by Lynda Page
Jackie quickly assured her, ‘It’s fine, Ginger, really. It was just very emotional.’ She then told her friend what had transpired.
When she had finished Ginger was staring at her in amazement. ‘All I can say is that you must love your mum very much to do what you have. I suppose I’m envious as I’ve not got such a close relationship with mine. Now …’
Jackie cut in, ‘I hope you’re not going to suggest us going out on the razz tonight?’
‘Well, actually, I was going to say you need to get some food down you as you weren’t in the restaurant at dinner-time, and you only picked at your food at breakfast so I know you’ve not eaten anything substantial today. I got one of the waitresses to make you up a plate.’
Despite her low spirits Jackie smiled. Though she had no appetite she said to appease Ginger, ‘Give me the plate and I’ll eat what I can. Thank you for getting it for me.’
The piece of battered fish, chips and peas was by now only lukewarm and didn’t look very inviting when Jackie took the cover off and saw it, but the smell wafting up seemed to trigger hunger pangs and before she knew it she had cleared the plate.
Having succeeded in her mission to get her friend to eat, Ginger decided she’d nothing to lose by having another try at getting Jackie to go out. As she took the empty plate from Jackie she said casually, ‘I was thinking of going to Groovy’s for an hour. It’s one of the chalet maids’ birthday and I said I might pop in for a drink. It’s only the DJ on tonight but it’ll still be good down there. I suppose the last thing you feel like is a night out, but I’m sure it would do you more good than moping around here, so give it some thought.’
Jackie did. It was the last thing she felt like doing, but Ginger had made a good point. When this had first happened to her, she had vowed she wouldn’t mope – and that’s exactly what she had done. She surprised her friend by telling her, ‘Well, if you’re just going for an hour, I think I could manage that.’
Ginger grinned. ‘Well, we’d best get ready then.’
As it was, Jackie’s intended hour out turned into four. At first it seemed strange to her, going out socially without Keith by her side, but she soon became caught up in the company of her friends and the music the chatty, long-haired, flamboyantly dressed DJ was choosing. He played the latest hits by the Beatles, Stones, Yardbirds, Cream, and plenty of Tamla Motown, which was her favourite sort of music at the moment, in particular the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and the Temptations. To her own surprise she even agreed to join the girls dancing on the packed floor, although she did decline several offers of dances from male holidaymakers she’d caught the eye of, far from ready to take that leap yet.
Her determination to enjoy herself faded only once when she had to slip off to the cloakroom to shed a quiet tear while the DJ played Elton John’s ‘Your Song’, which had been the last record she had danced to with Keith, on their last evening out together, before she had found out it wasn’t actually her he wanted to hold in his arms. To her credit, she then quickly managed to control herself and rejoin her friends before anyone noticed her absence.
Jackie snuggled down into bed that night feeling proud of herself for making a start on rebuilding her future.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mid-afternoon, two days later, beads of nervous sweat were forming on Harold Rose’s brow as he stuttered, ‘Er … well, er … can’t it wait until Miss Sims returns? I’m very busy.’
Al responded, ‘Chef Brown was very insistent he needed Jackie … er, Miss Sims …’ he quickly corrected himself, feeling that he ought to refer to staff by their titles when in Mr Rose’s company, the same as he was in the habit of doing ‘… to go across immediately, so I assume whatever he needs her for is urgent. I’d put the telephone down before I remembered that Miss Sims had only just left on the tour of the camp and won’t be back for at least an hour.’
‘And you can’t oblige Chef Brown?’ Harold hopefully asked.
‘I can’t leave the switchboard or the office unattended, Mr Rose.’
‘Er … no, no, of course not.’ It seemed to Harold he had no choice but to put himself into a situation that was repellent to him. Hopefully the matter was something trivial and he could manage to solve it without making an idiot of himself in front of Chef. Reluctantly he told Al, ‘I’d best go and see what he wants that is so urgent.’
As Al returned to the general office, the beads of anxious sweat on Harold’s brow turned into a stream. Taking a handkerchief out of his pocket he wiped them away, only for them to be replaced by a fresh stream. He took several deep breaths to quell a fit of shaking that had engulfed him at the prospect of what he was about to face.
