The Vintage Cinema Club

by Jane Linfoot

  For the next hour they all rushed in and out, with boxes and smaller bits, while the muscle guys did their man stuff, shoving the bigger pieces around.

  Dida handed a chunk of cake in a serviette to Izzy. ‘Here, have some lemon drizzle to keep you going.’ Dida was circulating. It was essential to keep the crew’s energy levels high, and Izzy was definitely in need of a calorie boost, given how pale she was this afternoon.

  ‘Cheers.’ Izzy took the cake, and slid it into the pocket of her dress. ‘It’s funny how it takes ages to load up, and yet it comes off the lorry really fast. There are only a couple more things to bring in now.’

  That was Dida’s cue. ‘Right, time for a celebratory drink.’

  ‘Are we raising a glass to opera in the ruins too?’ Izzy shot her the briefest smile, over the box of linen she was carrying.

  ‘Maybe a private one.’ Dida swept off towards the kitchen. ‘If you get everyone to gather round the counter, I’ll grab the Prosecco out of the fridge.’

  Two minutes later, she was back, sliding the wine and glasses onto the counter. No way was she risking a toast after the last awful showdown at the birthday party, but the way things were panning out, it was important to mark the day.

  One by one the crew took the last of their boxes to add to the chaos at the back of the cinema, and sidled up. Only Luce was left outside on the pavement, talking on her phone. Dida watched her through the shop window, flapping her hands, as she often did, but today they were on overdrive. A second later Luce ran in, letting out a scream loud enough to make ear drums bleed, and hurled herself at a sweat streaked Ollie, knocking him against the chiffonnière he’d just put down.

  Totally breathless, and pink and incoherent, Luce was hurling random words into the air. ‘Pictures…worth a bloody fortune…auction six figures…maybe three hundred thousand…all for some brown paintings…’

  Dida blinked, barely taking it in.

  Then Luce whipped around, grabbed the bunch of tulips from the counter, and hurled them into the air, and as water and petals rained down on their heads she stopped hyperventilating long enough to take a big gulp of air and shout, ‘Omigod, the pictures are worth a bomb! Ollie and I can buy the cinema!’

  Then, tears streaming down her face, silky hair flying in all directions, Luce dragged Ollie across to Dida and Izzy, and hauled them all into a huge sweaty hug.

  ‘We’ve bloody done it, The Vintage Cinema Club can save the cinema, how bloody brilliant is that?’

  Everyone was patting everyone on the back, and cheering too, then Ollie grabbed a bottle, popped a cork, and began filling glasses.

  Eventually, they all had a glass in their hand, and the mayhem had subsided to an excited flutter. Dida, propping herself up against the counter because her legs were in danger of giving way, cleared her throat.

  ‘Well guys, the second French delivery is here, sales are at an all-time high, and now, thanks to an amazing stroke of luck with some pictures, it looks as though Ollie and Luce are going to be in a position to buy the building. This really is a good news afternoon.’

  ‘Gut, is verrry gut.’ Henni waved his glass at her, and reflected her full on beam back at her.

  Outside on the pavement, Dida noticed a ladder appearing from a van. Didn’t the window cleaner usually come in the mornings? She carried on.

  ‘Our “Vintage at the Cinema say Bonjour” adverts are all over the local papers. A huge thank you to Izzy, and Luce, but thank you to everyone for pulling together, for all your support.’

  There were a chorus of shouts of ‘Yay!’ and ‘Vive La Vintage at the Cinema!’

  Beyond the high fives, Dida focussed on the ladder, now propped up in front of the door, and her stomach clenched as she saw a horribly familiar guy, foot on the bottom rung. Déjà bloody vu or what?

  ‘Excuse me, one minute.’ As the crew parted to let her through, she bustled out of the shop, and onto the pavement, barely believing this was actually happening.

  ‘Watch it love, it’s unlucky to walk under ladders.’ It was the same guy as before, drill in hand, stepping forward, barring her way.

  The tiny prickles bristling on the back of Dida’s neck turned to damn great spikes. ‘What the hell are you doing this time?’ He surely couldn’t be…could he? As if his belligerent grin wasn’t enough, worse still, was the long narrow strip of red plastic he had in his hand. Despite her spanx, her stomach began to travel towards the ground at a rate that made her groan.

