‘Help each other.’
‘You’re the one doing all the helping. He does little of anything except enjoy your hospitality.’
‘It’s not like that.’
‘That’s how it looks.’
‘You can’t judge from the outside.’
Phoebe planted her hands on her hips. ‘That’s just it, though. I’m not on the outside anymore. And right now, I spend so much time with Archie, I feel like I’m dating him as well as you.’
‘You don’t have to come over.’
‘You don’t want me here?’
‘Of course I do! I just mean that you don’t have to come over if you’re sick of seeing him.’
‘And what’s the alternative? Is this you dumping me?’
‘Phoebe… you’re overreacting. I’m not saying anything of the sort.’
‘So now I’m unreasonable and overreacting? Great! Anything else you want to throw at me? Perhaps I’m crap in bed too! Let’s get all the insults out of the way in one go, shall we?’
‘Keep your voice down!’ Jack hissed.
‘You don’t want Archie to hear this?’
‘I don’t want Maria to!’ Jack’s voice, despite his own warning, crept up in volume too. ‘She’s downstairs, in case you hadn’t noticed, being given breakfast by Archie – who never does anything according to you – so that I can have this pointless conversation with you.’
‘Wow! So you’re defending him again! This is the boy who got himself kicked out of his home because he stole from his mother –’
‘Borrowed…’ Jack cut in.
‘Borrowed very long term… Why am I the bad guy for wanting our life back the way it was?’
‘Nobody says you’re the bad guy.’
‘Then why does it feel like I am?’ Phoebe’s vision blurred as she fought the tears welling in her eyes. Damn it, she didn’t want to cry, but it was so hard to hold her emotions back.
Jack turned her gently to face him, hands resting on her shoulders as he held her gaze. ‘I want it back too,’ he said softly. ‘And I know you think otherwise but I miss the way things used to be. You must be able to see how hard it is to sort this? Archie is struggling to find work and Mum won’t listen to reason. I’ve tried to persuade him to get professional help but he simply won’t admit that he needs it. I can’t just kick him out now that he has no money and nowhere to go, especially when what little comes his way will end up in the bookie’s purse… What would you do?’
And there it was – the sucker punch. What would Phoebe do? Jack knew what the answer was. She would do exactly what he was doing; she’d try to help and would never abandon her brother. She turned back to the mirror.
‘I’d better get ready or I’ll be late for work.’
Jack was silent for a moment as he watched her.
‘Do you still want me and Maria there tonight? At the superhero event?’
Phoebe sniffed and ran a hand across her eyes. ‘Of course I do. Do you still want to come?’
‘Of course. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.’
Never had anything sounded less like the truth.
The day had been a frenzy of last minute organising and, thankfully, Phoebe had no time to dwell on the argument with Jack that morning. There were suppliers to call, guests to confirm, decorations to inspect and staff to brief. That was all on top of her normal workload and trying to calm her own nerves as well as soothe an unusually jittery Dixon.
It didn’t help that Adam Hendry had chosen this day to hang around poking his nose into everything Phoebe did, constantly asking questions and then posing alternatives that he believed were better. They might have been better, and had he aired his opinions weeks earlier, they might even have adopted some of them. But telling her on the day of the event that fireworks would have been a great idea was beyond infuriating. By mid-afternoon, she could think of nothing more satisfying than ramming a firework up his well-dressed backside and watching him shoot into orbit.
As the store prepared to close, Phoebe’s anxiety was in danger of swallowing her whole. She took herself off for a brisk walk round the block to check on the preparations and clear her head a little.
Outside the shop, the first vans were arriving to set up. Radio Millrise had turned up, Phoebe was pleased to see, having been warned by several local businesses that they often didn’t even when they’d promised. A couple of lads who looked like they’d only just finished their GCSEs were lifting a panel from the side of the van to reveal the sound stage inside. There were a couple of fairground attractions setting up too, and passers-by were gathering to point and discuss what they thought was going on. That was a good sign – perhaps those who weren’t already aware of the party would come by later to see what was happening.
