The Little Theatre on the Seafront

by Katie Ginger

  ‘That’d be great,’ Lottie replied, fiddling with her cardigan sleeves. ‘What sort of property is it you develop again? You said commercial, but I’m afraid I wasn’t sure what that meant.’ She just wanted to double check.

  Jeremy smiled. His teeth were lovely and straight. ‘I do lots of different things. Laboratories, offices, supermarkets. But it’s really my project management skills I thought could help. Especially once you start on any building work.’

  Lottie nodded. ‘I think that’d be fantastic. We don’t have anyone with that sort of expertise.’ He really could fill the gap for them.

  Jeremy paused while the barista brought over their drinks. The thing Lottie loved about this café was the mismatched china plates and dainty crockery. They also did wonderful muffins but as Lottie didn’t really know Jeremy properly yet she didn’t want to be scoffing one while he sat there talking.

  ‘So, tell me,’ he said, smiling at her. Lottie felt her insides do a little dance. ‘How did you come to be involved with the theatre in the first place?’

  Having talked about her nan’s letter so many times now, Lottie felt confident replying without tears springing to her eyes or tightness strangling her throat. ‘It’s been abandoned for a couple of years. My nan died recently and she was chairman of the theatre committee. She was always campaigning to get it back up and running and she left me a letter asking me to take over, so I did.’

  ‘Wow, that’s quite something.’ His eyes widened and Lottie hoped he was impressed rather than just surprised.

  Lottie’s voice lost some of its confidence. ‘It’s a bit odd, I know.’

  ‘It’s certainly a lot to deal with. How do you feel about it?’

  That was a good question. She’d been so busy organising everything she hadn’t had a chance to actually think about it. She was definitely busier than ever and while she wouldn’t call the Greenley Players friends, there were a few she could see herself getting along with. It had also stopped her living in her own little world. She’d been out most nights at various things or if she was at home she didn’t just read and imagine another life, she was busy with plans and ideas of her own.

  ‘I’m really enjoying it actually.’ Her voice grew stronger again. ‘A lot more than I thought I would. It keeps me very busy and we haven’t even started with any productions yet. I’m sure once we do it’s going to be a full-time job.’

  ‘But you’re having fun?’ His tone was so caring Lottie was taken aback.

  ‘Yes. Yes, I am.’ She took a sip of her mocha and Jeremy drank his coffee.

  He leaned back in his chair and savoured the taste. ‘That’s good coffee. Better than most of the places I know.’

  ‘This is my favourite café,’ said Lottie, eyeing up the muffins through the open door.

  ‘I can see why. Greenley really is a lovely town. I’m surprised it’s not more touristy.’

  The conversation lulled and as small white clouds scurried across the bright blue sky, and the sound of hungry, eager gulls chatting to one and other rang in her ears, Lottie searched for something to say. ‘Did you move down recently to Greenley?’

  Jeremy’s green eyes settled on Lottie and she felt a flutter in her chest. ‘I hadn’t heard of Greenley until about eighteen months ago. I was searching for a holiday place, somewhere I could relax and unwind after my manic week in the city and that’s when a friend recommended this part of Kent. I came down and had a look around and fell in love straight away. It was love at first sight.’

  Lottie looked across to the sea. The way he’d said ‘love’ echoed in her ears and she thought of her grandparents and the theatre, and how everything had changed, leading her to this moment. Seagulls danced in the sky and a few fishing boats returned to the harbour. ‘It is a wonderful place. I love it here. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you around town before.’

  Jeremy lifted his cup but didn’t drink. ‘I’ve kept myself to myself since I moved down. I love the peace and quiet and go for walks just as the sun’s rising. I’m up so early during the week that I tend to get up early at weekends too and I’m back in before the rest of the world really wakes up. I’ve had friends down and been out for dinner a few times.’

  Lottie could imagine him walking along the beach haloed by a glorious rising sun and her breathing went a bit funny.

  Jeremy took another sip of his coffee. ‘When I saw the Big Clean in the paper I knew I had to stop by and see what was going on. It seemed such a great idea and for such a good cause.’ He looked straight at Lottie. ‘And what I saw was really mind blowing.’

