Authors: Mandy Baggot
‘
If you mean did we use a condom then the answer is yes,’ Samantha replied.
Cleo put her hands over her ears and continued to pursue her sister down the stairs.
‘
Tea’s ready. And the Civic Hall’s on the news again. Apparently Jimmy Lloyd’s been booted off the ice show - fallen off the wagon again,’ Jeremy remarked as the women appeared in the hallway.
‘
Let Cleo have my cup, she looks like she could do with two,’ Samantha stated as she walked toward the front door.
‘
Sam! Please, don’t go like this, perhaps I overreacted a bit, but the concern is genuine. I worry about you and…’ Cleo began, hurrying down the hallway with her.
‘
I’m fine, honestly. I’ll see you later, probably tea time, but don’t go calling the emergency services if I’m a bit late. Oh and perhaps no shagging on the kitchen table either just in case I’m early,’ Samantha remarked as she opened the front door.
‘
Sam!’ Cleo called.
‘
See you later,’ Samantha replied and she left the house, banging the door behind her.
Once outside Samantha took a deep breath. There was so much going on in her mind she just didn’t have the capacity to deal with her sister’s anxieties. She really hadn’t considered Cleo might worry when she hadn’t come home. But then again, she hadn’t really thought about anything normal since the council meeting. Events had taken over and all she had been able to do was react to them. And yesterday she was just virginal Samantha Smith, today she was Jimmy Lloyd’s girlfriend.
Twenty Two
As she approached the Civic Hall the first thing Samantha saw were half a dozen reporters and photographers stood outside. They were talking amongst themselves, cameras slung around their necks and to her horror, Civic Hall cups and saucers in their hands.
She hurriedly walked past them and entered the hall, heading for the box office. She was immediately relieved to see Felicity manning the desk and obviously busy on a call.
Samantha gave her a smile and then went behind the counter to hang up her coat. However, before she could even get her arms out of the sleeves, Felicity appeared at her shoulder.
‘
Is it true?’ she asked almost angrily.
‘
Sorry?’ Samantha queried, turning to face her colleague.
‘
Is it true the Civic Hall’s going to close in two weeks time?’ Felicity questioned.
‘
Oh,’ Samantha stated her cheeks flaming.
‘
So it
is
true! How long have you known? Why haven’t you told any of us?’ Felicity asked her.
‘
I only found out yesterday. I was hoping to get the council to change their minds. That’s where I was last night - at the council meeting,’ Samantha replied hurriedly removing her coat and hanging it up.
‘
You should have said something. Jane’s been in tears since she heard. I’ve had to assign her to the kitchen so she isn’t weeping all over the customers,’ Felicity spoke as Samantha turned to go into her office.
‘
But she hates working in the kitchen.’
‘
I didn’t give her a choice. I told her I’d tell her mother where she goes on her day off and I said you’d cancel her holiday.’
‘
Who told you?’ Samantha enquired.
‘
One of those reporters out there. Most of them are here to take pictures of Jimmy, but not the reporter from the local paper, he was there to take pictures of the hall and he asked me to comment on the closure. It was embarrassing, I didn’t know what to say. Then Tony rings me up and tells me he’s heard the news so it’s gone from reporting room to switchboard in a matter of minutes and I don’t know a thing,’ Felicity continued.
‘
Well, I’m sorry. I was trying to see if there was any way I could salvage things. I didn’t want to tell anyone until I’d exhausted all the options,’ Samantha spoke, realising that she sounded like a politician and not in a particularly good way.
‘
And have you? Exhausted all the options?’ Felicity continued to question as she followed Samantha into her office.
‘
I don’t know, probably. Have you seen Jimmy Lloyd?’ Samantha wanted to know, picking up the papers in her tray.
‘
He was in the auditorium on the ice rink about twenty minutes ago when I went to check how the repair man was doing with the broken seat in row M. I found that this morning too,’ Felicity explained.
