Page 21 of The Happy Hour
‘You don’t get the same traders during the week,’ Jess explained. ‘Some days have a specific focus like antiques or artwork, other people are full time, some just have a stall for one or two days. You can get some shots this morning, which will be easier while it’s quiet, then we can bite the bullet and come back at the weekend, give your video the full market atmosphere, while also pissing off a large number of tourists.’
‘They won’t be pissed off,’ Lola said. ‘They’ll all want to beinmy video. I already have fifteen thousand followers on TikTok, just from some practice scales and bowing sessions. Think how many more I’ll get posting a full-length track that’s been professionally edited.’
‘Professionally edited?’ Jess waved at Susie, who was here full time with her Better Babies stall, and was currently eating what looked like a Pot Noodle for breakfast.
‘You’re filming, Malik’s editing – doing all the cutting and splicing and whatnot.’
‘Isn’t TikTok meant to be more raw? All on-the-fly, in-the-moment sort of stuff? Authentic snapshots of real life?’
‘That’s what everyonesays,’Lola told her with a huff, ‘but think how many hours of practice those dancers must put in to get their moves in sync, how many takes they do. Most of the big hitters have been edited to death.’
‘Fair enough. Let’s come back to Susie in a bit. Why not...’ Jess turned in a slow circle, wondering which of the vendors would be an easy introduction for Lola and her plans. ‘Let’s go and see Enzo.’
‘He’s a jewellery maker, right? Portuguese? He has all that intricate gold stuff on his stall?’
‘It’s filigree.’ Jess led the way, ducking around a trader she thought was called Perry, who was in the process of shaking out his blankets before hanging them along the back of his stall. ‘It’s so beautiful, and all made by his wife Carolina. Although...’ She frowned. Hadn’t she overheard someone, possibly Kirsty, saying that Carolina had been unwell?
Enzo looked up as they approached, his warm smile lighting his dark eyes. Jess noticed that the delicate gold necklaces, earrings and bracelets were laid out sparingly on the white cloth, each piece nestled on a purple velvet cushion. It made the items seem exclusive, but Jess had been working at the market for four years, Enzo had been there six, and this wasn’t what his stall usually looked like.
‘Olá, Enzo,’ Jess said. ‘How are you?’
‘OláJess, and Jess’s friend. Hello.’
‘This is Lola,’ Jess said. ‘Lola, meet Enzo.’
They shook hands. Enzo was wearing a navy shirt and black dress trousers, everything about him smart and respectful. He was one of the kindest, most courteous people Jess knew, and she felt a flash of guilt. She had come here first because she knew he wouldn’t turn Lola down.
‘Nice to meet you, Enzo,’ Lola said. ‘Your jewellery is stunning.’
‘Ah. Thank you.’ He dipped his head. ‘My wife, Carolina, she—’
‘Is she OK?’ Jess blurted. ‘I heard that she... that maybe she wasn’t well?’
Enzo’s smile was sad. ‘She has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. She is only forty-two, so it has been a shock.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Jess said. ‘How’s she doing?’
‘That suckssomuch.’ Lola sounded angry on their behalf.
‘She has good days and bad,’ Enzo said. ‘She is on her second kind of medicine, because the first, it gave her a rash – a... reaction.’
‘She was allergic?’ Lola asked.
‘Exactly.’ Enzo nodded. ‘This new one seems kinder so far. But now we have to wait, to see how she will respond, how she will feel about getting back to work. She hasn’t been able to make pieces for a long time.’
Jess looked again at the sparsely furnished stall. ‘Shit.’
‘We are managing, but—’
‘It’s all going to be groovy, Enzo dude. Hey, Jess.’
‘Hello, Spade,’ Jess said.
Spade draped his arm around Enzo’s shoulder in a move that was half-hug, half-headlock. ‘What are you doing here on a Tuesday? Wendy got you tied permanently to this place now as her little helper? Or, let me guess, you’ve done it to yourself, but you’re pretending you don’t know anything about it.’ He chuckled, and Jess decided to get the attention off herself.
‘Spade, this is my friend Lola. Lola, meet Spade.’
He sang the first line of the Kinks’ song. ‘Nice to meet you,Lola.’He held out his free hand, and she laughed and shook it.
