Lavender Girl

by Paula Hickford

  Tammy went out into the garden to talk to Finn as she waited for Liz to come down all made up. Liz had carefully applied a little eyeliner and mascara, blusher and a hint of lip gloss. She put on the trousers and the silk patterned shirt. She looked slim and elegant. ‘So far so good,’ she said to herself, as she tried on the shoes and the coat to get the finished effect. Silver earrings and necklace completed the look. ‘Not bad at all,’ she said to herself. She was pleased that she felt comfortable, smart but casual.

  She came downstairs so Tammy and Finn could give her the final thumbs up.

  ‘Wow, you look amazing.’ Tammy had only ever seen her in casual trousers and jumpers. Finn put his hands up as she walked into the room as if someone had pointed a gun at him.

  ‘You look fantastic,’ he said.

  ‘You look nice Mrs B,’ shouted Rory, who could see her through the open kitchen window. ‘Where are you off to?’

  ‘She has a date,’ shouted Finn.

  Liz was embarrassed. ‘It’s not a date,’ she protested. ‘Nick is just a friend.’

  She took off her coat as she wouldn’t be leaving for another forty five minutes or so. Rory shouted his goodbye’s followed soon after by Finn.

  ‘Relax and have a great time,’ said Finn, giving her a peck on the cheek as he left.

  ‘Thank you for all your help,’ said Liz, blushing slightly.

  As they were coming out through the side gate Monica was coming up the garden path to collect Tammy.

  As much as she valued Tammy and Finn’s opinion Liz was keen to hear if Monica approved. Tammy opened the door. She was really excited.

  ‘I helped Liz get ready. I did her hair,’ she blurted, as Monica came in. Liz poked her head around from the kitchen door before walking catwalk style down the hall and then doing a turn at the front door.

  ‘I love it,’ said Monica. ‘You look great.’

  ‘Thank you. I should make more effort. I used to but I sort of got out of the habit.’

  ‘Remember, I want all the details tomorrow,’ shouted Finn, as he boarded the Fantasy Gardens van. Liz felt herself blush again and looked to see if any of the neighbours were watching before closing the front door.

  ‘I will have to employ Tammy to do my hair, too,’ said Monica. Tammy was beaming.

  ‘Have you got time for a cuppa? I’m not going for a while yet.’

  ‘Not tonight,’ said Monica. ‘I’ve still got a bit of catching up to do but if you’re free tomorrow night perhaps we can all have dinner?’

  ‘That would be great.’

  ‘I love the outfit, very chic.’

  ‘I would never have picked this out for myself,’ said Liz, studying her reflection in the hall mirror. ‘I feel a bit guilty for spending so much money.’

  Monica stayed chatting for another ten minutes before going home and then Liz looked up the address on the computer. The venue was an industrial looking warehouse in Crouch End which looked very trendy, and she started to worry that she wouldn’t fit in. The confidence she had felt fifteen minutes ago was starting to drain away. She wrote down the postcode so she could put it into the satnav and began to transfer some of the contents of her every day handbag to the small tan bag she would be taking with her.

  As she was doing so the doorbell rang again. She assumed that Monica had forgotten something and was shocked to see Adam standing on the doorstep. ‘Hi, mum,’ he said, surprised to see her all dressed up. ‘You look nice.’

  ‘Thank you darling,’ she said warmly. ‘Come in, come in. I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a hurry. I have to leave soon but I can make you a cup of tea and you’re quite welcome to stay and make yourself something to eat if you want to.’

  ‘No, don’t worry, I’m fine. I just thought I would pop in on my way home. Where are you off to all dressed up?’

  ‘I’m going to an art exhibition in Crouch End.’

  ‘Good for you,’ said Adam. ‘Are you going with the lady next door, Monica isn’t it?’

  ‘Not Monica.’ Liz didn’t really want to tell him but she didn’t want to lie either. ‘I’m going with an ex colleague, an old friend.’

  ‘Oh, what’s her name, anyone I know?

  ‘I don’t think so, dear,’ said Liz, and then biting the bullet added, ‘His name is Nick. Nick Roberts. She emphasised the word his. ‘He is exhibiting his paintings and tonight is the press preview.’

