Just Like That, page 20
‘Nick, Jess, come with me.’ Gwen looks like a woman not to be messed with.
‘Shi-i-t,’ I give a low groan.
Even Nick looks concerned by Gwen’s expression and tone. He reaches out and grasps my hand to let me know we’re in this together, but I shake my head and pull it away.
This is bad. Gwen specifically asked us not to let our relationship interfere with our jobs, and now she’s caught us skiving off like two naughty teenagers hiding behind the bike shed. To make things worse, from the way she was stomping around, it seems like she was looking for us – which means someone must have seen us together and complained to her.
Chapter 28
Nick and I trail silently behind Gwen all the way to the courtyard and into her office, where she gestures for us to take a seat. Unable to bear the tension any longer, I launch straight into an apology.
‘Gwen, I’m so sorry. That was so unprofessional of us. You trusted us to keep our relationship separate from our jobs and we abused that trust. I realise it’s simply unacceptable and we deserve whatever action you feel is appropriate under the circumstances.’
Stealing a glance at Nick, I’m expecting – no, almost hoping – to see the same flabbergasted reaction to my previous panicked outpouring, but his face is ashen.
‘Are you done?’ Gwen asks me with one hell of a poker face.
‘Erm… yes. Sorry.’ I shrink into my seat and chew on my lip anxiously.
‘OK, great. Because you two having a snog round the side of the restaurant is the least of my worries right now.’
‘It is?’
I sit forward and Nick does the same.
‘If it’s not that then what’s going on, Gwen?’ he asks. ‘I’ve never seen you looking so… serious.’
Before Gwen can answer, Lauren bursts into the office.
‘Sorry, Mum, I didn’t realise you were looking for me.’ She scoots past Nick and I, taking the remaining free seat in the room. ‘What’s up? I’m not getting good vibes here.’
Gwen gets up from her desk chair and begins pacing. ‘“What’s up” is that the bank has declined the additional business loan I was assured I would get.’
‘What?’ Nick looks shocked. ‘We were relying on that loan to keep the park open until Christmas. Your business relationship manager knew that.’
‘He did, but apparently someone at the bank has had a change of heart. They think we’re too big a financial risk, and even if we get out of the hole we’re in, we’ll hit a bigger one further down the road.’
‘I can’t believe this.’ Nick rubs his jaw in dismay.
‘Me neither.’ Lauren’s face has drained of colour. ‘I know our options are limited, but is there nowhere else you can get the money from?’
‘No.’ Gwen continues her pacing. ‘I’ve tried several avenues. All dead ends.’
‘How long till we close?’
‘About two months.’
Lauren shakes her head vigorously in denial, while Nick puts his head in his hands and lets out an anguished cry. I instinctively put my arm around him, then glance uncertainly at Gwen, who waves a hand telling me to go ahead.
‘We have to do something,’ says Nick. ‘This cannot be the end. Those animals need us; the job we do is too important. Do the bank not get that?’
‘They do.’ Gwen nods. ‘Believe me, I’ve tried all the arguments. I gave them quite the speech.’
I cringe as a rogue thought passes through my mind that, from what I’ve seen, Gwen’s speeches aren’t the most compelling. Batting it aside, I focus on her, Nick and Lauren and their visible pain at the idea of losing the place they love most in the world. It just can’t happen. It’s clear that Nick lives for the park, and I’d put money on it being exactly the same for Gwen, perhaps even for Lauren.
There must be something we can do to save it – something that will bring in an injection of cash to plug the gap. Something like…
‘I know what we need to do.’ I suddenly stand up.
‘You do?’ Nick, Gwen and Lauren ask in unison.
‘Yes. We’re going to hold a fundraiser event. A huge one. There’s nothing that’s a bigger threat to our world right now than climate change. People love animals and they want a future for their kids. We’re going to show them how important this park is, and we’re going to appeal to their community spirit.’
‘Surely something like that will take a couple of months to plan,’ says Gwen. ‘We don’t have the luxury of time. Our fortunes need to turn around in a few weeks if we’re to have a chance at saving this place.’