How Harold loathed the way he was. Being painfully shy and so easily intimidated had robbed him of having any proper life for himself, doing everyday things that the majority of other people took for granted; in particular marriage and having a family of his own, something he would give his eye teeth for, though as matters stood it seemed as unobtainable to him as walking on the moon. He despaired of ever having the confidence to say hello to a woman he liked the look of, let alone ask her out. How he wished he could find a way to overcome this disability, but as there was no magic pill to cure him it seemed he was destined to spend the rest of his life living as a virtual hermit.
As he always did when he was out and about in public, Harold hurried along with his head bent so he didn’t catch the eye of anyone and risk them stopping him for any reason and drawing him into conversation. It wasn’t likely as the campers wouldn’t have a clue who he was. Most of the staff didn’t either.
Thankfully the kitchen staff and waitresses were all on their rest period before the evening session began so Harold had no one to contend with as he made his way into the kitchen in search of Chef Brown. He found the huge man, dressed in stained whites, taking a tray of cooked items out of a huge oven and putting it on a spotlessly clean metal table.
Spotting Harold’s arrival Eric Brown boomed out, ‘Ah, there you are, Mr Rose. You couldn’t have timed it better.’
On learning of Harold Rose’s situation when Jackie had approached him to help her execute the plan she had formed, Eric Brown had been very willing. His brother had suffered from shyness as a child until Eric and his other siblings had encouraged him out of it, so Chef knew at first hand what a terrible effect it could have on people’s lives.
Harold was taken aback for a moment as Chef seemed to be expecting him not Jackie, then reasoned that Al must have telephoned to explain that he was coming.
As he busied himself taking dishes off the tray, Eric Brown was saying, ‘I can’t believe we’ve both worked here for years and never crossed paths before. Well, I suppose that’s because we’re both busy men. Now we have met, if you ever find yourself at a loose end, I’m here most afternoons taking advantage of an empty kitchen to try out new recipes or listing orders I need the office to put in for me, but I’ll always find time for a cuppa and a natter.’ With a cloth he picked up two of the dishes from the tray and placed them before Harold, who had now joined him by the work surface. Chef handed him a spoon telling him, ‘Tuck in, and tell me which out of these two cottage pies you prefer?’
Harold fixed his gaze on the dishes Eric had put before him, hoping he was hiding the redness he knew was creeping up his neck and the anxiety that was gnawing away in his stomach. Nervously he blabbered, ‘Well, Chef Brown …’
‘Oh, Eric, please, we’re not on duty now.’
‘Well … er … Eric, I’m not really qualified, I’m no expert on food at all. You’d be better getting someone else.’
Eric cut in, ‘You know what food you like to eat and what you don’t, don’t you?’
‘Well … yes, of course.’
‘Then you’re qualified, so tuck in.’
Seeing he had no choice, and thinking the sooner he got this over with the sooner he’d make his escape, Harold tentatively put the spoon into the first dish.
&nb
sp; ‘Well?’ Eric urged him.
‘Oh, er … well, it’s delicious,’ Harold ventured.
Chef looked pleased. ‘Glad you think so. Now, what about the other?’
Hoping that Eric would not notice his hand shaking, Harold dipped his spoon into the other pie and tasted it. Then he told Eric, ‘That was very nice too. Now if that’s all …’
As he made to rush off, Eric grabbed his arm. ‘Hang on, you haven’t told me which one of the pies you prefer?’
Terrified he would insult Chef by getting it wrong, he stuttered, ‘Oh, er … well they were both delicious but to my mind the first dish had an extra tastiness to it, which I liked better.’
Eric smiled, pleased with his comment. ‘Good. That’s my new improved version. So glad you liked it. Hopefully now the campers will.’
‘Right, well, I’ll leave you to it then.’
‘Not so fast, Harold. I’ve five other dishes for you to give me your verdict on yet.’
