Authors: Mandy Baggot
‘
Some Russian bloke, Andrei someone. I don’t think the audience were too happy Jimmy wasn’t performing tonight. I don’t know what the row was about, I came in in the middle of it but they were definitely not happy bunnies. In the end, before I even had a chance to put the juice cups down, Jimmy left - stormed out - nearly took the door off its hinges,’ Felicity informed her.
‘
Well where is he? Did he leave the hall?’ Samantha questioned.
‘
I don’t know, I’ve been seeing to things here. I’m glad you’re back, we could really do with an extra pair of hands,’ Felicity spoke.
There was no reply and when Felicity turned around it was to see Samantha fleeing the auditorium at breakneck pace.
She ran out onto the main thoroughfare, traffic flashing past her as she jumped up and down waving her hands in the air. What had the row been about? Why wasn’t Jimmy skating? Had Dana been stirring things again?
She managed to hail a taxi and directed it to the Metropole Hotel. She knew that was where the skaters were staying and she even knew Jimmy’s room number. Being able to remember everything you had ever seen and everything you had ever been told definitely came in handy sometimes.
She paid the driver, dropped her bag on the floor, and fell up the steps of the hotel. Ignoring the scrape on her leg, she hurried into the lobby and scanned the signs for directions to the rooms. It was four flights up and there was an ‘out of order’ notice on the lift.
By the time she got outside the door of his room she was gasping for breath, exhausted by both exertion and emotion.
She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. She pushed her hair back behind her ears and straightened her jacket. She then knocked on the door and waited. There was no response.
‘
Jimmy! It’s Sam, open the door,’ she called.
There was sound of movement inside the room, someone getting to their feet and moving across the floor, and then the door opened. Samantha let out a gasp.
Jimmy look
ed like she had never seen him before. He was pale, his eyes looked red and sore and his whole
demeanour
was of someone who had been wrung out and stamped all over. His hair was tousled, his shoulders were hunched and he barely acknowledged her.
S
he didn’t know what to say. He looked dreadful. He stepped back into the room without a word and she followed him, closing the door behind her. She immediately noticed a half packed suitcase on the bed and a vodka bottle on the coffee table.
‘
What’s happened Jimmy? And what is
this
?’ Samantha exclaimed and she picked up the bottle of vodka.
‘
I haven’t drunk any of it,’ Jimmy stated straightaway as he sat down on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands with a sigh.
‘
Then what’s it doing here? Where did it come from? They don’t have them that size in a mini-bar,’ Samantha questioned frantically.
‘
I bought it,’ he admitted.
‘
Why?’
‘
Because I thought I wanted to drink it - I don’t,’ Jimmy responded, still not looking at her.
‘
Well good, that’s really good, because that means there’s all the more for me. Cheers! Bottoms up!’ Samantha spoke and she undid the lid of the bottle, put it to her lips and took a large swig.
‘
Sam, what are you doing? Put the bottle down,’ Jimmy said as he looked up to watch her downing the neat alcohol.
‘
Why? I’ve nothing left to lose, may as well have a commiseration drink to help wash the misery down. Maybe it will make it easier to swallow, maybe it will numb the pain. Is that what it does Jimmy? Does it numb things? Make them go away for a little bit?’ Samantha asked him, glugging back the clear fluid.
‘
Yes, for a bit, but it doesn’t work, the pain comes back. Come on Sam, you don’t need that. Give it here, I’ll pour it away,’ Jimmy told her, standing up and going over to her.
‘
Going somewhere?’ Samantha questioned, pointing at the suitcase and then again putting the vodka bottle to her mouth.
This was good, the alcohol was making her feel nice and warm.
‘
I don’t know, maybe. I quit the show,’ Jimmy told her as he watched her pace up and down the room gorging on the booze.
‘
Yes! So I hear! Want to fill me in on that do you? Before you pack up and ship off?’ Samantha asked the alcohol and despondency mixing lethally as she talked. She pulled at one of the velvet curtains and picked up a room service menu.
‘
Please put the bottle down,’ Jimmy urged her.
