The French Adventure Read online

  It’s a Bright New Day

  I was hoping to start work before Sam arrives as I’m first up. I tiptoe out of the house at just after 6 a.m. But when I see that the door of the gîte is open, it’s quite a surprise.

  ‘I know you said you’d be here bright and early, but this is just a wee bit earlier than I expected. And here she is – Ziggy, you deserted me!’

  They both spin around to face me. Sam gives me a big grin and the first thing I notice is that he has a clean t-shirt on. It isn’t an old one and it doesn’t have any holes, or builders’ debris on it. He ignores my stare and turns on his heels to continue marking up the back wall of the kitchen. Ziggy deigns to come over for a stroke but it’s only the one and then she saunters back to sit next to Sam.

  ‘I’m building the units this morning and will be installing them from midday.’

  ‘But I haven’t painted in there yet. I should have thought of that and painted the shower room and kitchen first. What an idiot.’

  ‘Well, I thought the same thing but I wasn’t going to say it. Can you work around me?’ It’s good to hear his banter.

  ‘No problem. As soon as you’ve finished marking the position of the units, I’ll work in the kitchen until you’re ready to install them. In this heat, it will only take an hour or two for everything to dry. I can do the top coat after you’ve finished installing the cabinets. Then I’ll work in the shower room so we won’t be in each other’s way.’

  ‘Hey, you’re even thinking like a builder’s mate now! Did you mention to your mum and dad about Cannes?’

  I’m loitering in the doorway, watching as he moves the tape measure along the wall.

  ‘I did. Does it matter if I paint over those numbers?’

  ‘No, I’m just working out how much of a gap I’ll have left over. There you go, all done. So, what did they say?’

  There’s something different about Sam this morning. He’s chatty and pleasant, rather than his usual early morning, rather reserved manner. Or maybe it really does mean something to him to take someone to Cannes, even if it’s just a friend.

  ‘They thought it was a good idea and they were pleased to hear the news about Tom.’

  ‘Bet you showed them his blog.’ Another grin.

  ‘And I showed them their new website as well,’ I say, sounding a little defensive even to my own ears.

  He leans back against the wall.

  ‘Ah, so now you are all fired up with enthusiasm for your next project. Well, congratulations and whatever you set up, I know it will be a success. Maybe some of that will rub off on me, during our road trip.’

  As he walks off to the garage to start unpacking the kitchen units, his remarks leave me feeling rather speechless. That isn’t a Sam comment at all. I shrug it off, thinking that he was probably being a tad sarcastic but disguising it behind a semi-positive tone.

  ‘Success doesn’t just rub off,’ I shout after him, ‘it’s the product of hard work.’

  Then I remember that it’s only just after 6 a.m. and everyone else is still fast asleep.

  *

  By the time Sam returns with his arms wrapped around a sturdy looking base unit, I’m already working in the shower room.

  ‘How’s it going? Is it all dry?’ His head appears around the side of the unit trying to gauge how much space he has either side to get through the front door. I rush over and help take the weight of the front.

  ‘Left a bit. Okay, you’re through. It was touch dry half an hour ago. You’ve been a long time. Have you built all the cabinets?’

  ‘I have, but I had some company for a bit. Your dad brought me a coffee and we had a chat.’

  I bend a little to help lower the unit onto the sitting room floor. When I straighten I throw him a questioning glance.

  ‘He thanked me for helping out, that’s all. Why the suspicious look?’

  ‘I’m not the only one who isn’t a good liar.’

  His face remains blank but his gaze immediately moves away from my face to settle on the back wall of the kitchen. He’s trying to be dismissive but I’m not falling for that as I know the wall is perfect.

  ‘It was nothing. Don’t be so paranoid.’

  With that he heads back to the garage to get another unit.

  If Dad has mentioned… no, he wouldn’t do that to me. Nobody talks about Will. His name was banned when he broke my heart, but that was a long time ago. Sam is right, I’m being paranoid. I’m sure Mum and Dad know me well enough to understand that Sam can only be a friend. We’d drive each other mad, as we’re two very different people. To be honest, I think both my mum and his mum would like me to try to bring him out of the shell he seems to have crawled into. Well, that might happen I suppose with this impending road trip. Maybe I can make him see that a future without plans is no future, really. But if that happens, great, all I can do is be myself and hope he continues to open up.

  Today, though, I’m feeling free at last. No worries and no concerns. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

  *

  It’s a long day again and as soon as dinner is over I head up to my room. I open the window wide to take advantage of tonight’s breeze, even though the air is still warm. Just the rustling of the leaves on the trees is relaxing. The heady perfume from the climbing rose wafts through the window tickling my nose and making me sneeze.

  It doesn’t take long to finish the brochure for Mum and Dad, then I turn to Tom’s blog to see what he’s up to today. It’s written almost like a diary and it’s fascinating. Then I notice there’s a contact page. When I click on it there’s a simple form to fill out with a name, email address and a message box.

