Out Late with Friends and Regrets (41 page)

“That’s a fantastic idea,” she said, reaching for the telephone directory, as Anna produced a sheet of downloaded data from her bag.

“Here, Mum,” she said, “Book it online and you can see where you’ll be sitting.
 
If there are any seats left, of course.”

They chose the best situated of the seats still available, and Fin rang Ellie, leaving a message to say that they might be at Jetsam’s, but not till later.
 
To be honest, she probably wouldn’t have showed up till late anyway, but it was just as well to let her know.

The theatre was down a narrow lane of a street off King’s Row.
 
Fin recognised the bar Nine-Oh, scene of her first, disastrous encounter; and squirmed inwardly at the memories it evoked.
 
Things had come a long way since then.
 
Considering how Ellie had dropped her in it, it was remarkable that their friendship had survived undamaged except for a few mental readjustments. Fin smiled; looking back, she had recovered quickly from the hideous date; no harm done.
 
The Resolve was also not far from Clutton Street, so Fin took Anna to Beanbaggage for an early supper, making her laugh with descriptions of life at the dark little flat.

She didn’t mention the unsolicited material on the doormat.
 

For a moment, she considered visiting Khan’s Emporium to show off her lovely daughter, but Mr. and Mrs. Khan might not recognise her.
 
And they were probably closed by now, anyway.

They were waiting in the queue to get into the theatre, when a harp-like glissando alerted Fin to an incoming text.
 
It was Ellie: ‘C U @ Js 9ish, look fwd 2 meet gorj dtr
 
x’.
 
Fin responded with a smiley face, as they were on the steps of the entrance, and switched off her mobile.

It was so long since she had been to a play, Fin had forgotten how exciting it could be.
 
The last time had been eighteen months and a lifestyle ago, an amateur production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by the Cantlesham Players.
 
It was lovely having Anna by her side, the girl giving her little nudges at significant moments.
 
Out of the corner of her eye she stole a snapshot or two of Anna’s rapt profile in the gloom, enjoying her pleasure as much as her own.
 
As they exited the lane and into King’s Row, Anna slipped her arm through her mother’s.

“So what did you think?” she asked.

“Fantastic.
 
So powerful.
 
The acting was extraordinary,” said Fin.

“And not a single face off the TV in the cast,” said Anna with satisfaction.
 
“Are we going to this bar of yours now Mum?
 
If we’re getting a taxi, look, there’s one, there.”

Jetsam’s always seemed to be busy, apparently effortlessly proof against the notorious fickleness of the bar-going public.
 
It had thrived since the day it opened, Ellie said, and successive generations of students had made it their chosen place of resort.
 
Perhaps it was because the place was large enough for each strutting individual to be seen by the maximum number of people; or perhaps simply because students gathered in large drifts.
 
The prices, of course, had to be at a level not too far above those of the Students Union, which meant that Harforders from all walks of life were also attracted.
 
It was a great place for people watching, and Fin rejoiced at the sight of Anna’s eyes involuntarily widening as she took in the extravagant anti-fashion of the milling crowd at the bar.

“My God, this is the last place I’d ever expected to see you in, Mum!”

“Yeah, well, there you go.”
 
A nice, meaningless phrase.

“It’s really
different
, isn’t it.
 
It’s actually rather good.
 
All sorts of ages and types, isn’t it - quite wacky -”

“What would you like to drink?
 
And would you prefer to stand at the bar or sit in a booth?”

“Or stand with your glass in the aisle in everybody’s way – that seems to be a valid option, judging by that huddle of guys over there... Shall we sit in a booth Mum? Then we can see what’s going on better.
 
Would you mind if I had a glass of wine? Do they sell Merlot by the glass?”

“Of course you can! Not sure if they have Merlot, but I’ll ask.
 
I don’t want to sound patronising, darling, but I thought you’d be into those lurid dayglo drinks in the little bottles.”

“So last decade, Mum! No, seriously, I’m over that kiddie stuff.
 
Too many tragic scenes at parties.”
 

They found seats, and Fin went to get the drinks.
 

“Here you are, hope it’s OK.
 
Ellie said she’d be here about nine, which probably means ten.
 
I don’t think my other friend Rachel will make it, but we’ll see.
 
Now I know you probably won’t be all that interested in meeting them, I never thought, but we don’t have to stay.
 
Promise me you’ll tip me the wink when you start getting bored, OK? Then we can go.”

“Trust me, I’m a thespian.
 
How about this one?”

Anna screwed up her face in a gross caricature of a flickering wink, accompanied by exaggerated jerks of the elbow.

“Oh, groogh, third witch to the life! You will be just a teensy bit more subtle than that, I hope!”

They laughed and clinked, and Fin wished she could forget about everything except healing and renewal.
 

“Wairll, hiya doll! So who’s this
gorgeous
creature, Fin baby, new girl-friend, huh? Aw,
nice
...”

Desiree.
 
All six foot of her, in puce, lime and yellow mock-Pucci print, hand on hip, French manicure, camp as knickers.

For a split second, Fin’s brain cut out.
 
Only a split second.
 
She stood, a big toothy smile shining out of her face.

