Chapter 3

Chapter Three

G regory settled back on his perch on the edge of the table, a large grin spreading across his face as he looked from Bea to Scott and back again. ‘I have to say I'm very impressed you're taking on this role of mentor, Ms Thompson. After all, you yourself are a newbie too.'

Bea shifted on her feet. ‘Well, I have been here for over a year now.'

‘Yes, yes. A year. Still a baby in the world of retail. You wait until you've been managing your store for forty-plus years after learning the craft from your father and grandfather, then you'll understand.' Gregory chuckled, as if the very notion that Bea could possibly know everything about running her own shop was nothing more than a joke at a comedy club. ‘Still, your little bookshop is doing well so I'm sure you'll be able to step into the role of mentor and, needless to say, I'll oversee Scott's transition to Nettleford anyway, so if there is anything either of you are unsure of or…'

Scott cleared his throat, halting Gregory's monologue. ‘I'm sorry to interrupt but I've been running my business for the past five years. This is just a move. I know how to run a business.'

Gregory blinked, the sweat from his brow pooling at the ends of his stubby eyebrows as he regained control of the conversation. ‘That may be so, but with all due respect, Mr Harrison, Nettleford is a world away from the hustle and bustle of Kettering. There are some aspects to running a business, any business, that is unique to Nettleford and the calibre of tourists we attract.'

Holding her notebook in front of her mouth, Bea tried to swallow the giggle that was rising. ‘The calibre of tourists'? Had he actually said that?

‘Is there something you'd like to add, Ms Thompson?' Gregory met Bea's eyes, a look of annoyance flashing across them.

Lowering the notebook, Bea steadied her breathing. ‘Not really, just that I found it super helpful when Fleur mentored me.'

Standing up straighter, Gregory puffed out his chest. ‘Good. That's satisfying to hear. I put a lot of effort into forming the mentoring program. What did you find helpful in particular?'

‘Umm…' Bea racked her brain. All that she could think of was that Fleur had made it her mission to introduce Bea to the local nightlife. Not that there was much about in Nettleford, far from it in fact unless a quiet pint at the local was your thing. No, they'd had to taxi into Stratford-Upon-Avon, which had a bit more going on after dark. ‘Just all of it, really.'

Nodding, Gregory's face flushed with pride. ‘See, a real-life endorsement for you, Scott.'

‘Right.' Scott folded his arms. ‘But I know what I'm doing. I've researched Nettleford for months now, a year almost before a unit became available. I even had this discussion with you when I contacted the council to rent the place.'

Gregory placed his hand on Scott's arm. ‘Just you wait until you see the workbook.'

Scott went to open his mouth again as Gregory turned around and began looking through a stack of books on the table.

Glancing at the clock on the wall above Gregory's desk, Bea bit down on her bottom lip. It was half-past eight already and at this rate they'd be here until midnight if Scott kept questioning Gregory. Before he could question him again, Bea tapped him on the forearm before bringing her index finger to her lips and darting her eyes towards Gregory.

Scott frowned, taking a second to understand what Bea was trying to tell him, and instead sighed.

Turning back towards them, Gregory smiled and handed Scott a huge tome of a booklet along with a copy of ‘The History of Nettleford' which he himself had had published fifteen years ago and was likely hugely out of date given the relatively recent discovery of a Viking or Saxon fort or something Bea had read about in the local newspaper last year. ‘Here you go. Welcome to Nettleford. Now there's some light reading so you're able to give your customers the authentic Nettleford experience.' He tapped his book before turning his attention to the booklet. ‘And a little light homework to complete so that all of us shopkeepers are singing from the same hymn sheet, so to speak.'

Scott flinched visibly as he looked down at the books Gregory had shoved in his hands before forcing out a ‘thank you' that lacked sincerity.

‘You're welcome.' Gregory turned to Bea. ‘I trust you remember going through Nettleford's unique mentorship last year when you opened your bookshop?'

Bea nodded. She certainly couldn't forget the shock she'd felt when she'd first been told about the scheme. And although she remembered Gregory had called it a voluntary scheme back then, it hadn't felt very voluntary, and poor Scott wasn't even been privy to that piece of information. ‘I remember.'