‘
Look, Felicity, I’m doing my best here. I don’t want the hall to close any more than you do and I’m trying to think of a way round all this. I didn’t tell you because I thought I might be able to do something about the council’s decision. I couldn’t, I’m sorry,’ Samantha spoke a lump forming in her throat and tears springing to her eyes.
‘
Well, perhaps I could help,’ Felicity suggested, realising that she had upset Samantha.
‘
Thanks, but I’m not sure anyone can help now. I’ll call a meeting, probably tomorrow,’ Samantha said with a sigh as she headed out of her office.
‘
Would you like a cup of tea?’ Felicity offered kindly.
‘
No thanks, I need to get on. There’s a lot of stuff to get organised,’ Samantha spoke with a swallow as she walked back out from behind the counter into the foyer.
‘
Well perhaps I’ll tell Jane that the press got it wrong - just for now - until the meeting,’ Felicity called out after her.
‘
Thanks,’ Samantha responded not really caring what was said any more.
‘
By the way, she does ballroom dancing on her day off - at the Grand with a fishmonger called Leslie,’ Felicity informed as Samantha departed.
She walked through the foyer, heading for the auditorium. She had to see Jimmy. He was the only thing that made sense from the night before and she wanted to be sure that it hadn’t been imagined. More than that she needed to know he had made things right with Nigel and was back in the show.
The arena was deserted when she got there, except for Jimmy who was powering around the ice. He looked up when he saw Samantha enter the room and immediately skated over to that side of the rink.
‘
Hey,’ he greeted as he stepped off the ice to meet her.
‘
Hello,’ Samantha responded.
She felt a little bit awkward, realising that the last time she had seen him she’d been completely naked.
He kissed her deeply and then held one of her hands in his.
‘
Good shower? Get time for an old movie?’ he asked.
‘
No, I had to get home and get changed and then I endured an anti-terrorist inquisition from Cleo. Have you spoken to Nigel?’ Samantha asked quickly.
‘
Why don’t you go and get your skates? No one will be here for at least an hour,’ Jimmy told her, holding onto both her hands.
‘
Have you spoken to Nigel? Are you back in the show?’ Samantha repeated.
‘
Go get your skates,’ Jimmy urged.
‘
Tell me what he said Jimmy. I’m starting to panic and you know that isn’t good for me. See, I’m getting wheezy already,’ Samantha spoke as she coughed.
‘
I’m not going back in the show,’ Jimmy stated, looking at her seriously.
‘
No!’ Samantha exclaimed her voice coming out in a wail.
‘
Sam it isn’t like you think,’ Jimmy spoke.
‘
No! This isn’t fair! You haven’t done anything wrong! Didn’t he listen to you?’ Samantha asked as she started to tremble.
‘
Yes, he listened - for a while at least, but…’ Jimmy started.
‘
But he
has
to listen! You haven’t done what he thinks. Dana put alcohol in your drink - did you tell him that? I saw her with your bottle, did you tell him I saw her?’ Samantha questioned as her breathing quickened and she struggled to maintain control.
‘
Hey, Sam, calm down. This isn’t the end of the world,’ Jimmy spoke, trying to get her to focus on him as he held her hands tightly.
‘
It is! It
is
the end of the world! There are reporters outside, people think you’ve done this. People think you’re drinking again and it isn’t true,’ Samantha carried on tears filling her eyes.
‘
It doesn’t matter what
people
think, they can think what they like.
I
know the truth,
you
know the truth, that’s all that’s important,’ Jimmy spoke still holding on to her and trying to get her to look at him.
‘
I won’t let this happen to you! I can’t let you lose your place in the show. I’m already losing this hall, I won’t let Dana do this to you,’ Samantha told him her voice loud and out of control.
‘
She’s insignificant Sam, don’t let this get to you. This is a positive thing, maybe I need to have a break. Let me explain what was said,’ Jimmy begged, as he tried to calm her down.
