was a bad joke, typical of her sister’s humour – but this morning it assumed a feeling of greater significance. Taking her tea back upstairs, Elsie sat on the side of her high, iron-framed bed and reached over to pick up the silk-covered box from her bedside table. Lying on top of the pile of papers inside it was the next message:
I love you because you love surprises xx
Not all surprises, Elsie thought. Some surprises I could live without. As she sipped her tea, watching the dawn begin to peek over the rooftops of her street, she couldn’t have known how timely her thoughts would prove to be …
As soon as she arrived at Sundae & Cher, Elsie knew that something was up. For a start, Cher was already in, which was most unlike her, and had uncharacteristically restocked the ice cream cabinet – a job normally reserved for Elsie on account of the fact that Cher disliked lifting the bulky tubs from the freezer. This task completed, Cher now appeared to be pacing the kitchen floor.
Elsie smiled as she entered the kitchen. ‘Morning. Is everything OK? Only I didn’t think seven-thirty a.m. existed in your vocabulary.’
‘It doesn’t, usually. But I thought I’d break with tradition today,’ she replied, fiddling with a box of sugar sachets and failing in her attempt at nonchalance. ‘I had that new batch of Kiwi and Gooseberry to mix downstairs and there’s a ton of Cookie Dough waiting for you to work your magic on. Not right now, obviously. Just – um – whenever you’re ready.’
‘Right.’ Frowning slightly, Elsie passed Cher to put her coat and bag in the cupboard by the back door. ‘I’m going to check the freezer stock levels downstairs.’
Cher’s guilty smile did nothing to remove Elsie’s growing suspicion. ‘Absolutely. Yes. Great idea.’ She paused as if to say something else, then clapped her hands. ‘In fact, I’ll come down with you.’
‘Fine.’ Leading the way, Elsie walked to the stairs at the back of the kitchen that led to Sundae & Cher’s ice cream lab in the small basement of the café. The smell of vanilla filled the air as she entered the chill of the basement and Elsie momentarily forgot Cher’s strange behaviour as she revelled in the magic of the room. She loved it here: not just because of the sweet aroma or large industrial mixer (the sight of which always brought out the kid in her, reminding her of standing on a stool next to Jim learning how to use the food processor on one of their many Saturday baking sessions), but because this place signified the heart of Sundae & Cher. This was where the magic happened – taking a basic ice cream mix and adding weird and wonderful ingredients to create brand new taste experiences.
She opened the door of the enormous freezer cabinet and began to count the stacked tubs inside. ‘Looks like we’re running low on Vanilla. We should probably get another batch made today.’
‘I’m on it. We can’t be running out of our top-selling flavour, can we?’
Elsie lifted out two heavy tubs of pale green gelato. ‘Is this the new flavour?’
‘Yes. Mixed it earlier. Good, huh?’
‘I think this is going to be really popular,’ Elsie replied, turning to Cher. ‘It might be an idea to put one of them out straight away. Shall I swap it for one of the regular flavours today and see how it sells?’
‘Yes. Good. Er – actually, before you do that, there’s something you should know …’
Elsie ignored the tightening in her stomach. ‘Yes?’
‘Now don’t be mad at me, but I might have just maybe, set you up on a date …’
‘Cher …’
Cher shrugged apologetically. ‘I know, I’m sorry. I just happened to be chatting with an old friend of mine and she mentioned that her brother would be fun for a date – if you were interested, of course.’
‘Well, that’s very kind of you, but right now I’m not really in a position to …’
‘Of course. I mean, no pressure, obviously. Although I did tell her that we were going to The Feathers for a drink after work this evening.’
Elsie felt her backbone bristling. ‘I might not be able to make it.’ She picked up one of the tubs and began to ascend the stairs.
Cher followed her with the other tub, hurried past her in the kitchen and stood across the entrance to the café, blocking Elsie’s way. ‘Actually, I think you should.’ Her forthright assertion was fatally undermined by her uncertain expression.
‘You do?’
‘Yes.’
‘OK. Why?’
Cher sighed. ‘Because it would be good for you. And because my friend might have arranged for her brother’s boss to be there too, who happens to be rather gorgeous.’
Elsie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘So you’ve set us up on a double date?’
‘Don’t say it like that, Els, you make me sound conniving.’
‘Well, maybe that’s because you are …’
‘I really like him. I mean, I think he has serious potential. And I’ve been trying to score a date with him for over a year.’ She lowered her voice and clasped her hands together like a plaster saint. ‘He has his own house, Elsie! Not like the last one. And his own teeth! He’s normal and has no strange hobbies or questionable personal habits. Do you know how hard it is to find someone that sane in this town? Practically impossible! Not to mention the fact that he’s successful and interesting and I know he thinks I’m attractive. You know how rubbish my dating life has been. This one is normal! So I’m not even going to ask you: I’m going straight to pathetic begging. Please?’
Elsie knew she had no choice. If Cher could have the chance to enjoy a normal date for once, perhaps it was worth one uncomfortable evening in presence of a ‘someone’s brother’.
‘I don’t have anything to wear,’ Elsie replied slowly.
‘I’ll give you cash to buy an outfit at lunchtime,’ Cher answered. ‘Shoes too, if you like.’
‘I haven’t brought my make-up with me.’
‘You can borrow mine. Or buy new. Please?’
Elsie weighed up her options. ‘Fine. But I’m only staying for an hour.’
Cher beamed like a kid at Christmas. ‘One hour is all I need.’
The day passed with excruciating tardiness, every minute outstaying its welcome. The more she thought about it, the greater Elsie’s dread of what could lie ahead became. By four-thirty, her nerves were beginning to get the better of her, and there was only one person she knew who could help to keep her resolve strong. Leaving Cher manning the counter, Elsie grabbed her mobile and stepped outside. Gardner Street was a buzz of busyness, the warm hum of chat and countless footsteps reverberating the length of the street. She smiled at Emma from the Vegetarian Shoe Shop as they passed one another and watched as a group of Goths crowded with surprising enthusiasm in the doorway of Cybercandy. Smiling to herself, she dialled her sister’s
