“I hope,” he said, “that you didn’t think that the pub idea was all planned out between me and Tony? If I’d known I would have mentioned it to you on the phone.”
Maria looked at him. “So you didn’t know?”
“When Tony suggested it in the café, it was the first time I’d heard of it. I don’t mind myself, I’ve been in pubs before – but I just wanted you to know that I wouldn’t have gone about things the way he has.”
“It doesn’t really matter,” she said, picking her words carefully, “but I think it sounds as though Tony made all the decisions for the four of us.”
“He’s a decent enough guy, and a great worker – but it’s a work friendship and we have our own very different ways.”
Maria nodded and smiled. She could tell that he didn’t want to run Tony down, and she liked him more now for the careful way he had explained it.
The pub was exactly as Tony described it, although Maria thought it felt dampish and smelled strongly of beer and cigarettes. It made her think that it was usually frequented by older men. It was entirely different to Leonardo’s, with its lovely cooking smells, where most people drank wine with their meals although some of the customers did smoke after they had eaten.
Tony ushered the two girls into the room at the front, which was just big enough to hold four small round tables, each with four tapestry-covered chairs. He held a chair out for Stella and then rushed over to do the same for Maria while Paul was taking his coat off. Maria felt he was making an issue of this to show that he knew the correct way to treat ladies, even though he might not come from the same moneyed background as his boss’s son.
“Right, girls,” Tony said, leaning on the back of Stella’s chair, “what will it be? Babycham, Cherry-B, shandy, lager and lime?” He listed the drinks like an expert then smiled indulgently at them both as he awaited their decision.
Maria looked over at Stella. “What are you having?”
Stella thought for a moment. “I think I’ll have a . . . gin and tonic.”
“And I’ll have the same, please.” It wasn’t worth it, she thought, to make an issue of having something like wine or sherry just because she’d tried it before. Besides, she heard all the girls at school going on about gin and tonic as it was seen as one of the more sophisticated drinks, and she reckoned that’s why Stella had picked it.
“Starting off with the hard stuff!” Tony laughed. “I like your style.” He went over to the bar and, just as he had said, the man serving never came to look at them or check on their ages.
They chatted away – sometimes all four of them, and sometimes the two couples. Tony held court for a lot of the time, making jokes about the friend’s car he had borrowed, which he described as a “bit of an old banger”.
When they were chatting on their own, Paul asked Maria how her exams were going and then told her that his parents had been in Leonardo’son several occasions and thought it one of the best restaurants in Manchester for a nice, relaxed night out. He said his mother particularly liked the Italian food, and was trying different things from the menu each time they went. Paul then asked her what sort of music she liked and they discovered they both liked The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. At one point Maria had to stop herself from smiling when she realised they hadn’t talked about horses once.
When they were all halfway down their drinks, Paul checked if they would all have the same again.
“Shall we have a Babycham this time around?” Stella suggested.
Again Maria agreed. She had found the gin and tonic a strange-tasting drink at first, though she had gradually got used to it, and thought the bubbly drink might be more to her liking.
She watched Paul go to the bar with a small degree of trepidation in case the barman refused to serve him as he was more than a year younger than Tony and, even though he was almost eighteen, he was still at school. For all he seemed quietly confident, she felt he was acting more relaxed than he really felt.
When he came back with the drinks Tony launched into a funny story about one of the adults who came to the stables who had bought a new horse that wasn’t as docile as the seller had promised and had all sorts of problems with it. As they were all laughing, Maria wondered – since they were talking about people buying horses – whether it was a good time to mention that her father had actually bought a racehorse, but something held her back.
Fifteen minutes before the film started, they finished up their second drinks and then made their way towards the cinema, Stella and Tony once again leading the way and the two others following behind.
A string of cars came loudly past them, so Paul put his arm around Maria’s shoulders to draw her close enough to hear. “I hope you didn’t feel too awkward in the pub?”
“It was fine,” she told him. “I enjoyed it.”
“Good. It’s not the best place I’ve been in, but it filled the time in nicely.” He let his arm slide off her shoulders now as they walked along, then, when they came to cross the road further along, she smiled to herself when he put his arm around her again. She wondered if he would kiss her in the cinema.
Maria and Stella stood to the side in the foyer as the boys went to join the short queue for tickets. “Well,” Stella whispered, “how are things going so far between you and Paul? I looked back earlier and I thought the pair of you looked very cosy.”
“He’s been really nice. He’s quiet but . . . nice. How are you and Tony getting on?”
“Oh God!” Stella smiled and closed her eyes for a few moments, and when she opened them, they had a dewy look about them.
Maria couldn’t tell if her friend was overcome by emotion or whether the two drinks had had an effect on her.
“Tony is fantastic,” Stella said, her eyes shining. “Everything about him is just fantastic. He’s been everywhere and done everything.” Her face grew serious. “He lived in Epsom, just outside London for a while, you know – he was working in one of the really big stables. He has a lot of experience with horses.”
