Building a Dream: Part Sixteen

Building a Dream: Part Sixteen

Follows on from Part Fifteen where the group of new friends meet to plan the filming of a porn film at a house in Dorking in order to retrieve some paintings that are being held there by a young ladies’ evil stepfather.

“Oh fuck,” I said quietly as Mike approached hand-in-hand with, who I presumed to be, Patty, his Wife. She was an attractive curly-haired brunette with a very slim figure and I could see her gripping Mike’s hand tight as they walked up to us. Mike had a nervous smile on his face while she just looked blank at the pair of us.

“Hi,” Mike said when they reached us. “Nice to see you both again. This is my wife, Patty.” I glanced at Jay and could see her struggling for a reply. I looked back at Mike and then to his pretty wife. A million thoughts ran through my mind as I quickly thought of what to say. Did Patty know that, earlier today, her husband had been in the peep show, shouting abuse at the girls behind the glass before fucking Jay? Patty looked pissed off but not angry so I presumed that wasn’t the case. If it had been, she would probably be ripping Jays hair out by now, but she wasn’t. She just looked utterly fed-up.

I needed to know what Mike had told her and why she was here. We hadn’t told Mike why we were meeting there and that there would be others. Currently, he was completely in the dark. Maybe we could give them an excuse and get rid of them to avoid, what would obviously be, a very awkward situation.

“Hello,” I said holding my hand out and shaking Mikes hand. Patty took it and gave it a very brief shake before sharply putting her hand back to her side. “Nice to meet you Patty. How are you both? Enjoying the cool, evening air?”

“Yes,” Mike replied with a cheerful manner. “It’s certainly a lot cooler than it has been.”

“Indeed it is,” I said nodding. “Indeed it is.” Then silence. I had to find out what was going on so and was thinking of how to control the conversation before Mike did it for me.

“I told Patty how I bumped into you and Jay when I was taking a short cut back to the office this morning and how you mentioned that you had a project that you needed some marketing advice with.” Mike said this staring directly at me with a very slight nod of the head, indicating for us to play along.

I got it and nodded in agreement. Patty didn’t know what happened. But why was she here? Mike continued.

“Patty’s art class was cancelled tonight and when I told her that I was meeting you both tonight to give my expert advice she asked if she could come along.”

“That’s right,” I replied glancing at Patty, still nodding and trying to keep a calm smile on my face despite the bored look on hers. “Your advice would be much appreciated. It could be a bit boring for Patty though. Wouldn’t you rather go and have a drink and wait for Mike? We won’t keep him long”

“No, I’ll come along, if that’s okay?” Patty replied in a tone that suggested a hint of exasperation. “I won’t get in the way. I’ll just sit to one side and keep quiet.”

I was about to try to dissuade her again when Kelly walked around the corner.

“Hi, guys,” she said in a breezy manner. “I’m not late am I?” She and went up to Jay and planted a big kiss on her lips. “I wasn’t sure if I would find the place. I forgot the exact instructions you gave me. I asked a couple of people if they knew where Kenny’s was and they had never heard of the place. So, I just asked for the nearest peep show and was directed here. It’s surprising how many people know where these places are.”

She nodded towards the open entrance to Sheila’s peep show as she said this, which I noticed Patty had only just seen. Patty walked to the front of the peep show and studied the entrance and the curtained window as Kelly continued,

“This is exciting. I can’t wait.” Kelly said approaching Mike and shook his hand. “Hi. I’m Kelly.” Mike nervously shook her hand and introduced himself and Patty before Kelly approached Patty, who had her back to us and was staring at Sheila’s peep show. Kelly tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hi. I’m Kelly.” Patty turned and was immediately given a big hug by Kelly which, judging by her frozen body language, she clearly wasn’t expecting. “Wow! Your gorgeous!” Kelly said as she broke her grip on Patty. “Are you involved in this as well? I do hope so.”

Patty looked over at Mike who was now starting to look panicked. He still didn’t know what the project was and looked apprehensive, especially at the openness of Kelly. Jay took Kelly’s hand and said to us,

“I’ll take Kelly up. See you in a minute?”

“Okay,” I said as they went through the door, still trying to think of a way to ditch Patty.

“What exactly is this project?” Patty asked in a bit of a nervous manner, crossing her arms and staring at me. “What is it exactly that you need my husband’s advice on?”