Half an hour later, having given his opinion on the rest of Chef’s dishes, Harold really was desperate to make his escape. ‘If that’s all, I’d best be off.’
‘But I was just about to make a cuppa …’
By now Harold’s anxiety was reaching fever pitch, his heart hammering so erratically he was worried he was about to have a seizure. ‘No, I really must get back to the office,’ he insisted.
Eric looked disappointed. ‘Oh, right. Well, thanks, Harold. I really value your opinion. Don’t forget to drop …’ His voice trailed off as his reluctant visitor was already halfway across the kitchen on his way out.
Back in the office, with the door firmly shut, Harold sat down in the chair behind the desk and took several deep breaths in an effort to calm his racing heart, mortally relieved that particular uncomfortable situation was over for him and vehemently hoping that Mrs Jolly’s return was imminent. Tomorrow wouldn’t be soon enough for Harold. With Drina back at the helm, he could return to his solitary job as accounts manager without further risk of ever again facing situations like this.
Then there was a tap on the door and his heart began to race again. Sweat poured down the sides of his face and from under his arms as terror took over. Thankfully, it was just Jackie with his afternoon tea.
As she put it down on the desk, she said to him, ‘Your tea and biscuits, Mr Rose.’
It was as if their intimate conversation of a couple of days ago had never happened. Without looking at her, he responded dismissively, ‘Thank you, Miss Sims.’
As she turned to go out of the office, Jackie smiled to herself. She should be feeling very ashamed for purposefully instigating a situation that had apparently caused Harold Rose a great deal of torment. She wasn’t at all, though, just pleased that her mission to force him to face his fears and lead a more rewarding life was off to a flying start.
Harold wasn’t going to be the only one to face a situation today that was difficult to deal with. Jackie was meeting her brother after work, which she was actually looking forward to as she missed Robby so much, but she didn’t enjoy thinking about the lies she was going to have to tell him in order that his relationship with their mother could begin to mend.
At five-thirty she began tidying her desk and said to Al, ‘I’m finishing on time tonight. What’s not done will have to wait until tomorrow as I’ve an appointment in Mablethorpe. I can give you a lift there, if you like, so you’ve only one bus to catch to Skegness and not two?’
Al momentarily froze, seeking a plausible excuse. He didn’t need to go to Mablethorpe as he didn’t live there any longer. In his desperation not to be discovered it seemed he was going to have to accept the ride and just not get all the work he’d planned for tonight done. Just as he was about to, another idea came to him – one that wouldn’t encroach on his time.
‘Oh, thanks, Jackie, much appreciated, but I was thinking of going to Groovy’s tonight. One of the staff I’ve arranged to go with has offered me a bed for the night, only a sleeping bag on his chalet floor but it means I’m not going home.’ To avoid her quizzing him any further, he excused himself by telling her, ‘Just nipping to the loo.’
At just after seven-thirty Jackie flopped down on her bed, letting out a deep sigh before she told Ginger, ‘Well, my brother seemed to buy my story so hopefully he and mum will get on better from now on.’
Ginger closed the magazine she was thumbing through and asked, ‘What did you tell him?’
‘Oh, that it was I who broke off with Keith because he wasn’t really for me. That I told Mum and Keith to get together as I thought they liked each other and were better suited than me and Keith, despite the few years’ difference between them. And that I’d left home because it made sense while I was putting in all the extra work while Drina and Rhonnie were away.’
‘Did you ask him how your mum and Keith were getting on?’
Jackie shook her head. ‘No. I still find it difficult to think of them together at the moment, so I don’t think of them at all, if you understand me.’
‘You will, though, one day, and it won’t be painful then,’ Ginger reassured her.
Jackie wanted to get off this still very hurtful subject and told her, ‘Oh, I’ve some news for you.’
Her friend said dryly, ‘Good, I hope?’
Jackie smiled. ‘I know you’ll think it is. Al is going to Groovy’s tonight.’
Ginger’s eyes lit up. ‘He is?’
Jackie nodded.
Then her friend’s face fell. ‘Not with a girl?’
‘Well, whoever he’s going with, he’s kipping on their floor tonight so I assume not.’