  I hesitate, then click away and decide instead to like his Facebook page, as there’s a link in the side bar. He probably doesn’t respond to messages anyway, as clearly his days are full and there does appear to be rather a lot of travel involved over some extremely rough terrain. He needs to go where the animals are and wherever there’s trouble, I suppose. Today he’s been helping to rescue an antelope caught in some barbed wire. There’s a video link to some footage and they end up having to sedate the animal to free it and then get it into the truck.

  Annoyingly, I find myself finding fault with the structure and navigation of the website. My fingers are almost itching to do a re-design. It’s rather basic and yet it could really jump off the page. But this is man versus the environment stuff and it isn’t about presentation, but content. I notice there’s no advertising at all for Tom’s veterinary practices. All that jumps out at me is his passion for animal conservation and the way he seizes life, determined to make a difference. He could easily add a donation button to one of the wildlife rescue funds. I wonder fleetingly why he hasn’t employed someone with the requisite skills to raise the bar, considering he’s also a business man. I call up his practice website and am appalled. It’s even more amateurish than his blog. Okay, it gets the message across about what they offer and the charitable side of their work, but the layout is awful and some of the photos are grainy.

  I go back to the contact page and fill in the form. Clicking in the comment box I type away for a minute or two and then re-read the text.

  Hello,

  My name is Anna and my background is in advertising and media support. I’m just about to embark on a freelance career and am looking for a few clients whose websites I can re-brand at no cost. In return, I’d like to feature them on my new website to showcase my work. I would love the opportunity to re-design both your amazing blog and your veterinary website. The content is great but I have a whole raft of ideas that could be easily implemented to make both more visually attractive to the visitor. As the charity side of your work seems to be very important, I can easily add donation links to the key organisations in your field of work.

  If you are interested and would like more information, please don’t hesitate to email me.

  Thank you.

  Next, I look at the Saint-Julien-de-Vouvantes tourist info
rmation page and there’s only one word to describe it and that’s awful! It must be one of the first free templates ever issued and there’s not a single redeeming feature. No photos, no links, awful fonts and dowdy colours. The only thing that jumps out is the crest they’ve used, which has been inserted into a header and appears to be a part of a castle. As the header is landscape and it looks like the original photo was portrait style, it’s been cropped so that all you can see behind the shield with the crest is an oddly squat door flanked by mullioned windows.

  It’s going to be easy for me to effect a complete transformation. If I can redesign maybe a dozen websites reflecting a wide range of business areas, that would give me some eye-catching case studies to showcase. Okay, that’s quite a bit of work but now is probably the only window of opportunity I’m going to have to do work for free. Once I’m back in the UK, I will have overheads again so this is probably my one and only shot.

  I switch the laptop into sleep mode and jump into bed, having to encourage Ziggy to one side. She looks like she’s doing a superman impersonation and is fully stretched out diagonally, front paws together as if ready to fly. She lets out a little whimper of protest, but can hardly open her eyes as she’s so sleepy.

  Lying there in the dark I mull over ideas for how I want my new website to look. It’s exciting having a free rein as usually I’m working to a client’s brief and can only throw in ideas. Now I’m starting with a blank page and it’s heady stuff. The name ‘Brand New’ jumps into my head and while it’s rather basic, the more I think about it the more I like it. I’m imagining the word ‘brand’ in upper case, followed by the word ‘new’, which would be double the size in lower case in a soft flowing font simulating an elegant, hand written style. BRAND new it is, then!

  Feeling Energised

  ‘What’s up with you today? That humming is irritating, if you don’t mind me being honest with you. I have a radio in the van and I’m quite happy to bring that in if you’re in the mood for music. And what is that song you’re murdering, anyway?’

  I ease the roller in my hand away from the wall and turn around to face Sam. He’s learning against the door frame of the kitchen and already the heat is beginning to get to him. There’s no breeze at all today and I suspect we are both equally hot and bothered. It’s difficult to get a solid night’s sleep in this heat. Ziggy appears briefly in the doorway but slinks off when she realises it’s probably hotter inside than it is outside.

  ‘It’s Queen.’ I replace the humming with some words. ‘You know the song – ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’.’

  Sam winces. ‘Worst rendition I’ve ever heard. You’re strangling it. Singing is not one of your skills. So, what’s put you in such a good mood today?’

  ‘Oh, well, I love it when a plan begins to come together. A few things clicked into place last night and now I know what needs to be done it’s just down to the execution bit. I don’t suppose you know anyone who has an antiquated website in need of a free facelift?’

  ‘You’re working for free, now, are you? Doesn’t sound like a very sound business plan to me. I thought the whole point was to make a living and get that flash car and dream house.’

  Now that is sarcasm.

  ‘I need to showcase what I can do and maybe help a few small businesses along the way. It’s a win-win situation and the building blocks of my new business. I can only work for free while I’m here, so if you know of anyone this is a one time only offer.’

  ‘If you’re serious, then Dad doesn’t even have a website and I keep telling him that’s a big mistake. Would that be too much work for a freebie job as it’s starting from scratch?’

