was she just said, ‘Right away, sir.’

She’d genuinely believed him when he’d sworn he didn’t know she was the chef onboard until the moment he walked into the galley. When he learnt that she’d known the name of the new owner and had chosen to stay on, he decided it was because she wanted to see him again.

‘Believe me, Charlie, I’d have left if I could. I had no choice – the agency insisted I honour my contract. But don’t worry – I have no intention of renewing it. Once it finishes, I’m off.’ Even as she’d said the words she could see he didn’t believe her.

The more Rosie protested, the more determined he became that their youthful relationship should be revived and given another chance. Rosie was equally determined against it. So, during the season she made sure she was always too busy to take more than the occasional day off and then she made sure there was no chance of Charlie being around, insisting they spend it together.

Out of season, when Rosie lived ashore, it had been more difficult to keep her life separate from Charlie’s. She had hoped the evening in The Recluse, when they’d had what she’d hoped would be the row to end all rows, would bring Charlie to his senses. Make him give up and go find himself a proper girlfriend.

No such luck. The moment he heard the agency were sending a replacement chef for William to interview, he redoubled his efforts to try and stop her. Telling him ‘no’ and leaving the yacht had failed to get the message across that she could never forgive him for letting her down all those years ago in college. He didn’t seem to understand how his action all those years ago had changed the course of her life.

Turning out the bedside light, Rosie sighed. How the hell was she going to get him to butt out of her life once and for all?

CHAPTER NINE

Erica took her cup of coffee up to the roof terrace of the townhouse she and Pascal had bought before they were married. Early Sunday morning and the remains of a light mist hanging over the town were giving way to the sun.

She and Pascal had loved to sit up here together in the evening, sipping a glass of wine, happy to be spending time with each other. She’d barely been up here recently. She’d got used to the rest of the house feeling empty and lonely without Pascal around but the roof terrace had been a special place. Up here the memories were still raw. Even now, all these months later, she had to fight back the tears.