Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
JOEY
“Thanks for coming,” said Dani. Joey and Vanessa had promised earlier in the week they would help Dani sort out her uncle’s apartment. He was due home from hospital soon.
“No worries,” said Joey, hoping that the fact she and Vanessa had been up half the night and had come directly from their recovery breakfast didn’t show.
“Beautiful dress, Vanessa.” Dani looked at Vanessa’s garment with admiration.
Vanessa side-eyed Joey before speaking. “Thanks. It’s one of my favourites.”
Joey had a vivid memory of hitching up the skirt of that dress while Vanessa spread her legs the night before. She shook her head slightly. “So, what do you need us to do here?”
Dani gestured to the small space. It was packed full of old newspapers, books and pamphlets. “We need to tidy this all up a bit and give it a clean. He’s going to struggle to get around to start with, so if we can make a bit more space for him, that would be great.”
“He’s quite the reader,” exclaimed Vanessa, looking around the living area.
“He really is,” said Dani. “Always has been. But over the years he’s not been great when it comes to looking after himself and keeping everything as tidy as it could be.”
“I think we’re equal to this task,” said Joey, smiling, before picking up a pile of papers.
“You seem cheerful,” Dani observed.
“Aren’t I always?” said Joey.
“No,” Dani replied. “You’re a wonderful friend, but the glass is definitely usually half empty with you.”
Vanessa hid a snigger by pretending to look at the back of a book.
“Maybe I’m changing,” said Joey.
Dani held up her hands. “Ok, stop right there. Who are you and what have you done with my Joey? You are clearly an imposter.” Joey froze. “Does this have something to do with you?” Dani pointed at Vanessa.
“I don’t think so,” lied Vanessa. Joey swallowed and Vanessa’s face went bright red.
“Oh hang on, I see,” said Dani. “Say no more. I think I know exactly what’s happened here.”
Vanessa looked down at her dress, and Joey wondered if she was thinking about the moment she’d taken it off the night before as well. Neither of them spoke.
“Well, I’m glad you’re both getting some,” chuckled Dani. “I’m certainly not. Pedro’s still away.” She sighed. “I think he prefers his job to me.”
“Oh no,” said Joey, “definitely not.” She walked over to Danie and rested a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “He’s just a busy boy. He’ll be back sooner than you know it, and you’ll be moaning about his giant shoes littering your hallway again.”
Dani laughed. “Probably.”
“Ok,” said Vanessa. “I’m going to search for some black sacks in the kitchen so we can clear the rubbish. Then we can start to sort through the books and stuff and get them back onto shelves, or at least neatly stacked out of the way.”
“I knew I did the right thing inviting you both here,” said Dani. “Seriously, though. Thank you. I don’t think I could face it alone. It’s been such a tiring week.”
“It’s what friends are for,” said Joey.
The trio worked for several hours, pausing only to eat a simple lunch that Dani had organised for them. Joey liked being able to help Dani, and she loved spending more time with Vanessa, who seemed particularly good at making sense out of the chaos of this flat.
“There, look,” said Dani. “I can see the surface of the coffee table now.”
“Hey,” said Joey, “look at this.” Her voice came from the older man’s bedroom, where Joey had been changing the sheets. Dani and Vanessa joined her in the small room. “They fell out when I opened the wardrobe to get the clean bedding.”
A shoebox had fallen to the floor, spilling its contents of photographs. They were black and white with tinges of brown. “They look really old,” said Vanessa, picking up one of the pictures.
“These must be members of your family, Dani,” Joey pointed out, looking through a handful of them.
“I don’t recognise any of these people,” said Dani.
“These must be at least a hundred years old,” said Vanessa, examining each one carefully. “Have a look at this one. These two look like they’re having a great time.”
Joey and Dani examined the photo Vanessa held. It showed two women wearing top hats and tails posing in a garden, arm in arm. They looked like they were laughing. “Oh my,” said Dani. “They look so cool.”
“They really do,” said Joey. “Look at those amazing suits. I’d love one of those.”
“I can imagine you in one,” said Vanessa in a low voice.
“Oh, you two are going to be sickening,” said Dani. “It’s started already.”
“Oi!” exclaimed Joey.
Dani laughed. “I wish I knew who they were. Do you think they were lovers?”
“I mean, you can’t tell for a fact from the picture, but look, they both have signet rings on their fingers.
” Vanessa spoke as she examined one of the photographs more closely.
“I can’t speak for Spain, but a hundred years ago in the UK, that was a secret sign that lesbians used to identify themselves. ”
Joey looked at Vanessa in surprise. She was impressed with Vanessa’s knowledge.
She wondered how different things might have been in Spain.
Who were these women to Dani’s uncle? The way their arms rested casually around each other indicated a level of intimacy.
It reminded Joey of the way she and Vanessa had held each other that morning.
“Look at this one.” Joey held up another photograph of the women, this time in plain skirts and blouses. They were sat side by side, turning their heads to look at one another.
“Not as thrilling, perhaps, as the suits,” said Dani, “but it definitely speaks of them being a pair of some kind. I wonder what their names were?”
“Ooh yes,” said Vanessa. “I think we should name them. At least for now, until your uncle can tell us more.”
“Good plan. This one on the left with the severe centre parting, I think we should call her Esther,” said Dani.
Joey pointed at the other woman. “She looks a bit more chilled. Maybe something like Gloria.”
“Yes,” said Vanessa, tracing the woman’s face. “She looks a bit like a free spirit. Her hair is curly and fly-away and look, one of her stockings is wrinkled.”
“That poor woman,” exclaimed Dani. “One hundred years on and we’re judging her fashion sense.”
“I mean it with love,” Vanessa laughed.
“I’m going to put these aside and when Uncle Sergio is feeling up to it, I’ll ask him about Esther and Gloria.” Dani gathered the pictures together in a neat pile.
“Glorious,” said Vanessa, stretching and yawning. “Excuse me.”
Joey looked at her, one eyebrow raised. Could she make it any more obvious what they’d been doing? Dani giggled. Vanessa smiled and then looked back at Joey, throwing a wink in her direction when Dani turned back to the task in hand.
That wink. Joey thought she might swoon. It promised so much, and Joey decided she wasn’t going to worry about anything but the here and now.
A few seconds later a text message popped up on her phone.