  ‘So this is a date?’ he said sounding concerned.

  ‘No, no,’ said Liz, laughing, ‘he’s just a friend.’

  ‘How long have you known this Nick?’ said Adam, probing.

  ‘We worked together for a couple of terms a few years ago now but we recently bumped into each other in the garden centre. He lives nearby. Plus he’s been decorating Tammy’s bedroom next door so I’ve seen him a lot.’

  ‘Don’t you think you’re a bit too old for a date?’

  Liz prickled. ‘Adam, it is not a date, he is just a friend.’ She sounded a little put out.

  ‘You have made a lot of effort for a friend,’ he said sarcastically.

  ‘I’m glad you think so, Adam, but that’s all it is and now you come to mention it,’ she was getting angry, ‘no, I do not think I am too old for a date. Of course, I realise that in your eyes I should be perfectly happy to stay at home and wait for you to visit once in a blue moon but I have decided that it’s about time that I started getting back into the world. So if you’re staying don’t wait up,’ and with that she grabbed her coat and bag and left.

  Adam was sitting in the kitchen with his mouth open. He couldn’t get his head around the fact that his mum was going anywhere, let alone with a man. He viewed his mother as completely asexual.

  He took his mobile out of his pocket to call Georgina but hesitated before dialling. He was looking out onto the garden and couldn’t believe his eyes. The garden looked like a building site. There was no grass. In its place were the skeletons of various pathways and his dad’s shed had been demolished. He didn’t know what to do.

  He rang Georgina. ‘I think mum is having a midlife crisis,’ he said seriously.

  ‘Liz Is too old for a midlife crisis,’ she replied.

  ‘Well, she’s all dressed up to go to an art exhibition with someone called Nick,’ he said hysterically, ‘and she has completely destroyed dad’s garden. What would you call it?’

  ‘Oh dear,’ said Georgina. ‘You don’t think that she is being conned do you? You hear stories in the news about vulnerable lonely women being bamboozled by heartless lotharios who are only after their money.’

  ‘Don’t be melodramatic,’ said Adam. ‘It couldn’t be, could it? She said that he is just a friend.’

  ‘That’s how it starts,’ said Georgina, before hanging up.

  * * *

  Liz was immediately sorry that she had vented. She had often wanted to tell Adam that she thought he was selfish but had held it in, not wanting to rock the boat. Well now the boat was rocking and she didn’t care.

  ‘He has a damn cheek.’ She said this out loud. ‘How dare he mind that I am going out? He should be pleased.’

  Chapter 19

  Adam was distracted all the way home. He was determined to find out more about Nick and make sure that his mother was not parting with her life savings. He would ask Sasha what she knew about him.

  * * *

  Liz was so mad with Adam on the drive to Crouch End that she forgot to be nervous, although the anger had subsided by the time she arrived and she felt a little ashamed of herself for losing her temper. Perhaps she over-reacted. She would call him tomorrow.

  Her face was still flushed as she parked the car. None of the buildings had either names or numbers but luckily she was able to stop a passer-by who lived in the area and he directed her to a building which looked like an abandoned warehouse. As she got closer she could see a large poster advertising the exhibition next to the entrance.

  The entrance itself was very deceiving. It looked quite narrow from
the outside but once inside it opened out into a huge industrial looking space. She looked around for Nick.

  She was pleased she had worn trousers and not opted for one of the dresses. She felt a bit more at ease in trousers. She could see a couple of men in suits but most were wearing casual jackets and jeans. She tried to imagine what Nick would be wearing. She doubted he owned a suit. She felt that for once in her life she had got it just right. A waiter walked past with a tray of glasses containing something fizzy and she took a glass and sipped it before moving further into the room.

  She hated standing on her own and the longer she stood by herself the more she felt her confidence ebbing. She didn’t know anyone here except for Nick and he was nowhere to be seen, she started to feel very self-conscious. She considered backtracking and slipping out of the room again. It was a mistake to come here. Adam was right, what was she thinking?

