Page 72 of All Wrapped Up
I might not have had a to-do list of my own to work through, but I wasn’t sure I was up to helping Lizzie with hers and especially with no time to prepare myself to do it. My crafting skills weren’t the best and I was still refining my social ones, too.
‘But I’ve got Pixie,’ I therefore quickly said, indicating my canine companion in the hope that she’d get me off the hook, even if I did feel bad about leaving Lizzie in the lurch.
‘Well,’ said Lizzie, bending to give Pixie a fuss, ‘she wouldn’t be the first four-legged visitor the gallery has had and there’s a dog bed behind the counter, so she could take herself off to that if she needed some space. Maybe you could settle her there and see how she goes?’
The gallery bell rang out as the first workshop attendees arrived and Joanne got ready to head next door to help Jemma.
‘You really would be saving the day,’ Joanne said to me.
‘And my sanity,’ Lizzie added.
‘Oh well,’ I swallowed, ‘if your sanity is on the line, Lizzie, then I really do have to stay, don’t I?’ I supposed as festival organiser it was inevitable that I would be asked to pitch in with this sort of thing at some point. ‘I’ll just follow Joanne next door and ask Jemma if I can borrow a water bowl for Pixie.’
‘No need,’ Lizzie smiled. ‘Along with the dog bed, there’s one of those behind the counter, too.’
‘Perfect,’ I said, letting out a breath. ‘Come on then, Pixie.’
Pixie was a paragon of virtue the entire day. I hadn’t initially committed to staying for both the morning and afternoon sessions, but she was so content, padding out for a fuss and some attention and then putting herself back to bed whenshe’d had enough, that the time flew by and I felt myself relax into it all as a result. The gallery was a wonderful place to work and Lizzie had the knack of putting everyone at ease.
A space in the afternoon session meant that I could both support her and take part and I ended up thoroughly enjoying myself. I was delighted that Lizzie had talked me into helping and grateful to Pixie for settling so well.
‘I absolutely love these, Lizzie,’ I said, holding up one of the three pumpkins I had selected to decoupage, after I had assisted her in making sure everyone else was sorted.
The other workshop, happening on a different table, involved sewing and stuffing a patchwork pumpkin. My sewing skills weren’t all that hot, so the decoupage was perfect for me. Though if I did want to improve in the future, then I’d look no further than Lizzie for a teacher. She was patient, hugely experienced and full of tips and ideas. The ideal instructor.
My role for the day had been simple enough. I had handed out, tidied up, ferried food and drink orders to Jemma next door and taken lots of photos for the festival pages. I’d ended up enjoying myself far more than I had expected to and I’d coped well with the busyness of it all, too.
‘They’re cute, aren’t they?’ said a woman next to me as she looked at the trio she’d selected. ‘I’m going to give these to my sister. She’s mad on autumn.’
‘It’s a very popular time of year.’ I smiled.
‘Her obsession really started last year when she found this account on Instagram. All About Autumn, it’s called. Or something like that.’
‘Do you mean AutumnEverything?’ Lizzie, who happened to be close by, asked.
‘Yes, that’s it!’ said the woman. ‘AutumnEverything. It’s gorgeous. She’s got me following it now, too.’
‘That sounds lovely.’ I swallowed.
My palms suddenly felt as sticky as the glue I was using to attach the pieces of paper to my three pumpkins and I could feel my cheeks were blazing.
‘It’s stunning,’ said Lizzie, with not even a hint of a look in my direction which I appreciated. ‘I love it myself.’
‘I’m a follower, too,’ said someone else.
‘And me.’
‘You know it?’ the woman who had originally mentioned it laughed.
‘Seems like we all know it,’ said Lizzie. ‘Now, does anyone need any help while I’m on my feet?’
Once I’d got my temperature back under control, I felt a swell of pride as they all carried on talking about the most recent photos I’d shared, but I had no desire to announce that I was the account owner. The last thing I wanted was anyone delving into my personal history online and messaging me like I’d experienced before, as a result.
I made a quick mental note not to post photos of the pumpkins I was currently decorating. It would only take one beady-eyed follower from around the gallery table to put two and two together!
‘So,’ said Lizzie once we’d finished tidying up at the end of the day. ‘How was that?’
‘Actually, I really enjoyed it,’ I honestly told her.
