later.’
‘Like I care!’ Mr Neblin leant on the door frame and folded his arms.
‘You will care when I –’
‘Yeah, please tell me, Mrs Housing Officer, what are you going to do about it anyway? I’m all ears.’
‘No, actually, Mr Neblin, you’re all talk . I think I’ve given you enough rope to hang yourself. I’ll get the association to remove this pile of crap and recharge it to you. It’ll cost you a fortune but at least –’
‘You won’t get nowt from me. In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t worked for seventeen years and you can’t get blood out of a stone.’
‘That isn’t a problem. I can get it stopped out of your benefits on a weekly order. I’m sure you won’t mind missing a few pints every week.’
Mr Neblin took a step forward, his fists clenched at his sides. ‘You can’t do that!’
‘I can and I will.’
‘You’re a right fucking bitch, aren’t you? You think you’re so bleeding clever but you won’t get one up on me.’
Mr Neblin looked like he was going to blow up. If he squeezed his cheeks in any more, she could envisage steam coming from his ears. She decided to walk away.
‘Do you know that people on this estate hate you?’ he shouted after her. ‘You haven’t got a friend to your name in this place and one day it’s going to come back and bite you right on your fucking fancy pants. Then what will you do?’
Josie walked away from the drivel spewing from his mouth. Her job was done there, no need to take any further abuse. If the nicey-nicey approach didn’t work then she always had the option to hit him where it would hurt the most: his pocket.
The slam of a door never failed to make her jump, no matter how many times she heard it. She’d thought she’d dealt with everything working as an admin assistant back at the office, but it was nothing like what she sometimes faced out on the estate, with no counter to hide behind and no panic button to press. Out on the patch, if the going got rough, all Josie could do was walk away from the likes of Mr Neblin – and Gina Bradley.
Josie decided to call in at the newsagents for a bar of chocolate before heading back to the office. She smiled when she spotted Kelly flicking through a magazine, but wasn’t surprised when her expression remained blank.
‘Don’t worry, I’m not with any of the heavy mob today,’ Kelly muttered as she reached the cash desk.
Josie hid a smile: she was definitely not forgiven.
‘On your own today?’ she asked.
‘Yes! Not that it’s any of your business.’
‘I meant without Emily.’
‘Oh, I –’
‘How’s college?’
‘Hey, John,’ a loud voice boomed. Josie turned in time to spot Mr Neblin, before he disappeared behind the shelving. ‘Do you sell black bin liners? I’ve got a load of rubbish that needs shifting pretty sharpish.’
The man behind the counter pointed to a shelf. ‘They’re the only ones we’ve got, Clive, above the envelopes. Will they do?’
‘They’ll have to do, especially if they get that stuck-up bitch from the housing office off my back.’
Kelly giggled as Josie’s eye’s flicked to the ceiling.
‘I don’t know what her old man must think of her,’ Mr Neblin continued. ‘She must definitely wear the trousers in that househo– oh, it’s you.’
Kelly shoved her face into a magazine in order to stop from roaring with laughter.
‘Yes, it’s me,’ said Josie. ‘Glad to hear you’re taking my advice, albeit a little late in the day.’
As soon as he’d gone, Kelly finally gave in. ‘Did you see his face?’ she laughed. Then she snorted. ‘It was the colour of beetroot, he was so embarrassed.’
Josie got out her purse. ‘I heard and saw everything that would shock me in my first year on this estate. Nothing gets to me now.’
Kelly relaxed a little. Maybe she had judged Josie as well as the other way around. From her actions with the man and the rubbish, it was clear she couldn’t care less about
‘Like I care!’ Mr Neblin leant on the door frame and folded his arms.
‘You will care when I –’
‘Yeah, please tell me, Mrs Housing Officer, what are you going to do about it anyway? I’m all ears.’
‘No, actually, Mr Neblin, you’re all talk . I think I’ve given you enough rope to hang yourself. I’ll get the association to remove this pile of crap and recharge it to you. It’ll cost you a fortune but at least –’
‘You won’t get nowt from me. In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t worked for seventeen years and you can’t get blood out of a stone.’
‘That isn’t a problem. I can get it stopped out of your benefits on a weekly order. I’m sure you won’t mind missing a few pints every week.’
Mr Neblin took a step forward, his fists clenched at his sides. ‘You can’t do that!’
‘I can and I will.’
‘You’re a right fucking bitch, aren’t you? You think you’re so bleeding clever but you won’t get one up on me.’
Mr Neblin looked like he was going to blow up. If he squeezed his cheeks in any more, she could envisage steam coming from his ears. She decided to walk away.
‘Do you know that people on this estate hate you?’ he shouted after her. ‘You haven’t got a friend to your name in this place and one day it’s going to come back and bite you right on your fucking fancy pants. Then what will you do?’
Josie walked away from the drivel spewing from his mouth. Her job was done there, no need to take any further abuse. If the nicey-nicey approach didn’t work then she always had the option to hit him where it would hurt the most: his pocket.
The slam of a door never failed to make her jump, no matter how many times she heard it. She’d thought she’d dealt with everything working as an admin assistant back at the office, but it was nothing like what she sometimes faced out on the estate, with no counter to hide behind and no panic button to press. Out on the patch, if the going got rough, all Josie could do was walk away from the likes of Mr Neblin – and Gina Bradley.
Josie decided to call in at the newsagents for a bar of chocolate before heading back to the office. She smiled when she spotted Kelly flicking through a magazine, but wasn’t surprised when her expression remained blank.
‘Don’t worry, I’m not with any of the heavy mob today,’ Kelly muttered as she reached the cash desk.
Josie hid a smile: she was definitely not forgiven.
‘On your own today?’ she asked.
‘Yes! Not that it’s any of your business.’
‘I meant without Emily.’
‘Oh, I –’
‘How’s college?’
‘Hey, John,’ a loud voice boomed. Josie turned in time to spot Mr Neblin, before he disappeared behind the shelving. ‘Do you sell black bin liners? I’ve got a load of rubbish that needs shifting pretty sharpish.’
The man behind the counter pointed to a shelf. ‘They’re the only ones we’ve got, Clive, above the envelopes. Will they do?’
‘They’ll have to do, especially if they get that stuck-up bitch from the housing office off my back.’
Kelly giggled as Josie’s eye’s flicked to the ceiling.
‘I don’t know what her old man must think of her,’ Mr Neblin continued. ‘She must definitely wear the trousers in that househo– oh, it’s you.’
Kelly shoved her face into a magazine in order to stop from roaring with laughter.
‘Yes, it’s me,’ said Josie. ‘Glad to hear you’re taking my advice, albeit a little late in the day.’
As soon as he’d gone, Kelly finally gave in. ‘Did you see his face?’ she laughed. Then she snorted. ‘It was the colour of beetroot, he was so embarrassed.’
Josie got out her purse. ‘I heard and saw everything that would shock me in my first year on this estate. Nothing gets to me now.’
Kelly relaxed a little. Maybe she had judged Josie as well as the other way around. From her actions with the man and the rubbish, it was clear she couldn’t care less about
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