And at least the weather was perfect too, Phoebe reflected as she passed Applejack’s to see Jack’s Uncle Fred watching her through his vast windows. She gave him a little wave but he merely scowled in return. She did see his jaw twitch slightly though, so it could have been a smile. It was hard to tell on a man who looked as though a smile might crack his face. Jack definitely got his charm and easy humour from his dad’s side of the family.
When she arrived back, Phoebe had to get one of the security guards to let her into Hendry’s again. A small chatty army of staff waited with Dixon and they all turned at her approach. Phoebe took a deep breath. This was it – her first ever big event. Tonight was the night that would make or break her. She had a sudden urge to shout some freedom speech like Mel Gibson in Braveheart – either that, or run and hide in the nearest toilet until it was all over. Dixon gave her an encouraging nod.
‘Ready to crack on?’ he asked.
Phoebe gave him a salute that made her look far more confident than she felt. She wasn’t ready at all.
Dixon marched across to Phoebe where she stood with Adam watching the crowds grow. She had hoped for a reasonable turnout but could never have imagined the numbers that were gathering now. She had also never seen so much black leather, vinyl, spandex and false hair in one place and doubted that she ever would again. Many people were armed with fake weapons of various descriptions – and although she had seen many of her dad’s re-enactments where fake weapons were plenty, she was pretty sure she’d never seen any of them seen them wield lightsabres and laser guns before. She couldn’t deny that the atmosphere was incredible, though, and it was another thing that she had never experienced the likes of. If all conventions were like this no wonder fans loved them so much.
As they recognised each other’s characters complete strangers were high-fiving, taking photos, swapping internet details; people whose characters belonged to the same show or comic were hugging and squealing with excitement. One or two, in an attempt to go the extra mile, were wearing massive fake creature heads, perched precariously (and perhaps somewhat painfully) on top of their own heads. A PA system blasted out film themes from classics like Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and Star Wars. Hobby photographers, professionals from newspapers and websites, and film cameras mingled with the crowds clicking away at each new and impressive sight as it arrived. From a row of stalls at the far end of the gathering the smells of popcorn, crepes and hot dogs wafted through the throng.
‘Cracking turnout,’ Dixon boomed as he drew level.
‘I know, I can’t believe it!’ Phoebe replied. ‘Let’s hope they all spend lots of money.’
Dixon laughed. ‘As long as they know about us now, that’s half our job done; even if they don’t spend it tonight there’s a chance they will at some point. That’s really our goal.’
‘I won’t complain about a few sales while we’re at it,’ Adam cut in. ‘It would certainly make dad happier about all this.’
Phoebe’s good humour evaporated. ‘He isn’t pleased?’
‘He doesn’t believe that this is an effective use of funds. I happen to disagree but I had a devil of a time persuading him to let it go ahead.’
‘That’s made us fe
el a whole lot better,’ Dixon said with a wry smile.
‘Don’t worry about it. We have to move with the times and business is all about calculated risks. If not this then we’ll hit on something else to bring the money in, but if you don’t try you don’t know.’
‘Is he coming tonight?’ Phoebe asked, silently praying that the answer would be no.
‘He might. But I suspect he won’t because if it’s a success he won’t be able to stand the fact that he’s been proved wrong.’ Adam threw Phoebe a knowing sideways glance and smiled. She didn’t like it when he did that; it made her feel all sorts of things that she knew she shouldn’t. Instead, she turned her attention to the crowds, searching for Jack. Then she heard Dixon give a bellow of delight.
‘Would you look at that!’ he shouted, pointing up at the front of Hendry’s building. ‘Bloody hell, that looks fantastic!’
Phoebe and Adam turned as one to see a huge searchlight trained on the storefront, the circumference of its beam taking up almost half the area. Projected onto the wall was a huge Batman symbol. They watched as it travelled the building and then morphed into the shadow of a spider, followed by a round shield bearing a stars and stripes design.
‘Jack found this company online,’ Phoebe said, a swell of pride in her chest. ‘They’re amazing, aren’t they?’
