A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery - By Elizabeth J. Duncan Page 0,19
see you then.” She put the phone down and walked over to the worktable where Penny was applying the topcoat to a client’s manicure.
“Penny, that was Mrs. Lloyd. She wanted to know if she could come in earlier tomorrow. I checked the book and switched her for a morning appointment.”
Penny nodded as she helped her client gather up her handbag and shopping.
“There you go,” she said. “Do be careful, as your nails will be a bit tacky for the next hour or so.” With a professional smile, she opened the door, watched as the woman stepped out onto the pavement and turned toward the town square, and only then gently closed the door.
She turned toward Victoria.
“Right. How about a coffee? I’ll put the kettle on.”
“We have a few minutes,” said Victoria, “and there’s something I wanted to discuss with you. Let’s sit over here.”
They sat side by side in the client waiting chairs, and Victoria turned to Penny.
“I’m really excited about the new spa,” she said, “and I think this would be a great time to make a few changes,” she began.
“Oh, right,” said Penny, turning her head slightly. “Here we go!”
“No.” Victoria laughed. “It’s not bad. I just think that we might be a bit too old here, and we’re not tapping into that youth market you hear so much about these days.”
She paused.
“Go on,” Penny prompted. “I’m interested and I’m listening.”
“Well, I was thinking, what if we took on a young person to help out? And especially when we expand the operation, we’re going to need someone. I thought someone who’s just left school, maybe.”
“Have you got somebody special in mind?”
“Well, Eirlys, the daughter of the family I stayed with when I came back to Llanelen, asked me if there might be something here for her. I thought she could perhaps come in on busy days, and then, if she likes it, she could take a training course in Conwy in manicures and pedicures and be available to help you. And once word got round that she was here, maybe more younger girls would want to come here.”
Penny thought for a moment.
“She doesn’t have any tattoos or body piercings, does she? I can tell you that our older, preferred clientele, like Mrs. Lloyd, say, wouldn’t want someone here with bits of metal hanging off their eyebrows.”
Victoria shook her head.
“And she won’t want to bring in tanning, will she? Absolutely no tanning. I don’t want to hear one word about it, and I mean that. It’s unhealthy.”
“No, there’ll never be tanning,” agreed Victoria.
“Well, I suppose we could invite her in for a chat,” said Penny. “No harm in that, is there?”
“No harm at all.”
“And we’ll have to make it clear that making tea and coffee will be part of her duties. For some reason, young people today seem to think making the tea is beneath them. You don’t think she’d mind doing that, do you?”
Victoria shook her head.
“If she’d been here now we could have had that coffee ten minutes ago. And we’ll have to show her how to make it properly. I don’t want her thinking she can get away with using hot water out of the tap. That’s why we have a kettle. And speaking of which . . .”
Victoria laughed and was about to reply when the phone rang. She answered it.
“Oh, hello, Bethan, yes, she’s right here.”
“Hello!” said Penny, taking up the phone. “Glad you’re back.” She listened for a few moments and then clutched Victoria by the arm and gently pulled her over to her.
“Just let me ask Victoria. I’m sure she’d want to be there.”
“Friday night,” said Penny. “Can you come over for dinner with Bethan? She’s going to talk to us about the case.”
“Absolutely,” said Victoria. “Is she coming for dinner?”
Penny nodded and returned to the phone.
“Victoria’s going to make dinner. Right. Come about six,” she said. “Great, see you then.”
Penny hung up the phone and then looked at her friend.
“What?”
“Why did you say I was going to make dinner?”
“Aren’t you? I thought you were offering!”
“No, I was just asking!”
“Well”—Penny shrugged—“if you don’t want to, that’s all right. Not a problem. We’ll just get some take-away. Maybe Thai. Bethan likes that.”
“I suppose I could do my tarragon chicken,” muttered Victoria, “but I must say, you really should have asked me first.”
“I’m sorry,” said Penny. “Tell you what. I’ll make a really nice salad to go with it.”
Victoria let out a small snort.
“You’ll buy a bag of shredded lettuce from the supermarket, more