  Dida gave a large gulp, and from somewhere found her voice, which came out as a squeak. ‘That can’t be a “sold” sign?’ Her voice rose to a volley of panicked cries. ‘This building isn’t sold…it can’t possibly be sold…I’d have heard if it was…’ Bloody Aidie. Dida, shaking her head, scraped a finger nail under each eye, and bit her lip as she tried to stop her mouth from contorting. She was the last person in the world to cry. She could sit through Children In Need without even getting a lump in her throat, let alone crying. She stayed dry eyed right through school concerts, when parents around her were sobbing buckets. She wasn’t going to bloody give in now. She dragged in a breath and cursed that it made her shoulders shake. That fucking arsehole of a husband. Surely he’d have let her know if he’d sold her dream.

  The guy shook his head. ‘Once again love, I only put up the signs, you need to check back with the agents.’

  The same conversation they’d had before. If last time was bad, this was a thousand times worse. ‘Stop calling me love.’ Dida heard her voice morph into a roar.

  With a grimace, the guy gave a shrug, pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, and waved it at her. ‘There. Email, came through this morning. Sold subject to contract. You can’t argue with that.’

  And in that one awful, earth shattering moment, Dida realised he was probably right.

  All this time she’d thrown herself into Vintage at the Cinema, it had given her an amazing purpose in life, and a sense of achievement, and fulfilment, and pride. What’s more, it had taken her mind off the awfulness of her marriage, and somehow made it possible to carry on, where she otherwise wouldn’t have done. If Aidie truly had let the hatchet fall on the cinema, she was one hundred per cent finished with him too.

  84

  Tuesday Morning, 19th August

  Subject: Talking Italian

  Amore Dida,

  Thinking about our chat last night… So sorry to hear about your deep shit, and for my part in it. Take your time, do whatever is best for you, I’ll wait for as long as it takes,

  Tante bellecose, Hamish

  85

  Friday Afternoon, 22nd August

  LUCE & IZZY

  In Luce’s bedroom

  The scent of raspberries

  ‘So here’s your tea. How’s it going, is there anything I can help with?’

  Luce popped her head around her bedroom door, to see a view that hadn’t changed for days. Izzy bending over the sewing machine, with the ironing board covered in fabric triangles. All that room at Izzy’s house, yet here she was holed up in Luce’s tiny flat, to make sure Xander wouldn’t find her. Not that he was looking for her any more. Luce suspected that it was more because Izzy couldn’t face being home alone with her memories.

  Izzy bobbed her head up. ‘Would you believe I’m almost finished? Hearts and cherubs, and enough bunting to deck out the whole of Matlock Park. This happy couple aren’t doing things by halves, but they’ve saved my sanity, as well as my bank balance with their last minute order – I haven’t had time to think about the cinema, or Xander.’ Izzy gave a shudder. ‘So, any news from Dida?’

  This was how it had been for days now. Izzy here, Ollie doing Izzy’s shifts, Luce bringing Izzy the news from the outside world.

  Luce pondered. ‘Hamish is still happy to wait for her to sort herself out.’

  ‘That man sounds a seriously nice guy.’ Izzy snipped off some cotton ends.

  Luce rescued a stray flag from the floor. ‘And Dida’s fin
ally been to the solicitors to get advice on a separation. She held off until now, hoping that Aidie would reconsider the sale of the cinema, and hang on until our money came through from the pictures, but he wouldn’t.’

  ‘There are no words bad enough to describe Aidie are there?’ Izzy gritted her teeth.

  Luce knew Izzy was talking more about Dida’s bruises than the cinema.

  She gave a shrug. ‘Aidie’s gone too far this time, but Dida thinks it’s because he wants out. He was always a nightmare to live with, his bank balance was never a compensation.’

  Izzy gave a faint grin. ‘So, talking of insanely rich people, has anyone seen Xander?’ She might be looking drawn and ill, but she hadn’t lost her sense of irony.

  Luce kicked herself for letting that particular Aidie comment slip. ‘No idea where Xander is. Maybe he’s respecting what you want, and staying away.’ Luce caught Izzy’s expression falling, and knew she was still hurting.

