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While I’m still contemplating my small pile of jewellery, I hear Mike’s knock at the door and I abandon it to go and let him in.
‘Hey,’ he says. ‘Wondered what you were up to tonight?’
I haven’t seen Mike since our dinner ‘date’ last week and I’m happy to see that there’s no awkwardness between us. It seems as if we’re back to where we were.
‘I’ve got the girls and guys from the salon coming round tonight,’ I explain. ‘I’m having a gold party.’
‘A gold party? That’s a new one on me.’
‘Selling off some old jewellery. You’re more than welcome to join us if you’ve got something to get rid of.’
‘Hmm.’ Mike scratches his chin. ‘The temptation to flog off the remaining contents of Tania’s jewellery box is very strong.’
‘You wicked man,’ I laugh.
‘Maybe I’ll give this one a miss.’ He holds up a hand. As he turns to leave he says, ‘Oh, there was one other thing, Janie.’
‘Yes?’
‘I meant to talk to you about this last week.’ Now he hesitates. ‘I wondered what you were doing for Christmas? Whether you’ve made any plans yet?’
Ah.
‘Well . . .’ Is this the time to come clean and tell Mike about Dominic? ‘That’s partly why I’m having this gold party.’ I know that I’m sounding cagey and Mike’s looking at me with a puzzled stare too. ‘I’m planning to go back to the Maasai Mara for Christmas, just for a few days. I fly out on Christmas Eve, but it’s a fortune. I’m having to flog off some of the family silver . . . well, gold.’
‘Oh,’ Mike says. It’s fair to say that he looks dumbfounded by my revelation. As well he might. I’m a bit shocked by it myself.
There’s another knock on the door and glancing out of the window – a necessary habit since the introduction of Lewis Moran into my life – I see that Nina has arrived with a car full.
‘They’re here,’ I say to Mike apologetically.
‘I’ll be off then.’
‘No need to rush away. Stay and have a glass of plonk.’
‘Things to do,’ he insists. ‘Have fun.’
I open the door.
‘About bloody time,’ Nina complains. ‘It’s freezing out here. Oh, hello, Mike.’
‘Nice to see you again, Nina.’
‘Not stopping?’ she asks.
Mike shakes his head. Another car pulls up and the boys jump out.
‘I’ll catch you later, Mike,’ I promise as he makes for the door.
My neighbour holds up a hand in a wave as he hastily retreats.
Meanwhile, Nina has disappeared into the kitchen and is already pulling glasses from the cupboard and pouring wine. ‘Mike’s looking a bit fit,’ she says over her shoulder.
‘He’s always looked like that.’
‘Really?’ She gives the wine a trial sip and pouts appreciatively. ‘I’ve never noticed before.’
I wonder whether she really thinks he looks fit or if she’s just trying to point out his charms to me in the hope it will deflect my attention from Dominic.
I’ve put out some nibbles on the kitchen table – crisps, some cocktail sausages, a platter of cheese and biscuits. The girls fall on them.
Another knock at the door signals the arrival of the man from All That Glitters. He looks just like a gold dealer should do, in his pinstripe suit and with his comb-over. Oh, I’d love to get my scissors on that.
I settle him in the corner of the living room by the stairs. All he asked for was a little table and I’ve duly obliged. On it, he puts a machine which, he tells me, will check whether the jewellery is gold or not, and some scales for weighing it.
‘Would you like a glass of wine?’
‘Tea,’ he says, ‘if that’s no trouble.’
So I make him a tea and then he gets to work. All of the girls are clutching a handful of gold jewellery, but the boys seem to have more chains, bracelets, earrings and watches between them than all of us put together.
Cristal goes first and is delighted to come away with nearly a hundred pounds for the bits of jewellery she’s brought along. The boys go next and they too are delighted to offload their haul in exchange for a wedge of cash.
Nina is sitting next to me. ‘That Gerry is lucky that I don’t sell these as well,’ she says, looking down at her wedding and engagement rings.
‘Things no better?’
She shrugs. ‘Will they ever be?’
‘It’s your turn next.’ I nudge her, indicating the table.
‘Feels like going to the bloody dentist,’ she mutters and heaves herself off the sofa.
