Who Needs Vivienne Westwood? Chapter Five

The week had been fruitful for Jools. Food & Home magazine had been positively thrilled with her restaurant review of Todos Locos. And Laura, her editor at the online health publication, equally chuffed with her column, 'Learning to Silence the Inner Critic', and had wired her payment, leaving Jools' bank account a little flusher than usual.

By way of celebration, she'd invited Chris and Gemma to hers for a late Saturday afternoon lunch of home-made pizzas. From barbecues to burger nights, Chris and Gemma had entertained her and Matt countless times. She felt it only fitting to pay back their kindness.

She'd gotten the pizza stone for Matt last Christmas, hoping it might inspire him to partake in the kitchen a little more... Could it get any simpler than whipping up a couple of pizzas? After all, Matt had worked at a bakery making the dough and baking bread in his youth. It had seemed the ideal gift - if not more than a little loaded. Or so she'd thought.

Much to her disappointment, the pizza stone hadn't had any such effect on him, and yet again, she was relegated to the kitchen by herself. No matter.

She wasn't about to let any blip sour her weekend after the promising week she'd had.

She'd spent the latter part of the morning tending to the tomato basting sauce. As her Italian friend, Renata, had taught her, the magic behind any good pizza worth its salt was a rich tomato basting sauce made with love.

Next she'd grated the mozzarella. Then she'd floured and rolled out the shop-bought dough (Life was too short!), making the bases. Now all they'd need was the toppings before they were placed on the pizza stone, first warmed in the oven, to rise a little and crisp up.

Pineapple and ham for the twins. Classic pepperoni, avo and rocket for the adults. This she'd follow (for dessert as it were) with a recreation of a pizza she'd absolutely loved on holiday once in Cape Town at an upmarket Italian joint on the waterfront: parma ham and gorgonzola and thinly sliced miled sweet and granular pear with rocket. Hopefully the piece de resistance for the day. She really wanted to go all out and spoil Chris and Gemma. Well, as much as her bank balance could afford it.

Finally, she hoped they'd be pleased as punch with the limoncello she'd made from scratch, infusing as she had the vodka in all that lemony goodness for the last four weeks in old glass Nescafe jars until it was ready to be decanted and set aside to chill in the deep freeze for just such an occasion after a satiated and soporific feast of pizza! She'd found so many recipes for limoncello online but the American versions often far too sweet for her own palate.

In the end, after many adjustments and permutations, she felt she'd got it Just Right. She was sure they'd love it. She poured herself a tot and knocked it back. Not quite in the tradition of sipping it slowly as an aperitif! But oh how glorious and refreshing... Liquid sunshine in a bottle!

And the perfect accompaniment to a balmy afternoon on her balcony she concluded merrily.

Prep done, Jools hung up the 1950s style apron her nana had made just for her, now covered in flour, and made her way to the bathroom for a quick shower. Matt was still in bed, and on his phone as per.

Once freshened up, Joole fluffed her hair damp-dry with the towel and flung on her Calvin Klein denims, yet another thrift store find, and a silk, boldly printed Twombsly-esque blouse again courtesy of one of her aunt's many wardrobe purges.

'Hey, babe.'

'Yeah?' Matt looked up from the screen.

'Gemma and Chris are due in an hour. Best ya get ready!'

'Will do in a sec,' he assured her.

She regarded the empty coffee mug and overflowing ashtray on his side of the bed. UThey'd be there all of next week if she simply left them. It never once occured to Matt to so much as take his mugs through to the kitchen sink, or empty an ashtray of his own thoughtful volition.

She could hardly blame him. On nights they spent at his, his mother practically swooned after him all evening long. 'Baby, can I make you another coffee?' 'Baby, do you have any laundry for me?' 'Baby, do you have any dishes for me to take to the kitchen?' All while he sat cosy in his bed glued to the footie.

It was insufferable to watch. Matt's salary ensured that they had the best cable TV, so his mother could endlessly watch all her favourite True Crime series, and for this, she'd made of herself his ever-loyal servant. And in turn, this had made of him a grown man all but clueless to his own filth. Yet again, Jools surpressed her frustration as far as she could shove it.

Dressed and ready for their guests to arrive, she opened the fridge door and grabbed a cold Label, heading down the length of the long corridor past the bedroom and through the lounge to that balcony yet again awash in sunlight.

She took a cold swig and sighed... Ah. Bliss.

No sooner and the doorbell rang. Barefoot almost as always, loving the wood beneath her feet, she traipsed down the glossy classic green steps to open up for Chris and Gemma and the twins.

'Aunty Jools! Aunty Jools!' The little ruffians embraced her in a tight squeeze.

'Howsit, Jools! Love, love, LOVE your blouse... Simply gorgeous! Oh and a little something for the hostess,' Gemma winked and handed over a bottle of crisp Sauvignon Blanc. A real treat.

'Ah thanks. You shouldn't have." Wearing only a smidge of peachy lip balm Jools thought it safe enough to give Gemma a sincere and thankful peck on the cheek.

