Page 42 of Christmas at the Movies
‘Bonjour,’ said a dark-haired man in a suit. ‘I was very happy to see that you will be showing some French films.’ Roger’s partner, Omar, a maths teacher at the local secondary school, was originally from Morocco. He spoke fluent French as well as his native Arabic.
James nodded enthusiastically. ‘Sarah is going to run a weekly world-cinema club.’
There was a murmur as David Langdon, the local MP, came into the cinema with his teenaged daughter, Kath. The MP was a notorious womaniser, who featured regularly in gossip columns. Despite his questionable morals, he’d been extremely helpful when it came to navigating planning permissions and dealing with English Heritage.
‘Thanks for all your help, David,’ said James.
‘My pleasure,’ replied David, pumping his hand heartily. ‘I’m always glad to see new jobs being created in my constituency.’ He smiled proudly at his daughter. ‘Plus, Kath loves going to the pictures. She can’t wait to see the film.’
‘Are you a Jude Law fan?’ James asked her.
The teenaged girl blushed awkwardly. ‘I prefer Cameron Diaz.’
‘Let’s get you some popcorn.’ Sarah led the MP’s daughter over to the café area.
James looked around the lobby, which was now full of guests drinking champagne that Roger and Omar had procured on a trip to their holiday home in Normandy. He was touched that so many friends, old and new, had turned up for their big night. It felt like the whole community was rooting for them to succeed.
‘It’s time,’ said Sarah, coming over and slipping her arm around his waist.
They walked over to the auditorium doors. James cleared his throat. ‘Thanks very much to all of you for coming, and for all of you who helped along the way. After thirty years, the magic of cinema finally returns to Plumdale tonight.’
Pari let out an enthusiastic whoop.
Sarah cut the red ribbon stretching across the auditorium doors. ‘I declare the Plumdale Picture Palace open!’ she announced.
As the audience filed into the cinema, Olwyn played a medley of show tunes from movie musicals on the Wurlitzer organ.
‘Come on,’ said Sarah, nudging James. ‘We don’t want to miss the trailers.’
They took their seats in the circle with Sean. James looked down at the packed stalls below, filling with people. His heart swelled with pride.
‘We did it,’ whispered Sarah, squeezing his hand.
The feature presentation was a new Christmas film calledThe Holiday. It was about two heartbroken women who swap houses – one in Los Angeles, the other in a village not unlike Plumdale – after bad break-ups, and both fall in love in the process. James still didn’t love romcoms as much as his wife, but this one seemed like it might stand the test of time.
Halfway through the movie, Sarah stood up and slipped out of the auditorium.
‘Everything OK?’ James whispered when she returned.
‘I just got my period,’ Sarah said quietly.
James put his arm around her and pulled her close. He knew that despite the happiness of the day, his wife’s heart was breaking. The cinema was their baby – but they wanted a real baby, too. Despite doing everything they could to conceive, Sarah’s period had arrived like clockwork every month.
Dr Curtis had assured them that there was nothing to worry about. ‘You’re young and healthy,’ he’d said, sounding unconcerned. ‘Come back once you’ve been trying for over a year.’
It had been ten months now. James knew how badly Sarah longed to be a mother, how difficult she found it when yet another friend announced her pregnancy, or she saw a cute baby in a pram.
James wanted children, too, but as long as he had Sarah, he felt complete. But just as Sarah hadn’t given up on his dream of owning a cinema, even when things got tough, he wouldn’t give up on their dream of having a baby.
‘We’ll just have to keep trying,’ he whispered, kissing the side of her head.
Sarah’s emerald necklace, that had once belonged to his mother, glinted in the light from the projector. James hoped that if his mum was looking down on them, she might help them out yet again.
Chapter 5
Present Day
Sarah drove to the cinema, replaying her argument with James over and over in her head. She was still fuming. Howdarehe suggest she was losing her mind again! James was the one with delusions. Why wouldn’t he admit how unsustainable their situation was? The cinema was haemorrhaging money; Saturday’s refunds had been the last thing they needed. Luckily, Holly had been amazing in a crisis; she’d had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand.
