And, again, the way Jack was glancing this way and that to his immediate left and right, the same way the mayor had done a short time earlier, this led the audience to believe there was maybe something more to be expected and that they ought not to be applauding just yet. And so despite the false start of several uncertain people offering a few tentative claps, those in attendance remained silent and waited…
And then waited a bit more…
And then waited a bit more, hands poised at the ready, just in case it might be time to start clapping soon after all.
“Ahem,” said Jack. “Bigger and better things, I said. Help even more people, I said.” He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot on the floor.
Grandad and Ray realised, with a sudden start, that they were up again. “Oh! I was waiting for you!” Geoffrey said to Ray.
“I was waiting for you!” Ray said to Geoffrey.
“After you, my dear fellow!” suggested Geoffrey.
“Oh, no, after you, I insist!” replied Ray, as good manners were everything, and often so sorely lacking these days.
“Now would be a good time, gents! Anytime today might be nice!” Jack said to the comedy team of bloody Morecambe and Wise, a.k.a. Grandad and Ray.
The pair finally, again, released a salvo of large party poppers, with a CRACK! and a POP! that were, at least, better late than never. Confetti burst into the air, and the audience did their part by releasing their applause as well.
“Jack…?” said a timid voice, after the applause had died down and the confetti had wafted through the air and settled to the floor. “Jack, if I may…?”
“Is that you, Florence?” said Jack, peering through several rows of people to where Florence was sat.
She was raising her hand like a student asking a teacher for permission to speak. “I’m sorry for the interruption,” she said. “I’m terribly sorry. But I’ve got something for the club, Jack, and I was hoping to give it to you today, if that’s all right…? I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“Nonsense! You’re never any trouble at all!” Jack cheerfully assured her. “Our number-one bestselling artist, no less! Come on up here, Florence!” said Jack, and with the audience happily moving out of her way, as needed, so that she could make her way to the front of the room, and offering her a generous round of applause as well.
Despite having performed in front of several thousand people only just recently, Florence still wasn’t one for public speaking, so addressed Jack directly instead. “This came in the post today,” she whispered shyly, handing Jack an envelope. “I told them to make it out in the name of the charity.”
Jack opened the envelope, peering inside. He pulled out the contents, gazing at it incredulously. “You’re serious?” he said.
“I’m very serious,” Florence answered him.
Jack held it up for everyone to see. It was a cheque for just over sixty thousand pounds, made payable to the Lonely Heart Attack Club. “Oh my goodness,” he said, gobsmacked.
“It’s all the money from sales of the song,” explained Florence. “I was even paid for how many views it received on YouTube, apparently, although I’m not sure what that is or what that means exactly. Anyway, I’m told that this is only the very first royalties cheque, and that there may be more coming at regular intervals later in the year. Can you imagine? All this fuss?” Florence looked both proud of her accomplishment and yet slightly embarrassed by it all.
“Oh my goodness,” Jack said again.
“There was just one thing I was wondering, though. A small request…?” Florence said hesitantly. “I hate to be a bother…”
“Go ahead,” Jack encouraged her. “Whatever it is, speak freely. You’re amongst friends here,” he assured her, and holding out his hand to invite her to speak to everyone present.
“Well, I’d have loved for my husband Thomas to have met you all, and to know what you’ve done for me,” said Florence, addressing both Jack and all the others now. “I wondered if it was possible I might… assuming it’s not too much trouble, of course… get a bench put on the promenade? In his memory? I mean, if that’s something that could be done…? That way, you see, each time one of you wonderful people were to walk past, you could have the opportunity to maybe sit down, if you wanted to, and say hello to him…? He was a very special man, and I’m sure he’d love to hear your voices, each and every one.”
Jack turned to the mayor, as this sort of thing was more the mayor’s jurisdiction. “Mayor Brian? What do you reckon?” Jack asked.
The mayor, who was in danger of welling up, only nodded a confirmatory nod in return, as he was presently taking the careful precautionary measure of trying to find something with which to dab at his eyes should the need arise.
“Florence, I’m absolutely certain we can make that happen,” pronounced Jack, smiling widely. “And what an absolutely wonderful contribution to the charity,” he added, including everyone as he said it. “Over sixty thousand pounds, everyone, can you believe it? What you’ve done, Florence, is—”
POP!
Grandad and Ray couldn’t set the party poppers off when required, but were very adept at doing so when they weren’t. Or, it’s possible they’d simply gone rogue and were now setting them off when they felt it was the right time.
“… wonderful,” said Jack, finishing his sentence. “Florence. Thank you!”