  Lottie felt so at ease with Jeremy she admitted, ‘I’m really proud of what we achieved that day.’

  ‘You should be. And your friend on the paper, what does he think of it all?’

  ‘Sid? He really encouraged me to do this.’ Not wanting him to get the wrong idea she added, ‘He’s my best friend. We’ve known each other for years. He knew my nan too.’

  ‘Encouraged you? Weren’t you sure at first?’ When Jeremy sat back in his chair, Lottie could see toned, muscular shoulders beneath his T-shirt and averted her eyes to study her cup, unnerved by the stirring in her body. She brought her mind back to their conversation. ‘Not really. It seemed like too big a job for me.’

  Jeremy leaned in towards her. She could smell his aftershave, scents of something earthy mixed with spice. ‘I really admire what you’re doing here, Charlotte. The thing that drew me to Greenley was that it still had a remnant of community spirit, like you see in old movies where everyone knows everyone else. You don’t get that in London. What I saw last week at the Big Clean was amazing, you brought everyone together. The whole place came alive and there was such a buzz.’ He gave an embarrassed shake of the head. ‘Sorry, I’m gabbling.’

  ‘Not at all.’ Under the table Lottie pulled her cardigan sleeves into her hands. ‘And umm, everyone calls me Lottie.’

  ‘Lottie it is then,’ he said, taking another sip of his coffee but watching her over the rim.

  She gave a smile and, stunned by the way the gold flecks in his eyes caught the light, she turned her cup on its saucer. ‘It’ll be great to get an expert opinion on the theatre before I start asking for quotes. I always worry about getting overcharged.’

  ‘That’s very wise. How about I take a look tomorrow? I won’t be going back until the evening. We could have a look around and then maybe we can grab a drink afterwards?’

  Two meetings with a handsome man in two days was pretty much unheard of for Lottie. Things like that didn’t happen to her and yet, here she was with this dark-haired, golden-eyed Adonis and he was smiling. She found herself wanting to know him better. ‘That sounds great.’

  Sid was due to meet her for Sunday lunch tomorrow but she’d have to cancel. This was much more important and he’d understand. He hadn’t minded the last time. ‘Shall we say eleven then? At the theatre?’

  ‘Perfect,’ said Jeremy. ‘It’s a date.’

  Chapter 13

  Lottie and Jeremy were sat at an outside table of one of the new trendy bars. ‘Here you are,’ said Jeremy, sliding Lottie’s wine glass in front of her. He took a large mouthful of his beer. ‘That’s better.’

  Lottie had followed him around the theatre while he nodded and measured and wrote notes on his phone. Now they were sat, ready for her to hear how much it would cost to fix, and she was more than a little anxious.

  ‘Roger told me what a challenge the theatre is,’ Jeremy said. ‘And now I’ve been in I can see why.’

  ‘Roger Cunningham?’ she asked warily.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How well do you know him exactly?’ She hadn’t meant to sound suspicious and she took a breath in, hoping Jeremy hadn’t noticed.

  Jeremy cradled his pint. ‘A little. In a personal capacity. He’s not a bad sort, you know. He can be a bit brusque sometimes, but he really thinks he’s doing the best for the town. I disagree with him that the land would be better for housing. I’m more alo
ng your lines that we should keep it as a theatre.’

  ‘Really?’ Lottie’s head lifted.

  ‘Definitely. There’s so many other places around here houses could be built. A building like this needs to be preserved. I think there’s a lot of potential there.’

  Lottie nodded, surprised he agreed. ‘It was very popular before and I think it could be again.’

  ‘So do I,’ Jeremy said with a smile, then took another sip of his beer. On the beach near them the seagulls squawked with delight at the remnants of food they found.

  Lottie sipped her wine. The use of Mayor Cunningham’s first name had made her nervous. She’d have been more comfortable if Jeremy had called him Lucifer or Spawn of Satan and Sid’s warning rang in her ears. She’d covered enough events with the mayor to know he was smarmy and snobbish at the best of times but if Jeremy disagreed with him that was a good sign. Lottie’s mind wandered to Sid and what he was doing now. He’d sounded a bit fed up when she’d called to cancel lunch.