‘It doesn’t need to take a couple of months.’ I shake my head determinedly. ‘We just need to be smart about it. Use what we already have at our disposal and get some charitable donations.’
‘I don’t know.’ Gwen sits back down, looking unsure. ‘It feels like too big an undertaking, and I can’t afford to pay Craig for the additional support we’d—’
‘You won’t need any. And actually, as he’s still essentially your brother-in-law, the stingy bastard should be helping you for free.’ I blanch at my own behaviour. ‘Sorry, that should not have come out of my mouth.’
‘You think I care?’ Gwen guffaws, temporarily distracted from her woes. ‘You already know that to me he’s just a twat in a suit.’
‘Yes, I suppose I do.’ I let out an almost maniacal laugh. ‘OK, so let’s focus here… I can manage all the activities and logistics.’
‘And I’ll help,’ says Nick.
‘Me too.’ Lauren’s face is already regaining its healthy glow.
‘Great, so Nick, Lauren and I will handle that. We’ll make the most of the park and use some of the ideas that we’ve put into the other events. We can get Serge on to his supplier contacts to see if they can help with donations on the food and drink side of things, and we can do an appeal for prizes for a prize draw. Then all we need is some really good PR to get the word out, and I know just the person who can help us…’
By the time, we leave Gwen’s office, I’m firing on so many cylinders, I’m in danger of taking off. I didn’t realise how much I cared until I heard Gwen’s awful news. The potential implications for the animals, and the broader staff and management team, many of whom I now see more as colleagues than clients, is too much to stomach. I’ve moved on from seeing it as a blight on my CV, and as much as I’m still desperate to revive my career, I also need to make sure the park has a future. For Nick, for Gwen, for everyone here. Plus, if I can help them save this place under near impossible circumstances, then there’s no way Craig can continue to keep me down. I’ll have more than proved myself.
‘Are you really confident we can pull this off?’ Nick asks me, as we leave Gwen and Lauren talking in the office and head back towards the retirees’ event to check everything’s still going smoothly.
‘As confident as I can be.’ I feel slightly nauseous as my mind tries to comprehend what I’ve just signed up to, but I refuse to let my monkey brain hijack me and distract me from this challenge. ‘If we don’t try, then it’s game over. I don’t know about you, but there’s no way I’m letting this place go down without a serious fight.’
Chapter 29
Having neglected to think through the consequences of leading a fundraiser of the size I was suggesting in Gwen’s office, I had to seek Seth and Jackson’s blessing to take on the project. As part of that, I also had to be completely sure that everyone was happy with the arrangement and no one was feeling taken advantage of or left high and dry. The arrangement being that, for the period running up to the event, Jackson would move in and take over as a Seth’s full-time carer, while I would stay at a small family-run hotel in the charming little village of Dirleton for easy access to the park.
Thankfully, the hotel owners were willing to give me a very generous discount on one of their four self-catering studio apartments, as I was booking such a long stay with them. And the best thing about it all was that I made sure mine and Seth’s pathetic excuse for a parental unit would foot the bill for the extra care. Of course, they were happy to shell out, because it eased their woefully tiny consciences that little bit more.
The next three weeks are a whirlwind. Between overseeing the scheduled dating events and coffee mornings – which thankfully, the park team are largely on top of – and planning the fundraising-event-to-end-all-fundraising-events to save the place, I barely have a spare moment in my waking life to think about anything else. Though I do make sure my other projects are ticking over to keep Craig at bay.
I work round the clock with Nick, Lauren and some enthusiastic volunteers (who are also desperate to keep their jobs), leaving the hotel at seven a.m. each morning and not returning until ten p.m. As well as planning the event itself, we put a plan into action to spruce up the park, because every person who comes to the fundraiser is a potential future customer and/or word-of-mouth recommendation. I also enlist the help of Amelia, who’s more than happy to lend us some remote support, and within a couple of days she gets us up and running with some killer social media content to promote the event. This includes designing us some eye-catching e-flyers with the tag line: ‘Help save the best conservation project you’ve never heard of’, which we’re also able to print off and hand out in the local towns and villages, and in and around Edinburgh, appealing to the good nature of the small businesses – cafes, restaurants, hairdressers and the like.
