The Ingredients for Happiness. Lucy Knott

Dad,’ she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek as he came through the door. She very nearly repeated the process with the electrician, before remembering she had never met him before. No matter how Italian she was, she somehow didn’t think Frank would appreciate that. She felt her cheeks burn red as she stepped away from him, just slightly awkwardly. Catching his eye, he smiled a handsome smile. He didn’t look like a Frank. His face was young, bearing some fluff. His hair was black, longish and his hands were strong as he shook hers. Amanda felt like she was hallucinating. What was her dad doing here and who was this electrician?

      ‘I take it you haven’t been kidnapped? The café been ransacked? Or have the cameras just turned up for your new reality TV show?’ Nikki’s voice almost gave Amanda whiplash, as she quickly snapped back into the present, turning her head away from Frank.

      ‘Just taking this call,’ she shouted to her dad as she stepped into the chilly February evening. How long should one stay in a newly painted room? she asked herself, wafting the breeze in her face with her hand.

      ‘Sorry Nikki, it was just Dad and Frank. Sorry, an electrician, Frank. Though he doesn’t look like a Frank or an electrician, mind you. He looks like, well, I don’t know what he looks like.’

      ‘I don’t believe it, you’re swooning over this Frank?’ Nikki said, with a comical, flabbergasted laugh, that made Amanda roll her eyes.

      ‘I was absolutely not swooning over Frank,’ Amanda said defiantly, mock-offended, but taking in a deep breath as she did so. She hadn’t realized just how antsy she was when it came to the thought of reporters and paparazzi hovering at her door. Amanda wasn’t usually phased when it came to speaking to new people, but even her strong nature could take a beating from reporters trying to stir rumours, asking about Dan’s whereabouts, exes and who she was to him. In addition, they could make you feel quite vulnerable when they sprung up on you unannounced when you were on your own, and that she didn’t care for. She had been grateful to see a kind, friendly, and, okay, handsome face following her dad. Heck she had been grateful to see her dad after being alone all day.

      Nikki’s laugh rang down the phone once more. ‘I’m kidding,’ she started. ‘Right, I love you, but I need to get back to my customers and make sure my own café is still afloat.’

      ‘Oh god, sorry, yes. Thanks for being there for me. I bloody miss you,’ Amanda replied, walking back and forth past her bay window.

      ‘I bloody miss you too. Be sure to send me a picture of Frank,’ Nikki teased, and Amanda could practically see her winking down the line. Nikki’s injection of British words into her American vocabulary never failed to make Amanda grin.

      ‘I am not taking pictures of random electricians,’ she replied, stopping in front of the door and nodding at a curious passerby.

      ‘Why not? It’s not exactly like your one-in-a-million, delicious rock god with a perfectly chiseled jawline and a ridiculously sexy pout boyfriend could possibly get jealous,’ Nikki said. Amanda let out a howl of a laugh as she wiped at her tired eyes. She loved her best friend.

      ‘I am one hundred per cent going to tell Dan you just said all those nice things about him,’ Amanda noted.

      ‘Oh, don’t do that, you’ll only go and pump up his ego more,’ Nikki responded with a fake whine in her voice.

      ‘If Dan had an ego,’ Amanda sighed wistfully. She played with the door handle and looked around at her surroundings. There didn’t seem to be anyone hiding behind telephone poles today.

      ‘We can create a bad boy rock star out of him yet,’ Nikki replied, making Amanda chuckle once more. ‘In all seriousness, you should take some before and after pictures for your blog. I’m sure that will get some interest and create a buzz before opening day.’

      ‘Oh shoot, my blog. Nikki I’m going to be completely honest, I’ve not posted at all in the past two months. Everything just got so busy and crazy.’

      ‘You know, it’s quite comical how much you suck at social media yet run a successful food blog. Well, it might not be successful now you’ve abandoned it and run it into the ground, but …’

      ‘Are you quite done?’ Amanda interrupted, laughing. ‘I thought you had a café to run two minutes ago?’ She turned the handle on the front door, pushing it open and blinking a few times to adjust her eyes to the darker indoors. ‘And I get your point, thank you for the idea.’

      ‘You’re welcome. Keep me posted. Love you,’ Nikki said, before Amanda heard the line go dead.

      Putting her phone in her pocket, she made her way over to her dad to ask what was going on. When she tapped him on the shoulder, he turned around and answered her question before she had time to ask it.

      ‘Sweetheart, I appreciate you trying to do this by yourself, but I’m your dad, it’s my job to help. How long were you going to try and work in darkness this evening, with no electricity?’ he asked. Amanda shrugged, for lack of a sensible response. ‘Your mum and I drove past earlier and saw you pottering around in the dark and cold. Really Amanda, it’s okay to ask for help.’ All Amanda could do was hug him. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

      Then, trying to push Nikki’s words out of her head – she would not ogle Frank – she tried to act casual, like she hadn’t just been told off by her dad in front of him.

      ‘So, Frank, do you think you will be able to fix this mess?’ she asked, waving her arms around at the room. Frank had produced a battery-powered wall of spotlights that were now directed at the wiring spewing out of the ceiling.

      ‘It’s Liam. Frank is my dad’s name, and I think I can,’ Frank replied, with a dashing smile that caused Amanda’s cheeks to flame. Dammit Nikki, she thought to herself.

      Saving her from further embarrassment, her phone beeped in her pocket. Amanda returned a smile to Liam and quickly turned away. She found a cooler spot a safe distance away, dug her phone out of her pocket and sat herself back down on the dusty floor. Embarrassment aside, at least she now had one less thing to worry about. Of course Amanda wanted the place to have lights and look pretty, but more than anything she wanted her kitchen up and running so she could begin preparing food for her customers and get the neighbourhood talking about the delicious smells arising from her little corner of the world.

      ‘Don’t be running off with electricians – if it’s sparks you’re after, I’m watt you’re looking for.’ It took her a minute to understand Dan’s text, but once it registered, Amanda was hunched over in stitches – she had definitely inhaled too many paint fumes today. Her laughter was becoming delirious. The small knot in her stomach at not hearing from Dan as much over the last few days untangled. She breathed a little easier. Before she could tap out her reply her phone beeped again.

      ‘Too cheesy?’ read Dan’s second text. She quickly replied, ‘Way too cheesy. Xx’ before then firing a text off to Nikki, ‘I thought you had to go and be an adult and run a café? Xx’.

       Chapter 5

      Grandpa’s Pasta Ciotti

       Ingredients:

       For the dough:

      (A bit of this and a bit of that as Grandpa would say, until dough forms.)

      Flour

      Sugar

      Unsalted butter

      Milk

      Egg

      Baking powder

      Salt

      Vegetable shortening

      Vanilla

       For the filling:

      3 tbsp cornstarch

      ½ cup sugar