Breaking the Ice

by Mandy Baggot

  ‘What for?’ Samantha asked her.

  ‘For not believing you, about Jimmy,’ Cleo said her cheeks reddening with shame as she said the words.

  ‘Oh Cleo, it doesn’t matter! I think if you’d told me the same thing I wouldn’t have believed you either. Well no, I would have believed you because you are you and you could get anyone. I mean if you were me and you had told me, if I was you - if that makes any sense,’ Samantha babbled.

  ‘Absolutely none and it’s no excuse for letting you down when you really needed someone. I’ve been preoccupied with myself as usual, I should’ve taken more notice of you,’ Cleo continued.

  ‘I’m not a little girl any more. And you didn’t know what was going on because I hid it from you, not because you didn’t take any notice,’ Samantha insisted.

  ‘Oh Sam, you looked amazing out there on the ice!’ Cleo exclaimed, hugging her sister again.

  ‘Oh I wouldn’t say that, I almost fell on my face and I was terrified,’ Samantha responded her eyes bright, her face lit up.

  ‘You look different tonight,’ Cleo spoke.

  ‘No name badge,’ Samantha said, indicating the bare patch on her top where it should have been.

  ‘No, I don’t think it’s that. I don’t know what it is but you just look different, all grown up all of a sudden and so - beautiful,’ Cleo remarked, smiling at Samantha.

  ‘It’s Jimmy. He came back for me. Apparently I am enough,’ Samantha replied happily.

  Twenty Eight

  ‘I think Dana looks more comfortable with Andrei,’ Jimmy remarked as he watched the skating.

  He and Samantha had escaped to the solitude of the light and sound booth. It was redundant for the ice show as it controlled its own light and sound from a set up at the side of the rink. Samantha hadn’t set foot in it since the day Jimmy left. She had tried, opened the door, and her harsh words and reaction to the news he was returning to America had echoed all around the room.

  ‘She looks even more comfortable with Nigel these days. Their relationship seems to be out in the open,’ Samantha responded, taking a sip of her blackberry tea.

  ‘Nigel’s a good guy really. I told him what I wanted to do tonight and he let me hijack the show when he didn’t have to. I think he thought I was insane and I didn’t even mention the blindfolds,’ Jimmy remarked, drinking from his cup.

  ‘So are you back in the show?’ Samantha enquired.

  ‘Nope,’ Jimmy responded.

  ‘But why? I don’t understand. I thought you went back to rehab so you could come back to the show,’ Samantha said.

  ‘I only ever said I was coming back for you. I had no intention of coming back to the show, I think my performing days are over,’ Jimmy told her.

  ‘No! You’re an amazing performer! There’s no one in the ice show like you. Tonight the audience loved you, they don’t react like that for anyone else,’ Samantha spoke.

  ‘Tonight the audience loved you Sam. I was just background. Anyway, I don’t need the show, I have a new job,’ Jimmy announced proudly.

  ‘Oh goodness! What? Where?’ Samantha responded animated out of both happiness and concern.

  ‘In North London, at one of the entertainment complexes there. They’ve just converted their bowling alley into an ice rink. It’s only small, mainly for kids to come and have fun, not for anything competitive. Anyhow I suggested giving lessons, being an instructor and they agreed. Why they agreed I don’t know, but they did,’ Jimmy explained with a smile.

  ‘That’s brilliant, teaching is what you wanted to do,’ Samantha remarked happily.

  ‘Yeah, it’s great. I’ve been very lucky,’ Jimmy agreed, taking another sip of his drink.

  ‘Unlike me. Unemployed as from tomorrow. Cleo wanted me to work in the tourist information centre, I even got an interview but I just couldn’t bring myself to go through with it,’ Samantha informed him with a sigh.

  ‘Well why would you want to work there?’ Jimmy asked her, putting his drink down on the table.

  ‘Because it’s better than working at Simpkin’s Shoes or at McDonald’s,’ Samantha answered.

  ‘But what about this place? Who would run the hall?’ Jimmy questioned.

  ‘Has rehab erased your memory of the last month? The Civic Hall is closing, it’s been sold,’ Samantha reminded him.

  ‘Sure, I know, but do you know what plans the buyer has for it?’ Jimmy enquired.

  ‘No and Felicity says the estate agent is keeping it close to his chest. That’s because he doesn’t want the community up in arms when they decide to turn it into a housing development,’ Samantha responded.

  ‘What if the buyer wanted to keep it as it is? As a place for entertainment?’ Jimmy asked her.

  ‘That won’t happen. He or she won’t make half as much profit from keeping it going as they would from development,’ Samantha answered.

  ‘What if it wasn’t just about profit? What if the buyer had a certain amount of personal attachment to the place?’ Jimmy enquired, looking at her.

  Samantha turned in her chair and looked directly at him.

  ‘Personal attachment? What sort of personal attachment?’ Samantha asked her eyes widening.

  ‘What if the Civic Hall was the very place he had first kissed the woman he’s in love with,’ Jimmy spoke, looking back at her.

  Samantha put her hands to her mouth in shock. He couldn’t really be saying what she thought he was saying. Her heart was racing as she gazed at him, her eyes begging him to say something else to confirm her hopes.