'Come here, you... Didn't think you'd get away from me that easy!' And with that, Chris locked her into one of his famous bear hugs.

'Head on up, you guys.' Jools let her guests all pass and head for her front door, before locking the lower level gate and following them upstairs and into the lounge.

'Soooooo...'Jools turner her attention to the twins. 'Who wants to watch How to Train Your Dragon and eat pizza?!'

'I do! I do!' the twins chimed.

'I thought as much... Follow lil' ol' me and I shall show you where all your wildest dreams await...' Jools let the kids down the corridor and into the spare bedroom where she'd made a little fort for them to get cosy and set up the laptop. She had Disney's Robin Hood as a back up plan once How to Train Your Dragon was done and dusted, that animated fox her first crush and still to this day an absurd swoon factor!

'Your pizzas will be ready in two shakes of a little lamb's tale... How about a Fanta orange in the meantime?! And a scoop of ice cream for a float... How does that sound?'

'Yes please, Aunty Jools!' Liam nudged his brother.

'Yes please, Aunty Jools,' prodded only a little Jimmy followed his brother's lead.

They really had great manners. Jools had to give it up to Gemma and Chris for being the greatest of parents with the most loveable kidlets.

Pouring two glasses of Fanta orange and then dropping in each a scoop of vanilla in the kitchen, Jools removed the preheated stone and dusted it with flour. Then came the large pineapple and ham pizza on top, and back into the oven for a jiffy.

There.

That was the kids just about taken care of...

Next the grown ups.

'Where's Matt?' Gemma turned from her seat on the balcony and squizzed out the lounge.

'Oh, you know Mr Metrosexual! He should be out in a mo...'

Chris laughed his deep belly laugh. Chris was anything BUT metrosexual. Jools imagined he'd be perfectly at home in a log cabin distilling his own bourbon and chopping wood with his bare knuckles.

'Speak of the devil!' Matt surfaced and Chris grabbed him in a chokehold, ruffling his immaculately styled hair.

Matt laughed in spite of himself, and not very convincingly, clearly more than just a little irritated that his do was now totally ruined.

Not one to bother with the expected duties at hand, Matt simply plonked himself down on the bunk chair with his coffee, taking a leisurely sip as he lit up a fag, no ashtray in sight.

'Can I fetch you guys something to drink?' Jools took it upon herself to make up for Matt's glaring obliviousness.

'Just a wineglass and some ice, asseblief skattebol. Chris drinks his brewskies straight out the bottle. Oh and if you could put the wine and six pack in the fridge... If you don't mind! And only if you have space!'

'Plenty of space... Here.' Jools reached out a hand to take their cooler to the kitchen.

Once there, she poured a glass for Gemma and took out a cold one for Chris while emptying the ice tray into a bamboo cereal bowl with a silver ladle for the ice. The rest she packed neatly back into the far recesses of the fridge where their wine and beer would keep the coldest. While she was at it, a second beer couldn't hurt. The pizzas would all but make themselves, now the prep was done, and she could afford to indulge a little. Besides, was there anything better than an ice cold Label in this summer heat! Ambling lazily down the long hall, but carefully juggling and balancing the two beers and Gemma's vino with ice, making sure not to spill, she paused to take a sneak peak at the twins, only to find them happily devouring their pizza still and slugging away on their orange Fanta floats, content as could be!

Handing Chris and Gemma their drinks, Jools took up a seat on the bench alongside Matt, thankfully off his phone for once, now that HIS friends were thrown into the mix.

'So, Jools, how goes the writing?' Gemma quizzed her good naturedly.

'Weeeeell... Actuaaaaaally...' Jools allowed for a dramatic pause. 'As of last week you're officially looking at the latest writer for Food & Home magazine,' she beamed, blushing a little.

'Oh that's blerry wonderful... And you so deserve it!' Gemma leant over the patio table to squeeze her free hand. Her constant reassurance.

'Bloody well brilliant! I say that calls for a cheers!' Chris held his drink aloft, gesturing in his larger than life way, for one and all to join in. 'To Jools! Our local celebrity writer!'

Jools chuckled, cheersing them all the same though bashful, feeling all the more that warm flush to her cheeks.

'Aw thanks, guys... You really are the best!'

For all that Matt could work on her nerves at the best of times to no end, and more so than she cared to admit of late, he truly had a couple of five star mates in Chris and Gemma.

After they'd swigged in unison, Matt still nursing his coffee, a fleeting thought had crossed Jools' mind.

Would she lose Gemma and Chris if she ever left Matt?

It was fleeting indeed. And it made her sad. Briefly. A nano moment, barely noticeable. The bereavement that comes with a break up and the division of assetts. Friends included. Soon she returned to her usual self, as the smiling hostess, presenting the first bottle of ice cold limoncello with her precious 'thrifty finds' of a collection of stemmed sherry glasses... Back to being Matt's longstanding and loving girlfriend.

But for a second, the thought had crossed her mind all the same. And there was no taking it back.