  ‘So,’ said Jeremy pulling out his phone and reading through, ‘do you want to know how much I think repairs will be?’

  Lottie nodded and readied herself for bad news.

  ‘Well …’ He took a deep breath.

  ‘Oh no,’ Lottie moaned.

  ‘Don’t be so scared, it’s not actually that bad. The roof does need some repairs, that’s why the place is so damp. Once you get the roof fixed it’ll help a lot, but you’ll need a lot of decorating inside. I think the seats can be salvaged. A good clean and they’ll be fine. Structurally you’re okay, it just needs sprucing up. The roof is definitely your worst problem. Get that sorted and everything else can follow after.’

  ‘It sounds very expensive,’ said Lottie, realising she’d been biting her fingernails. That wasn’t very attractive.

  ‘You’ve been very lucky actually. If the roof was worse you’d be looking at a lot more money.’

  ‘Can you give me an actual figure?’

  Jeremy nodded. ‘I think you’re looking at about ten thousand pounds for a patch-up job. More if you choose to re-do the whole roof or change the seats and update the lighting.’

  Lottie’s eyes widened. ‘But we haven’t got that sort of money. I don’t know how we’d even get it. I mean, the Big Clean raised about three hundred quid, but that’s not nearly enough.’

  Jeremy took a sip of his beer. ‘Basically, there are two ways to get funding. You can either raise the money or be given it. Raising it will probably involve investors, I don’t think you’ll be able to make enough through community donations or sponsorship. There just aren’t enough local businesses or individuals around here who could give that sort of money. You could try and get some grants, but that’s much harder work. They involve a lot of paperwork.’

  ‘How do you know all this?’ asked Lottie, her mind struggling to take in everything he was saying. And his shirt fitted so well over his biceps, she was having to pull her eyes away.

  Jeremy sat back and cocked his head to one side. ‘I’ve worked with the Heritage Lottery Fund and things like that before. They won’t give you any money until they’ve seen a ton of paperwork and detailed plans.’

  Lottie didn’t have time for all that. She had a full-time job to do on top of this.

  ‘I think your best bet,’ Jeremy carried on, ‘is to find some big, national companies and approach them directly, or talk to the council. They might have some links already.’

  Lottie nodded. ‘Okay. I’ll have a think about it. We need to find a more permanent solution in terms of funding. We can’t just keep hoping for handouts from the council.’

  ‘That’s a great business mindset,’ said Jeremy and Lottie glowed at the compliment. ‘If there’s any way I can help, let me know. You’ve got my number. We could always meet again to discuss it if you’d like.’ Jeremy reached for his glass and his hand brushed Lottie’s.

  Lottie felt her breath catch as his smooth skin touched hers. Then her mind began whirling around trying to figure out what she needed to do now.

  Jeremy leaned towards her over the table. ‘We could have dinner or something?’

  ‘Hmm?’ said Lottie looking up and meeting his gaze. She could hear her heartbeat getting faster.

  Jeremy chuckled. ‘I’m trying to ask you out on a date but I’m clearly making a bad job of it. I’m sorry. I wanted to ask you to dinner before but I thought you and that chap from the paper were an item.’

  ‘Sid? God, no.’ Lottie knew she’d screwed up her face unattractively and made an effort to unwind it.

  ‘So … dinner next week?’

  Lottie smiled and felt it light up her face. She resisted the urge to clap. ‘I’d love to.’

  ‘Great. I’ll book us a table for Saturday night. Where would you like to go?’

  Lottie didn’t care if they only went to Nando’s. It was still a date. Lottie Webster had a date! She took a sip of her wine trying to hide the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. She had to at least try to play it cool. ‘I don’t mind.’

  ‘To next week,’ said Jeremy, raising his glass in toast.

  Lottie lifted hers. ‘To next week.’ She couldn’t bloody wait.

  Chapter 14

  The Greenley Players chatted excitedly and gathered in a line on the front row of seats while Lottie prepared to begin. She searched frantically in her camera bag for her notes, having stuffed them in just as she was leaving work. She’d been running late after spending the entire afternoon trying to get a shot of Greenley’s cutest pet – an unpleasant Pekinese who Lottie and Sid thought bared an uncanny resemblance to Mrs Andrews. Finally, she found them, crumpled and dog-eared, and turned around.

