Dirty Dancing at the Picture House By The Sea

by Holly Hepburn

  It wasn’t just difficult, Gina thought, it was impossible. Quite apart from the dust and the lack of seating, the place was practically a building site; she could think of around twenty health and safety concerns without really trying. There was no way they could let people inside as things stood...

  ‘Maybe they don’t have to come inside,’ she said out loud, causing both men to eye her quizzically. ‘What if we held a screening elsewhere? An outdoor screening, somewhere big enough to hold a decent-sized crowd, like the rooftop cinema clubs they have in London.’

  ‘I can’t think of any rooftops big enough round here but it’s not unheard of for National Trust properties to host screenings in their grounds,’ Ben pointed out. ‘Lanhydrock House might be up for it if we asked.’

  Gina shook her head. ‘But they’ve got overheads and want to keep most of the takings. What we really need is somewhere big, close to Polwhipple, that won’t cost a fortune.’

  The three of them lapsed into thoughtful silence. Finding an appealing venue was key, Gina thought, but the film choice mattered too; an outdoor screening suggested summer and warmth and fun. It would be no good showing something like Dr Zhivago.

  ‘What about the beach?’ Ben suggested, glancing through the window at the sun-drenched sands beyond. ‘The tide only comes halfway up, it’s close enough to run power cables from the Palace and there’s plenty of room for people to sit.’

  Gina stared at the old-fashioned glass panels, her mind whirring. It wasn’t a bad idea. ‘You know, that could just about work. We could use deckchairs for seats and bring in some pop-up food stalls to give it a real party vibe.’

  They glanced at Gorran, who seemed to have perked up a little. ‘Maybe we could show a watery classic, like The Poseidon Adventure? Or how about Jaws?’

  ‘I’m not sure a disaster movie is quite the right way to go,’ Gina said doubtfully. ‘We want people to dress up and have fun, remember, not relive their worst nightmares.’

  She gazed around the bar, searching for inspiration, and her eyes came to rest on a poster advertising salsa lessons in nearby Mawgan Porth. How long had it been since she’d been dancing? She’d suggested taking some classes once, back when she and her boyfriend, Max, had just started dating but they’d never managed to find the time. A dance movie might work, she thought; people would love to kick off their shoes and let their hair down on the sand. But what film perfectly encapsulated dance-along summer fun?

  ‘Dirty Dancing!’ she burst out, remembering the song she’d heard in the cinema earlier. ‘It’s definitely a classic – everyone loves Johnny and Baby’s story and it’s perfect for an outdoor screening. We could even have some dancing lessons on the beach beforehand.’

  Ben nodded, frowning at Gina. ‘Didn’t we watch that together once at the Palace? Or was it Grease?’

  She snapped her fingers. ‘You’re right, we did!’ A sudden memory of being embarrassed during the romantic scenes almost made Gina blush. ‘And neither of us understood what was wrong with Penny – we thought she had food poisoning.’

  ‘It took me years to work out the truth,’ Ben admitted, laughing. His eyes were warm as they rested on Gina’s face. ‘I think it’s the perfect film to show. What do you say, Gorran?’

  ‘Gina’s the expert at this kind of thing,’ the cinema owner said, holding up his hands in surrender. ‘If she thinks people will want to come and see Dirty Dancing then who am I to argue? As long as you don’t expect me to strut my stuff.’

  Gina grinned. ‘Strutting will be entirely optional,’ she said. ‘But who knows – the right partner might bring out your inner Johnny Castle.’

  Gorran shook his head. ‘Trust me, it’s better if I sit the dancing out.’ He hesitated, looking embarrassed. ‘So, I hate to ask but how soon do you think you can pull all this together?’

  It was a good question, Gina mused, tapping the table thoughtfully. They’d need to approach the town council for permission to hold a commercial event and to use the beach, which probably meant risk assessments and a lot of paperwork, and then they’d have to make enquiries about the technicalities of screening a film outdoors. It wasn’t going to be anywhere near as simple as showing a film at the Palace and it was undoubtedly going to cost more but, if they got everything right, Gina was confident they’d be able to attract a bigger audience. She cast a reluctant look at Ben. ‘Have you finished things with Rose yet?’

