Chapter Three

E rin pulled the brush through her thick curls before clipping her hair up in a clasp. There, she was ready. She felt good wearing the casual dress she'd bought for this trip. She was so used to wearing the smart trouser suit she wore for work or PJs, when she'd come to packing she'd realised she didn't really have many casual clothes hence the new dress.

After patting on a smattering of powder, Erin took one last look in the mirror and turned around, looking around the bedroom which would be hers for the next four weeks. She took a deep breath; the air laced with the fresh, salty goodness of the ocean. Through the open window, she could already hear people meandering on the cobbled street outside as they made their way down to the beach for the day. She walked across to peer out. Yep, sure enough, she could already see a fair number of blue and white striped windbreakers and deckchairs as tourists settled picnic baskets and cool boxes on the sand.

She checked the time before making her way around the bed and to the door. Elsie would be opening the bakery up soon and she needed to get down there, introduce herself to the other members of staff as well as familiarise herself with the till system before they greeted their first customers of the day.

As she walked down the stairs, she could already hear people chatting below. The other staff members must have already arrived. She pushed open the door from the small hallway leading to the flat into the bakery and closed it quietly behind her before smiling at the two women behind the bakery counter. ‘Hi, I'm Erin.'

‘Erin! So lovely to meet you. Else said you were here. I'm Diane.' After finishing tying her apron strings around her middle, Diane stepped forward, bringing Erin in for a hug.

‘Hey, I'm so relieved you've arrived. It was absolutely manic yesterday so we're super grateful for your help, especially with Layla starting her new job tomorrow.' Another woman gave her a quick hug before slapping herself on the forehead. ‘I'm so sorry. I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Brooke.'

‘Hi, Brooke. Great to meet you both.' Erin looked across at the counter. Trays brimming with freshly cooked treats were lined up behind the glass screen and baskets sitting on the counter were crammed full of loaves of bread and rolls, the cosy, yeasty smell mixing with the general fragrance of cakes, biscuits and doughnuts. She placed her hand over her stomach as it growled loudly. ‘I'm so sorry.'

‘Haha, don't worry! That's usually me after running out of time for breakfast.' Diane laughed.

Erin grinned. ‘Well, it'll teach me for forgetting to grab something to eat after my swim.'

‘Your swim? You've already been swimming today?' Brooke handed her an apron.

‘Only a quick dip in the sea. I met Layla and Graham there.'

‘Ooh really. I didn't believe Layla would go through with it when she told us about her plans for getting up super early and going swimming with the wild swimming group.' Diane handed Erin a napkin. ‘Help yourself to some breakfast.'

Taking the napkin, Erin laid it on the counter before pulling the apron over her head and tying it. ‘I can't take food from Elsie. I'll be fine until lunch.'

‘She won't mind. She's always telling us to help ourselves.' Brooke smiled.

‘Yes, she really won't and I'm going to join you. The slice of toast I did actually manage this morning was burnt to a crisp and I need to get the taste out of my mouth.' Diane took another napkin and pulled a face.

Erin looked from Diane to the baked goods beneath the counter. Would Elsie really not mind them helping themselves? She certainly didn't want to get in trouble on her first day and end of being turfed out before she even had the chance to find Tim.

‘Who's up for a coffee before we open?' Walking across to them, Teresa balanced a tray of mugs on the counter.

‘Lovely. Just what I need.' Taking a sip of her coffee, Diane turned her attention back to the treats before pulling out a tray of croissants and holding them out. ‘Anyone else?'

‘No, I'm fine, thanks. I had one straight from the oven earlier.' Teresa grinned and nodded towards the wedding counter. ‘Are Molly and Wendy in yet? I've not seen them.'

‘They've gone straight to a meeting at The Fern this morning.' Brooke picked up her mug.

Teresa held up two spare mugs. ‘In that case, I have two coffees going spare. Anyone want them before I chuck them?'

‘I'll pop them behind the counter. I'm sure between us, we'll drink them.' Taking a croissant from the tray, Diane passed it to Erin before sliding the tray back into position and taking the spare mugs.

‘Thank you.' Erin sank her teeth into the croissant, still warm from the oven, and closed her eyes, savouring the taste in her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten a croissant. They'd been Tim's go-to for breakfast on a Sunday morning. After his run, he'd pop a part-baked one in the oven before taking a shower. They'd been good, but this one of Elsie's was something different altogether. She wiped the crumbs from her lips. ‘That was delicious.'

‘They are, aren't they? I have to stop myself though or I'd easily clear the tray before opening up.' Diane smiled as she crunched up her napkin and binned it. ‘Talking of which, I'll go and do the honours.'

As Erin watched Diane unlock the door and turn the Closed sign to Open , she grimaced and turned to Brooke. ‘I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that I've not worked a till in years. I've no idea what I'm doing.'

Smiling kindly, Brooke placed her hand on Erin's forearm. ‘No worries, shadow me for a couple of customers and I'll show you the ropes.'

‘Thank you.' Erin grinned, relieved that she wasn't going to be thrown in at the deep end. That's something she was always very careful with when introducing a new employee into the office. Her first day at her very first job was engrained in her memory and not for a good reason, so she was always careful not to just drop the new employee and run. That was one of the reasons noted on her promotion and transfer recommendation.