Breaking the Ice (27 page)

‘
You could have, I just pushed you in the right direction that’s all. That leads me into what happened in my morning,’ Jimmy remarked with a sigh and he sat down on the sofa.

‘
What happened?’ Samantha asked, sitting down next to him.

‘
More a case of
who
rather than
what
really. Dana ran off the ice again, screaming and shouting, claiming I hadn’t put her down properly after a lift. She ended up facing the wrong way and skating in the opposite direction to me. I mean this is simple stuff Sam. She’s a professional ice skater and she’s making these basic, basic errors. But, apparently only when she’s skating with me,’ Jimmy informed her.

‘
So what happened?’ Samantha wanted to know.

‘
She starts yelling at Nigel, he’s the show director, telling him I’m a liability and she can’t trust me and I make her look stupid. All this is going on while the whole ensemble are trying to practice one of the group dances. Everyone can hear her and I just wanted the ground to open up,’ Jimmy explained with a sigh.

‘
But it isn’t your fault, it’s her. She keeps making the mistakes. She left a lift out of one of the dances the other night. I don’t think the audience noticed but I did. What did the director say?’ Samantha asked him.

‘
He didn’t say much but I know he sides with her. He wasn’t sure about having me on the tour, and I don’t blame him. I was fresh out of rehab, this was my first skating gig since that and he was bound to have reservations - anyone would,’ Jimmy spoke.

‘
But it’s not fair, to blame you for her mistakes just because you’re dealing with other things in your life. Your skating is perfect and I know how hard you work at that,’ Samantha said firmly.

‘
Thanks Sam, I know. I’m not going to let it get to me. She has issues, lots of them, probably more than me - in a way I feel a little sorry for her,’ Jimmy told her.

T
here was a knock on the dressing room door.

‘
Come in,’ Jimmy called.

It was Felicity who appeared at the door.

‘
Oh good, you’re here. Mr Radcliffe from the council has come to see you,’ she announced, looking at Samantha.

‘
What?!’ Samantha exclaimed, leaping up and clutching her print out of pages to her chest.

‘
Hey, relax. Take a breath,’ Jimmy suggested, getting to his feet and taking one of her hands.

‘
But what’s he doing here? I thought he was on sick leave. It must be serious - oh goodness,’ Samantha continued to panic, her mind working overtime.

‘
Listen, you don’t want to keep him waiting. Go and see what he has to say - it might be good news,’ Jimmy encouraged, squeezing her hand.

‘
You think so?’ Samantha asked looking at him like a frightened rabbit caught in the headlights.

‘
Go and see. You won’t find out anything unless you go and speak to him,’ Jimmy urged her.

‘
You’re right.’

‘
I’m just going to chill here for a bit. Come and see me when he’s gone and tell me what he said,’ Jimmy said.

‘
OK, I will. Where is he?’ Samantha questioned of Felicity as they headed for the door.

‘
I put him in your office,’ Felicity replied.

Samantha nodded and followed Felicity out of the dressing room into the corridor.

‘
What did he say when he arrived? Did he say anything? How does he look? Does he look like he would look if he had good news or bad?’ Samantha asked, firing the questions at her colleague.

‘
I don’t know, he just looked normal really. Well a bit
peaky
, but then he has been ill,’ Felicity replied as they walked into the foyer.

‘
Did he have paperwork with him? A briefcase? What’s he wearing? A suit?’ Samantha carried on questioning.

‘
I don’t know, I didn’t really notice. Are you dating Jimmy Lloyd?’ Felicity asked her as they reached the box office.

‘
No! No, don’t be so absurd! He’s a performer, it’s against regulations. I was just taking something he asked for, some water and some of those little plastic cups, to his dressing room. It has to be chilled and - with ice. You know how fussy these celebrities are,’ Samantha remarked, going red in the face.

‘
He was holding your hand,’ Felicity remarked with a smirk.