  Was it Gina’s imagination or did Ben wince? He’d been dating Rose Arundell, the spoiled daughter of wealthy Polwhipple town councillor, Valerie Arundell, but only Gina knew that the dates were part of Ben’s desperate plan to persuade Rose’s mother to back the funding application he and Gina had put forward. Neither of them was proud of it but the plan had worked like a charm; Rose was so obnoxious and scheming that Gina felt poor Ben deserved a medal for going above and beyond the call of duty. Both the Palace refurbishment and the steam line restoration to Polwhipple station had been approved, thanks in large part to the Arundells. The trouble was that Rose now had her claws into Ben and he had no idea how to extricate himself.

  ‘We – uh – still haven’t had that conversation yet,’ he told Gina. ‘Every time I’ve tried to cool things off, she somehow manages to change the subject.’

  That sounded right, Gina thought; manipulative Rose made Machiavelli look like an amateur. But she was also a useful ally, even though it felt a lot like going over to the dark side, and desperate times required desperate measures. ‘Maybe you should wait a few more days,’ Gina said, hating herself for suggesting it.

  Resigned understanding flashed over Ben’s face. ‘Oh. Yes, I suppose I could manage another date.’

  Gina felt her stomach writhe as she pictured him sitting in a restaurant with Rose, making small talk and forcing himself to laugh at her sneering jokes about anyone who wasn’t rich and influential. ‘I wish it didn’t work this way but we both know that we need Valerie Arundell on side. And we’ll never get permission for an outdoor screening if you’ve just dumped her daughter.’

  She shifted uneasily, aware that what she was suggesting wasn’t very fair. But it helped to remember that Rose was cold and calculating too. Besides, as Gina’s boyfriend, Max, was always saying, business was built on relationships; wining and dining clients encouraged them to put work his way. Was what Ben was doing with Rose really that different? Except… Rose was used to getting whatever she wanted, and Gina couldn’t help wondering how much longer she’d be content with small talk and a peck on the cheek at the end of the night. Or had she taken what she wanted already? She and Ben had been a couple before, after all; surely it wouldn’t take much to rekindle the flames… It was a thought that made Gina’s stomach churn.

  Beside her, Ben puffed out his cheeks. ‘Okay. I’ll mention the screening to Rose – maybe she can have a word with Valerie and find out the best way to approach things.’

  Gina pulled her frazzled thoughts together. ‘And the moment everything is sorted, we’ll start selling tickets.’ She gave Gorran what she hoped was an encouraging look. ‘I’m sure it will be a smash hit.’

  ‘Thank you,’ he said quietly, his cheeks growing even rosier than normal. ‘I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’re doing to help. It’s above and beyond the call of duty.’

  ‘No problem, Gorran,’ Gina said, and the gratitude in his voice made her certain they were doing the right thing. ‘That’s what friends are for.’

  Chapter Two

  ‘I’ve got good news and bad news.’

  Ben’s voice crackled with static as Gina pressed the phone to her ear on Sunday morning, twisting slightly to shelter it from the wind cutting down from the cliffs of Mawgan Porth beach. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Give me the good stuff first.’

  ‘Rose says getting permission for the screening should be a formality, as long as Gorran has all the necessary insurance. He’ll need a temporary event licence from the council, too, but apparently they don’t cost much and the a
pplication is pretty straightforward.’

  ‘Excellent,’ Gina said cautiously, watching the clouds part in the breeze and trying not to wonder what Ben and Rose had been doing when they’d had the conversation. She cleared her throat. ‘What’s the bad news?’

  There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. ‘Rose wants to get involved with the screening.’

  Gina’s heart plummeted. ‘Why?’ she said, her tone flat. ‘What does it have to do with her?’

  ‘Nothing, really. She says she’s curious about what you do.’

  Recalling the thinly-veiled insults Rose had let fly the last few times they’d met, Gina let out an unladylike snort. ‘I bet she didn’t phrase it quite like that.’

  ‘She did, actually,’ Ben replied in a mild voice. ‘It made me wonder if she’s thinking of turning her hand to events planning. There’ll be a gap in the market once you go back to London, after all – maybe she wants to pick your brains.’

  Gina narrowed her eyes; Rose had shown scant regard for her professional abilities before. Ben was much more generous than she was. ‘And if I say no?’