Ginger jumped off the bed. ‘What are you waiting for? Get ready! We’re going out tonight and no excuses from you. I’m not missing this opportunity to try and get a date with Al.’
As she joined Ginger to get ready, Jackie sincerely hoped her friend would get her wish. Ginger was not lucky in love. Any man who took her fancy either didn’t seem to notice her or only dated her for a very short while before he was off with someone else. Jackie suspected that that was because Ginger wasn’t conventionally pretty, with her mass of unruly corkscrew-curly hair, pale skin covered in freckles and gawky frame. It annoyed Jackie that these men didn’t seem to have the brains to look past these unconventional looks and see what a funny, kind, caring and fiercely loyal person Ginger was. They’d be lucky to have her. Jackie had no doubt, though, that there was a man out there who would see Ginger for her true worth one day. It was just that he hadn’t arrived in her friend’s life yet. Whether Al was that man, as Ginger seemed to be hoping he was, Jackie wasn’t sure. Good-looking though he was, Al hadn’t seemed to show any interest in the girls around the camp as far as Jackie was aware, despite quite a few making it very plain they had a fancy for him. Maybe he wasn’t interested because he had a girlfriend back in Skegness, although he’d never mentioned the fact. Well, hopefully tonight would show whether Al did return Ginger’s feelings. If not, then at least her friend would be put out of her misery.
Groovy’s was heaving as usual. The heat and noise hit them as soon as they entered by the door at the top of the stairs and began to make their way down to the basement club. Although Ginger had told her they were very good, Jackie had not yet heard the new resident group who called themselves the Upbeats. But from what she was hearing now of their interpretation of the Foundation’s top ten hit ‘Baby, Now That I’ve Found You’, they were more than good, they were great.
Her eyes always on the look out for Al, Ginger led the way over to the bar. Joining the queue of others waiting to be served, she said, ‘I can’t see him, Jackie. He definitely told you he was coming here tonight? Only you thought that a few weeks ago and he never showed.’
‘Well, this time I am positive. Al definitely did tell me he was coming here. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack through this lot. Just because you haven’t spied him yet doesn’t mean to say he isn’t here. Once we’ve got our drinks we’ll have a walk around
to see if we can spot him.’
Armed with glasses of cider the girls did two circuits of the huge room. Back where they began, a very disappointed Ginger said, ‘Well, unless he’s in the gents, he’s not here, is he?’
‘Don’t give up yet, it’s only just after nine. Maybe he and the mate he’s coming with have gone for a drink in one of the bars upstairs first before they come down here.’
Ginger’s disappointment lifted. ‘Oh, they might have, mightn’t they?’ The band then began to play the Equals hit ‘Baby Come Back’ and she exclaimed, ‘Oh, I love this one, let’s go and dance.’
Knocking back the remains of their drinks, they weaved their way through the gyrating dancers in search of a space on the crowded floor. It was Jackie who heard their names being called and turned and saw a couple of girls they knew, waving them over. Grabbing Ginger’s arm, she pulled her along. They were both greeted enthusiastically. Putting their handbags on the pile of others in the middle of their circle, they began to dance.
It was apparent by their behaviour that the rest of the girls had already spotted a potential conquest and were each doing their best to attract attention with their seductive dancing. Ginger hadn’t yet spotted who she was hoping to see. As she danced she continued to look around furtively in search of Al. Jackie was not interested in anything other than letting the music and lively atmosphere of the place take her mind off her recent trauma.
They had all danced non-stop for over an hour. By now two of the girls had managed to catch the eye of the men they had a fancy for and were dancing with them. Still not having spotted Al yet, Ginger had slipped off to patrol the room again in search of him. Jackie was not only beginning to flag but also feeling very hot and sticky. She decided she would slip outside for a few minutes to cool down. As she made her way through the tightly packed throng of other dancers she couldn’t help but feel slightly inadequate. Some of them were still dancing energetically with no sign of flagging at all and they had been on the floor when she and Ginger first arrived. Jackie was only twenty-one but already age seemed to be having its effect on her.