‘
We were exchanging the water and he, er, missed the jug. Do I look OK? Is my hair tidy?’ Samantha asked, smoothing her hair behind her ears and then straightening her Civic Hall jumper.

‘
Fine and don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. I dated one of the guitarists from the Eagles tribute band last summer,’ Felicity informed her.

‘
I wish you hadn’t told me that,’ Samantha replied and she marched as confidently as she could toward her office.

When s
he opened the door Mr Radcliffe got up from his seat to greet her. He did look peaky. He was even greyer than she remembered him, if that was possible.

‘
Hello Miss Smith,’ he greeted.

‘
Mr Radcliffe, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived, I was attending to some important business. Have you been offered a drink? May I get you one?’ Samantha babbled as she knocked a lever arch file onto the floor with her elbow as she attempted to get behind her desk.

‘
No, no thank you, I’m fine. I will sit back down if that’s OK with you. It doesn’t do to stand for too long,’ Mr Radcliffe said and he gingerly lowered himself into the chair again.

‘
Perhaps a glass of water? Or a fruit juice? It isn’t any trouble,’ Samantha insisted.

‘
I’m fine, thank you. Why don’t
you
have a seat?’ Mr Radcliffe suggested to her.

There was something in the tone of his voice that made Samantha do as she was asked. Goodness, he sounded like the Grim Reaper with the worst of news, or perhaps that was just his way. He had sounded like that the first time he visited.

‘
I thought that Mrs Randall was looking after things in your absence,’ Samantha said, picking up her pen and tapping it on the desk.

‘
Yes, Mrs Randall has been dealing with the majority of my workload while I’ve been away, but I thought it only courteous to come here in person today to tell you the outcome of last night’s meeting,’ Mr Radcliffe continued.

Samantha
felt her chest lurch and her insides turn over. She couldn’t have heard correctly. She thought he had said ‘the outcome of
last night’s
meeting’, but that couldn’t be what he said because the meeting was tonight.

‘
I’m sorry, what did you just say? I think, I think, I must have misheard,’ Samantha spoke hurriedly, trying desperately to keep herself calm.

‘
We had the meeting last night to decide the fates of the Civic Hall and the Presbook Centre and…’ Mr Radcliffe started.

‘
No, no you couldn’t have, because the meeting’s tonight. I spoke to Mrs Randall, I even emailed her yesterday, the meeting is tonight. I’ve spent a week putting a proposal together for the meeting - tonight,’ Samantha stated, standing up and picking up her calendar, as if to clarify the date.

She would not have got the date wrong
. She had never, ever, in her whole life got a date wrong. She bought family birthday cards at least six months in advance, every year. She even memorised the Queen’s birthdays and all the bank holidays.

‘
Tonight is the regular council meeting but there was so much on the agenda a special meeting was convened last night to discuss this one issue,’ Mr Radcliffe informed her.

‘
No, you can’t have, because you need to hear what I have to say. I have everything all worked out,’ Samantha spoke quickly, locating her files and papers for Mr Radcliffe to see.

‘
Miss Smith, there’s no easy way to say this. The council has decided to close the Civic Hall and put the building up for sale,’ Mr Radcliffe spoke somberly.

Samantha dropped the file on her desk as she stood frozen to the spot by the news he had just delivered. Her lip began to tremble and tears immediately pricked her eyes. This couldn’t be happening, this was all wrong. It had started as a preliminary investigation a short time ago and now he was saying everything had been decided?! In this short a time?! Without telling anyone?!

‘
Miss Smith, this in no way reflects on you. Everyone agreed that you have been a first class employee and during your short time in charge Mrs Randall was very impressed with the improvements you implemented at no cost. I can only admire your enthusiasm and commitment,’ Mr Radcliffe continued.

‘
But the decision was going to take weeks, months even - everyone said so. And we have a website now, with on-line booking and a new menu with those children’s meals that come with a plastic toy. I have lots of ideas to utilise all the rooms in the week. Jane’s friend, Sonya, she teaches yoga and the sports centre is getting expensive to hire and…’ Samantha started, pulling out some more paperwork.

