Page 83 of Summer at Croftwood Cinema
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‘YOU DON’T HAVE to go,’ Matt said on the morning of Patsy’s second day at his house. His eye was beginning to open and some of the bruising had started to turn to a lighter shade of purple.
‘I think you’re okay now, though. It’s been two days.’
It had been a challenge to take a step back from where they’d been heading on the night of the dry run at the cinema. But that’s what they’d been forced to do, because Dan had come between them physically and emotionally. Neither of them had spoken about how they felt since that night but Patsy longed to be held in Matt’s arms again. When they sat next to one another on the sofa, watching movies and old box sets of 24 and Breaking Bad, she could almost feel something fizzing in the space between their hands. It would be so easy to reach across the seat between them and see if that was still something tangible, not lost to all that had happened since that one incredible night. To see whether if she touched him, the feeling that had been building inside her again since the I love you in the hospital would be released like it had been then.
Matt, she knew, was battered and bruised, not only where she could see it on his face, but all over. He was still careful when he moved, wincing less now but still sore. And she wanted all of him, not just the bits that Dan didn’t hurt, so she was willing to wait.
‘I think I might die of boredom if I’ve got no-one to watch telly with.’
‘As much as I’d love to stay and watch telly with you for the next goodness knows how many days, I do have a life and a cinema to run.’
‘What day is it?’ he said, a look of confusion on his face.
‘It’s Saturday. And—’
‘And it’s your first proper day of the cinema running. I’m so sorry, Patsy. God, you must have had so much to do and I’ve been keeping you here.’
‘No, not at all. Ed’s got the film ready, the pizza is all prepped and ready to bake, so all I have to do is open up and supervise.’
‘What film is it?’
‘Toy Story.’
‘Classic! The twins love that.’ His face fell. Patsy knew he’d love to have been there with them.
‘Bring them next week,’ she said, gently. ‘It’s going to be Madagascar. I bet they’ll love that too.’
He nodded. ‘But you will come back and stay tonight?’
Patsy was surprised to see that he almost looked like he was pleading with her. Then it dawned on her that he hadn’t been alone since it had happened.
‘Of course. I’ll bring something back for dinner.’
‘As long as it isn’t pizza,’ he said, managing a smile.
‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.’
‘If I’m going to eat pizza twice in one week, it’d better be pepperoni, that’s all I can say.’
‘I’ll see what I can do.’ She kissed his cheek and went upstairs to get ready.
It couldn’t have gone better. Patsy’s new front of house person, Alice, was brilliant. She seemed to be everywhere she needed to be before Patsy had to ask. Between Alice, Ed and the two kitchen staff who had to keep churning the pizzas through the ovens, everything was covered, which left Patsy feeing very much in control and able to enjoy the first proper showing. She spent the time chatting to customers before the film started, delivered pizzas and drinks to their tables, then discretely helped to tidy up once the film started. It wasn’t a quiet affair, but it wasn’t supposed to be and when everyone left, they were full of praise for how relaxing it had been to come as a family to enjoy a film in a slightly different way.
They saw the last of the customers out and then it was all hands to the deck to tidy up. A cleaning company was due to come in a couple of times a week so all there was to do was tidy up and straighten the furniture, make sure the kitchen was clean and all the washing up had been done. By the time Ed came down after rewinding the film, they were just about finished.
‘Do you want to take some pizza?’ Patsy asked him. ‘There’s loads left.’
‘Thanks, that’ll save me deciding on what take-away to go for tonight.’
He followed her into the kitchen and helped pop some takeout boxes into shape then leant on the worktop next to her while she filled them with as many slices of pizza as they could take.
‘Thanks for projecting today, Ed. We’ve started advertising for projectionists so hopefully we won’t take up your Saturdays for too much longer.’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t mind and I’m happy to train whoever you find.’
‘Thanks. And I meant to say, you could mention it to Hayley in case she’d like some shifts?’
