CHAPTER TWELVE
1815 Words
CHAPTER TWELVE
Aggie had always loved the red and white checked tablecloths at Flavia’s, the best Italian restaurant in the county. She always thought it was so authentic. Not that she’d ever been to Italy, but she imagined that it would be just like that.
Coco, who had once dated Luigi, the chef, could always manage to get them a table, even during their busiest season. Not that it was busy yet though—there was still a month or two until the season really got underway.
Coco and Aggie sat, after having ordered their favourite bottle of Prosecco, and compared notes about their upcoming venture while they waited for Christie to arrive.
Not five minutes later, she waltzed in, dressed in a classic knee-length black trench coat, which she took off to reveal a pretty blue floral tea dress to match her eyes.
“Sis,” Aggie squealed. “You look amazing,” she said as she stood up and gave her sister a squeeze.
“Aww thanks, Aggie. You look pretty good yourself. Actually, you look gorgeous,” she said, pulling back and looking her up and down, “What’s going on? Have you had a makeover? Oh my God, you really have. Look at you. I can’t believe it. You look so different.”
Aggie blushed just a little bit and nodded.
“You can blame Coco for that.”
Coco grinned and hugged Christie while Aggie sat back down.
“Yep, blame me,” she chuckled. “I’ve been trying to get my hands on your sister’s hair and makeup for years. Not to mention her wardrobe. She finally succumbed while we were in Vegas though. Since then, I convinced her to bin much of what she used to wear. Et voila—a whole new woman. Amazing, right?” Coco said, clearly quite proud of herself.
“Totally, Coco. She looks beautiful. Mind you, I always knew she was beautiful underneath those dowdy clothes and centre parting,” she grinned, looking at Aggie’s hair. “You’ve finally revealed my true sister. I’m delighted.”
“Aw you guys,” Aggie cried. “You’re making me blush.”
“You don’t seem to be blushing that much either, Aggie! You really are a different woman.”
“I’m working on that too.”
“Crikey, I’m so impressed. Now tell me. How was Vegas? I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to meet you since you got back but what with the kids being so sick and everything, I honestly didn’t want to risk giving it to you. It was horrendous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much vomit and diarrhoea in my entire life. And then the spots came soon afterward. Poor things. They’ve not been well at all. But enough of all that. Prosecco and pizzzzaaaaaaaaa,” she almost wailed as Aggie poured her sister a glass.
“Wow, you were ready to get out, weren’t you?” Coco laughed as Christie nodded.
“You. Have. No. Idea.”
“Thankfully,” Coco added.
“Are the kids okay now, Sis?”
“Much better thanks. Thank God. Jonathan would have struggled to take care of them tonight if they were still sick. I so needed to get out so I appreciate you inviting me. What’s the occasion?”
“Well, we’re kind of celebrating a new business venture together.”
“Oh my God…I completely forgot about the shop. You must think I’m such a cow. I never even called to congratulate you on inheriting it. Blimey, Aggie. Sorry. Tell me more. What are you going to do with it? Sell it?”
Aggie smiled and shook her head, “Great Aunt Petunia put a condition in the will saying that I had to keep it otherwise it would be donated to the local vicarage.”
Christie screwed up her face, “Not to that toss-pot, Reverend whatever his name is?”
Aggie and Coco both nodded, looking disgusted at the same time.
“So you have to keep it and open it as a shop then?”
Aggie nodded and grinned at Coco.
“A corner shop? Groceries and stuff?”
“Fortunately there’s no condition stating what the shop must be,” Aggie grinned.
“Which is why…” Coco interrupted, “Aggie is going to open a…” she stopped and looked at her best friend.
“An adult shop,” Aggie finished the sentence.
Christie almost spat out the wine she was drinking and her eyes grew wide.
“An adult shop?” she whispered, as a grin started to appear across her face.
Aggie and Coco both nodded. They were eager to discover Christie’s opinion.
“You’re going to use Aunt Petunia’s inheritance to open a s*x shop?” she said a little louder this time.
Both girls looked at each other and nodded again.
“But…but… Aggie, you’re such a prude! How on earth are you going to do that?”
“I…I…I’m working on it. I don’t want to be known as being a prude anymore, Sis. And I want to start a business that will bring in enough money to live on comfortably. I want to build a successful business with Coco…and, if you’re interested, we wondered if you’d like to be involved.”
“Oh wow!” Christie exclaimed, “I need more wine.” She laughed and lifted up her hand, gesturing to the waiter to bring another bottle of Prosecco.
“What do you think, Christie? Do you think we’re nuts? Or do you think it’s a viable option?” Aggie asked.
“Well, I’m chuffed to bits that you’d like me to be involved, for a start. And to be honest, I have been going a bit stir crazy at home lately. Fortunately though, the girls are about to start preschool, which will give me some extra time. But a s*x shop?” she whispered a little more quietly this time and leaned forward.
“Well, we’ve done some homework,” Coco said. “And Frambleberry has never had one. No one has ever been brave enough to open one…until now. We reckon there’s a huge market for lingerie, toys, and other s*x aids. Plus, there’s a bonus that the shop has two floors so the ground floor would be very tame, with pretty lingerie and stuff while upstairs will have the more, let’s say, daring items. There’s a new large development being built not too far away at the moment too, which will bring even more people into the town. It’s one of Kyle’s projects,” she added.
Christie nodded and smiled as the waiter brought some more wine and left with the empty bottle.
“How is Kyle? I haven’t seen him for a while.”