‘
I want to know what happened at the show. So far I only have Felicity’s version and she told me you almost broke a dressing room door. If only you knew how significant doors were for me tonight,’ Samantha spoke hysterically.
Her eyes were wide and she was holding onto the bottle as if it were the most precious object she owned.
‘
Oh it’s all bullshit! I try and change, I try and make things better and I just get shit from everyone,’ Jimmy exclaimed angrily.
‘
And a proper explanation?’ Samantha asked, drinking more and feeling super confident.
‘
Someone set me up. After I met you in the foyer, I went back to my dressing room and Dana and Nigel were in there, looking at my drink bottle. I ask them what’s going on and Nigel says he has reason to believe there’s alcohol in my drink. I say “no way it’s just an energy drink, nothing more” but when I tell him to taste it and he does, it’s laced with whiskey,’ Jimmy told her.
‘
Keep going,’ Samantha spoke, sitting down on the bed and drinking more vodka.
‘
Well before I even say anything to explain, not that I have an explanation because I have no idea how it got in there, he starts yelling, sounding off that I’ve broken the terms of our agreement. He tells me how disappointed he is in me and how when everyone in the industry was telling him not to take a chance on me he put his reputation on the line for me. I try and interrupt, I manage to get out that there must be a mistake, that the drink isn’t mine, well not the alcohol part anyway, and he just doesn’t listen. He stands there and he shakes his head and says I’m out,’ Jimmy explained.
‘
So what did you do?’ Samantha enquired still sucking the vodka as if it were life dependent fluid.
‘
I left. He didn’t want to hear what I had to say, he didn’t believe me and he’d already made up his mind and condemned me,’ Jimmy told her.
‘
What?! So you didn’t fight? You didn’t stand there and make him listen?’ Samantha exclaimed, passing the vodka bottle from hand to hand as if it were a rugby ball.
‘
What’s the point? I knew this show was my last chance. He believed I’d been drinking, I could see it in his face, he really believed it. And to be honest I don’t blame him. I mean why should he consider the word of an alcoholic who’s been lying about things for most of his life?’ Jimmy continued.
‘
A
reformed
alcoholic! Someone who doesn’t deny the things he did in the past but someone who’s trying hard to move on from it. That’s the person I thought you were, but then what would I know? I’m the sort of person who fails at everything she tries - that’s when she plucks up the courage to bother to try at all,’ Samantha spoke as she downed more vodka.
‘
With some people you just run out of chances and that’s that,’ Jimmy told her.
‘
So if that’s how you feel, what was that pep talk you gave me tonight all about? You said I mustn’t give up without a fight and you’ve done exactly that. You know it wasn’t your drink and yet you’ve shrugged your shoulders and walked away, leaving everyone to think the worst of you. Is that what you want?’ Samantha blasted at him.
‘
Of course it isn’t,’ Jimmy answered.
‘
Then fight! Take some of your own advice. Go back to the hall, tell Nigel it wasn’t your drink and keep on telling him until he believes it!’ Samantha ordered him, gulping down more of the bottle.
‘
I don’t know. I don’t know if I can face him again. I don’t know if I can face anyone again,’ Jimmy spoke quietly.
‘
No I don’t know either really. I’m talking rubbish aren’t I?! And talking a lot! Perhaps the most I’ve ever talked, maybe alcohol really works for me. I’m not gasping for breath, I’m not laughing or coughing. In fact this is great!’ Samantha slurred with a tipsy smile.
‘
I think maybe you’ve had enough,’ Jimmy said, attempting to take the bottle from her as he came to sit next to her.
‘
Enough of what? Vodka or life? Do you know what I did tonight? Thanks for asking by the way. While you were throwing away your skating career I was holding the members of Woolston Borough Council hostage. Yes! Me! Holding people hostage like an Al-Qaeda operative! Can you believe it? I broke a door down with a bridal mannequin and then I locked us all in and swallowed the key so they’d have to listen to my proposal. And did they? Well not really, they briefly paid me lip service and then the police turned up. I had a ride back to the Civic Hall in a patrol car,’ Samantha informed him.
