At five to seven, the first guests came through the door. They stopped on the mat to take in the candles and the tables, and Eva went to meet them.
She knew what to say. Coats there, your table here, yes, the window was still yours. It was a relief to have sentences she'd used before.
Jo brought water. Nora poured drinks behind the counter. Will came out of the kitchen twice to look at the room, then went back without speaking.
By seven ten, everyone expected had arrived. The two empty places were at the back, where Eva had moved the unused chairs out of the way. Eighteen people were still enough to make the room feel full.
The woman with the birthday booking had brought her mother, who wore a brooch shaped like a cat. Eva admired it. The mother said the cat was younger than she was, which seemed to delight her daughter far more than it deserved. Eva smiled because they were happy, and found she could mean it.
Will appeared beside her with a clean apron on.
“We should say something,” he murmured.
“I will.”
He put his hand at the back of her waist, where it had rested on Thursday. Eva moved towards the counter, out of its reach.
He let his hand drop.
“Welcome,” she said to the room.
A few people turned. One man was still taking off his coat. She waited till he'd got it onto the hook.
“Thank you for coming to our first supper. There's bread on the tables already, and the food will be with you in a minute.”
Will stood a little to her side. If she'd leaned towards him, the room would have seen what he wanted it to see.
Eva kept her hands on the counter.
“I also need to tell you this is my last supper here. Nora was promised my management job without me knowing. I'm leaving after a short handover.”
The room changed. Not silence, exactly. A spoon touched a glass. Somebody looked towards Nora, who was standing beside the drinks.
“That's true,” Nora said. “She didn't know.”
Will stayed where he was. His face was very still.
“The plan for tonight hasn't changed,” Eva said. “I'm looking after your tables. Ask me or Jo if you need anything.”
She picked up the first bread basket and walked to the birthday table. Her hands were shaking. She hoped the cloth hid it.
“Is Thursday still happening?” a man at the next table asked Will.
“Yes,” he said. “We intend to keep the suppers going.”
“I'd asked if Eva would be doing it,” the man said.
Eva stopped beside the birthday table. “I won't be here. You'll need to speak to Will.”
The man looked between them, then asked Nora for another beer. Eva moved on to the window table.
A woman at the window touched Eva's wrist when she set the bread down.
“I'm sorry you're leaving,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“Where are you going?”
“I've got some event work. I'll see how it goes.”
The woman nodded, as though that was an ordinary answer, and asked which butter dish was theirs.
Eva showed her.
When she went back to the counter, Will was waiting.
“You didn't need to do that,” he said quietly.
Eva lifted the small plates onto a tray.
“The tomatoes are ready?”
He looked at the tray, then through the kitchen door.
“Yes.”
“Then we should bring them out.”
He held the door for her. She carried the tray through, keeping her eyes on the plates.