“Paul says he’s one of the best riding instructors in the Manchester area.”
“He is, and Spencers’ Stables are lucky to have him. He says he loved the life in London – going to parties and concerts. He came back because his family are here, but I think he finds it a bit quieter than he expected.” She dropped her voice now. “He’s asked me if I’ll go to an all-night party with him in Manchester a week on Saturday.”
“An all-night party?” Maria’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“That I’ll think about it. I’ll have to work hard to get into my mother’s good books before then.”
“Do you think she’ll let you go to an all-night party?”
Stella laughed. “Are you joking? Can you just imagine my mother or my father’s reaction if they knew? They’d have a complete fit and I’d never be let outside the door.”
Maria looked baffled. “So how can you go?”
“I just need to come up with a good, believable excuse. I wish you didn’t live so close or I could say I was staying the night with you.”
“Hoi – don’t drag me into your lies!” Maria said, her tone half-joking and half-serious. “I don’t want your mother blaming me and then I’d get into trouble with my dad. It wouldn’t work anyway, because your mother would only phone the house to speak to you. She always does when you stay overnight.”
“I thought I might say I’m staying with one of the girls from my ballet class who lives the other side of Manchester,” Stella went on, as if Maria had never spoken. “I could say we’re going to a specialist ballet shop or something. Or I might just say it’s the girl’s birthday and her mother has invited me to stay overnight.”
“But she’d still phone!”
Then, as the two boys came towards them with the tickets, boxes of popcorn and bottles of Coca-Cola, Stella said, “Whatever happens I’m going to the party with Tony, and I don’t care how I do it.”
Chapter 8
&nbs
p; When they were part-way through the film, Maria wished she had checked with Stella what they were going to see. Had she realised what an emotional film Imitation of Life was, she would never have agreed to go. Her mind had been so taken up with her exam and then all the drama with the two men in the afternoon, that she hadn’t thought to check. Usually, she and her friends went to see Elvis films or light-hearted ones like Mary Poppins. But even when she was younger, she had always found certain films like Heidi or Little Women – which dealt with losing people – too sad to watch with any enjoyment.
The storyline about the two mothers and daughters was okay to begin with but, as the film went on, she found herself becoming increasingly tense as she watched the heart-rending scenes between them. She tried not to become involved in the story, because it made her think of her own mother and intensified the loss she kept in a small dark place at the back of her mind. She tried to think of other things like the exams she still had to come, her ballet exercises and horse-riding manoeuvres. She also managed to distract herself for a while when Paul put his arm around her shoulders again and left it there. She closed her eyes and leaned back against his arm, surprised at how relaxed she felt with him. Every so often he would bend his head and whisper something about the film in her ear or tighten his arm to pull her closer to him.
Then, during a silent part in the film she heard Stella giving a slightly stifled giggle. She leaned forward slightly and looked along the row past the boys to see what was the cause of the mirth, expecting to see something funny. Instead, she was shocked to see in the dim light from the screen that Tony had his hands under Stella’s sweater as they kissed and, instead of fighting him off, Stella was laughing about it.
Maria sank back into her seat, totally thrown by her friend’s behaviour. It wasn’t that she was totally naïve or stupid. She knew that girls her age got married and had sex, and certain types of girls had sex before they were married. And of course she had heard heated whispers about young couples ‘petting’ and ‘heavy-petting’, and had a good idea what that involved, but she had never imagined that her closest friend had any experience with anything like that up until now.
But even if Stella had a steady boyfriend and had said they were getting closer physically, Maria would not have imagined that she was the type to behave like that in the public arena of a cinema. Granted, they were in the back row and no one else could see them, but that wasn’t the point. She and Paul were right next to them and that should have been enough to make them contain themselves. An uncomfortable feeling crept over her as she wondered what they would have got up to had they been totally alone. What would Stella get up to if she went to the all-night party with Tony the next weekend?
As she sat staring at the screen, Maria started to wonder what Paul made of their behaviour. He surely couldn’t be oblivious to it as he was sitting right next to Tony.
She was startled out of her thoughts when the film suddenly shuddered to a halt and then the lights and the adverts came on, loudly signalling the interval. An ice-cream seller came down the aisle to the front of the auditorium with a tray full of packaged ice-cream tubs, wafers and a variety of ice lollies. Paul asked Maria what she would prefer, and then tapped Tony on the shoulder to check with him and Stella.
When Paul stood up to go down to join the queue, out of the corner of her eye Maria could see Stella straightening her jumper and then discreetly adjusting her bra underneath. She could feel her face burning up with embarrassment for her friend – and for herself – because she didn’t know what she was going to say to her. What on earth would happen, Maria wondered, if anyone who knew them saw Stella’s low behaviour? She wondered if Stella would even care. It was as if within a few moments, Stella had changed into this totally brazen person who could now do or say anything.
After a few minutes of talking exclusively to Tony, Stella leaned forward.