I took a deep breath and said, “It’s a film project. A group of us are doing a film tomorrow in Dorking and Mike’s advice on future marketing may be very beneficial. We asked him to come along so he could get a thorough understanding of the project. It really will be very boring. If you would rather wait for Mike elsewhere I promise we won’t keep him too long.”

Patty looked at the two of us standing nervously in front of her then shook her head and replied, “No. I’ll come in if you don’t mind?”

“Okay,” I said smiling and resigning myself to an awkward situation . “Follow me.” I hoped I had bought Jay enough time to explain to the group about Mike and Patty before I opened the door to Kenny’s and put the latch down after we had all entered. I led them down the corridor, past the empty counter, through the door and up the stairs. I took another deep breath and opened the door and led Mike and Patty through to the cinema room.

Most of the group were stood or sat around on the armchairs and sofas with either mugs of hot drinks or cold bottles of coke which Katy was serving behind the counter. Jay was stood at the counter and had clearly been explaining the situation as a sudden hush went around the group as we walked in. Patty looked around the room at the equipment lined up along the wall and then looked behind her down the corridor at the line of empty booths.

I didn’t know if the realisation of what the place was had hit her yet. She seemed puzzled and was about to say something when Katy called out to her,

“Hi. Tea, coffee or a cold drink?” Patty looked at the group in the room and seemed shocked into silence by the eyes that had fallen on her and didn’t answer.

“Two tea’s please,” Mike said leading Patty by the hand to the counter. “White, no sugar.”

Sara approached Mike and Patty and shook Mikes hand. “Hi, I’m Sara.” She said.

“Mike,” Mike replied shaking her hand. “This is my wife, Patty.”

Sara held her hand out to Patty who hesitantly shook it before withdrawing her hand sharply again. Sara smiled at Patty and pointed her hand around the room introducing everyone who either smiled and nodded or waved hello as their name was mentioned.

“Phil and Cheryl, Keith and Mary, Clive and Sue, Simon, Jim, Kylie and Paul, my husband Manus and James-our cameraman, That’s Katy behind the counter and you’ve already met Jay, Steve and Kelly.”

Patty nodded to each with a blank look on her face as each person were introduced. She still had a tight grip on Mikes hand and I had a feeling that she as now regretting joining Mike for the meeting. Katy handed the two teas to Mike and Patty and said to Sara,

“Let me know when you want to start the presentation. It’s all loaded.”

“No time like the present.” Sara replied indicating that everyone should take a seat and face the cinema screen. Mike indicated to Patty to sit on one of the sofas but she shook her head and sat on a solitary armchair at the back to the side of the counter where Katy was leaning, a pair of remote controls in her hand.

Mike looked around and sat on a sofa with Simon and Jim just ahead and to the side of Patty. Jay and Kelly sat with Cheryl and Phil while I stayed leaning back on the counter, keeping Katy company. Katy dimmed the lights down on one remote then pressed a button on the other which lit the cinema screen up with a PowerPoint presentation. Sara took the remote from Katy and walked to stand next to the screen.

On the screen was the words ‘The retrieval of the rising of the Fisherman’s Sun paintings by Giovanni del Callinni.’

“Good evening everyone,” Sara began. “I have met most of you so I don’t need to introduce myself nor my husband Manus.” Manus put his hand in the air and gave a wave which a few people returned. “But I will give you a bit of background about myself and why we are all here tonight. Kylie, can you stand up please?”

Kylie stood up and looked around at everyone, giving a little wave before sitting down again.

“This is Kylie. Kylie is a housekeeper at the hotel that most of you are staying in. Kylie owns these paintings. They were given to her as a birthday gift from her father,” Sara pressed a button and a library picture of the three paintings taken at a gallery appeared on the screen. “The rising of the Fisherman’s Sun paintings by Giovanni del Callinni. Current value around two million Euros each. Collectively as a set, possibly ten million Euros.”

There was a few whistles and a look of surprise on several faces in the room. Patty just stared blankly at the screen. Sara continued.

“Although Kylie has provenance for these paintings proving her ownership, she does not have the paintings in her possession.” Another slide appeared showing a suited man opening the door to a very flash BMW. He looked fit, toned and handsome.

“This is Neil Campbell. He is Kylie’s step-father. He married Kylie’s mother after her father passed away. He has a son and a daughter, Gloria or Glo, and Darren. According to Kylie these three are very unsavoury characters who made her life miserable when she still lived there.