“He’s doing great, thanks. His company is growing like nobody’s business. I’m a proud sister.”
“I know what that feels like,” Christie said, turning and smiling at Aggie.
“Shall we order before we continue? I’m starving,” Aggie suggested as she called the waiter back over again and they each ordered a different kind of pizza.
Once he’d left their table, Christie continued, “Back to the business. I must say I’m very impressed with what you’re telling me and I’d love to be involved. I’m sure you know I also inherited a sum of money from Great Aunt Petunia and I think it would be brilliant to invest that in your new business.”
“Our new business, Sis,” Aggie said as she raised her glass.
“Our new business,” Coco and Christie both repeated, clinking glasses before they all took a sip.
“So what’s it called?”
“Ah, well, we haven’t got a name just yet,” Coco replied. “We’ve been so focussed on everything else.”
“That’s fair enough. So you don’t have any ideas?”
“None whatsoever,” Aggie replied. “But you should see the shop, Christie. It’s freaking amazing.”
“Really? I just thought it was your average corner shop.”
“There’s nothing average about it,” Coco added. “It’s also got its own two-floor flat upstairs.”
“Yep,” Aggie added, “and I’m moving in. I’ve already put the bungalow on the market.”
“Oh wow, that’s fantastic. I’m so excited for you. When can I see it?”
“Well, I brought the keys with me. We could go after dinner, if you like.”
Christie grinned, “I’d love that,” she squealed. “My sister, the beautiful businesswoman. Who’d have thought, eh?” she laughed.
Aggie stuck out her tongue just before they all took another sip of wine.
oOo
Walking into the building and turning on the lights (which Aggie had just got put back on by Frambleberry Electricity), all three girls just stood, their mouths open, staring at the beautiful old chandelier hanging in the centre of the room.
“I hadn’t even noticed it before,” Coco breathed.
“It’s stunning. I bet it’s an antique. This place is incredible,” Christie said as she walked around.
“It’s still very dusty so avoid leaning on anything,” Aggie warned.
“This is going to have to be a classy adult shop,” Christie said. “You’ve got to keep all the stuff in here and use it to your advantage. People will want to come in here just to get a good look at the old building. Like those shelves, I bet they’re original. Victorian, I think.”
“I thought it was later than that,” Aggie asked.
But Christie shook her head, “No, this place was built in the mid eighteen-hundreds, I think. Look over there at that coving. I”m pretty sure that’s original. Not to mention the floor. The black and off-white tiles are most definitely from that era. And you see those two windows up there?”
Coco and Aggie both looked upward and nodded.
“They’ve both got stained-glass panels, which was quite common in the Victorian era. That’s what I reckon anyway.”
“I’d completely forgotten you used to study architecture and design.”
“Gave it all up to get married and have kids,” Christie smiled. “But I wouldn’t change it for the world. As long as I can have a break every now and again,” she laughed.
“I wonder why Mum thought it was built in the late eighteen-hundreds then?” Aggie wondered out loud.
“Beats me,” Christie replied. “Can I go upstairs?”
“You don’t have to ask, Sis,” Aggie grinned. “Go and explore. I don’t know where Coco’s got to. I’ll go and have a look.”
Both girls wandered about the shop, heading toward the back stairs when a yell from above caused them both to stop in their stride.
“Coco?” yelled Aggie. “You all right?”
Nothing.
Christie looked at her sister and both ran up the grand staircase.
“Coco!” they both yelled. “You all right?”
Still nothing.
“Where are you? Aggie shouted.
A muffled sound could be heard behind a large wooden panel, at which the sisters both looked.
“Did you hear that?” Christie asked.
Aggie nodded, “Coco?”
“I’m here,” Coco said back, although the sound was still somewhat muffled.
“Where?” Christie asked, putting both hands against the panel and pushing, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Right here,” Coco said again.
“That’s weird,” Aggie said as she began to feel along the wall beside the panel.
“What’s that, there?” Christie suggested, pointing to a couple of books on a shelf.
“Just books,” Aggie said as she went to pick them up, but the books were fixed to the shelf and the moment her hand pushed down on them, the panel moved sideways.
“Oh wow, it’s a secret door,” Christie squealed with excitement.
“Coco?” Aggie asked as they stepped inside.
“I’m here,” she said, as she revealed herself behind a large curtain that hung between them both. “Look what I found,” she said as she pulled the curtain to one side. “I think maybe it’s stuff that belonged to your Great Aunt Petunia. There are photos, letters, clothes, teddy bears, all sorts.”
“Holy s**t,” Aggie said as she bent down to have a proper look. “You really think this was hers? It looks so old. It must belong to whoever owned the shop before.”
“Maybe it was in the family before Petunia,” Christie suggested as she picked up a photo and held it to the light. “Hang on, I’ve seen her before. Well, I’ve seen a picture of her before anyway.”
“Really?” Coco asked, standing up and dusting herself down.
Aggie, who started coughing, stepped out of the secret room, “Surely not? This stuff must have been hidden in here for decades.”
“Well, it all belongs to you now. It’s up to you to decide what to do with it,” Coco grinned, handing her one of the boxes she’d picked up from the floor. “By the way, there’s a little wardrobe in there with even more old clothes in it. It’s b****y unbelievable this place. It just keeps on giving,” she smiled, leaving Aggie and Christie behind as she headed toward the stairs that led upward.
“Wait, I wanna see the flat too,” Christie yelled after her. “You coming?” she asked her sister.
Aggie nodded and pulled the secret door closed again. She’d have to investigate it later.
- Writer