“Are you enjoying the film, Maria?”
Maria barely turned her head. “Yes – it’s okay.”
“The girl is a real bitch to her mother, isn’t she?”
Maria nodded.
Tony said something, and then he and Stella went back to their own conversation and Maria was grateful when she saw Paul coming up the steps carrying the ice creams.
He handed them out and then sat down and turned to Maria. “Are you enjoying the film?”
“Yes, thanks.” She concentrated on carefully opening the wrapper on her Choc Ice as she didn’t want to appear foolish by scattering any small, loose pieces of chocolate all over her clothes, and was grateful to find it was intact. “But I suppose I find it a little bit sad.”
“In fairness, there’s a good story to it, not like some of the light, silly films you get.” He opened his ice cream then turned towards her. “To be honest, I didn’t really care what kind of film we came to see tonight . . . I was just so pleased you had agreed to come with me. Actually enjoying the film is an added bonus to having your company.”
Maria looked up at him and their eyes met. He smiled warmly at her, then he put his arm around her and kept it there. They didn’t speak for a few minutes as they sat eating their ice creams, but Maria didn’t feel it was an awkward silence.
Then, when the lights dipped again just before the film resumed, he bent his head closer to her. “How do you feel about us going out again on Saturday night – just you and me? We could go for something to eat in Manchester or we could see if there’s a different film in the cinema there –whatever you like . . .”
Maria caught her breath. It was more than she had hoped for. “Yes,” she said. “That would be nice. I don’t really mind what we do.”
“Maybe eating out would be a bit boring for you, what with going to your dad’s restaurant so often?”
She shrugged. “I like trying different places.”
“That’s great. We can chat about it later or when you have your lesson on Saturday morning. But I’ll probably ring as we might not get much chance to talk at the stables.”
Then her heart quickened as he drew her towards him and lightly kissed her on the forehead. He did it in a natural and easy way, as if he had done it a hundred times before.
She would have to tell her father this time. She had no reason not to – it wasn’t as if she was in the same situation as Stella with a difficult mother and it would be uncomfortable trying to keep up the pretence of being out with friends again. Besides, she thought too much of her father to do that to him. It would be only fair to tell him.
She settled back into the film again, feeling much more relaxed now that Paul had made his interest clear to her. She realised then that the fear had been lurking at the back of her mind that he might have only come out tonight to support Tony out of friendship. But that obviously was not the case, and she felt a certain satisfaction in the knowledge that they were comfortable enough together to go out on their own without having to rely on Stella and Tony for company. It wasn’t that she had any problem with Tony, because up until tonight she had found him friendly and entertaining company – it was the fact that as a couple they had been embarrassing to be around.
She also realised that if, at the end of the night, another double-date had been suggested, she would have told Stella she wasn’t interested. The more she thought about it, the more determined she felt that she would not be used to cover up for her friend’s shady relationship with Tony.
When the film ended the four of them came out of the cinema and then had a quick discussion as to how the boys would walk the girls back home, since they lived at opposite ends of Heaton Moor.
“Okay,” Tony said after some thought, “if we give ourselves half an hour to see these lovely ladies home, then you and I can meet back at the car.”
Stella’s face was suddenly serious. “I think I’d be best walking home on my own. If I’m seen with you, my parents will guess we’ve been at the cinema together and there will be war.”
Tony slid his arm around her. “Okay then, I’ll dr
ive you home and drop you off in the next street so no one will see you. You can just say you walked home as normal.” He glanced over at Maria and grinned. “Are you in the same boat? Will Paul get hit over the head with a rolling pin by an angry mother if he’s seen walking home with you?”
Maria’s heart missed a beat.
Stella looked at Tony with wide eyes. “I thought I’d told you about Maria’s mother . . .”
There was a moment’s silence then Maria said, “I lost my mother when I was young.”
“Oh, God . . . I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to put my foot in it.”
“It’s okay, really. I’m used to this happening, so you don’t need to feel bad.” She managed a smile. “But my dad’s fine. He won’t mind a friend walking me back.”
“She is so lucky having a father like Leo,” Stella said, “and being able to go anytime to a fantastic restaurant like Leonardo’s. It’s got to be the best place in Manchester.”
Maria knew her friend was going a little overboard to compensate for Tony’s gaffe, which made her feel slightly worse. She looked at the sky. “I think,” she said, “it might start to rain soon, so we’d better get moving.”
Tony looked at Paul. “I’ll drive down Heaton Moor Road when I’ve dropped Stella off and wait for you there.”
Maria and Paul set out.
“I hope that blunder of Tony’s didn’t upset you too much?” Paul said as they walked along the main road.
“No, I’m used to it,” Maria said. “And I know people who mention my mum feel worse than I do when they find out.” She glanced at him. “You didn’t look surprised. Did you already know about her?”
“Yes . . . I somehow knew it from before, but my mother reminded me about it when I said we were going to the pictures tonight. I think your father told her when you first started riding lessons.”
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