  Sam is serious and for some strange reason I feel rather flattered.

  ‘It’s easier in one way but it’s all about content. Does he have any before and after shots of any of the jobs he’s done?’

  He pauses and then nods. ‘I’m pretty sure he has and I know I’ve taken a few on my phone. Would those be good enough?’

  ‘Yes. Phone shots are often very good quality. I could set something up for him quite quickly but I’d need to know exactly what copy he’d want included – contact details, a suitable blurb describing what the business offers etc. Does he have a logo?’

  ‘He has a letterhead that goes out on the invoices. I guess I could sit down with you and we could pull something together. Dad wouldn’t have a clue, to be honest.’

  ‘Well, as long as someone can give me the info I need then, yes, I’m up for that. There will be a small ongoing cost for a domain name and a website host, but it’s minimal. Ask him if he’s interested and we can take it from there.’

  Sam heads off to get the radio from the van, leaving me deep in thought. My head is buzzing and doing this physical work leaves me free to harvest ideas. How ironic is it that what I considered to be one of the worst days of my life was the catalyst that turned me in a completely new direction? I would never have considered setting up my own business in the past, but now it’s probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. I’m humming again and I force myself to stop before Sam returns and I start driving him mad again.

  *

  It’s a busy day all round with the furniture Mum and Dad bought at the weekend arriving in several deliveries. I help Dad stack it in the garage, making sure Sam can still get to the mound of boxes containing the sanitary ware for the shower room, the worktops for the kitchen and the tiles for the splashbacks.

  ‘Nearly there,’ Dad nods in the direction of the boxes. ‘Every day it dwindles a little more. Then we will have to buy it all over again for the second gîte. I can’t say I’ll be sorry when it’s all finished, as it feels like it’s been a long old haul to get to this point.’

  ‘Everything takes time, Dad. But I know what you mean, you’ve both been constantly on the go and you never get to sit and enjoy it. It is beautiful here and the time will come when you can chill out in the garden for the afternoon and marvel at what you’ve achieved.’

  ‘I don’t think we’re wired that way, sadly, Anna. We don’t do relaxation, do we?’ He winks at me and I guess he’s right. I’m not happy unless I’m doing something productive and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, or not.

  ‘You and Sam are getting on well and that’s good to see. You’ve really worked together as a team. Sarah and Neil have been so worried about him. All work and no play isn’t good for anyone but with Sam it’s all that keeps him going. But he’ll work for anyone, except himself. He’s never going to get that barn of his done, is he?’

  Dad doesn’t say a lot but he notices everything.

  ‘I feel the same way. But he isn’t a totally lost cause, because I’m seeing small changes in his attitude. On the road trip, I’m aiming to enthuse him about his own project. I have a couple of ideas.’

  Dad smiles at me. ‘You don’t like loose ends, do you, Anna? You like everything sorted and that includes people. Well, if there’s anything at all you can do to inspire Sam he’s one deserving cause.’

  Once everything is neatly packed in, I return to the gîte and find Sam lying on the floor underneath the sink unit, swearing. I guess the heat, the confined space and a tap with a nut that won’t do up is a bad combination. Mum appears a few minutes later to say lunch is in the kitchen and they’re off to the shops. I encourage Sam to put down the wrench and take a break. It does the trick, because an hour later he’s back on the floor and within a couple of minutes the job is done and he’s onto the next unit.

  While I wait for the paint to dry before I do the second coat in the shower room, I pop back into the house to wash up the dishes. Then I head upstairs to check my emails. I’m not really expecting a response from Tom but there is an update from Pat.

  Hi Anna,

  Breaking news today. Karl has been promoted and is now a director. It’s just been announced. He’s switching offices today and he’s in high spirits. I wasn’t sure if you were back in touch with him, or not. There’s a drinks part
y here after work today.

  I’m off on holiday next week and to be honest with you, I can’t wait. There’s been a lot of tension around here lately with one thing and another, and it will be nice to have a break away from it all.

  Hope things are going well there,

  Pat

  I quickly respond, hoping she’s still at her desk.

  Hi Pat,

  Wow, that’s a surprise and I bet you are almost counting the hours to your hols.

  Has Karl said anything about his engagement announcement at all?

  France is relaxing and it’s hot, hot, hot!

  Anna

  I’m in luck and there’s an almost instant response.

  Hi Anna,

  What a coincidence we were both online! Not really, but with everything that’s going on here with the changes it’s no longer hot gossip. I overheard him telling someone the plans for the party were on hold, though.

  I did notice the announcement is no longer on his Facebook timeline but only because I made a point of looking. No one else has mentioned it. Guess doing nothing was the right option, after all.

  I wouldn’t worry too much as you know how transient these things are and by the time you return to the UK, anyone you bump into will probably have forgotten all about it. People are wondering how Karl has managed to get on the board so easily and thoughts are that he just happened to be in the right place at the right time. But there are some concerns as you know what he’s like and he’s bound to want to shake things up and make his mark. I’m hoping it all happens while I’m away and when I get back the worst of it will be over.