  ‘I’m not sure that’s an option, to be honest,’ Ben said carefully. ‘I got the impression that it was a bit non-negotiable, in exchange for a straightforward licence application.’

  I wonder what else is non-negotiable? Gina thought, feeling irritated at the thought of first Ben and now Gorran and herself dancing to Rose’s tune. Would she be able to swallow her dislike long enough to work with her? She supposed she’d have to, for the sake of Gorran and the picture house, but it wasn’t going to be easy. She’d need a crash course in holding her tongue, for a start...

  ‘Fine,’ she said, forcing herself to sound as though the idea didn’t bother her in the slightest. ‘Although she’ll need to understand a few ground rules. Gorran is in charge – he has the final say.’

  ‘I’ll make sure she knows,’ Ben promised. ‘Listen, I was thinking about your dance lessons on the beach idea, before the screening. Do you want to go and check out some classes together, before you book anyone?’

  Gina blinked. ‘You want to go dancing?’

  He laughed. ‘Why not? I’m no Patrick Swayze but it sounds like fun.’

  It would be a lot of fun, Gina thought, gnawing at her lip. And that was half the problem; Ben was one of her oldest friends and there had been more than one moment since her return to Polwhipple that she’d felt she wanted him to be more. She’d tried very hard to put those thoughts behind her and work on her relationship with Max; dancing with Ben was unlikely to help her focus. ‘I don’t think Rose will like that.’

  ‘We won’t tell her,’ he answered cheerfully.

  ‘This is Polwhipple,’ she reminded him. ‘The Arundells have spies everywhere.’

  ‘Then we’ll wait until after the licence application has been approved and they can’t cause any problems.’

  Gina shook her head; Ben clearly had no idea of the real reason she was reluctant to go dancing with him. ‘If she wasn’t so awful I might feel sorry for Rose.’

  ‘Don’t,’ he said. ‘She’s like a cat stalking a mouse – the moment she thinks she’s caught me she’ll lose interest and move on.’

  ‘Then maybe it’s you I feel sorry for,’ she countered, nettled in spite of herself.

  ‘No need for that either. I can look after myself.’ There was a pause. ‘Just make sure Gorran puts the licence application in first thing tomorrow.’

  Gina felt herself soften. ‘I will,’ she promised. ‘Thanks, Ben.’

  She rang off and spent a few pensive moments watching the waves crash against the sandy shore. On one hand, what they were doing made her uncomfortable for lots of reasons; this was the second time Ben had used Rose and her connections to the town council and the stakes got higher each time. But on the other hand, the council shouldn’t be controlled by the whim of the Arundell family – if it was fair and impartial, then Ben dating Rose wouldn’t make the slightest difference to the outcome of their application.

  Letting out a long sigh, Gina turned from the sea to trudge back towards the cliff steps that led to her apartment building. It wasn’t life or death – in practical terms, Rose might have her feelings hurt when Ben ended things but she’d get over it. The whole plan had initially been Ben’s idea – Gina hadn’t known what he was doing until long after his first date with Rose – and he certainly didn’t seem to be in any danger of getting emotionally involved. Even so, Gina couldn’t help feeling grubby at the thought of Ben and Rose together. The sooner he was free from her clutches, the happier Gina would be.

  *

  ‘You’re quiet,’ Gina’s grandmother observed over Sunday lunch, passing her the gravy with a concerned look. ‘Everything all right?’

  The question caused Ferdie Ferrelli to study her too, prompting Gina to summon up a reassuring smile. ‘Of course,’ she said, glancing back and forth between them. ‘A little tired but that’s no surprise.’

  Her nonna sniffed. ‘Between the cinema and the dairy, you are working too hard. Look at how thin you are.’

  Gina hid a smile. Elena Ferrelli was on a one-woman mission to fatten up her only grandchild and never missed an opportunity to offer her food. The trouble was that Nonna was a fantastic cook and temptation was hard to resist. Gina was fighting back by walking as much as she could and making frequent trips to the gym but that only seemed to make Elena more determined.

  ‘Honestly, I’m fine,’ Gina said. ‘Never better.’

  Elena seemed unconvinced. ‘What you need is a break,’ she went on as though she hadn’t heard, adding another roast potato to Gina’s plate. ‘Why don’t you go to London for a weekend and see Max? Let your hair down for a change, instead of working all the time.’