  ‘What if the Civic Hall had just made the restaurant a success and the new owner had lots of connections in the entertainment industry to entice new and exciting acts to the borough of Woolston?’ Jimmy carried on.

  ‘Oh Jimmy!’ Samantha exclaimed still holding her hands to her face in surprise and excitement.

  ‘What if the Civic Hall had a manager who the new owner had so much faith in he had absolutely no doubt the place would be a success,’ Jimmy spoke finally, watching Samantha’s reaction.

  ‘You’ve bought the Civic Hall!’ Samantha yelled out loud.

  ‘I’ve bought the Civic Hall,’ Jimmy repeated a huge smile spreading over his face.

  ‘Are you mad?! I know how much it was on the market for,’ Samantha spoke.

  ‘I negotiated hard. There were a couple of other offers on the table, some from developers. I talked a good talk about preserving the history and the heritage, and then paid over the odds for it,’ Jimmy told her with a laugh.

  ‘But how? Why? I mean it’s too much,’ Samantha said with a sigh.

  ‘How? Well I sold my houses and my cars. Why? Because there’s no point having houses and cars in America when my heart is over here. And besides the smoochy stuff, I do believe it can be profitable. We never got a chance to implement our ideas and frankly that sucked,’ Jimmy spoke.

  ‘Oh Jimmy!’ Samantha exclaimed and she got off her chair and threw her arms around him.

  ‘I know it was only ten days but I missed you like crazy - even the coughing and the hyperventilating,’ Jimmy told her as he held her.

  ‘I love you,’ Samantha spoke without concern for how the words were going to come out.

  Jimmy held her back from him to look at her.

  ‘I love you too,’ he responded sincerely.

  Samantha smiled and put her arms around him again, holding him tightly.

  ‘Buying the hall does leave me with one problem though,’ Jimmy spoke as he stroked her hair.

  ‘What?’ Samantha asked, pulling away to look at him.

  ‘I kind of don’t have anywhere to live and I know how you and Cleo fight about house guests,’ Jimmy responded.

  ‘Oh don’t worry about that, I think Cleo and I can reach an understanding that won’t make me the biggest hypocrite on the planet. Be warned though, I do already share my bed with another male,’ Samantha replied.

  ‘I think you’re going to have to explain,’ Jimmy said curio
usly.

  ‘He’s cute and furry, has a wonky eye and only eats leftovers,’ Samantha informed with a grin.

  ‘Gobby,’ Jimmy said, smiling.

  ‘Yes, but I’m sure he won’t mind sharing me.’

  ‘He isn’t going to be given a choice,’ Jimmy answered and he kissed her again.

  It was almost 1.00am when Cleo and Jeremy returned home, a little worse for wear. Jeremy kicked off his brogues and left them in the middle of the hallway and Cleo had to hold the banister for support.

  ‘Wasn’t my sister fantastic tonight? The press were there you know, taking photos of my sister. My sister and Jimmy Lloyd. She kissed him, right in the middle of the ice rink, in front of everyone,’ Cleo babbled as she and Jeremy mounted the stairs.

  ‘So you’ve said, at least a hundred times - to everyone in the Indian restaurant,’ Jeremy told her as he swayed violently and caught hold of the wall to steady himself.

  ‘I think Connor was very disappointed, that he missed out on a date with Sam. I mean you could see his face drop when he saw she was with Jimmy Lloyd. I mean I don’t know what I was thinking of. Connor’s a midget and not really the right colouring for Sam. I think Jimmy suits her you know. I didn’t think I would ever say that, but I think he suits her quite well. Isn’t he tall? And he has lovely hair doesn’t he? I always thought he had lovely hair,’ Cleo carried on as they reached the top of the stairs and staggered across the landing towards her bedroom.

  ‘Yes, lovely hair. Remind me to ask him for some tips,’ Jeremy responded sarcastically.

  ‘Do you think she’s back yet? My little sister, Jimmy Lloyd’s girlfriend?’ Cleo asked as she halted outside Samantha’s bedroom door.

  ‘Looks that way,’ Jeremy responded and he indicated the door handle.

  Cleo let out a loud shriek that reverberated round the landing and she put her hands to her mouth. Her black coloured crystal was hanging from the door handle of Samantha’s bedroom.

  ‘The little minx! I don’t believe it! Wait until I speak to her!’ Cleo exclaimed, stumbling backwards and falling off one of her high heeled shoes.

  ‘In the morning Hon, let’s go to bed. That sag aloo’s really given me indigestion,’ Jeremy remarked, heading off towards Cleo’s bedroom.

  ‘Are you sure that hasn’t been caused by the six pints of lager? I’m surprised you didn’t ask if they did it by intravenous drip,’ Cleo said, following Jeremy.

  Inside her room Samantha smiled as she heard Jeremy and her sister close the door of Cleo’s bedroom. She pulled the duvet up around her and laid her head on Jimmy’s chest. She had just about everything she had ever wished for. She was Samantha Smith, manager of the Woolston Civic Hall, and she had a gorgeous boyfriend. One day though she would definitely want a new name badge. Samantha Lloyd, Manager had the same amount of letters and certainly had a nice ring to it.

  Gobby let out a sleepy miaow of agreement.

  She smiled. Two males in her bed at the same time, not even Cleo had managed that. Well, at least she didn’t think so. In fact she sincerely hoped not.