‘Won’t that strapline make us look bad?’ Nick had asked, when Amelia unveiled her stroke of genius via video call at one of our project meetings. ‘If we’re admitting people have never heard of us, then aren’t we admitting to being a failure?’
‘Nah-ah.’ Amelia had firmly rejected this statement, shaking her head so violently her huge hoop earrings bashed her in the face. ‘It adds a layer of intrigue. People will want to know what they’ve been missing out on, so they’ll check you out. It’ll work, I promise.’
So, after twenty-two days of living on espressos and very little sleep, we find ourselves jittery with nerves at our last project meeting on the eve of the event.
‘Do you think it will work?’ asks Hayley, who’s a member of Lauren’s team, and looking very anxious indeed.
‘Honestly? I don’t know.’ I shrug, unable to give her the decisive response she’s seeking. ‘It depends on whether the local community connect with our message and turn up on the day, but I certainly hope so.’
‘You’ll get your turnout,’ says Amelia’s confident face from the wall-mounted TV screen. ‘I know my stuff, soldiers. You’ve got them by the tear ducts.’
I watch Hayley’s face brighten along with several others in the room and I feel the need to dampen down the expectations a bit. I don’t want everyone’s hopes getting sky high and then plummeting in an earth-shattering way if we don’t pull this off. Even if we do get the turnout, our fundraising goal – a.k.a. the sum we need to stay open beyond the next five weeks or so – is pretty huge. It really is a gamble whether we’ll make it.
‘OK, everyone, I’m sorry to be the misery guts here, but I want you to stay realistic.’ I flatten my palms on the table and look round its occupants. ‘It might work out or it might not. Let’s just focus on putting everything into tomorrow, yeah? We’ve got huge numbers showing interest in the event online, which is brilliant, but we need those people to actually turn up and pay entry. And we need to make a lot more money through our activities, food sales and by boosting the animal sponsorship scheme. So, make sure you come with your A-game tomorrow and be ready to sell your hearts out.’
‘Yeah! Wooooo!’ hoots Amelia from the TV screen, so close up that we get a view of her tonsils. ‘Wish I could be there. Go and smash it.’
‘We will.’ I laugh, as Amelia gets up from her seat and does a premature victory dance, much to the amusement of the project team – especially as all we can see now are her boobs jiggling around while she does it.
Stealing a glance at Nick, to see what he thinks of my bonkers best friend, he simply shakes his head with bewilderment. But I’ll take that. He obviously doesn’t find her offensive like some (boring and unimaginative) people do.
Suddenly aware that it must be getting late, I look at my watch and see it’s gone eight p.m.
‘OK, everyone. Let’s call it a night. You need some proper sleep before this thing, so shall we meet at eight a.m. tomorrow?’
There are a couple of groans round the table.
‘I know, I know. It’s early for a Saturday. But this is it. One last push.’
‘You can have a lie-in tomorrow, or a lie-in every day when we close for good.’ Nick aims some pointed looks around the table and the groaners quickly buck up their attitudes.
‘That was a bit harsh… but true, I guess,’ I say to him once Lauren and the rest of the project team have filed out of the office.
‘They needed to hear it.’ He makes no apology for his words, then wanders around the table and takes me by the waist, kissing me tenderly.
Closing my eyes, I let the loveliness of the moment wash over me, feeling lighter all of a sudden. However, this lightness is quickly replaced by the desire I’ve been struggling to resist since Nick and I got together, and we start to get a bit carried away.
‘Um… I’m still here, you two,’ Amelia’s voice unexpectedly interrupts us and we pull apart, colouring with embarrassment.
‘Shit, sorry, Meels.’ I make my way over to the screen. ‘I totally forgot we were catching up after the meeting.’
