Cinderella: Hired by the Prince / The Sheikh's Destiny. Marion Lennox
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and tucked an unruly curl behind her ear. Her cap was supposed to hold back her mass of dark curls, but they kept escaping. She knew she’d now have a streak of flour across her ear but did it matter what she looked like?
And, as if in echo, Cathy continued. ‘Look at you,’ she declared. ‘You’re gorgeous. Twenty-nine, figure to die for, cute as a button, a woman ripe and ready for the world, and here you are, hidden in a shapeless white pinafore with flour on your nose—yes, flour on your nose, Jen—no don’t wipe it, you’ve made it worse.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Jenny said. ‘Who’s looking? Can I get on? There’s customers out there.’
‘There are,’ Cathy said warmly, peering out through the hatch but refusing to let go of her theme. ‘You have twenty people out there, all coming here for one of your yummy muffins and then heading off again for life. You should be out there with them. Look at that guy out there, for instance. Gorgeous or what? That’s what you’re missing out on, Jen, stuck in here every day.’
Jenny peered out the hatch as well, and it didn’t take more than a glance to see who Cathy was referring to.
The guy looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was a yachtie—she could tell that by his gear—and he was seriously good-looking. It had been raining this morning. He was wearing battered jeans, salt-stained boating shoes and a faded black T-shirt, stretched tight over a chest that looked truly impressive. He’d shrugged a battered sou’wester onto the back of his chair.
Professional, she thought.
After years of working in Coffee ’n’ Cakes she could pick the classes of boaty. Holding the place up were the hard-core fishermen. Then there were the battered old salts who ran small boats on the smell of an oily rag, often living on them. Next there was the cool set, arriving at weekends, wearing gear that came out of the designer section of the Nautical Monthly catalogue, and leaving when they realized Coffee ’n’ Cakes didn’t sell Chardonnay.
And finally there were the serious yachties. Seaport was a deep water harbour just south of Sydney, and it attracted yachts doing amazing journeys. Seaport had a great dry dock where repairs could be carried out expertly and fast, so there were often one or two of these classy yachts in port.
This guy looked as if he was from one of these. His coat looked battered but she knew the brand, even from this distance. It was the best. Like the man. The guy himself also looked a bit battered, but in a good way. Worn by the sea. His tan was deep and real, his eyes were crinkled as if he spent his life in the sun, and his black hair was only really black at the roots. The tips were sun-bleached to almost fair.
He was definitely a professional sailor, she thought, giving herself a full minute to assess him. And why not? He was well worth assessing.
She knew the yachting hierarchy. The owners of the big sea-going yachts tended to be middle-aged or older. They spent short bursts of time on their boats but left serious seafaring to paid staff. This guy looked younger, tougher, leaner than a boat-owner. He looked seriously competent. He’d be being paid to take a yacht to where its owner wanted it to be.
And for a moment—just for a moment—Jenny let herself be consumed by a wave of envy. Just to go where the wind took you…To walk away from Seaport…
No. That’d take effort and planning and hope—all the things she no longer cared about. And there was also debt, an obligation like a huge anchor chained around her waist, hauling her down.
But her friend was thinking none of these things. Cathy was prodding her, grinning, rolling her eyes at the sheer good looks of this guy, and Jenny smiled and gazed a little bit more. Cathy was right—this guy was definite eye-candy. What was more, he was munching on one of her muffins—lemon and pistachio. Her favourite, she thought in approval.
And then he looked up and saw her watching. He grinned and raised his muffin in silent toast, then chuckled as she blushed deep crimson and pushed the hatch closed.
Cathy laughed her delight. ‘There,’ she said in satisfaction. ‘You see what’s out there? He’s gorgeous, Jen. Why don’t you head on out and ask him if he’d like another muffin?’
‘As if,’ she muttered, thoroughly disconcerted. She shoved her mixing bowl into the sink. ‘Serving’s Susie’s job. I’m just the cook. Go away, Cathy. You’re messing with my serenity.’
‘Stuff your serenity,’ Cathy said crudely. ‘Come on, Jen. It’s been two years…’ Then, as she saw the pain wash across Jenny’s face, she swung herself off the bench and came and hugged her. ‘I know. Moving on can’t ever happen completely, but you can’t keep hiding.’
‘Dr Matheson says I’m doing well,’ Jenny said stubbornly.
‘Yeah, he’s prescribing serenity,’ Cathy said dourly. ‘Honey, you’ve had enough peace. You want life. Even sailing…You love the water, but now you don’t go near the sea. There’s so many people who’d like a weekend crew. Like the guy out there, for instance. If he offered me a sail I’d be off for more than a weekend.’
‘I don’t want…’
‘Anything but to be left alone,’ Cathy finished for her. ‘Oh, enough. I won’t let you keep on saying it.’ And, before Jenny could stop her, she opened the hatch again. She lifted the bell Jenny used to tell Susie an order was ready and rang it like there was a shipwreck in the harbour. Jenny made a grab for it but Cathy swung away so her body protected the bell. Then, when everyone was watching…
‘Attention, please,’ she called to the room in general, in the booming voice she used for running the Seaport Ladies’ Yoga Sessions. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I know this is unusual but I’d like to announce a fantastic offer. Back here in the kitchen is the world’s best cook and the world’s best sailor. Jenny’s available as crew for anyone offering her excitement, adventure and a way out of this town. All she needs is a fantastic wage and a boss who appreciates her. Anyone interested, apply right here, right now.’
‘Cathy!’ Jenny stared at her friend in horror. She made a grab for the hatch doors and tugged them shut as Cathy collapsed into laughter. ‘Are you out of your mind?’
‘I love you, sweetheart,’ Cathy said, still chuckling. ‘I’m just trying to help.’
‘Getting me sacked won’t help.’
‘Susie won’t tell Charlie,’Cathy said. ‘She agrees with me. Don’t you, Susie?’ she demanded as the middle-aged waitress pushed her way through the doors. ‘Do we have a queue out there, Suse, all wanting to employ our Jen?’
‘You shouldn’t have done it,’ Susie said severely, looking at Jenny in concern. ‘You’ve embarrassed her to death.’
‘There’s no harm done,’ Cathy said. ‘They’re all too busy eating muffins to care. But honest, Jen, put an ad in the paper, or at least start reading the Situations Vacant. Susie has a husband, four kids, two dogs and a farm. This place is a tiny part of her life. But for you…This place has become your life. You can’t let it stay that way.’
‘It’s all I want,’ Jenny said stubbornly. ‘Serenity.’
‘That’s nonsense,’ Susie declared.
‘Of course it’s nonsense,’ Cathy said, jumping off the bench and heading for the door. ‘Okay, Stage One of my quest is completed. If it doesn’t have an effect then I’ll move to Stage Two, and that could be really scary.’
Coffee ’n’ Cakes was a daytime café. Charlie was supposed to lock up at five, but Charlie’s life was increasingly spent in the pub, so at five Jenny locked up, as she was starting to do most nights.
At least Charlie hadn’t heard of what had happened that morning. Just as well, Jenny thought as she turned towards home. For all Cathy’s assurances that she wouldn’t be sacked, she wasn’t so sure. Charlie’s temper was unpredictable and she had debts to pay. Big debts.
Once