“Desiree darling! How you doing?”

They embraced, kissed air.
 
And before Desiree had a chance to enquire further, Fin said, “Let me introduce my daughter, Anna.
 
Anna, this is Desiree, she’s the DJ here.”

Desiree cradled Anna’s offered hand in both of hers, and cooed, “Naw, yur pullin’ ma puddin’ darlin’ – this has to be yur sister, surely?”

“I haven’t got a sister called Shirley,” replied Fin, resorting to the old joke.

Desiree struck a pose, looking down her aquiline nose.

“
Ah
do the jokes around here, hen.
 
Well, that’s me, affski.”
 
She looked deep into Anna’s eyes.
 
“A pure joy to meet you, Anna.
 
Bysie-wysie.”
 
And she stalked off along the catwalk between the rows of tables, towards the door to the discoteque stairs.

There was a silence as they sat down, Fin trying to anticipate Anna’s questions.
 
Anna stared at her for a moment.

“Oh; my;
GOD
,” she said.

“Incredible memory for faces,” said Fin, as neutrally as possible, “I’ve only met her two or three times... she’s actually a friend of Ellie’s.”

“Is, er, is Ellie a, a -”

“Oh, no, Ellie’s not a transvestite.
 
She’s a tutor at the University, and she’s been a great pal, she and Rachel, and Dave, Rachel’s husband, and Petra, they’ve all been great to me, and helped me settle in, and shown me around the city.”
 
She could hear herself speaking rather fast.

“Yes.
 
I’ve got to say, Mum, you seem amazingly at home. What did Desiree mean by-”

Fin was opening her mouth to say, as casually as she could manage, “Oh, that’s just Desiree’s old camp chat, darling,” and hoping that it would do, when she spotted Ellie coming in, and interrupted herself.

“Hey, here’s Ellie!” she said, pointing.
 
She had so hoped she wouldn’t need to say anything misleading or deceitful before the time came for the carefully-prepared reveal.
 
She had briefed Ellie, and could rely on her for a good flow of conversation which would not propel Fin into a premature and inept statement.

Ellie’s “Hello!”, called from a distance was easily audible over the shrieks, shouts, laughter, conversation and music which filled the space.
  
Saved by the bell.
 
Fin stood and waved, quite unnecessarily.

Ellie looked great, in petrol blue baggies and a neat matching shirt under a Withnail coat that Fin instantly coveted, and earrings and lipstick as bright as ever.

Anna’s eyes danced as the heat of Ellie’s smile surrounded her.
 
Fin made the introductions, and went to buy Ellie a drink.
 
By the time she returned, slightly dishevelled from the scrum around the bar and with a beer splash on her trousers, Anna and Ellie were deep in conversation about Noel Coward, and the play at The Resolve.
 
Wonderful.
 
Then Anna’s drama school, and the career she hoped for in live theatre.
 
No negatives about the depressing ratio of actors to parts, Fin was happy to note.
 
Anna would know that, of course, but at her age would assume that she herself would be the exception.
 
There was plenty of time for reality to overtake her gently.

The three of them talked for an hour without any sign of wandering attention by Anna, and Fin remembered with gratitude how adept Ellie had been with her on their first meeting.
 
She also noted that Ellie was matching the level of her drink to Anna’s, sipping it in a most ladylike fashion, not throwing it back as Fin had seen her do on so many occasions.
 
That was thoughtful; Anna might be quite a drinker in the company of her peers, but it would make things really difficult if she had too much tonight.
 
Two small glasses of wine would be fine.

“Fancy a swift bop in the basement, Anna?” said Ellie, “You’ll find your mother’s quite a mover on the quiet.
 
Don’t worry, it’s pretty dark down there, so nobody’ll see you dancing with
old
people.”

Anna actually laughed, head back, hair quivering.
 
When was the last time Fin had seen her laugh that way? When she was about eight, maybe.

“OK cool,” she said.

“We’ll get some water,” said Ellie, “but before you ask, Jetsam’s is a stimulant-free zone, as far as we’re concerned, anyway.”

“Sure,” said Anna, looking a little taken aback.

They kept things very decorous on the dance floor, gyrating and hip-twitching as a triangular group.
 
Anna had a strange, writhing style, like a vertical butterfly stroke without the arms.

“Great moves!” shouted Ellie, as they went over to the bar to buy fresh bottles of water.
 
Anna’s reply was lost in the din, but Fin saw her eyes follow two young men, shuffling around to a slower track, bodies clamped together.
 
It was too dark to see her reaction.

There were a couple more dances, with either Ellie or Fin at the side guarding the water, before Fin tapped Ellie’s arm, and yelled in Anna’s ear, “Shall we go home now?”
 
Anna nodded, they climbed the stairs and made for the door.

They had to push through a crowd of talkers and smokers on the pavement, many of them hooded and huddled against the chill wind.
 
Fin shivered, the sweat of the dance floor now cold on her skin.
 
A taxi drew up at Ellie’s summons.
 
She yanked open the door, and bawled loudly over the wind: “Two for Ten Watson Street please, John.”

“Coming with us, Ellie, so we can drop you off at your place?”