‘That’s OK, sugar mouse.’ Her lips curl up angelically. ‘I mean I’m game for a threesome, especially with this sexy big cat – raaar, by the way, Nick – but I feel I’ll be at a disadvantage here.’
‘Amelia,’ I scold her and pirouette round to see Nick’s reaction.
‘Ahem… maybe I should head on.’ He quickly heads for the door.
‘OK, but wait for me before you leave for the night?’ I call after him. ‘I’ll only be a few minutes.’
Giving me an awkward over the shoulder thumbs-up, he then disappears out the office so fast you’d think his arse was on fire. I turn back to Amelia.
‘Really?’ I cock my head to the side in judgement. ‘You couldn’t have waited a little bit longer before introducing him to that side of you?’
‘Girl, chill.’ She giggles away to herself silently, making me think for a moment that we’ve lost sound. ‘He’s going to have to get used to me at some point, isn’t he?’
I realise this is not a rhetorical question.
‘I hope so.’ I rub my forehead exhaustedly. ‘It’s still early days. We haven’t even… you know.’
‘What, why? You’ve been staying at a hotel for three weeks. It’s pretty much the law that you have to “do it” in a hotel room.’
‘It’s a studio apartment, not a hotel room.’
‘That’s irrelevant. Is it you or him that’s dodging the deed, because that could mean—’
‘It’s nothing that needs to be analysed,’ I interrupt her runaway train diatribe. ‘We’ve barely had time to sleep or eat in the last three weeks, never mind get down and dirty.’
‘That sounds like complete tree bark.’ Amelia’s face turns suspicious. ‘What are you not telling me, Jess?’
‘Nothing… seriously… let’s just leave it and chat through these final couple of points about tomorrow.’
‘Eh, no way. Out with it, you sneaky swordfish.’
I sigh with resignation. ‘All right. I’m keeping that side of things out of our relationship for now, because once we start having sex, he’ll expect us to stay over at each other’s places.’
‘And?’ Amelia looks understandably confused.
‘And I can’t have him stay over at mine, because he doesn’t know about the situation with Seth.’
‘WHAT??’
‘I know, I know.’ I quickly explain what Nick said on our first date and how I’m hoping Seth will recover enough to allow me a more straightforward relationship with Nick – so we actually have a chance at a future together.
‘Jess, I love you like a pixie sister, but this is atomic insanity. That incredible man has been through the ringer with his ex-wife because she was a lying, cheating scumbitch, and you’re—’
‘It’s not the same,’ I protest. ‘I’m not lying. I just haven’t shown him all of me, and for good reason. He was clear that night about what he wants – nothing “complicated” and “no baggage”. Plus, he deserves to have someone who’s totally devoted to him. I can’t offer him that right now. But I’m really hoping to be able to, and I want to paint it as a real possibility when the time is right. Seth’s improving every day.’
Amelia closes her eyes for a second while she digests this, then opens them again. ‘Yeah, well, I hope you’ve got your cards laid out right. I also hope you’re not gambling on Seth making a near full recovery, because you know that’s not guaranteed.’
‘I do and I’m not, OK? Now let’s move on.’
I quickly change the subject and Amelia briefly gives me some tips on how to maximise our online visibility the next day while the event is happening. On her advice, we’ve also set up a page on a fundraising platform called FundedCauses to boost our income and increase our reach.
Once I’ve said goodnight to her, I make my way outside and find Nick sitting on a bench, messing about on his phone.
‘Sorry about that.’ I ruffle his hair affectionately. ‘Amelia is a bit… alternative. She takes a bit of getting used to.’
‘Will I have the opportunity to get used to her?’ Nick looks up at me with a searching expression.
‘Wh… what do you mean by that?’ I’m caught off guard by this question, which is a departure from the light and easy-going interactions we’ve been enjoying since getting together.
‘I mean…’ He puffs out his cheeks contemplatively. ‘I guess I’m wondering where this is going, Jess. I really like you, but since our date, we’ve only seen each here at the park. As much as I enjoy that side of things, I was hoping for a bit more than that.’
