Free The Other Ida by Amy Mason

electric heater in the corner, the fake-coal type that Bridie said was naff, and a table covered in make-up and brushes and vases of flowers. It was so cold Ida could see her breath and she jiggled from side to side.
    Peter walked over and crouched down until he was face-to-face with Ida. She gasped, although she knew that was rude. Although he was wearing a suit and had short, grey hair, there was sparkly blue stuff all round his eyes and on his thin cheeks there were two red circles. Ida wondered if he realised.
    â€œThank you so much for the chocolate. I had a lovely time.”
    â€œSee! She’s a better actress than Jeanine, Bry, and she’s, what, eight?”
    â€œSeven and a half,” said Ida.
    â€œOnly seven and a half! Goodness you’re tall. Now you didn’t seem like you were having a lovely time while you were on that stage, but I may well be wrong. And I have to say you look a little scared right now, of me in all my slap. But, your word is your honour, right?”
    â€œRight.”
    â€œGood girl,” he said and ruffled her hair.
    From behind his back he brought out a big red flower. It had seemed real on stage when it had gone limp and straight again over-and-over – but now Ida could see it was papery and had wire inside.
    She went to touch it and pulled back her hand. The man laughed.
    â€œYou can touch it, I’ll show you how to make it work too. You know what? You’re going to be famous one day, sweetheart. I’ve a nose for these things.”
    He sniffed the flower and pretended to sneeze.
    The waiter had said the soup was homemade but Ida knew it was Heinz, which was fine as Heinz was her favourite. In the corner was a white piano, covered in red tinsel, with a man in a white suit playing it. Ida couldn’t take her eyes off him – he had black hair and was moving his face around so much while he played that he looked like Jerry Lewis.
    Alice sat next to her eating a runny boiled egg which was dribbling down her chin. “More soldiers, I want more soldiers,” she said and everyone ignored her. Next to both girls were giant teddy bears with red sparkly bows round their necks and hard black plastic eyes. Ida and Alice were both scared of them but they’d said thank you politely.
    â€œI’ve been gone for more than a year now,” said her da.
    â€œAbout eighteen months,” said Terri. “It was just after you’d moved into the new house. And then you left… and we met.” She turned to Peter, “I always say we met through the Yellow Pages. He called me to make some curtains for his new place... and that was it!”
    Bryan ignored her and carried on. “I couldn’t stay, she was being bloody unreasonable, and her drinking was getting out of hand. First she sacked the au pair, back in London, because she thought she was stealing. You know she takes these slimming pills? God they make her mad. Moving out of London was a last ditch attempt. She didn’t want to move to Bournemouth but I thought it would help. We met here after all. We were happy here, once.”
    â€œAnd what about the girls?” asked Peter.
    â€œIf I could have taken them with me I would have done. But there isn’t room in our flat. I mean, I think they’re fine. They go to a good school, and it’s better that we’re separated than arguing all the damn time.”
    â€œHmmm,” said Peter, “you know I love Bridie. She’s a good woman deep down – if she’d write, she’d be fine.”
    â€œWrite?” said Bryan. “I don’t know how she wrote that play in the bloody first place. She’s never finished anything else. I don’t think she ever will. She’s not a finisher.”
    â€œI’ll drop in on her tomorrow, we could go to Mass,” Peter said.
    â€œI’m not sure about Mass. I don’t think she goes any more. I don’t think she goes anywhere any