  Izzy forced a smile onto her face, and changed the subject. ‘So any news on places to move to?’

  Luce pulled a face. ‘There’s nothing out there at all.’ The first time in her life she had the promise of a substantial wodge of cash coming her way, and she couldn’t believe it wasn’t helping them at all. ‘Ollie’s rushing around, and he’s seen a vacant garden centre and an out of the way barn, but neither of those were workable. It’s hard to think there were so many empty shops here when we started, and now there aren’t any.’

  Izzy scrunched up her face. ‘We all love what we do, but it isn’t just the income, we rely on the cinema for our whole social structure. Popping to work isn’t going to be easy for any of us if we have to move away, not to mention all the trade we’ll lose when we leave vintage central.’

  Luce, very aware of that, gave a sigh. Being anxious was so tiring too. ‘Are you back here again tomorrow?’

  ‘Not if I can help it, I’m almost finished.’ Izzy posted her a grin. ‘I’m delivering this in the morning, meeting the couple half way to Sheffield, and then I might just dare to pop in at the cinema. I want to be there to help when the last load from France arrives.’

  Luce’s chest tightened. ‘Better make the most of it while you can. Dida thinks we’ve got two months, maybe less. Apparently the deal’s moving very fast.’

  ‘I hate it, I hate it all.’ Izzy raked her fingers through her hair, and the faint scent of raspberries drifted across the room. ‘But I love that we put up a fight. Aidie can take the building, but we’ll always be The Vintage Cinema Club. He can never take that away from us.’

  86

  Saturday Morning, 23rd August

  IZZY

  A car park near Curbar Edge

  A stiff breeze and a following wind

  ‘Damned bloody sold sign.’ Izzy, having got an eyeful as she passed the cinema was still muttering to herself six miles later as she swerved around three sheep wandering across the road as she drove past Chatsworth House. ‘It’s just all so unfair.’ As she drove up the hill out of Baslow, the meadows turned to birch woods, and then to moorland.

  There was nothing fair about this situation at all. They’d all worked their butts off to make the business work, they loved what they did, and they’d all come to rely on it for a lot more than just the income. For now she was blocking out that last part, because the thought of being without money was just too scary. They had mountains of stock now, but what good was that if they didn’t have anywhere to put it? At least this mega order of bunting gave her the cushion of some immediate cash. The buyer had paid up front, and Izzy had made it in record time because, really, there was no point in going to bed when she couldn’t sleep.

  She checked the map on her iPhone, turned left, and half a mile down a bumpy road that ran between heather covered banks, she came to a wide car park entrance. A moss covered sign saying Coppice Wood confirmed this was the place. Izzy wrestled Chou-fleur across the loose gravel and pot holes, and then pulled in by the wall. At the far end of the car park, beyond the scattering of randomly parked cars, she spotted an ice cream van. The only good thing on the horizon this morning. Izzy checked her phone. Ten minutes was enough time to finish an ice cream, and still look professional when the customer arrived.

  Izzy crossed to the ice cream van, as cloud shadows raced across the car park. Good thing she’d worn her thick cardi given the gale that was blowing up here, but the wind tearing at her full skirt was a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. Approaching the van, she waved at the hunched teenager inside, who put down his phone, and pushed the sliding glass open.

  ‘Yes?’

  Tucking her skirt firmly between her knees, and pulling her cardi closer around her, Izzy pondered over the pictures in the window.

  ‘You might like to try the bubble gum cone.’

  Izzy jumped at the gruff voice, next to her shoulder. Looking down, she took in scuffed leather deck shoes, tanned feet, and her heart gave a lurch. Faded denim. She hardly dared hope, hardly dared go further. Thumbs, hooked through the belt loops, pretty much gave it away. A T-shirt, flapping in the breeze, and no one else she knew would hang out in a T-shirt with holes, saying Cannes Film Festival 84…

  ‘Xander?’ She flinched as a flash of abs made her look up sharply, and as her eyes locked with his dark brown gaze, her heart jumped and lodged right in her throat. She missed furious by a mile, almost hit angry, and ended up with a shocked gulp. Stalking, following, tracking her down, whatever, the two weeks since she’d last seen him had been like an aching lifetime. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

  * * * *

  Xander stared at Izzy, huddled against the wind. Every time he saw her, it felt like coming home.

