Page 33 of The Happy Hour
‘I’m ready,’ Peggy said. A reddish curl had escaped her neat ponytail and fallen over her face. She squeezed his arm.
Ash pushed down the handle and let the door swing inwards. He took another beat, another moment to compose himself, then walked into the room where his dad was waiting for him.
Chapter Twelve
The weather had been bright and cheerful all week, mirroring Jess’s mood. Wendy had commented on it when she’d found her humming a Taylor Swift song while tidying the stacks of soft, colourful blankets on Monday, an unnecessary task because they were mostly overlooked at this time of year.
Jess had told her it was just an ear worm, because if she gave her boss even a hint of how happy Ash made her, Wendy would pounce on her and delve deeper until Jess told her everything. And it felt precious, something she wasn’t ready to share: the kite-flying; Ash coming up with affirmations for her; the kiss. He’d been so distracting that, even when they’d talked about their families and she’d sensed him shutting down, heard a sudden brusqueness in his words, she hadn’t asked him about his appointment. She had wanted to hold on to the fun they were having, and not let anything ruin it.
On Wednesday she’d come back to the market, filming Lola and Spade as they filled the space with their music and their self-belief, bouncing ideas off each other, getting stallholders and visitors involved. They worked well together, the ultimate double act, and Jess had been happy to hide behind the phone and stay out of the spotlight, filming take after take, even though it was supposed to be spontaneous.
‘Looks like the video’s going well,’ Kirsty said on Thursday, from inside her Moreish Muffins food truck. It was a tiny, old-fashioned van painted a soft cream colour, whimsical illustrations of muffins, coffee cups and flowers adorning the side. ‘Everyone’s talking about it.’
‘Lola and Spade aren’t exactly introverts,’ Jess replied. ‘They got a whole book club group – six women all over seventy – dancing to their music at one point.’
Kirsty laughed. ‘They were trying to come up with a name after you left. Now that it’s not just Lola on her own.’ She leaned on the counter, her blonde-brown curls swaying gently.
‘I can’t wait to hear what they choose.’ Jess grinned, then thought of Enzo, the kindness and enthusiasm he’d shown for Spade and Lola yesterday, the worry lines creasing his forehead when he thought nobody was looking. ‘What do you think about using their TikToks to help Enzo?’
‘What do you mean?’ Kirsty glanced over Jess’s shoulder. ‘And what do you fancy?’
‘Sorry, you’re busy. Could I have... one of your bacon and cheese muffins?’
‘Sure thing.’
‘I just wondered,’ Jess went on, needing to bounce her idea off someone, ‘if Lola and Spade are aiming for this video to go viral, and Enzo’s struggling because Carolina isn’t well—’
‘Yeah, it’s awful. He’s been here years.’
‘Exactly. So do you think there’s some way... I don’t know.’ She shrugged. ‘We could use Lola and Spade’s plans to help them get back on their feet?’
‘What about a petition?’
Jess turned around, and recognised Margaret, who often came into No Vase Like Home, loved anything green, and was like a bright bubble of cheerfulness. Jess only knew her name because one day she’d come into the shop wearing her nurse’s uniform, her name badge pinned to her chest.
‘Or – no,’ she went on. ‘If he’s struggling to make ends meet, could you set up a Just Giving page for him?’
‘That’s a great idea,’ Kirsty said. ‘We could link to it on TikTok, as long as Lola and Spade were happy for Enzo’s jewellery to feature.’
‘Don’t they have fundraising buttons on TikTok?’ Jess said.
‘I think you need to be a registered charity for that,’ Margaret replied. ‘But you could still link to the page on their profile.’
‘That could work.’ Spade and Enzo were good friends, the ex-rock star – soon to be current rock star? – always hanging around his stall, making him laugh. ‘Lola’s keen to raise her profile, but now she’s got Spade on board, I think they’d both jump at the chance to help Enzo if they can. Thanks for the suggestion, Margaret.’
‘No worries. What’s good today?’
‘Everything.’ Jess laughed. ‘I’ve gone for the bacon and cheese.’
‘Oh God, great choice. I’m going to copy you.’
‘Enjoy!’ Jess called, waving goodbye to her and Kirsty.
In the shop, Wendy was flicking through a catalogue and humming to herself. She looked up when Jess came in. ‘Fuel to get you through carrying a water feature to Felicity’s?’
‘A muffin because it’s Thursday.’ Jess shrugged. ‘But I am off to Felicity’s in a bit.’ She glared at the hares, as she always did when she walked in the door. ‘She seemed nervous when she gave me her address on Monday.’
‘She lives on her own,’ Wendy said, ‘so maybe having you round to her home, even briefly, isa big thing for her. Just follow her lead.’