‘
Sam, I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask, I…’ Jimmy started about to put his arm around her.
Samantha stood up and walked away from him.
‘
No you didn’t ask. So, let me tell you, if you think you’ve had it rough tonight then think again because I have had it infinitely worse. And, after all that Jim, after the failed attempt to change their minds, the key and the cops, I get here and find you staring at a bottle of booze with your bags packed. Last night you told me you liked me and tonight you’re ready to leave - I must be some kisser,’ Samantha continued to babble.
‘
Sam, this has nothing to do with you,’ Jimmy insisted.
‘
Nothing to do with me! Well that’s just great, that makes me feel really special,’ Samantha replied, finally loosening her grip on the vodka and putting it down on the table with a bang.
‘
I didn’t mean that how it sounded. What I meant was that how I feel right now isn’t to do with you or with us. You’re my only reason to stick around right now,’ Jimmy spoke.
‘
You don’t want me! Look at me! I’m a mess! I’ve got no job, I’ve got no personality, I’ve got a crazy sister who got all of the good genes and at the moment I’m seriously wondering whether it was entirely sensible to swallow a door key,’ Samantha announced, clutching at her stomach.
‘
I do want you Sam, I just don’t want to hurt you. Although that alcohol in my drink wasn’t mine, what was the first thing I did when I was hurt and angry? I went and bought a bottle of vodka and, OK I didn’t drink it, but for a few moments I really wanted to. If anyone’s a mess here then it’s me,’ Jimmy spoke.
‘
But you’re trying and you’re moving on,’ Samantha spoke, her stomach making her shift uncomfortably on the spot.
‘
I want to make it work. I want to make it work with us,’ Jimmy stated sincerely.
‘
I want to be sick,’ Samantha exclaimed and she rushed from the bedroom into the en-suite bathroom.
She vomited.
All the vodka and everything she had eaten that day. And then she began to wretch again and cough and choke, holding her throat and gasping for air. Jimmy rushed to her aid and thumped her hard on the back. The council office key shot out of her mouth, hit the sink and landed with a clatter on the tiled floor.
Samantha took a deep breath and looked up at Jimmy who was standing over her, holding her shoulders and rubbing her back.
‘
Sorry,’ she spoke weakly and then passed out.
The next thing she knew a large tub of Berry Fruits ice cream was on stage, presenting Mr Radcliffe to the applauding audience
. But it wasn’t Mr Radcliffe as he normally appeared, thin and grey, it was Mr Radcliffe’s head on Dave’s rotund body with Mrs Randall’s
coiffured
crop. And then the image changed and it wasn’t Mrs Randall’s hair she could see, but the lovely tawny brown, spiky hair that complimented the chocolate eyes so perfectly. Samantha opened her eyes and quickly saw that it wasn’t a dream. The owner of the hair and eyes was looking down at her and she was led on a bed.
‘
Hey,’ Jimmy greeted.
‘
My throat’s sore,’ Samantha croaked as she tried to sit up.
‘
I think that was probably the key. It might be a good idea to go to the emergency room, there might be damage,’ Jimmy spoke, helping her to sit up and prop herself up on the pillows.
‘
The key! Oh no, the key,’ Samantha remarked, suddenly remembering the events of the evening.
‘
Yeah, the key. We should get you checked out,’ Jimmy spoke.
‘
No, I’m fine, I don’t want to make a fuss and I…’ Samantha began.
‘
You’re scared of hospitals,’ Jimmy finished off for her.
‘
Yes,’ Samantha admitted with a sniff.
‘
Well, let’s try the king of all cures. I’ve made some tea,’ Jimmy told her and he got off the bed to go to the table.
‘
What happened to my hair, it’s damp and it smells,’ Samantha said, trying to look at it and smelling.
‘
You were sick, your throat is sore - the key,’ Jimmy recapped for her as he brought the tea over.
‘
Oh goodness, I was sick? Oh no, I’m sorry, I…’ Samantha began as she flushed with embarrassment.