The crowd had turned their attention to the light show too, and there were oohs and ahs from the audience as they watched, rapt.
‘I’ve never seen anything like that,’ Adam said approvingly. ‘I know who I’ll be hiring for my next birthday party.
Phoebe had seen the bill presented to Hendry’s for this particular entertainment. She couldn’t imagine being wealthy enough to pay for such a thing as a birthday treat. Part of her resented the frivolous nature of his comment. Here they were, trying to save an ailing business – one that he was set to inherit – and he was making light of how much money he had to spare. He was obviously used to being privileged and having everything he wanted but, under the circumstances, Phoebe thought he should keep his profligate ways to himself. It seemed that Dixon was thinking along the same lines as he kept a tactful silence on the subject.
‘Dixon Montague?’ A good-looking man, young but with thick grey hair swept up into a quiff and a camera slung around his neck, looked enquiringly at both Adam and Dixon in turn.
Dixon held up a hand. ‘At your service.’
‘Brilliant! I’m Patrick from the Millrise Echo. I wondered if I could get a couple of photos of you and your team.’
‘Wouldn’t the cosplayers be more interesting?’ Phoebe asked, slightly panic-stricken by the idea of her photo appearing in the paper.
‘Oh, I have everything I need from them. But I want to get some of the organisers too. You know it’s not all about the words; the photos can be half the story if done well, and I try to get as many angles as possible.’
‘Why not?’ Dixon beamed. ‘Adam? Would you like to be in the photo too?’
Adam inclined his head and moved closer to Phoebe. His aftershave was having a strange effect on her. It filled her senses, like inhaling incense or some hallucinogenic drug. She felt his heat against her as he moved in. Not for the first time that evening she willed Jack to turn up.
The photographer chatted amiably as he clicked away, making subtle alterations to their poses as he went. Then, the lens cap went back on and his notepad came out.
‘Can I take some names for the captions? Dixon, of course,’ he said, jotting it down. Phoebe gave hers and then Adam, which provoked a raised eyebrow from the photographer. ‘Hendry as in Hendry’s? Are you set to take over the business then?’
‘Eventually. Dad isn’t ready to abdicate just yet and I wouldn’t want him to. I’m going to be a lot more involved now though.’
‘Interesting… do you fancy doing an interview about that some time? I have a colleague at the Echo I think would be very interested in featuring you.’
‘Can’t hurt to get a little extra publicity, can it?’ Adam dug in his breast pocket and handed Patrick a business card. ‘Here’s my number whenever you’re ready.’
The photographer shook hands with all three of them. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’
‘That could be good,’ Dixon said to Adam as the man left them.
Adam nodded agreement. ‘I’ll run it by Dad first, make sure he’s happy with it.’
Phoebe wondered how much influence Adam would have over his father in the months to come. His support of her ideas was valuable, but if he was set to become as powerful as it seemed (assuming the business survived that long) then it might be crucial. She realised that she needed to stay in his good books if she was going to succeed at Hendry’s – and she had a better chance of doing that with him than with his father, who didn’t seem to care for her or her ideas very much at all.
‘Here comes trouble,’ Dixon said, nodding his head at a buxom Catwoman rushing their way.
‘Enjoying it so far?’ Phoebe asked.
‘Yeah… great,’ Midnight panted.
Phoebe frowned. ‘You don’t sound so sure of that. Is something wrong?’
‘It’s just…’ Midnight glanced up at the roof of the building.
‘What?’ Phoebe asked, a sense of unease bubbling up.
‘I’m so sorry… you know when I said I was totally okay to go on the roof with Batman…’
‘Yes…’
‘I’m not.’
Phoebe stared at her. ‘Oh God, why wait until now to tell me?’
‘I thought it would be alright… I got carried away, I didn’t want to let you down… I don’t know; all of the above. But when I look at it today there’s just no way. It’s so high!’
‘Of course it’s bloody high! That’s why I asked you to think really carefully before you said yes!’
