Chapter 36
NANCY
‘We’ve got a gig next Saturday at a local social club. Are you up for singing with us?’ Slate asked Nancy.
She loved how he never took it for granted that she would sing.
‘Yes, I am.’ She felt quite confident singing now and really enjoyed it. Slate’s tip to focus on one member of the crowd at the back and block the others out helped her nerves.
‘Hey, that’s Hallowe’en. Are you dressing up?’ Jackie asked.
‘I hadn’t thought of that…’
‘Oh, let’s! It’ll be fun. We can all go shopping for costumes today,’ Nancy said. Then she paused. ‘Unless you’re busy, of course.’
Slate grinned. ‘I’m free. I’ll message Decaf and Oxo too. If we’re dressing up then they have to as well.’
Decaf and Oxo pulled up on their motorbikes half an hour later. ‘Muriel’s working so we’ll go for her costume in the week,’ Decaf said.
Jackie got on the back of Oxo’s bike and Nancy on the back of Slate’s. She’d been on it a few times now and was no longer nervous.
Decaf looked at Phyllis. ‘Want to ride on the back? I’ve got Muriel’s helmet in the saddlebag.’
Phyllis looked a bit wary.
‘Oh, come on. It’s only a short ride into town,’ Nancy urged her.
‘You know, I think I will. Give me a couple of minutes to change out of this long skirt.’
Phyllis went upstairs, coming back down in embroidered denim pantaloons and took the helmet that Decaf offered her, put it on, then swung her legs over the bike and held onto his waist. ‘Let’s go.’
Nancy always felt a thrill when she rode on the back of Slate’s bike. She loved the freedom of it. The bikes all roared into life and they set off, Slate in the lead, heading into town, parking up in the outside car park.
‘I enjoyed that far more than I thought I would,’ Phyllis announced as she got off the back of Decaf’s bike.
‘I thought you would,’ Nancy told her. She was pleased that Phyllis was trying something new too.
Phyllis suggested checking out the charity shops first. ‘You’ll be amazed what you can get from there,’ she said.
She was right. Nancy was surprised at what they sold. Decaf found a black silk cloak lined in red and decided he was going as a vampire, and Phyllis picked up a long black, floaty dress and thin black gloves. ‘I’ll get a hat and go as a witch,’ she decided.
‘That figures,’ Slate said with a grin and she playfully tapped him with her handbag.
Oxo picked up an old pair of black jeans and a black long-sleeved T-shirt. ‘A bit of white paint on these and I’ll be a skeleton.’
Jackie, Nancy and Slate couldn’t see anything they liked so they set off for the other shops.
There was a good selection of costumes, and Jackie pounced on a red lady devil costume, which consisted of a very short, tight-fitting dress, with red horns and a red mask.
Slate opted for a Beetlejuice costume and, encouraged by Jackie and Phyllis, Nancy finally plumped for a sexy pirate costume with a tight-fitting corset and skirt almost as short as Jackie’s.
The two women both chose black fishnet tights to go with their outfits.
Decaf picked up a Zombie nurse costume for Muriel – the assistant said he could return it if she didn’t like it – and some fishnet tights, too, then they were done.
They stopped off for a quick coffee and snack before setting off home.
* * *
Nancy was looking forward to the Hallowe’en do.
This month had felt a bit bleak. Autumn was here now, with darker nights and mornings and she was missing their weekends in the garden.
In the summer, they had all chipped in, helping her weed and tidy up the garden and then spent the afternoon, and Sundays, sunbathing and drinking cocktails or having a barbecue.
Now, they were indoors a lot, although much of it was spent together watching a film with a glass of wine, so it would be good to have some actual fun.
Plus, it would take her mind off that tea-leaf reading last week.
She was trying to concentrate on the crescent moon and promise of new beginnings, as Phyllis had said, although that made her a little sad as the new beginning was probably her selling the house and everyone else moving into their own flats, and she would miss them terribly.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the snake though.
She had a sinking feeling that it was connected to Clifford in some way.
Paul said that the divorce was going through with no hiccups but it all seemed too easy.
Would Clifford change his mind and try to claim a share of the house?
She put the thought out of her mind. She was putting far too much importance on a tea-leaf reading! It was only a bit of fun. She should have more sense than to let it bother her like this.
Decaf picked up Muriel from work and brought her back to Nancy’s so they could all try on their costumes. Thankfully Muriel approved of her outfit and all the costumes fitted. They made a list of the accessories they needed, intending to pick them up in the week.
‘Now that’s sorted, how about we all watch a horror film to get us in the mood?’ Oxo suggested.
Everyone agreed, so they got snacks and drinks ready, turned off the lights and settled down to watch Nightmare on Elm Street.
* * *
Saturday night, they all arrived in their costumes, to a burst of applause.
Some of the customers had dressed up, too, and various spooky paraphernalia was hanging from walls and adorning the tables.
Slate opened up with ‘Highway to Hell’ and the crowd roared.
Jackie, Phyllis and Muriel got up and started dancing and soon others took to the floor.
Phone cameras flashed as photos and videos were uploaded to the Internet.
This is the best night of my life, Nancy thought as she belted out the lyrics. I can’t believe that I’m on stage, dressed in a pirate costume and eye patch, singing ‘Highway to Hell.’