Page 83 of Just Like in the Movies

‘There are other cinema chains, and other possible investors …’ All of whom she had already contacted. They were all out of viable options, but Jacie and the rest of the staff didn’t need to know that … yet.

‘You think that’s a possibility? Aren’t we running out of time to find someone else?’ Jacie frowned. Unfortunately, her assistant manager was not an idiot.

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nbsp; ‘Leave it with me, okay. I can make a few calls. We have a week to make a decision on this offer.’ A week during which she might be able to negotiate something to at least save her staff their jobs. Surely Jamie and Phil would have to hire a whole new team, but why bother if the staff were already there? Unless they were planning to rehire on reduced salaries – which she wouldn’t put past them. But perhaps Ruby had some leeway there if she offered to take a lower sales price for The Royale, maybe she could guarantee her staff their jobs and salaries. But what about her own job at The Royale? Somehow she doubted she would be able to persuade Jamie and Phil to keep her on. And did she really want to? Taking orders from The Rialto’s head office would be very different than being her own boss, or taking orders from Matty.

She took a hefty sip of her own lemon-tini to fill the hole in her stomach left by the afternoon’s nuclear explosion.

The thought of being forced to leave The Royale, start a new life, a new job, somewhere else without everyone who had become like a family over the years had been hanging over her for two and a half months. But the possibility wasn’t just a possibility anymore … It was more like an inevitability.

‘You’re not seriously considering their offer are you? That would mean the end of The Royale as we know it,’ Jacie said, the dejected look back.

Yes, she was seriously considering it, because the alternative was closing The Royale down altogether.

‘We’ve got some bargaining power,’ she said. ‘I don’t mind who owns The Royale as long as we can stay together here and keep the cinema open.’

‘You really think those two smug wankers will bargain? They didn’t look like the bargaining type to me,’ Jacie said.

‘We’ll see,’ Ruby said.

‘Should we cancel our Babs and Bob night tomorrow?’ Jacie said.

‘Absolutely not,’ Ruby replied. ‘It’s a Matty’s Classics night.’ And they might not have another now, she thought miserably. ‘Brynn’s offered to do the theme tune in the foyer before the show. Plus, everyone will already have their costumes.’

The dress-up theme was your favourite Robert Redford or Barbra Streisand character to celebrate the penultimate Matty’s Classic, the iconic movie in which the two actors had linked up for the one and only time in their careers. She was expecting a lot of Yentls and Funny Girls and probably a few Sundance Kids.

‘I’ve already sourced mine,’ Ruby added, because in between working her bum off on yesterday’s presentation for The Rialto and having a wild affair with Luke Devlin in the last twenty days, she’d also managed to find a close replica of Streisand’s dress in the El Morocco scene at the beginning of the movie.

‘Yeah, me too,’ Jacie said. ‘Okay, I guess you’re right. It’s not over till it’s over.’

Tears stung Ruby’s throat at the question in Jacie’s voice and her heart weighed several tons in her chest because the end of The Royale wasn’t the only ending coming towards her at warp speed.

The door to the bar opened, letting in a stream of sunlight that backlit a tall figure in jeans and a checked shirt she recognized instantly – magically conjuring up the other ending she had been avoiding for days.

Luke waved to Brynn, who was serving behind the bar, then headed towards them. He wasn’t wearing his overalls.

Ruby’s throat began to hurt. She finished her lemon-tini not sure if she could cope with losing Luke today, too.

Jacie, probably sensing her dip in mood, shifted round. ‘Hey.’ She lifted her hand in greeting.

‘Hi Jacie, Ruby.’ Luke nodded. He reached into his pocket and produced the set of keys Ruby had given him nearly six weeks ago now.

The weight in her stomach became a chasm.

‘Hey, Jacie, do you mind if I speak to Ruby in private?’ he said.

Jacie stared at the keys, obviously figuring out the significance of them too. She sent Ruby a searching look, the stubborn expression on her face telling Ruby that she had her back – if Ruby needed it. For one desperate moment Ruby considered telling her friend to stay, to avoid the inevitable for a few moments more, but she forced herself to nod, the time for avoidance was over.

Jacie took the hint. ‘Sure, I’ve gotta go open the cinema for the evening showing anyway. I’ll leave you two to it.’ Sending Ruby one more fierce look, she left.

‘Your assistant manager is a tough nut to crack,’ Luke said as he watched Jacie leave. ‘She still doesn’t like me much.’

Jacie liked him a lot more than he would ever know. And she wasn’t the only one. His calm, practical presence over the last six weeks as he worked his way methodically through the checklist of repairs had endeared him to everyone. He’d become a part of their community without even realizing it. And everyone would miss him. Even Jacie.

‘Actually, I think she likes you a lot,’ Ruby said, knowing it wasn’t just Jacie she was talking about.

Avoiding dealing with his inevitable departure in the last few days had been hard, but not as hard as facing it. After all the qualifying and talking sense to herself she’d been doing in the last days and weeks, ever since this affair had begun, why was she finding it so hard to breathe evenly right now?

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