long before looking
round the shop. ‘You’ve worked miracles in here.’
‘Not just me,’ Frankie said, noting with amusement that Phoebe, Amber, Sukie and Clemmie – all of whom had gloriously sexy
partners of their own – had stopped trying on the woolly headgear and were staring admiringly at Dexter. ‘I’ve got some really
good friends, and so had Rita. They’ve all mucked in.’
‘So I can see. Right, what would you like me to do?’
‘Hi, Dexter – and ooh, where to start.’ Lilly chuckled, sashaying towards the kitchen with the money box biscuit tin. ‘And
was that an open invite to all-comers or simply for little old me?’
‘Ignore her.’ Frankie laughed. ‘At least until later. Andactually we could do with a bit of muscle to carry out those bigger boxes to the van outside. Biff, Hedley and Brian are all
nearly pensionable age and must be getting tired by now.’
‘Fine.’ Dexter slid out of the leather jacket, displaying even more of the fabulously toned body as he pushed up the sleeves
of his black sweater. ‘Just point me in the right direction.’
‘Well, we’ve got a box ready for the Salvation Army to collect, and all those piles of clothes over there have been allocated
to the Pippins’ charity shop. Lilly’s got the other stuff sort of cordoned off by the counter, and all the saleable frocks
are safely out of the way. Biff and Hedley have just taken a vanload back to Winterbrook, so maybe you could carry the next
lot over to the door ready for the return trip?’
Dexter nodded. ‘Actually, I’ve got my car parked right outside – I didn’t see any double yellows – so I could load it up and
drive over to, um, wherever it is, if you like.’
‘Brilliant. Thank you. You can have Brian as navigator as you don’t know the area.’
‘Brian?’ Dexter screwed up the tawny eyes and scanned the crowd.
‘The big bloke over there with the wild hair and the duffle coat.’
‘Ah, right. He looks, um … ’
‘Brian’s lovely,’ Frankie said quickly. ‘Like a large child, kind, hard-working and very eager to please. He runs the kebab
van in the marketplace.’
‘Does he? I’ll have to cultivate him then.’ Dexter laughed. ‘Nothing like a kebab after a good night out, and that means he’s
another one of us, doesn’t it?’
‘“Us”?’
‘The Kingston Dapple market traders association.’
Frankie smiled. ‘Yes, I suppose it does. Did you get settled in OK?’
‘Into the soulless bedsit? Yes. I travelled light – by necessity – so it didn’t take long to unpack. And I found a late-opening
supermarket to stock up on the basics in one of the neighbouring villages. There’s nothing much in that line in Kingston Dapple,
is there?’
Frankie shook her head. ‘No, not really. Everyone goes to Big Sava in Hazy Hassocks, but there are Tescos and Sainsburys and
proper shops in Winterbrook.’
‘Big Sava! That was it.’ Dexter beamed. ‘They had everything I needed. I even managed to microwave a curry for my dinner,
so I won’t starve. And I called up a few of Ray’s contacts. I’m getting my first delivery tomorrow. All seasonal stuff – poinsettias,
holly, mistletoe, festive wreaths, that sort of thing. Apparently I’ll have to go to the flower markets myself in future,
but at least I’ll have some stock to start with. It all took far longer than I’d thought, which is why I’m so late.’
‘Great, er, I mean, I’m pleased you’re getting stuff sorted out too. OK, now let me introduce you to Brian, oh, and it might
be better if you don’t mention Ray too much. Brian had, um, a bit of a romantic liaison with Rita for quite a long time.’
‘Really? Did she jilt him for Ray?’
‘Not exactly jilt, no. But I think Brian was more hurt than he lets on.’
‘OK.’ Dexter smiled. ‘Poor Brian. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?’
I may have, Frankie thought, but I very much doubt that you’ve ever
round the shop. ‘You’ve worked miracles in here.’
‘Not just me,’ Frankie said, noting with amusement that Phoebe, Amber, Sukie and Clemmie – all of whom had gloriously sexy
partners of their own – had stopped trying on the woolly headgear and were staring admiringly at Dexter. ‘I’ve got some really
good friends, and so had Rita. They’ve all mucked in.’
‘So I can see. Right, what would you like me to do?’
‘Hi, Dexter – and ooh, where to start.’ Lilly chuckled, sashaying towards the kitchen with the money box biscuit tin. ‘And
was that an open invite to all-comers or simply for little old me?’
‘Ignore her.’ Frankie laughed. ‘At least until later. Andactually we could do with a bit of muscle to carry out those bigger boxes to the van outside. Biff, Hedley and Brian are all
nearly pensionable age and must be getting tired by now.’
‘Fine.’ Dexter slid out of the leather jacket, displaying even more of the fabulously toned body as he pushed up the sleeves
of his black sweater. ‘Just point me in the right direction.’
‘Well, we’ve got a box ready for the Salvation Army to collect, and all those piles of clothes over there have been allocated
to the Pippins’ charity shop. Lilly’s got the other stuff sort of cordoned off by the counter, and all the saleable frocks
are safely out of the way. Biff and Hedley have just taken a vanload back to Winterbrook, so maybe you could carry the next
lot over to the door ready for the return trip?’
Dexter nodded. ‘Actually, I’ve got my car parked right outside – I didn’t see any double yellows – so I could load it up and
drive over to, um, wherever it is, if you like.’
‘Brilliant. Thank you. You can have Brian as navigator as you don’t know the area.’
‘Brian?’ Dexter screwed up the tawny eyes and scanned the crowd.
‘The big bloke over there with the wild hair and the duffle coat.’
‘Ah, right. He looks, um … ’
‘Brian’s lovely,’ Frankie said quickly. ‘Like a large child, kind, hard-working and very eager to please. He runs the kebab
van in the marketplace.’
‘Does he? I’ll have to cultivate him then.’ Dexter laughed. ‘Nothing like a kebab after a good night out, and that means he’s
another one of us, doesn’t it?’
‘“Us”?’
‘The Kingston Dapple market traders association.’
Frankie smiled. ‘Yes, I suppose it does. Did you get settled in OK?’
‘Into the soulless bedsit? Yes. I travelled light – by necessity – so it didn’t take long to unpack. And I found a late-opening
supermarket to stock up on the basics in one of the neighbouring villages. There’s nothing much in that line in Kingston Dapple,
is there?’
Frankie shook her head. ‘No, not really. Everyone goes to Big Sava in Hazy Hassocks, but there are Tescos and Sainsburys and
proper shops in Winterbrook.’
‘Big Sava! That was it.’ Dexter beamed. ‘They had everything I needed. I even managed to microwave a curry for my dinner,
so I won’t starve. And I called up a few of Ray’s contacts. I’m getting my first delivery tomorrow. All seasonal stuff – poinsettias,
holly, mistletoe, festive wreaths, that sort of thing. Apparently I’ll have to go to the flower markets myself in future,
but at least I’ll have some stock to start with. It all took far longer than I’d thought, which is why I’m so late.’
‘Great, er, I mean, I’m pleased you’re getting stuff sorted out too. OK, now let me introduce you to Brian, oh, and it might
be better if you don’t mention Ray too much. Brian had, um, a bit of a romantic liaison with Rita for quite a long time.’
‘Really? Did she jilt him for Ray?’
‘Not exactly jilt, no. But I think Brian was more hurt than he lets on.’
‘OK.’ Dexter smiled. ‘Poor Brian. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?’
I may have, Frankie thought, but I very much doubt that you’ve ever
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