‘No, we’re going to do this properly. You’ll thank me later.’
‘I think I preferred you before. You’ve turned into a bully overnight.’
‘I like to do things properly.’ And she really wanted to do a good job for Bets. ‘Lucky for you I went to B&Q and I have proper nice new paintbrushes and I dug out Magda’s roller and paint trays. Come on, get this overall on. We’ve got work to do.’
Bets dashed off to change, leaving Ella to plan where they’d start. It was a good-sized kitchen with one wall of cabinets in cream wood which she’d describe as ‘modern cottage’. The run of units was intersected in the middle with a range-style cooker and opposite was a long wooden island in the centre of which was a ceramic sink. Ella knew from a brief module on design at college that this was a particularly well-designed kitchen. She guessed that a fridge would be situated as part of the perfect kitchen triangle of sink, cooker and fridge.
Luckily the wall with the cabinets and cooker was tiled, so had escaped the hideous colour. There were really only two walls that had been painted – unfortunately one of them ran the whole length of the room and then beyond into a little corridor.
‘Ta-dah.’ Bets jumped into the room, hands whipping through the air in a series of karate poses like a little white ninja, making Ella laugh.
She did a quick twirl. ‘I feel like we’re in a girl band or something. We need music. What do you fancy?’
‘Anything?’ Ella’s mind was on where she’d start with the masking tape along the skirting. ‘I think we’ll do this big wall first.’
Bets was busy scrolling through her iPhone. ‘Here you go. Painting music. I’ve made a playlist.’ She plugged the phone into a docking station as Ella poured paint into the tray.
The duck-egg blue colour was going to look lovely in here and co-ordinate beautifully with the cupboards.
‘Here you go,’ Ella handed the roller to Bets.
‘Great,’ she took it enthusiastically and pressed the play button. ‘I’ll be Beyoncé, you can be Rihanna next.’ The opening bars of ‘Crazy in Love’ filled the room at top volume. With rolling hips, Bets pranced towards the wall holding the roller up to her face and began to sing along, before flattening herself against the wall writhing suggestively. Ella burst out laughing.
Bets whipped round. ‘Uh oh uh oh,’ she sang, the roller zig-zagging up and down the wall in time to the music. Her bottom stuck out, waggling with great enthusiasm, as she circled her hips. ‘You’re mad,’ said Ella shaking her head but unable to stop her shoulders shimmying. The pumping beat had her feet tapping and she snatched up her paintbrush and danced over to the wall. ‘Da de de da, da da,’ they both sang. Bets’ moves grew even more outrageous and silly and before long Ella matched her, swivelling her hips, shaking her shoulders.
As the music built to a crescendo they danced along together, each trying to outdo the other and painted along, every now and then, the paintbrush and roller doubling as a microphone to join in the chorus.
Beyoncé gave way to Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ which led to Bets marching around waving the roller in the air for a little while, before she loaded it up again with paint, then managing to get a big blob of paint on her nose, which she brushed off casually with a laugh. Ella’s face actually ached from smiling and laughing so much.
Gradually things calmed down as Bets’ playlist led on to Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and a couple of catchy dance numbers that Ella had never heard of.
By eleven-thirty, they’d worked steadily and completed a whole wall.
‘Oh my, it’s looking so much better already. Why did I live with cat-sick for so long?’
‘Because you’re an idiot,’ teased Ella, from the crouched position where she’d bent to paint the line around the skirting board. They’d agreed that she did the fiddly bits around the skirting boards and ceilings because she had a steadier hand and as Bets freely admitted, she was far too slapdash for that sort of job.
‘I need a cup of tea,’ said Ella, pleased that she’d reached the last part of the edge of the wall she was doing and was able to stand upright. The ache in her back reminded her she wasn’t used to working like this.
‘I have to admit, boss lady, you know what you’re doing. I would have slapped a coat of paint straight on. None of this washing the walls down first.’
As they drank huge earthenware mugs of tea, Ella noticed the fine lines around Bets’ mouth. She looked tired and a little drawn as she bustled around behind the island counter.
‘Thanks for helping me. Living here must be very different to what you’re used to. Your friend was very elegant.’ Bets touched her auburn curls self-consciously and stood awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other. ‘And grown-up and self-possessed. I bet all the girls on Jack’s course are like that.’
The uncertainty on her face surprised and upset Ella. A stab of guilt hit her as she contrasted Bets’ easy acceptance of Britta’s affectations. Bets had a far more generous nature.
Giving in to a sudden whim, Ella crossed to her and gave her a quick hug. ‘No one on the planet is like Britta.’ Ella sighed and shook her head. ‘And do you know what? She’s not much of a friend, whereas you have been a very good friend to me from day one without ever asking for anything in return. Thank you.’
‘Oh, God, Ella. Please don’t be nice to me today.’ Her face crumpled and Ella saw the madcap dancing and earlier energy for what it was.
‘I’m so mad and so upset with Jack right now.’ Bets clenched her fists. ‘I just want to cry and then punch him. We’ve been together for so long. I can cope with him being away most of the time. I just get on with it. But this is the second time he’s cancelled. I’m worried he’s gone off me. Met lots of girls who are much more interesting. Who’ve done more? Been to places? Cleverer than me.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ said Ella, hoping that she sounded reassuring. What did she know? She had no idea what Jack was like. For all she knew, he could have umpteen girlfriends down in Bristol. ‘He’s probably just busy with exams and things. I guess it must be pretty intensive training to be a vet.’
Bets gave a sad little shrug. ‘I guess.’
Ella wanted to put the sparkle back into Bets.