  ‘I’m passing through, getting an ice cream, just like you.’ The hair he brushed out of his eyes had started to curl at the ends. ‘What are you having?’

  She bit her lip. ‘Actually I think I’ll leave it now.’

  She backed away from the ice cream van, and propped herself against a nearby dry stone wall instead. ‘I’m waiting to meet someone.’

  Xander dragged in a breath, and nudged his bum against the wall beside her. Knowing how big she was on honesty, he needed to come clean fast.

  ‘Yep, that’s me.’ He watched her face scrunch.

  ‘You’re here to collect the bunting?’ Her voice rose in disbelief. ‘So that means you’re the one who made the order?’

  He shuffled, wishing he didn’t feel so guilty. ‘Indirectly. It was the only way I could think of to get you to meet me.’ He’d miss out the bit about wanting to take the financial pressure off whilst he’d been getting the rest of his side together. And it had worked hadn’t it? How else would he have got to see her when she’d blocked his calls, refused to answer her door, and gone AWOL from the cinema?

  ‘Right.’ She shook her head, and squinted at the sun. ‘I suppose you heard the cinema’s been sold?’ Still staring into the blue yonder, her shoulders heaved with a huge, heartfelt sigh.

  He had to get straight in here, and do what he had to. He braced himself, and threw out the words. ‘I know you hate people meddling with your life, but I’ve a confession to make…I bought the cinema.’ A hard hat for the fall out might have been a good idea.

  ‘What?’ Izzy’s screech was even more ear piercing than he’d expected. ‘The cinema’s going to be yours?’

  He kept his own voice level. He really hoped she wasn’t going to go apeshit about this. ‘The paperwork was finalised this morning. I’m sorry, there was another buyer, and Aidie was hell bent on selling. Stepping in and hiking up the price was the only way I could save it. It all happened very fast, and I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before, but the deal was on a knife edge.’

  ‘Shit, Xander.’ She put her hand to her forehead, and brushed away her hair.

  He waited for more, but it didn’t come. So that went well. With Izzy, it was hard to predict how she was going to take things. He screwed himself up for the next bit, which was way bigger.
<
br />   ‘I’ve got some papers here I’d like you to take away and read.’ He slid an envelope out of his back pocket. ‘Basically, they outline an agreement to pass the cinema building to you, in trust.’ A lot of work had gone into the planning here. Hopefully she’d find this easier to accept than an outright gift. ‘Once you sign the papers, the building is yours to use as you want to.’ He held his breath, waiting to see her reaction.

  She chewed her thumb hard, and for a moment he thought she was about to cry. The knot in his chest tightened. God, he loved this woman so much, he couldn’t believe it had taken him quite so long to see it for what it was. He bit back the lump in his own throat, and willed himself not to wrap his arms around her, and wreck everything.

  ‘Why Xander?’ Her two scratchy words made his lips curl into a smile.

  ‘Well, there are lots of reasons.’ Loving her as if his life depended on it was only the start. ‘Most important, I want you to have your independence.’ He paused. ‘I’ve made my money, we both know money isn’t what’s important in life, but just occasionally I can use it for something that will make a huge difference to someone, and this is one of those times. That’s going to make me happy. You’re so talented, but I’ve never met anyone as selfless as you. I was pretty jaded, but seeing the way you always put everyone else in front of yourself, made me feel good again. You helped me see things differently, and come to terms with a lot of things. I guess in return, I wanted to buy you your freedom. This way you’ll never have to rely on anyone else again, you’ll always be the one in control, and you’ll always have an income.’

  Izzy sniffed beside him, and when she spoke her voice wobbled. ‘I don’t know what to say. Every time you surprise me, every time you come up with something new and amazing and awesome.’ She hugged her arms around her chest, and seemed to be tugging her skirt a lot.

  Xander turned a small box over in the pocket of his jeans. Cherub earrings. He’d almost given them to her once before. Looking back, that was the night he finally recognised the huge and major feeling of being in love with her. He just hadn’t quite got the vocabulary sorted at the time to put a name to it, given it had never actually happened to him before.