Page 63 of The Happiness Project

‘If you continue like this,’ I tell him, ‘you’ll have frown lines on your wedding photos and you won’t like that.’

Those words horrify him into looking up and feeling his forehead, smoothing it down with the palms of his hands.

‘Do you think I should get a little tweakment?’ he asks us, now stretching out either side of his face.

‘I think you should stop fretting,’ I tell him. ‘You know that Zoe’s hotel has a wedding licence. I could still ask her if she has availability.’

I have offered this before but have been told, in the nicest possible way, that it’s not really ‘different’ enough. I get that, I really do. But as my mother would say, beggars can’t be choosers, which when you think about it, is an incredibly mean expression. However, it seems that Charlie has reached that stage as he reluctantly replies, ‘I suppose there’s no harm in knowing some dates.’

I promise to call Zoe as soon as I get back from the estate agents.

Mercury Travel is quite quiet today so I get off to lunch early and head along to the local office. I’ll register online too but it’s always best to talk things through personally. I firmly believe that if we want shops to stay on the high street then we have to use them as these offices buy lunch from local cafés, take clothing into local dry cleaners and buy dinner from the local shops. It can be a virtuous circle or a downward spiral and the choice really is ours. Happily, Chorlton loves its bohemian reputation and the streets buzz with customers.

‘Angie Shepherd,’ says the agent as he searches through his database. ‘Aha, you were registered with us last year — so you never found the right place?’

‘Not at the right time,’ I tell him. I don’t want to say that I wasn’t ready for my independence and the warm embrace of Patty’s home was far more appealing.

‘I did like the duplex apartment in the converted mansion,’ I say, instead sounding like a woman who has it together. ‘I liked the space and the fact that someone else did the gardening.’

He smiles up at me and says as he types it in, ‘Low-maintenance property required.’

After confirming my details, he hands me the particulars of a couple of properties, which I promise to look at and get back to him.

Leaving the estate agents, I actually feel a little lighter, that I’m ready to take control of my life. Taking control of my business life has not been an issue, I was jumping at the bit to get that in motion, but emotionally I seem to have ricocheted from one person to the next and I can see that now. It’s time to stop being the pinball.

On my way back to Mercury I pick up lunch for the others and a bottle of champagne to take home to Patty tonight. It’s fabulous news that she’s found love and that Jack is moving in; my little family of friends is simply growing.

I walk in waving the goodies and am surprised to see Poppy O’Cherry sitting at Josie’s desk. They turn and call out, ‘I’ll have the champagne but no sarnies, I’m on strictly no carbs.’

I give them a kiss on the cheek and ask what brings them into the office.

‘Even drag artistes take holidays, darling,’ they reply, adjusting the tailored pinstripe suit, which really emphasises their long legs right the way down to the shiny spats. Poppy would look like a gangster if it weren’t for the wavy red bob wig.

‘I’m going for a cross between mobster and moll,’ they explain, catching my glimpse.

‘Stunning — but here I was thinking that at the end of each evening you were just packed away in a magical trunk with your dresses,’ I say, smiling.

‘Wouldn’t mind being packed away with his magical trunks.’ Poppy nods towards the door where Peter is standing.

Charlie walks up to him and, looking exasperated, falls into his arms.

‘What’s up there?’ asks Poppy.

I explain about the wedding plans collapsing and before I’ve put the full stop on the sentence, Poppy is up and out of their chair and standing in the middle of the room with their arms outstretched.

‘Gentlemen,’ they say. ‘Do not despair, for your fairy drag mother is here to save the day.’

The guys look over wearily.

‘Seriously,’ continues Poppy. ‘I’m a wedding celebrant, and you two lovelies shall have the most magical day or I wasn’t crowned Ms Lovely Legs Butlins 2019.’

Poppy picks up a pencil from the desk and waves it through the air. I can almost hear the Disney sparkles follow its path.

* * *

The three of them move into the break room to continue the conversation, leaving Josie and I in the calm quiet of the shop.

‘Do you think they’ll go for it?’ asks Josie.

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