We have a cup of tea and chat for a while longer. Felicity wants to come and apologise properly to Charlotte, apparently, but I tell Simone that I need to speak to Charlotte about it first.
Then we head over to hers.
‘It’s a bit of a mess,’ Simone warns.
‘It’s fine,’ I say as I step in and yes, it’s untidy but nothing terrible.
Then I open her fridge - and you should be proud of me. Whatever you think of me, you should be proud of me for this, because I promise my face does not move a muscle, I don’t even blink.
OMG!!!!!
I cannot tell you how bad it is–this is a woman with a cleaner every other day that we’re talking about, though fuck knows what Rhonda is doing.
Then I open her cupboards and I feel myself lick my lips in excitement.
I'm fascinated, I truly am.
I mean, how would you ever find anything?
How would you know what you had?
‘I'd love to drop to part-time and get on top of things.’ I turn and see this dull blush spreading over her cheeks. ‘But Heath isn’t getting so much work these days, there’s not much call for corporate pilots.’ This is possibly the most honest conversation that has ever taken place in the street – well, apart from between me and my hedge-trimming neighbour, but it took us years to get to that.
‘I'll sort you out,’ I give her a smile. ‘It’s what I’m good at.’
I am.
I really am.
I’m in my element in fact.
We line it all up on her benches and I sort about ten half open gravy tins into three and we do the same with an awful lot of salt.
We throw out more half open bags of pasta than I can count.
It doesn’t take me long.
Then I set to work on the fridge and by the time I’m done it’s practically empty, then onto the freezer I go.
‘I can’t take up all your day.’
‘I love it,’ I say, attacking twenty half used bags of frozen chips.
I sort out the online shopping, though really, with the amount of food in the cupboards she shouldn't have to shop for weeks. Then I share my six minute breakfast routine with Simone but then Rhonda arrives. She does a bit of a double take when she sees me.
‘Over for a chat?’ Rhonda asks.
I tell her no, I’m here to sort out the house for Simone. I’m here to help her get on top of things and instead of us heading over to mine to get away from Rhonda, I turn to Simone.
‘Do you want me do your wardrobes?’
For a second I think she might kiss me.
I do do her wardrobes but, in between, I pop out and I stand in whatever room Rhonda is hiding in and I watch.
I think Rhonda knows that if things don’t improve then she’ll be hearing a repeat of a conversation that she once had with me.
About how she does nothing and how dare she use my mug.
‘I’m coming back for the airing cupboard,’ I tell Simone when it’s coming up for three and I need to pick up Charlotte.
‘Here.’
My euphoria vanishes as Simone tries to hand me a cheque. ‘You really know how to make somebody feel small.’ For a second there I thought I’d actually made a friend.
‘Look who it’s made out to, Lucy,’ she says. ‘You’re starting up your own business and I'm your first client. Lucy, have you any idea how many people would kill to have someone like you to sort them out?’
I look down to the cheque and I see who it’s made out to.
Lucy's Lists
Do you know what?
I like it.
CHAPTER SIXTY
Gloria
‘I said to myself, the day you walked through the door - mark my words, Beryl, this woman is going to reach her goal, and now Gloria, you have.’
There's a round of applause and I'm the proudest I've ever been. I thank Beryl for her support and I'm smiling and blushing as I sit down and then I'm smiling and blushing again when it’s Paul's turn to stand.
We reached our goal weight on the same day and I'm so proud of him.
He looks amazing and tonight we're going to celebrate but I'm going to make a start on the Christmas shopping with Eleanor and Daisy first.
We have a quick kiss in the car park.
Actually not such a quick one.
Some might think that I’m too old for all that, but I like it. I like holding his hand when we walk