“Yes, it’s done. And now Ash is renovating the house, so it feels like I’m in the middle of a full-scale life makeover.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“I guess. It’s just Ash arranged it all, and I’m kind of...”
“Mara. You are someone who has to check her star sign to see what to have for lunch. Isn’t it better he just swooped in and did it?”
“I am doing all the arranging for the lido cinema event,” I protest. “You make me sound completely useless.”
“You’re doing amazing. I just mean that it isn’t ever an efficient use of time waiting for Mara to make a decision about things that affect her.”
“Fine,” I say. “I’m getting better, though. I guess. Also, it’s just a big thing to do for me.”
“It is,” she says. “But it’s his flat too, Mara. Aren’t you both on the lease?”
“Yes,” I reply, genuinely not having thought of that. And, of course, he knows Mrs. Watson. I am relieved. But, curiously, I feel slightly disappointed too. Astoo muchas it was to believe that Ash was doing all this for me, it was a surprising letdown to think it was for him. “You’re right. I really went and made it all about me,” I say.
“That’s kind of your thing,” she says, laughing.
“What? Being a neurotic, self-centered egomaniac?”
“Put that in your Tinder bio,” she says, laughing.
18
It is theFriday afternoon before our great cinema event and everything at the lido is abuzz. Ryan has been hitting the streets selling tickets, his team of three topless lifeguards proving a hit with the young women of Broadgate. Lynn has been spreading the word through all her community groups. Sanka has been hard selling at the video store. There are only a handful of tickets left, and yet, I’m still flapping around, an anxious mess, terrified no one will show up.
Samira is working with Ryan to help string up the lights all around the front of the canteen and in straight lines up the roof to the top of the dome.
“Oh God, please be careful, Samira!” I shout from the safety of the poolside, looking up at her as she maneuvers the heavy rig into Ryan’s hands and he fixes it to the little point at the top, completing the task and sliding down the curved edge of the dome to meet Samira, whose arms he almost slides right into.
“What aboutplease be careful, Ryan?” he shouts back at me. “Don’t you care if I fall?”
I leave them to finish up, tingling with nervous excitement about how everything is coming together. Bunting has been hung across the entrance area, and helium balloons on long strings are tied on either side of the reception desk. Lynn has just arrived with the ticket sales totals. She looks at me with a pursed-lipped smile.
“What is it?” I say.
“It’s worked,” she replies, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Not completely. We need to convert this event into memberships. That’s the goal,” I say. I smile at her, genuinely so thrilled to play a part in making her this happy.
“Come on, let me show you what we’ve done with the canteen.” I grab her hand and pull her through the turnstiles, past the spiral staircase into the canteen.
“In the daylight it looks a bit naff, but wait until the sun sets,” I say.
The canteen has been transformed into a faux beachfront with blown-up air mattresses, big beach blankets and towels, and colorful lanterns dotted everywhere. Along the walls are a few old surfboards, sourced by Ryan. The canteen counter itself is decorated like a boat, the anchor and the wooden steering wheel borrowed from the Star and Anchor.
The centerpiece, though, is something Ryan found: a huge inflatable shark with its mouth open.
“Picture it when it’s just the lanterns and the fairy lights and it’s filled with people drinking cocktails,” I say, looking to Lynn for confirmation that she likes it. “Cheap and cheerful, but it’s the fun that counts.”
“It’s something else, Mara,” she says, turning to me andgrabbing both my hands. “I’m not staying for the films, though. I couldn’t do it.Jawsand thenOpen Water? A double bill of water horror? I’m too old for that kind of gore.”
“It’s fine—just be here when we turn the lights on,” I say.
We walk out onto the pool area and are hit by a wave of heat. The temperature couldn’t be better. Any colder and the unheated pool would start to get too cold for people to float around in. We’ve cleared away the loungers to make space for people to sit on blankets around the pool area.
A regular is pulling himself up the ladder, while Ryan and Samira giggle together as they blow up the rings. I turn to find Ash fitting the final corner of the screen while Sanka watches nervously.