‘There will be a guard rail up there,’ Dixon put in, calmly, ‘if that makes you feel more confident. There is no way you can fall.’
‘I know…’ Midnight wailed. ‘I’m so sorry. I really didn’t think this through properly, but the thought of going up there fills me with terror. I’ll freeze; I won’t be able to do a thing.’
Phoebe chewed her lip. She could tell that Midnight was genuinely distressed, even though her face was almost completely obscured by her mask. It wasn’t fair to insist that she go through something that would clearly be a trauma, but what was she going to do? She could call the stunt off, of course, but it was the one she was particularly excited about, the one she knew people would talk about for weeks to come. They had spent a great deal of the budget on it too.
‘We can’t make the girl do it if she doesn’t want to,’ Dixon said.
‘Quite,’ agreed Adam.
‘But what about the stunt?’
‘It’ll have to be cancelled.’
Tears burned at Phoebe’s eyes. She needed this day to be perfect, she had to prove her worth and there was only one thing for it. She took a deep breath. ‘I’ll do it.’
‘Go on the roof?’ Midnight squeaked.
‘Why not? I’ll put on your costume and get up there. I’m not afraid of heights and it’s, like, ten minutes, tops. How hard can it be?’
‘Oh, great,’ Midnight said, ‘make me feel like a total loser.’
‘Of course you’re not. You can’t help having a phobia.’ Phoebe raised her eyebrows and tried to smile. ‘Although I do wish you’d told me before.’
‘Sorry, honey…’ Midnight replied in a sheepish voice.
‘You’re really going to do this?’ Adam asked.
‘Totally,’ Phoebe said.
He gave a low whistle. ‘I have to say I’m impressed. Who’s your Batman?’
‘Gareth…’ Midnight nodded towards a rather weedy looking specimen dressed in black from head to toe, cape hanging like a limp sail around him, trying to impress a group of teenage girls all wearing space suits from Ender’s Game.
‘Right…’ Adam rubbed a hand across his chin, ‘and this is happening
in the next half an hour?’
Phoebe glanced at her watch and nodded. ‘In which case, I’d better get that costume off you,’ she added, looking at Midnight.
‘I suppose,’ Midnight said, the reluctance obvious in her voice.
‘Don’t worry.’ Phoebe smiled. ‘You can go and get something else from the stock. Can’t have you wandering around in civvies, can we?’
‘Won’t this be a bit big for you? Midnight glanced down at herself and then Phoebe’s diminutive frame.
‘I’ll grab some pins from somewhere. Come on, let’s get a move on.’ As Phoebe turned to go, she called back as an afterthought. ‘This is okay, isn’t it, Dixon?’
Dixon gave her a thumbs up. ‘If you’re mad enough to do it, that’s fine with me.’
With minutes to spare, Phoebe found herself pinned into Midnight’s suit and up on the roof. In the short time since she’d decided to do the stunt herself dusk had already begun to gather over the city. The timing was just as they had planned it, of course, because fabulous as the spotlights had been earlier that evening, they were going to look truly awesome trained on the enigmatic figures standing above the crowds in the dark. But now up on the roof, darkness suddenly seemed like a very bad idea. There were lanterns, and coloured strips like cat’s eyes so that people could find their way safely to and from the stairs into the building, but there was still room for error. For someone as clumsy as Phoebe there was room for error in situations far less dangerous than this one.
She had briefly explained the swap with Gareth, and had arranged where to meet him before she headed to the toilet to get changed. Having assumed that he’d understood her instructions, she was perturbed to find she was now alone on the roof. She paced up and down for a few minutes, muttering under her breath and hardly daring to approach the edge of the building to see what was going on below. Now, she realised just why Midnight had been so afraid.
Just as she was about to run back into the building and give Gareth the bollocking of his life, an imposing figure appeared on the rooftop, his cloak flapping in the wind as he strode towards her, every inch the Dark Knight. All it needed was a ton of dry ice and some stirring incidental music and the scene would be epic.
The Spring of Second Chances : An absolutely perfect and uplifting romantic comedy Page 17