  Gina concentrated on chewing her mouthful of beef, trying not to eye Elena with suspicion. Nonna had never been Max’s champion before – why was she trying to push them together now? Although given that it had been weeks since Gina had seen her boyfriend, she supposed Elena could hardly be accused of that. And the truth was that Gina did miss Max. They were both so busy that even catching each other on the phone was difficult; if Gina went to London then Max would automatically make time for her.

  ‘Maybe I will,’ she said. ‘Once the refurbishment work is more under control. But I’ve got a new project to work on now.’

  She explained about the screening on the beach, taking care to leave out the reason behind it: Gorran’s financial situation was his own business.

  ‘It sounds wonderful,’ Elena said, her eyes gleaming. ‘And of course you will need to invent a new ice-cream flavour for the event.’

  Ferdie’s salt and pepper eyebrows beetled together. ‘Another one? Gelato recipes are not like your London buses, you know – they don’t come along every ten minutes.’

  Elena ignored her husband. ‘I can just imagine sitting beneath the stars, watching a wonderful movie with the sea lapping gently at the shore. Will there be dancing?’

  ‘I hope so. Ben and I are going to check out some classes to see if we can find someone to run a group lesson on the beach.’

  ‘How romantic,’ Elena said and Gina wasn’t sure whether she meant the beach lesson or the classes with Ben. Then her grandmother winked. ‘There’s nothing like dancing with a handsome man to put a spring in your step.’

  Ah. Gina turned hurriedly to Ferdie, anxious to change the subject. ‘So what do you think, Nonno? Is there any chance you might whisk up a Dirty Dancing Ferrelli’s exclusive?’

  He grunted. ‘I’m not sure I have ever seen the film. It doesn’t sound like my kind of thing.’

  ‘I thought you might say that,’ Gina said, reaching down to the handbag next to her feet. She pulled out a DVD. ‘So I brought a copy with me – we can watch it after lunch and you can make your mind up then.’

  Ferdie gave her a look that suggested he’d rather poke needles in his eyes but he didn’t argue. After they’d cleared the table, they se
ttled into the soft leather sofas in the living room and started to watch the film. Elena’s toes tapped throughout every song and Gina thought she spotted her grandfather swaying along to the music once or twice, although she was sure he would deny it if she asked.

  ‘All this wonderful music brings back memories,’ Elena said, glancing fondly across at Ferdie. ‘Do you remember the dances we used to go to?’

  ‘I remember how terrifying it was to ask a girl to dance,’ he grumbled. ‘You never knew if they would laugh in your face.’

  Elena arched a dark eyebrow. ‘So it’s a very good thing I took the initiative and asked you. Otherwise I might still be waiting for you to pluck up the nerve.’

  Ferdie shook his head. ‘Never. You would have been worth the risk.’

  They shared a smile then and Gina felt a rush of love for her grandparents; they really were soulmates. If she and Max were half as happy in forty years’ time they’d be doing well.

  As the end credits rolled, she glanced over at Ferdie. ‘So? What do you think?’

  ‘Not bad,’ he said. ‘It’s no Casablanca, of course.’

  Elena let out an impatient sigh. ‘Nothing is as good as Casablanca, according to you.’

  ‘But did you have any thoughts about an ice-cream flavour?’ Gina pressed her grandfather, crossing her fingers that the film had inspired him.

  Ferdie was silent for a moment. ‘Watermelon is the obvious choice,’ he said eventually. ‘But it’s too liquid for gelato and the flavour is too subtle – it would be lost amongst the sugar. A sorbet would work better but you know how I feel about those.’

  Gina did. She’d made the mistake of suggesting an orange-flavoured sorbet for the Singin’ in the Rain event she’d organised a few weeks earlier and Ferdie had made it clear that Ferrelli’s was above such things. ‘What about a dance-themed gelato? A Passionfruit Pachanga, maybe?’

  His eyebrows lifted. ‘Not bad, except that good-quality passionfruit would need to be imported.’

  ‘I’m sure the Scarlet would help us out again,’ Gina said, thinking of the way the hotel had sourced the Seville oranges Ferdie had needed for his Good Morning gelato for the last event.