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The anxiety began to build in her throat.
Telling Jacie about Devlin’s planned appearance at the event had seemed like a good idea when they were getting ready in the upstairs flat in their Dorothy outfits – Ruby channelling Judy and Jacie channelling Diana Ross from The Wiz because they were also screening the Motown classic in deference to Matty’s opinion that it was one of the most underrated musicals of the Seventies.
After keeping the news of Devlin’s visit secret for over a week, Ruby had been about to burst. But should she have told Jace about Devlin’s new status as their co-owner? Had she raised Jacie’s expectations to impossible proportions? Not to mention her own.
Then again, she hadn’t told Jacie the whole truth – that Devlin now controlled the future of The Royale, and this extravaganza was actually one giant schmooze initiative that might backfire spectacularly.
‘Who is this guy?’ Gerry said. ‘The actual Wizard, because you’re blushing, Rubes. I can see it through your make-up.’
‘He’s only Ruby’s biggest crush ever.’ Jacie laughed. ‘Sort of.’
Not anymore, Ruby wanted to say … right after she’d strangled her assistant manager. It was true that she’d once idolised Falcone. But Luke Devlin was not his father and being reminded of all the fantasies she’d once spun about Falcone were not going to help with her panic attack.
‘O. M. G. I am super excited now. Is he a Jake Gyllenhaal lookalike?’ Gerry asked, as if they were having a Guess Who game.
‘Wrong crush,’ Jacie said. ‘And better than a lookalike, practically the real deal.’
Before Gerry could ask any more probing questions, the ‘Take Your Seats’ bell sounded from the auditorium.
‘Oops, I forgot,’ Gerry said. ‘Errol said he’s all cued up, so we can start the screening.’
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Follow the Yellow Brick Road chimed in over the sound system and some of the customers started singing along in the corner, while others clapped and whistled. The music stopped as planned and Brynn – aka Glinda – stepped on to the green podium they’d set up near the entrance to the auditorium.
‘Hello, fellow Citizens of Oz,’ Glinda announced in all of her glory. ‘Before we start the screening, I wanted to call up our darling Dorothy – the Judy Garland variety …’ Glinda winked at Jacie, who toasted her with a sack of popcorn. ‘To say a few words,’ Glinda continued, ‘about the launch of Matty’s Classics season, and our Wonderful Wizard Matty who went to the Great Emerald City in the Sky last month.’
A hush descended over the crowd, then everyone started applauding.
Ruby grabbed the toy Toto she’d left under the counter, tucked it under her arm for emotional support and made her way through the crowd.
Devlin hadn’t turned up. She tried not to feel devastated. It might even be for the best. Even so, dejection slowed her steps as she crossed the Yellow Brick floor runner and the crowd parted, the moisture in their eyes and the shaky smiles making her heart bobble.
It doesn’t matter. I’ll find another way to schmooze Devlin. This night is about Matty.
Stepping on to the podium, she waved Toto to silence the applause.
‘Hi, everyone. I didn’t want to say much, just that you’re all so, so welcome. Thanks to everyone in our movie-mad community who helped make tonight happen. I can’t actually believe Matty isn’t here with us.’ She gulped to soothe the raw spot which had settled on her tonsils again for the first time in a week. ‘But I know he’s here in spirit – probably dressed as a Horse of a Different Colour to finally finish off all the leftover paint from last year’s Royale Pride float.’ Everyone laughed. ‘Don’t forget, this is just the first film in the Matty’s Classics season. We’ll be organising more gala evenings over the coming months and celebrating Matty’s life by screening some of his favourite movies.’ Her breath got trapped as the enormity of the task facing her – which she had happily buried in manic preparations for a week – began to scrape at the raw spot.
I will keep The Royale open. I will keep The Royale open. I will, I will, I will. Even if it means landing a house on Luke Devlin.
‘So, keep an eye out for details of the next Matty’s Classics movie on our Facebook page, our Instagram and Twitter accounts and the local—’
She stopped talking abruptly as a tall figure dressed in black, even down to his baseball cap, slipped through the double doors at the front of house and joined the back of the crowd in the foyer.
The raw spot grew as the bill of his ball cap lifted and that startlingly blue gaze locked on her face.
He came. He actually came.
People’s heads swivelled round, trying to locate the reason for Ruby’s sudden silence. She coughed, struggling to recall what the heck she had been saying.
With his shoulders hunched, his hands buried in his pockets and that baseball cap tilted back over the top half of his face, Devlin was doing his best to be invisible.
Was that why he had arrived so late?
‘So, my fellow citizens, let’s Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Oz,’ she managed, while she really wanted to shout, at the top of her lungs: “Pay no attention to the man standing at the back of the foyer!”
But it was already too late. A few people at the front of the crowd clapped, while others entered the auditorium, but the bulk of the crowd’s attention had shifted to the back of foyer and the whispers began.
