This Time Next Year(13)

‘So he is hot?’ said Leila, narrowing her eyes even further.

‘I guess, but only in that textbook, arrogant, rich-boy way. He was probably born with a silver spoon in every orifice,’ said Minnie grimacing.

‘OK, well I need to hear every single detail. I have to get my love-life kicks through you now I’m so bloody normcore. And yes, you need to wear the dress, it will be fun, I promise.’ Leila went back to her wardrobe and held up a bright yellow 1950s-style tea dress. ‘Too much?’

‘You can pull this look off, I can’t,’ said Minnie, shaking her head. Leila dropped her pyjama bottoms on the floor and stepped into the yellow skirt. ‘Hang on, what do you mean “love life”? This isn’t anything to do with my love life, this is just me meeting the man my mum’s been comparing me to my whole life. Right, I’m going to call Greg now.’

Minnie dialled his number. Greg didn’t like speaking on the phone, he preferred text, but this didn’t feel like a text conversation. It went straight to answerphone. ‘Hi Greg, it’s Minnie. Just ringing to say, I didn’t go home without you last night, you were the one who went home without me, and anyway … wait, someone else is calling me … maybe it’s you, no, it’s an unknown number. Hang on, I’ll call you back, I was just calling to say I’m alive – bye.’

Minnie quickly switched callers to take the incoming call. It was her landlord, Mr Buchanan, saying he could meet her at the flat to give her a spare key.

‘You’re going now?’ Leila asked, once Minnie put the phone down. ‘What about lunch?’

‘I have to go and feed Lucky. I’ll go now then come and meet you out.’ Minnie stood up and pulled her friend in for a hug, ‘Thank you for rescuing me.’

Leila’s lips twitched as she watched her friend leave, ‘This better not just be a ploy to change out of that dress,’ she called after her.



*

Mr Buchanan was waiting for Minnie on the street. He was busy inspecting her wheelie bin when she arrived. He was in his mid-sixties with bright white hair and he spoke with a lisp. When he saw Minnie in her polka-dot dress he did a double take.

‘Thank you so much for meeting me,’ Minnie said breathlessly, running up the street to meet him. ‘I couldn’t afford a locksmith call-out, especially on New Year’s Day.’

Mr Buchanan started inspecting some of the peeling paintwork on the front door frame, picking at it with a fingernail to see how easily it came away.

‘Yes, about your finances Miss Cooper,’ he said, flaring his huge hairy nostrils at her. ‘I see you’re behind on your utility bills again.’

‘Yes, I know, cash flow, but I’m on it, don’t worry,’ said Minnie, making two firm hand gestures with her fists to hammer home how on it she was.

‘They tell me when a tenant falls into bad credit you know,’ he said, turning back to face her with a squint. ‘And we spoke about this before, I believe?’

‘Oh yes, I know, but … ’

Minnie looked up and saw Lucky pawing the glass at her. She gave him a little wave.

‘What are you waving at?’ Mr Buchanan asked.

‘My cat … my catalogue.’ Minnie suddenly remembered she wasn’t allowed pets under the terms of her lease. ‘My catalogue will have arrived. I’m just excited – do you ever get like that about catalogues? January sales, whoop-whoop … ’

Mr Buchanan turned and looked up at the window. She didn’t know if he’d seen the swish of grey tail before Lucky ducked out of view.

‘I see,’ said Mr Buchanan, cutting her off. ‘It doesn’t sound like you are in a position to be shopping, Miss Cooper.’ He blinked his small eyes at her. ‘You’re due to renew your lease on the first, that’s today.’ He paused, ‘I don’t feel—’

Minnie could see where this was going and held up a finger to stop him.

‘Wait! Mr Buchanan, please wait, whatever you might be about to say, please can we not have this conversation now? I know this sounds crazy, but bad things happen to me on the first of January, so if there are any major decisions to be made about me continuing to live here, I wonder if I could call you tomorrow when it’s not the first and, um, well, just don’t make your mind up today. I know I’ve been a bit of a crap tenant, but just give me one more day.’

Mr Buchanan’s head was making very small movements from side to side. His lips were moving as though Minnie were a book he was trying to read and she was scrolling through the pages too fast for him.

‘You want me to ask you to move out tomorrow?’ he asked, peering at her in bemusement.

‘No, no, I don’t want you to ask me to move out at all. Just sleep on it, Mr Buchanan, decide tomorrow. I might not look like such a bad tenant tomorrow.’ Minnie gave him the most charming smile she could muster.

‘You have a month’s notice, Miss Cooper,’ he said, handing her the spare key. ‘But since you asked nicely, I’ll wait until tomorrow to formalise it in writing.’

Minnie got inside, dropped her bag on the floor and pulled Lucky into her arms.

‘Oh Lucky, it’s so cold in here.’

Lucky kicked out of her arms and sprang through to the kitchen. ‘OK, fine, I’ll get you food.’