  She took a deep breath. ‘Don’t panic,’ she said to herself, ‘just look around. It’s an art exhibition. People go to art exhibitions by themselves all the time. Breathe.’ She took another sip from the flute in her hand and scanned the room. Where to start? She wondered which paintings were Nick’s. There was so much to look at, sculptures in stone, marble and metal, portrait and landscape paintings, abstracts and still life. She walked over to the nearest display as confidently as she could manage.

  Paintings were hanging from the ceiling as well as from screens and walls separating the different artists work. This particular artist painted nudes and there were pictures of men and women in various stages of undress. The artist was good. They had managed to capture muscle tone, skin and hair in great detail. Liz noticed a woman talking enthusiastically to a group of people about the paintings and guessed that this was the artist.

  She took another sip from her glass and moved around the screen where she was confronted by a huge oil painting of a man reclining on a bed, every aspect of his naked body painted in minute detail. She was eye level to his genitals. Had she been with someone she would have stopped to admire the skill of the painter but on her own she blushed and tried not to stare, turning her head to look at something else. Luckily she spotted Nick out of the corner of her eye.

  He didn’t see her immediately. He was having an animated conversation with a serious looking couple who were very smartly dressed in suits, which looked a little out of place in the warehouse. Liz watched for a while, wondering if she should go over or stay put until he’d finished. In the end she didn’t have to make a decision as Nick looked in her direction and smiled. She waved, as if she was asking permission to leave the class, and self-consciously walked towards him. As she did so he excused himself from his companions and came to greet her.

  ‘I wasn’t sure you’d come,’ he said smiling.

  ‘I wasn’t sure I’d come either,’ said Liz.

  ‘You look great,’ he added, standing back in admiration.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said gracefully. ‘I wish I could take the credit but it’s hair by Tammy and outfit by Ali and Finn.’

  ‘Designers?’ asked Nick.

  ‘No,’ Liz replied. ‘Ali, personal shopper, and Finn of Fantasy Gardens. Nick laughed. ‘No seriously,’ said Liz smiling. ‘I needed help. It’s been a while since I’ve been shopping and I had nothing to wear.’

  ‘I suspect that you’d look good in a sack,’ said Nick.

  ‘I’ll remember you said that next time,’ said Liz.

  ‘So there will be a next time.’ There was a twinkle in his eye.

  Liz laughed. ‘I must say you scrub up very well too.’

  Nick was wearing jeans with a white shirt, tan shoes and a well cut navy jacket. ‘We sort of match,’ said Liz.

  ‘We do,’ said Nick. ‘It’s a sign. Now, come on over. I’d like your opinion on my work.’ He led her to a stand on the far side. She started to relax. Nick’s paintings were an eclectic mix of contemporary and modern styles. He had several portraits on display. ‘Always a hard sell,’ he informed her, ‘unless it’s someone famous or it has been commissioned. I roll them out to show what I can do.’

  ‘Who’s this?’ said Liz, pointing to a portrait of a lady who looked to be around thirty five.

  ‘This is my daughter, Heather,’ he said, brimming with pride.

  ‘She’s beautiful,’ said Liz.

  ‘She is,’ said Nick. ‘Obviously takes after her dad.’

  Liz laughed. ‘And this one?’ Liz was standing in front of a picture of an old man.

  ‘Aah, now this is a man I used to see regularly in the park. He has an interesting face don’t you think?’

  ‘He looks sad,’ said Liz, staring into the watery grey eyes. ‘These are really good. I wonder you had time to paint Tammy’s room.’

  ‘Well, I was in between jobs. It’s not a steady business but it’s getting better.’

  They moved on to another stand. This one had four abstract paintings on it. Liz stood back to get the full effect. ‘I’m not feeling these,’ she said to Nick.

  ‘Not my best work,’ he agreed, ‘but they help to pay the bills.’

  ‘Do you sell a lot of these?’ she asked.

  ‘I have just been discussing a commission to paint thirty like this one.’ He pointed to a huge canvas with splashes of colour scattered randomly in primary colours. ‘It’s for a chain of wine bars opening in July.’

  ‘Ah,’ Liz smiled. ‘Were the couple I saw you talking to earlier the owners?’

