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gallery and making absolutely sure that Oliver’s paintings were displayed to perfection; each one perfectly lighted and the background had to be just right. She requested the help of both of her part-time assistants for the day of the show, with the promise of a bonus in their salary, knowing full well it may have to come out of her personal finances, what she had left anyway. Oliver had dropped off the paintings at the gallery a few days before and it was now up to Arianna to display them at their very best. She went for the minimalistic look, classy yet understated, simple yet breathtaking, with just the right amount of subtle lighting to show each individual piece in all its beautiful glory. They were generously spaced out so as not to look overcrowded and this enhanced the overall setting of the paintings. Feeling nervous herself now, Arianna was well aware there would be some important guests at her show the following evening and, all of a sudden, the realisation of the importance of the show hit home.
    Oliver dropped into the gallery before Arianna locked up , to view his work as others would see it the following night. As he walked through the door, his mouth fell open. “Wow, they look amazing, Arianna. You really have an amazing eye. I just can’t believe how good they look up there.” Oliver slowly walked around the gallery in awe at the way his own work had been majestically displayed.
    “ Oliver, it’s your work up there, your beautiful paintings. All I have done is present them at their best, using what I have at my disposal.”
    They admired the paintings, both of them now feeling confident that the show would be a great success. After a private toast in advance of tomorrow ’s show, Arianna and Oliver parted ways for the evening. Feeling satisfied that she’d done all she could, Arianna decided to grab a Chinese takeaway on her way home. She always ordered the same thing: sweet and sour chicken Cantonese style with a side order of egg fried rice. She had a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge and a box of Ferrero Roche chocolates just waiting to be devoured; a little gift from Casey the day before to cheer her up.
     
    She sat down in the small restaurant and waited patiently for her order to arrive; there was a full house and the waiters looked rushed off their feet. Arianna looked out onto the street below. Groups of teenagers were once again heading up towards the top of the high street in their droves. There were one or two couples walking in the opposite direction with a take-out bag in hand and the remaining shops were locking up for the night. She’d always loved Coleshill; it was like a little world all of its own. With a population of just over 6,000, it was a safe place to live and one where many local traditions were still carried out each year. The Coleshill District Round Table always paraded the streets at Christmas time for charity and the local brass band always held an open-air concert in the park behind Coleshill church during the summer. A good turnout was always guaranteed. They had their own cricket team, which was very well supported by the locals. And one Friday every month, Church Street was closed off for the traditional farmer’s market, with local produce from locally farmed vegetables to home baked pies and cakes not to mention the delicious homemade jam on sale. Arianna always stocked up on the blueberry jam, as she was rather partial to it.
    “ Here you go, Arianna, sorry for the long wait.” Arianna smiled, said thank you and headed off to her townhouse. She was beginning to dread the weekend nights, Friday nights in particular. She would love nothing more than to go to her favourite restaurant tonight, especially after the week she’d had. She had no one to call: Casey always went out for a family meal on Friday evenings, to Jimmy Spices in Sutton Coldfield with Andrew and her children. Her other two friends were also married with children and never available these