Page 26 of The Last Saturday In July
Simon rubbed his forehead. ‘I think I can feel a lump coming up.’
‘Oh.’ Jess squinted. ‘You poor thing – we should get something on that.’
They emerged into a dimly lit, cavernous room, already half-full with a mostly young crowd who were chatting and drinking. A bar ran along the back wall and tables and chairs, many of them half hidden behind huge stone pillars, were arranged to face the small open area they’d just walked through.
‘Is there another room?’ Simon looked around.
‘I think this is it.’ Jess gestured towards the modestly sized performance space.
Simon’s eyebrows shot up under his fringe, and Jess guessed what he was thinking. If it were full tonight, Edward could feel claustrophobic. Maybe she should have let Simon discourage them.
‘I’ll get some ice, hang on.’ Jess hurried over to the bar and came back a few moments later with a glass of ice and some paper napkins. She wrapped an ice cube and handed it to Simon, who pressed it against the lump.
‘Thanks. Oh, there’s Kate.’ He waved her over with his free hand.
Kate looked very un-Kate-like as she approached them,smoothing down an eye-catching dress with a bright butterfly design.
‘You look amazing.’ Jess wondered if she should have made more of an effort.
‘Thanks.’ Kate turned to Simon. ‘What happened?’
‘Nothing, I’m fine, just bumped my head. Look …’ He lowered the ice cube.
‘Luke did that last week on the football pitch.’ Kate shot him a look of sympathy. ‘You really need to keep that ice on the bump.’
Simon handed the wrapped ice cube to her. ‘Would you?’
Kate wrapped another napkin around it and placed it carefully on Simon’s forehead. ‘I’m going to apply a bit of pressure.’
Jess wondered if she should get a drink and let Kate fuss for another while. Sometimes she felt like an outsider around them.
After what seemed like ages, Simon drew back. ‘Thanks, that feels better.’ He touched his forehead gingerly. ‘You look lovely, by the way.’
Was Kate blushing, Jess wondered. It was hard to tell under all the make-up. Kate rarely wore much make-up, apart from lipstick and a tiny bit of blusher. And she so rarely bought herself new clothes, she was obviously delighted someone had noticed.
Kate clasped her hands behind her back. ‘You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve been trying to persuade Jess to give opera a chance.’
‘Kate!’ Jess felt a flicker of irritation.
Kate shot her a bemused look. ‘What?’
Simon chuckled. ‘I usually bribe her with a glass of wine beforehand.’
Kate laughed and Jess forced herself not to react. It never bothered her that Simon and Kate were close, but sometimes she felt like a kid around the grown-ups when they ganged up on her.
‘Well, we’re in the right place, anyway.’
Jess turned, brightening up as she saw her dad helping Moira carefully through the dimly lit room. Always delighted to make an entrance, her nana’s round, five-foot figure was draped in a loose, red, stripy shirt over pink palazzo trousers.
‘Dad, Nana.’ Jess gave them each a hug, relieved at thedistraction. She drew back, wondering what was different about Moira. ‘Nana, you’ve dyed your hair pink!’
Moira beamed. ‘The hairdresser did. I told him I didn’t want an old lady blue-rinse! Now, let me look at all you lovely young people. Simon, you’re even more handsome than the last time I clapped eyes on you. Isn’t he, Kate?’
The bright spots of colour on the tips of Simon’s ears spread to an all-over flush.
Tom looked around. ‘It’ll be a bit of a tight squeeze for Finn and his troupe, won’t it?’
‘Will they all be in leotards and tights like last time?’ Moira winked at Jess, who tried to keep a straight face.
