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‘What – ht like that,’ said the builder

‘It’s your lucky day,’ said Pearl ‘Shoo, builders! Out of the shop, you’re getting my nice floor all dirty’

‘Don’t ban us froed the builder ‘Please!’

But Pearl was already shooing him backwards

‘You finish that nice lady’s house, we’ll sell you cakes Understand?’

‘She’s not a nice lady!’ said the builder Issy was inclined to agree with hi had Kate very deliberately walk up and down outside the shop tapping her foot and huffing ontoo long

‘That’s not the point,’ said Pearl ‘Paid for a job, then do a job Then there’ll be o!’

The builder winked at Issy ‘Just as well the cakes are good – the welcoo,’ said Issy ‘Be nice’

‘We’ll be at the Fox and Horses!’ yelled the builder as a parting shot ‘From four thirty!’

Pearl shook her head and turned to serve the girl froency up the road

‘I hed ‘I just can’t believe it’s the best offer I’ve had today’ She turned to Pearl ‘Thanks though I wouldn’t want to lose Kate’s group’

‘Happy birthday,’ said the girl from the temp office, who always looked like she’d had about two hours’ sleep and needed an extra shot of caffeine in everything she bought, including the coffee cake ‘Birthdays are crap My last one I spent watching the Ghost HuntersI couldn’t sleep,’ she added ‘I’m an insomniac’

‘I’d be an insomniac if I watched Ghost Hunters,’ said Pearl

‘Oh dear,’ said Issy, thinking desperately about what she could possibly find to do that wasn’t just watching TV that night ‘Extra shot?’

‘Yes please Happy birthday’

Issy wasn’t even that keen to close up at the end of the day; she didn’t chivvy the hang-backers fiddling with their laptops, or bundle up the newspapers for recycling She held back, straightening everything up for the following day Pearl looked at her

‘I have to go get Louis now, OK?’