Jack gave Florence a gentle hug and a peck on the cheek, and then she made her way back to her seat amidst an enthusiastic round of applause. Once that was sorted, Jack had one additional order of business he wanted to mention…
“Just one more thing, if I may? Emma, do you mind joining me up here?”
Emma, who’d been watching on from the first row, joined Jack at the front of the room as requested. “What’s this all about?” she asked, puzzled, because this wasn’t part of the script.
Jack took a deep breath, steadying himself. “I wanted to say this here, in front of everyone, because I think of the club as our extended family,” he began, Emma staring intently, not sure what he was up to. “Just before our wonderful son Lucas was born, there might have been some confusion…” Jack went on.
“About the father?” shouted Geoffrey, generating a raucous burst of laughter in response at Jack’s general expense, though affectionately so.
“Cheeky bugger!” replied Jack. “Well, no, at least I hope not,” he said, looking to Emma.
But Emma was chuckling, and so, taking this as reassurance and confirmation that there was indeed no confusion in regard to his being the father, Jack pressed on.
“No, what I was going to say was, I’d meant to say something then, as Emma was preparing to give birth. But then things very quickly got a mite hectic when Lucas decided at that moment to make his sudden appearance, and all efforts at that point were directed towards delivering our wee one safely out into the world. And then after that, well, I suppose I just stupidly left my intentions unsaid, thinking they were obvious enough, or maybe just not having the nerve again to say them out loud…”
Emma looked at him quizzically, wondering what this was all leading up to.
In answer, Jack dropped to one knee, making his aim perfectly clear. “Emma, I love you with all my heart, and wondered if you would do me the honour of being my wife?”
At this, Grandad and Ray scrambled for more party poppers, as they had no more immediately at hand but hoped like hell they hadn’t run out.
When Emma eventually lowered her hand from her mouth and could speak again, she responded to Jack, taking his hand. “I was in a lot of pain back then at the hospital, and pumped full of medication!” she said. “So I’m happy that I’m perfectly clear-headed now as I have this opportunity to say yes to the most wonderful, caring, and compassionate person I’ve ever met. Jack Tate, I love you, and I’d be honoured to be your wife.”
CRACK! POP!
“Have some of that!” announced Grandad gleefully, having successfully retrieve
d some more poppers for himself and his accomplice, and figuring this to be precisely the right time to crack them open, and nobody was going to tell him and Ray they couldn’t. “We’re going to have a wedding!” Geoffrey declared triumphantly. “Ray, we’re going to have a bloody wedding!”
After a rather lingering kiss from Emma, Jack raised a glass. It was a real one this time, and in fact glasses of champagne were passed out all around in an operation that had clearly been covertly planned ahead of time.
“You sneaky devil!” remarked Emma, accepting her own glass and raising it up.
“Everyone, I’m hoping your glasses have been topped up, because I’d like to propose a toast!” said Jack to all assembled. “It’s a toast to Emma, and to each and every one of you who make this club one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever had the distinct pleasure of being a part of,” he told them. “No, hold on, strike that. Not one of the most wonderful things. The most wonderful thing!” he said, correcting himself.
To which the crowd expressed their approval with shouts of “Huzzah!” and the like.
“You’re all very special to me,” Jack said. “To the Lonely Heart Attack Club. Cheers!”
“To the Lonely Heart Attack Club!” came the collective rallying cry. And then, directly after that, shouts of, “Now where’s the cake!”
The End
Dearest readers,
J C Williams is proud to confirm that “Florence’s Song” has now actually been recorded as a single! On the next page there's a YouTube link where you can hear the song. In the comments section of the video you can find all of the links to download the single and help raise funds for a very worthwhile cause.
Let's get this to number one!
Please find below a link where you can hear “Florence’s Song,” sung by the super talented Katie O’Doherty. In the body of the comments section on the video are details of where you can download the single and help support a wonderful charity.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uInm0HFPZJg
There’s more…
If you’ve enjoyed this book, the author would be very grateful if you would be so kind as to leave feedback on Amazon. You can subscribe for author updates and news on new releases at:
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And with a closer look at my other fine offerings on the following few pages…
Other Books by J C Williams
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BD3MQ68
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07H9WZ3MC
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PZXVZ2F
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082DP7SJ8
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073WXHGCV
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www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DJYJWLD
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00RO4PX3E
And you may also wish to check out my other books aimed at a younger audience…
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01HWTNHAG
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MDKS0KM
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1076693202
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XX5K3GG
All jolly good fun!
The Lonely Heart Attack Club - Project VIP Page 24