would say, Be loud be proud, or something.
‘And what does Rick Edwards want tonight that he couldn’t get yesterday?’
And Vita heard every word and she absolutely knew the answer and she couldn’t possibly say, Well, he probably wants to kiss with tongues tonight and who knows where that might lead.
‘Vita?’
And then she thought, Why not just tell Tim the truth. It’s all I ever did when we were together and as Candy would say, it’s good for my funds in the Bank of Karma. ‘He asked me out on a date.’
Tim had to take a moment to absorb the words but he couldn’t do anything about the fleeting look of shock that swiped over his face like a slap. Eventually, he nodded and changed the subject to how the show had gone in terms of business. And when Vita found she could tell him quite assertively about what she’d ordered, she also found no need to justify her actions. It felt as though she’d acquired some kind of coating, an emotional Teflon. Because when Tim tried to berate her, when he tried to ridicule what she’d ordered, the way she’d ordered and the deals she’d struck, his words slipped off her and slithered down between the gaps in the floorboards.
All the while, when Tim was talking, he was shouting inside his head, Some fucker is taking Vita on a date! Some trumped-up sod wants to bang my girl! And then he thought, But she’s not my girl. And then he thought, Oh God. And then he thought, I should have gone to the show, I knew I should have gone to the show. And then he knew the angry tone he was using at Vita was not allied in the slightest to his criticism of how she’d handled the show. The tone he was using was directed purely at the bewilderment he felt about someone else approaching her. Vita Whitbury, he thought, thirty-three years old. Pretty and funny. And single.
Location Location Location
‘You do not go to a hotel – it’s seedy,’ said Candy.
‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ Vita said. ‘I’m going in to meet him for a drink. And that’s it.’
‘Well, good for you. You need to see yourself as a virgin all over again.’
‘Good God, woman, I’m just looking forward to a little harmless flirting.’
‘The frisson ,’ Candy said, rolling the word around her tongue as if it were delicious, ‘works wonders on self-esteem.’
‘A stomach full of butterflies.’
‘Call it what you will – and, if you’re not in too much of a jitter, can you try and sneak a photo of him onto your phone? Or record his voice? There’s bugger all on TV tonight.’
‘Candy!’
‘Seriously though – you have to promise to keep me updated. I need to know you’re OK.’
‘OK. I promise.’
‘Just a yum or a yuk or an omg will do.’
*
Michelle, however, texted Vita in capitals with no exclamation marks.
DO NOT GO BACK TO HIS – AND NOT JUST COS IT’S MILTON KEYNES.
It made Vita laugh.
Don’t worry – just a drink, Mush. U know me!
Michelle then requested Vita simply aor aor even aat some point during the evening.
‘How cute do you look!’
For Vita, Rick’s warm smile, the sparkle in his eyes, the compliment, the hand in the hollow of her back while he kissed her on the cheek close to her mouth, justified everything. Closing early – even though a customer was just about to come in. Not stopping to chat with elderly neighbours keen to do so. Ransacking her wardrobe and changing three times before settling on the shortish flippy skirt, a fitted white T-shirt, denim jacket for later on and cowboy boots. Candy called it her girly rock ’n’ roll look and Vita always felt upbeat in it.
The Flask pub in Highgate had been an easy Tube journey from King’s Cross. She felt relaxed, much more so than yesterday. Actually, she felt buoyant. It was a balmy early evening with just the minor irritation of a few arrogant wasps until dusk saw them vanish. Vita liked everything; she liked the chatting, she liked her drink, the snacks, and she liked the look of herself each
‘And what does Rick Edwards want tonight that he couldn’t get yesterday?’
And Vita heard every word and she absolutely knew the answer and she couldn’t possibly say, Well, he probably wants to kiss with tongues tonight and who knows where that might lead.
‘Vita?’
And then she thought, Why not just tell Tim the truth. It’s all I ever did when we were together and as Candy would say, it’s good for my funds in the Bank of Karma. ‘He asked me out on a date.’
Tim had to take a moment to absorb the words but he couldn’t do anything about the fleeting look of shock that swiped over his face like a slap. Eventually, he nodded and changed the subject to how the show had gone in terms of business. And when Vita found she could tell him quite assertively about what she’d ordered, she also found no need to justify her actions. It felt as though she’d acquired some kind of coating, an emotional Teflon. Because when Tim tried to berate her, when he tried to ridicule what she’d ordered, the way she’d ordered and the deals she’d struck, his words slipped off her and slithered down between the gaps in the floorboards.
All the while, when Tim was talking, he was shouting inside his head, Some fucker is taking Vita on a date! Some trumped-up sod wants to bang my girl! And then he thought, But she’s not my girl. And then he thought, Oh God. And then he thought, I should have gone to the show, I knew I should have gone to the show. And then he knew the angry tone he was using at Vita was not allied in the slightest to his criticism of how she’d handled the show. The tone he was using was directed purely at the bewilderment he felt about someone else approaching her. Vita Whitbury, he thought, thirty-three years old. Pretty and funny. And single.
Location Location Location
‘You do not go to a hotel – it’s seedy,’ said Candy.
‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ Vita said. ‘I’m going in to meet him for a drink. And that’s it.’
‘Well, good for you. You need to see yourself as a virgin all over again.’
‘Good God, woman, I’m just looking forward to a little harmless flirting.’
‘The frisson ,’ Candy said, rolling the word around her tongue as if it were delicious, ‘works wonders on self-esteem.’
‘A stomach full of butterflies.’
‘Call it what you will – and, if you’re not in too much of a jitter, can you try and sneak a photo of him onto your phone? Or record his voice? There’s bugger all on TV tonight.’
‘Candy!’
‘Seriously though – you have to promise to keep me updated. I need to know you’re OK.’
‘OK. I promise.’
‘Just a yum or a yuk or an omg will do.’
*
Michelle, however, texted Vita in capitals with no exclamation marks.
DO NOT GO BACK TO HIS – AND NOT JUST COS IT’S MILTON KEYNES.
It made Vita laugh.
Don’t worry – just a drink, Mush. U know me!
Michelle then requested Vita simply aor aor even aat some point during the evening.
‘How cute do you look!’
For Vita, Rick’s warm smile, the sparkle in his eyes, the compliment, the hand in the hollow of her back while he kissed her on the cheek close to her mouth, justified everything. Closing early – even though a customer was just about to come in. Not stopping to chat with elderly neighbours keen to do so. Ransacking her wardrobe and changing three times before settling on the shortish flippy skirt, a fitted white T-shirt, denim jacket for later on and cowboy boots. Candy called it her girly rock ’n’ roll look and Vita always felt upbeat in it.
The Flask pub in Highgate had been an easy Tube journey from King’s Cross. She felt relaxed, much more so than yesterday. Actually, she felt buoyant. It was a balmy early evening with just the minor irritation of a few arrogant wasps until dusk saw them vanish. Vita liked everything; she liked the chatting, she liked her drink, the snacks, and she liked the look of herself each
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