  ‘No. Not sure what that’s about yet. They are from one of the regional TV channels, they said they have a project they want to discuss. I have made an appointment to see them in a couple of weeks’ time. They just popped in to the look at my work.’

  ‘Sounds intriguing,’ said Liz.

  ‘Something always comes up.’ Nick was smiling. ‘And if it doesn’t I could advertise my services as a decorator.’

  Liz laughed. ‘You’d have to buy a ladder.’

  ‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Shall we take a walk around the room and scope out the competition?’

  ‘Let’s,’ said Liz. Nick grabbed another couple of glasses of sparkling wine and led Liz towards the sculptures.

  They were both amused by the titles of the works, especially as you would need a very vivid imagination indeed to be able to work out what it was without them. Liz was particularly amused by two blobs of marble on a plinth entitled ‘Mother and child’.

  ‘Looks like a deformed potato,’ she said to Nick, who had to agree.

  The evening whizzed by, Nick was great company and they spent the whole time chatting and laughing. She liked being with Nick, there were no awkward silences and she didn’t feel the need to censor her conversation. Not that censorship would have been possible with two glasses of wine. She was completely relaxed.

  Nick introduced her to some of his friends from the art club and he told them all about Liz’s painting. She argued that it was a very unworthy effort. Nick disagreed and they urged her to join. She said she would think about it.

  By ten she was feeling tired and decided to head home. She could still feel the effects of the sparkling wine and it made her a little light headed, so there was no way she would be able to drive. She asked Nick to call her a cab.

  ‘I can take you home if you don’t mind waiting half an hour or so. I don’t think the sponsors would be very impressed if I left early.’

  ‘No, I wouldn’t hear of it,’ said Liz. ‘This is important to you. I’ll be fine.’ She didn’t trust herself to be alone with him under the influence of sparkling wine. She liked him a lot more than she cared to admit, even to herself.

  ‘How about if I pick you up in the morning and drive you back here to collect your car?’

  ‘That is really kind of you but I don’t want to put you out.’

  ‘It’s no trouble, Liz. I’m coming back here tomorrow anyway. Is nine o’clock okay?’

  ‘Perfect,’ said Liz. ‘Thank you.’

  The minicab was outside in ten minut
es and Nick walked her to the car. She was praying that he wouldn’t kiss her but equally thrilled at the thought that he might. She hadn’t kissed anyone except Jim, apart from Tony Rolfe when she was seven, and she was nervous but excited at the same time.

  Nick must have been a little unsure of himself too. When they got to the taxi he took both her hands in his and thanked her for coming. Just the touch of his hands around hers made her tingle, warm and soft like his voice.

  ‘I’ve had a really good time,’ he said. ‘Perhaps next time you’ll let me take you somewhere less crowded.’

  ‘That would be lovely.’

  On her way home she thought about her argument with Adam. Was he right? Was she too old to start again?

  As she pulled up outside her house she half expected his car to be there but it was gone. She was relieved. She thought he might be waiting up for her like her father did when she was a teenager. She felt really happy and didn’t want anything to intrude on the feeling. She’d had a wonderful evening. It felt so good to have someone to laugh with and who was actually interested in her opinion.

  * * *

  When Adam finally got home Georgina was waiting with the red wine. He looked stressed. Sasha had gone to bed so Adam was unable to interrogate her. Had it been entirely up to him he would have woken her up and sat her in front of a spotlight. He was that worried.

  ‘Let’s not panic until we know more,’ Georgina soothed.

  ‘She is spending so much money. You ought to see the garden.’ Adam’s voice was sounding more and more agitated.

  ‘Well, she can’t be giving loads of money away can she,’ said Georgina, ‘if she’s spending it.’

  ‘No, that’s true,’ said Adam.

  ‘But she could be making changes to the house to sell it. Or worse, move him in,’ said Georgina.

  ‘That’s not helping,’ he said, putting his head in his hands.

  Adam tossed and turned all night. He looked dreadful in the morning and didn’t get up until almost seven o’clock. He would be late for work but luckily he was the boss. Sasha was sitting at the breakfast table eating toast when he came down.