Winter at Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington (inspirational books txt) 📕

Lucian, a friend of Guy’s, whose podcast Where the Heck is Pretty Beach? a podcast all about life in the little town, regularly hit the top of the podcast charts all around the world, and was interviewing Sallie about the Boat House.

David raised his eyebrows and whispered, ‘Guy said he was a character... he wasn’t wrong.’

Just then Sallie’s text bleeped; she took her phone out of her bag, it was Ben. He’d popped into town to sort out some paperwork and she knew he’d be texting her when she’d said David was taking her to be interviewed with Lucian.

Just checking you’ve made it ok for the chat with Lucian on the podcast, enjoy!

Thanks.

Looking forward to getting home. Miss you. BC.

Me too.

The snow crunched under their feet and a blustery wind swirled around them as Sallie and David walked across the road and Lucian stepped out onto the pavement.

‘You must be Sallie. Can I just say... your place is stunning, I can’t wait to come and see it!’ Lucian said.

Where the Heck is Pretty Beach? had started a few years ago as Lucian McIntyre’s funny, quirky, little podcast broadcasting what happened in the sleepy backwaters of Pretty Beach. It had started off with a handful of listeners, and then taken off, which had promptly rocketed Lucian right to fame. The podcast was now at millions and millions of downloads, there was a book in the works and a lot of revenue in advertising. Guy knew him through a friend and he’d loved the story of Sallie and the Boat House. He’d taken one look at what she was doing with the Orangery and had put the feelers out to find out if she’d like to come and get interviewed. She’d nearly bitten his hand off - a reach and following like his was advertising she would never be able to afford.

Lucian McIntyre held out his hand and went to kiss her on the cheek at the same time. He ushered them over the road and they entered a tiny hallway, then through a room where every single surface was neatly piled with magazines, files and books and into a tiny side room, not much bigger than a cupboard where all the equipment was set up. It wasn’t much to look at; there were a couple of huge microphones, a tablet, and a phone.

Lucian flourished his hand around and smiled at them.

‘This is it, all done via an app, just a couple of microphones, you and me.’ He said with a chuckle.

They had a brief run-through, a bit more of a chat, discovered that they both came from the same area and got a coffee before it got underway. She sat opposite him with the coffee and once they’d gone through the gist of the interview, he’d asked her if she was ready and they’d begun.

‘I’m here today with a fabulous local who goes by the name of Sallie Broadchurch. Sallie has restored an old boathouse, runs a gorgeous wedding events company and has, wait for it, just opened a scrumptious Orangery at Pretty Beach right on the bay. I can tell you I have seen it, and I’m ready to move in - it is ah-may-zing! So, Sallie do you want to tell me and all the lovely podcast listeners out there how you got started with it all?’

Sallie took a deep breath and started to tell her story. She’d rehearsed it all in her mind and left out the bit where she was on a very low budget, and instead added in all sorts of bits and pieces about the high-end fittings, the setting, and how the place had a magical secret feel all of its own.

The interview trundled on at a quick pace and Sallie couldn't believe how well it was going, this Lucian was either genuinely kind or he owed Guy some money. He gushed on about the pictures, talked about how much the bay was indeed a magical place and that he was so excited about coming to stay in the old boathouse cottage.

‘So how can our lovely listeners be part of it?’ Lucian spoke into the microphone looking over the top of it at Sallie.

‘Well they can see all the pictures at the Boat House Pretty Beach website and they can catch up with the Orangery on social media.’

‘You have achieved so much darling. I remember seeing that old Boat House and it looked so unloved, now it looks like a dream holiday spot and the Orangery, oh my!’ Lucian spoke into the microphone, giving Sallie the thumbs up sign at the same time.

‘Thank you, Lucian, it’s been hard work but I have a background in property and so it’s very much been worth it to start to restore one of Pretty Beach's historic buildings.’ She spoke into the microphone, her initial nerves long gone.

He closed off the podcast and switched all the equipment off. She let out a huge sigh, took off her headphones and sat back in her chair - it was much more tiring than it looked being interviewed.

‘Thank you, you’re very kind to feature my little business,’ she said and smiled at him.

‘I'll do almost anything for Pretty Beach, love the place. It’s how this whole podcast thing started in the first place. Anything that adds to the paradise world of Pretty Beach my listeners want to hear about. They lap it up, and when they lap it up darling the pennies go up - it really is as simple as that.’

‘Oh right, I see,’ Sallie replied, nodding. ‘We’ll get the giveaway sorted then, and obviously if you really would like to come and stay, be my guest at any time.’

‘I might have to take you up on that.’ He lowered his voice to a whisper, ‘Got a little boyfriend popping down soon, he will love it.’

She said thank you again, Lucian kissed her dramatically on the cheek and they arranged for him to text the dates he was available to stay