‘
It all came down to expansion really. The Presbook Centre has room to increase its capacity to rival the Civic Hall’s and to incorporate a leisure pool. One of the most well known supermarkets is sponsoring the improvements,’ Mr Radcliffe informed her.

‘
We could get sponsorship, I’m sure of it. You have to think of the history here. The Beatles performed here and T Rex. We could get one of those blue plaques put on the wall, do tours of the building with a special lunch or something. I’ve managed to book Air Patrol to play here next summer. Do you know Air Patrol? They’ve had two platinum selling albums,’ Samantha gabbled as she tried to get as much information out of her mouth as quickly as possible.

‘
I really appreciate your efforts and of course you and your staff will be fairly remunerated in accordance with your contracts,’ Mr Radcliffe told her.

‘
No! I don’t want to be fairly remunerated! I want this hall open - I want its history protected,’ Samantha spoke firmly, her whole body shaking with emotion.

‘
We had to look at the bigger picture. The Presbook Centre can provide a host of amenities that the Civic Hall just can’t,’ Mr Radcliffe attempted to explain.

‘
It couldn’t provide an ice rink when it was needed - it wasn’t big enough. I was planning public ice skating here around Christmas time,’ Samantha told him.

‘
I’m sorry Miss Smith, I don’t really know what else I can say,’ Mr Radcliffe said with an uneasy sigh.

‘
And what about the OAPs? How will the extended Presbook Centre cater for them? They don’t do anything at discounted rates there - they don’t even do shepherd’s pie!’ Samantha exclaimed in a shriek.

‘
A lot of older members of the community have expressed an interest in water aerobics,’ Mr Radcliffe told her.

‘
Water aerobics! They chose water aerobics over the half price meals I’ve been serving them for years? No wonder half of them can’t afford to heat their homes if they fritter their money away on water aerobics,’ Samantha continued tears rolling down her face.

‘
Miss Smith, would you like a glass of water?’ Mr Radcliffe offered.

‘
No! No, I don’t want a glass of water. I want you to go back to the council office and tell them they’ve made the wrong decision. You tell them how much history there is here, you tell them about the on-line booking, the new menu and Air Patrol, tell them about Air Patrol. No, on second thoughts, you stay there. You stay right there,
I
will tell them!’ Samantha spoke hysterically.

She couldn’t breathe
. Everything was closing in on her. Mr Radcliffe’s grey face, the Wheat Dream walls of her office, the grey carpeted floor. She began gathering up files from her desk, knocking things over and hunting for things she couldn’t immediately see.

‘
Miss Smith, I know this wasn’t the news you wanted to hear and I realise you’re upset, but there really isn’t anything you can do,’ Mr Radcliffe spoke as kindly as he could, getting to his feet.

‘
I can go and see Mrs Randall and I can ask her why she didn’t tell me in her email yesterday that she was about to stab me in the back!’ Samantha exclaimed her breathing rapid and her emotions high.

‘
Miss Smith, please, I…’ Mr Radcliffe began.

‘
Do
not
stand in my way! Not unless you want another ambulance ride to the General,’ Samantha screamed, moving toward the office door.

Mr Radcliffe stepped aside and Samantha bowled out of the office, carrying half a dozen lever arch files.

‘
I’ll be popping out for a while Felicity - hold the fort. Oh then again, you needn’t bother,’ Samantha spoke as she marched past her colleague and moved out into the main lobby.

‘
Samantha? Is everything OK?’ Felicity called as she watched her superior moving towards the door.

Samantha didn’t reply, but when she saw Jimmy entering the foyer from the corridor to the dressing rooms her resolve weakened and she just divulged into tears. She stood in the middle of the foyer sobbing, trying hard to keep hold of the lever arch files in her arms.

‘
Sam? What’s happened?’ Jimmy questioned as he reached her and saw her reddened eyes and tear streaked face.