‘Fantastic.' Gregory beamed. ‘And you feel confident enough to impart that wisdom onto our lovely Scott here, then?'

‘Uh-huh.' Bea glanced down at the floor. By the little he'd said about himself, Scott had years of experience on her. He'd likely started his business when she'd been messing around in temp job after temp job, flitting from one industry to the next, unsure of what she wanted to do, and, truth be told just treading water, until she and Adam started a family.

Gregory looked towards the clock behind him before double-checking the time on his watch. ‘Okay, as much as I want to stay and chat to you both, I really must get going.'

‘Right.' Bea turned as she felt Gregory's hand on her shoulder as he hurried her and Scott towards the door, as though they'd been the ones keeping him talking.

‘Any other time and I'd have happily sat down with you and discussed the highlights of our mentor scheme but…' After almost pushing them out of the door and onto the cobbled street, Gregory turned and locked it behind them. ‘…I'm taking a special lady out for dinner.'

‘Oh, you have a date?' Bea cursed herself for sounding so surprised. It was just that this was Gregory, and she hated thinking it, but the first thought which had bounced into her head was whether the poor woman knew what she was getting herself into.

‘Yes, yes. It's our third date, so I'm splashing out on a meal at that new restaurant in Stratford-Upon-Avon.' He looked from her to Scott. ‘Okay, okay, I'll tell you a little about her…'

‘You should really get going. That restaurant can get quite busy. You don't want to queue and keep the lady waiting.' Scott tutted.

‘Right, of course. Yes, yes, you are correct, young Scott.' Gregory pocketed the keys to the town hall before wagging his finger at him. ‘Now don't worry about this induction. You're in expert hands with Ms Thompson here.'

‘I don't doubt it.' Scott waved at Gregory, retreating before turning to Bea and nodding at the books in his arms. ‘Is he for real?'

‘I'm afraid so, yes.' Bea bit down on her bottom lip. What with it being the last week in the month, she had the big book order to do for the shop, not to mention finishing up the bookshop's website so she could begin to take orders online and setting up some advertising…

‘You look a million miles away. There's me complaining about this crazy induction process, but I'm guessing this is the last thing you want to be saddled with either.' Scott shoved the books under one arm and ran his fingers through his dark curls. ‘You probably have about as much time as I do. I can imagine this is as much an inconvenience to you as it is to me.'

Was it that obvious? Pushing all thoughts of her forever expanding To Do list from her mind, Bea smiled. ‘No, it's fine. It's no bother.'

‘We both know that's a lie.' He gave her a quick smile, a dimple emerging on his left cheek beneath his dark stubble. ‘I didn't work in the police force for ten years and not pick up a few things.'

‘You were a police officer?' Bea glanced across at him.

‘A detective.'

‘Really?' She widened her eyes. Scott had been a detective? He didn't look like a detective, not with his curly mop of dark hair and dimple. He didn't look intimidating enough.

Glancing down, Scott chuckled. ‘Don't sound too surprised.'

‘No, sorry. I didn't mean it like that, I just…' She shook her head as the warm glow of embarrassment flushed across her cheeks. Had she offended him?

‘I'm only teasing.' He smiled as a small light blue car inched towards them down the narrow cobbled road.

‘That's Gregory. We'd better run before he stops and keeps us talking for another hour.' Bea nodded towards the car as it began to slow down. She pointed towards the books in his arms. ‘Don't worry about those. It's not as bad as you think. I'll talk you through it and may have a couple of hacks.'

‘Hacks?' Now it was Scott's turn to raise his eyebrows.

‘Haha, yes, but I've got to run. See you around.' After giving him a quick wave, Bea slipped her notebook and pen into her bag and turned, breathing a sigh of relief as Gregory's car sped up again from a crawl, seemingly getting the message that they were heading home. Before zipping her bag up, she checked the pen was in its rightful place, hooked into the spirals at the side of the notebook. She'd told Fleur it hadn't been a good idea to go to the meeting without her lucky pen and look where it had landed her – in the role of mentor to Scott when she had a million and one other things she needed to be focusing on.