  ‘First of all, I wanted to say thank you all so much for your efforts in making the Big Clean such a big success. It was amazing and the theatre looks brilliant now. What we need to decide today is, what do we do next?’

  ‘What about actually putting on a production?’ asked Gregory.

  ‘I don’t think the theatre’s quite up to that yet,’ said Lottie. ‘I know the outside has been cleaned up, but it’s still a bit of a state inside.’

  ‘I know that,’ said Gregory, kindly. ‘I was thinking more about something like “Shakespeare in the Park”.’

  ‘Shakespeare?’ said Lee in mild panic.

  ‘Yes.’ Gregory’s tanned face wrinkled as he smiled.

  ‘Are you sure that won’t be a little too much for our first performance?’ asked Lottie. ‘Couldn’t we start with something easier? Something modern? And shouldn’t you all get to know each other a bit more first?’

  Gregory cleared his throat. ‘When I was on the stage—’

  ‘Here we go,’ muttered Mrs Andrews, rolling her eyes.

  ‘When I was on the stage,’ Gregory continued, ‘there would be a small amount of time getting to know each other before rehearsals and the read-through began. I really think we should capitalise on the level of interest we’ve had and put on a summer production. We can bond and learn as we’re rehearsing.’

  ‘I agree about capitalising on the interest but that doesn’t give us much time,’ said Lottie. ‘It won’t be enough time to decide on a play, assign parts and rehearse. We’d need to sort out costumes, stage settings … everything.’ Lottie couldn’t hide the panic in her voice no matter how hard she tried.

  ‘Not if we have it on the bandstand in the park,’ said Gregory. ‘We’d only need costumes and we could probably borrow them from somewhere else. The theatre in Strawley maybe? Oh, come on, Lottie. Let’s give it a try.’

  Lottie looked around the room at the hopeful faces staring back at her. Was she just being pessimistic? Jeremy’s advice about finding investors had been weighing on her mind. Even though he’d said to go to the council she didn’t want to ask Roger, he’d be completely unhelpful – but she had no idea who else to ask. Everyone was looking at her expectantly. She knew sod all about the inner workings of theatre companies and Gregory did have more experience than
her. And, she had to learn to start trusting other people more. ‘Okay,’ said Lottie to sighs of relief. ‘What play shall we do?’

  ‘I was thinking Much Ado About Nothing,’ said Gregory, pulling a copy out of his bag. ‘And I’ve already had some ideas about casting.’

  Lottie chewed the inside of her cheek biting back a mixture of annoyance and amusement. The cheeky sod had been planning this all along.

  Gregory was leaning so far forward trying to see everyone he was about to fall out of his seat. ‘It’s such a perfect play for this time of year.’

  ‘Will the park give permission for us to perform?’ asked Mrs Andrews.

  Lottie shrugged. ‘I suppose if there’s nothing else booked.’

  ‘There’s nothing booked,’ said Gregory. ‘I checked. In fact, I made a provisional booking.’

  Of course he had, naughty man. Lottie raised her eyebrows. She’d expected to be reining in bossy Mrs Andrews but hadn’t thought she’d have to do the same for Gregory. She liked him, which made it ten times harder, but she couldn’t let him take over either. With a stern voice she said, ‘Gregory, you really should have spoken to all of us first.’ Beneath his bronze tan she saw a hint of red on his cheeks and felt a pang of guilt. ‘How many performances were you thinking of?’

  ‘We need a Saturday evening performance,’ said Debbie. ‘And then a matinee and an evening one on Sunday.’

  ‘That’s what I was thinking,’ said Gregory, barely able to contain his excitement.

  ‘I’m not sure about a matinee,’ replied Lottie, trying to be diplomatic. ‘We don’t want to push our luck with the public.’ There were mumbles of disappointment but the majority agreed. ‘What do you think, Conner?’ asked Lottie, keen to get everyone’s input.

  ‘Sounds cool. I’ll need to read it though.’

  ‘Never heard of Shakespeare?’ asked Mrs Andrews.

  Without stopping the tapping on his phone, Conner replied, ‘I’ve read Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, and The Tempest, but not that one.’