‘
No! I won’t let things go! I’ve got nothing to lose now! Nothing! I can say what I want to who I want because, to be honest, I don’t care any more. Is she here?’ Samantha questioned, taking her hands from Jimmy’s and beginning to walk in the direction of the dressing rooms.
‘
Sam! Wait! Sam!’ Jimmy called as he hurried after her, teetering along on his skates.
Tears threatening to spill from her eyes at any moment, Samantha raced down the corridor from the auditorium towards the dressing rooms. She felt hurt and let down by everything and everyone. It was like the whole world was conspiring against her. But the emotion overriding all the others and the one winning the battle to appear at the forefront of whatever was coming next, was anger. She was furious like she had never been before.
She pushed open the door to Dana’s dressing room with force and it slammed against the inner wall as she stormed through it.
There was a loud, ear-splitting
scream and Samantha put her fingers to her ears as she tried to digest the scene before her. What she saw stopped her in her tracks momentarily and made her gasp aloud.
Dana was completely naked, led over the sofa, and Nigel, the show producer was also minus his clothes, down on his knees, performing an intimate sex act on her. Both catapulted from their position and began rooting around on the floor for articles to cover themselves with.
‘
I should have guessed,’ Samantha spoke when she had recovered her power of speech.
Dana was scrabbling for her clothes and Nigel, who had turned beetroot red at being caught in such a compromising position, desperately tried to hide his ‘embarrassment’ with a cushion.
‘
What the Hell is going on here?! You can’t just barge into a private dressing room!’ Dana yelled at Samantha as she tried to cover herself up.
‘
Yes I agree entirely! And you should have thought about that before you intruded into Jimmy’s dressing room and laced his drink,’ Samantha spoke with authority, hoping that her trembling legs wouldn’t give away her fear.
‘
What are you talking about? Get out of here!’ Dana screamed, able to stand up now that she was loosely clothed.
‘
No. Not until you admit what you did. I want Loverboy here to hear it. I saw you in Jimmy’s dressing room with his sports drink,’ Samantha continued, trying to ignore her racing heartbeat.
‘
She’s crazy Nigel! Will you leave?’ Dana repeated, approaching Samantha, an angry expression on her heavily made up face.
‘
I told you I’m not going anywhere until you admit what you’ve done,’ Samantha ordered, standing her ground.
‘
Sam – whoa! What’s going on?’ Jimmy remarked as he entered the room and saw Nigel cowering on the sofa behind a very small cushion.
‘
I told you to get out of my dressing room, now get out or I’ll call security,’ Dana warned and she pushed Samantha’s shoulder.
Samantha let out a loud nervous guffaw of laughter that echoed around the dressing room and then, quick as a flash, she grabbed Dana by the hair, pulling it tight into her fist.
‘
In this hall I
am
the security! I’m the manager here, so you tell your naked friend over there what you did to Jimmy’s drink,’ Samantha ordered and she dragged Dana over to where Nigel was still hiding his manhood under the Civic Hall furnishings.
‘
You’re deranged! Get her off me! Nigel!’ Dana screamed as Samantha tugged harder at her hair.
‘
Sam! Let her go,’ Jimmy ordered.
‘
I’m not letting her go until she’s admitted it! Admit it or I swear I will pull out every hair in your head. Let’s see what make-up can do for you then,’ Samantha yelled, pulling again at Dana’s hair.
‘
Nigel! Don’t just sit there! Do something!’ Dana shouted almost in tears as her scalp started to smart.
Nigel had turned the colour of a radish and, needing to hang on to the cushion that seemed to be shrinking by the second, he was in no position to help anyone.
‘
Sam! Come on, just let her go, she isn’t worth it,’ Jimmy urged, taking hold of Samantha’s free arm.
‘
Admit it!’ Samantha continued, hissing the words into Dana’s ear.
‘
Alright! Alright! I did it!’ Dana shouted her voice hoarse.