laugh.’
‘Yes, I can.’ Chas bent down and kissed her on the top of her head. ‘See you.’
‘When?’
‘Not sure. In the week, probably.’
Vi sat bolt upright. ‘That’s not good enough, Chas.’
He looked at her sitting there. She was still a bit of all right – for her age – but she was getting demanding. And that got on his nerves. ‘Like it or lump it, darling.’
She said nothing. She didn’t want to burn her boats, not before she had found herself at least a temporary replacement. She smiled and shrugged. ‘No choice, have I, lover?’
‘No. Not really.’
He took out his wallet from his back pocket, took out two ten-pound notes and tossed them on to the bedside table. ‘Get yourself a new dress.’
Vi looked up at him through her lashes and blew him a kiss. This was more like it. She’d have a nap, then she’d get up, get dressed and see if she could round up someone else to take her out for a drink and a bit of dinner.
Angie and Jackie sat at the table in the club, sipping their drinks which glowed peculiarly in the ultraviolet lighting.
‘So, if that bloke sitting over there wants to meet you.’ Jackie raised her chin to indicate a nearby table. ‘All he has to do is pick up the phone in front of him, dial the number that’s on our sign—’ she pointed to the chrome-and-black number eleven by way of demonstration ‘—and our one rings and you pick it up.’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Angie.
‘I’m telling you, Ange. That’s how it works. All the tables can ring one another.’
‘No, I mean I wouldn’t pick it up.’ She paused and took another sip. ‘Not if it was him ringing me. Look at him, he’s like the old boy in
Steptoe and Son
.’
They both burst out laughing, and, as the disc jockey announced he was going to play ‘She Loves You’, a ‘real golden oldie’, Jackie snorted, ‘Just like that bloke!’
As their laughter grew even louder, heads turned to see what was so funny.
At the sight of the pretty blonde and her lovely copper-haired friend, men around the room reached for their receivers. The girls’ phone began ringing and didn’t stop for the rest of the night.
They made a formidable pair in the unsophisticated atmosphere of Chadwell Heath.
Martin swallowed the last of his red wine – he was getting quite a taste for the stuff – and put the empty glass on the floor beside the armchair. ‘Please, Jill.’
Jill was sitting on his lap, her arms around his neck. ‘Martin, we’ve discussed this so many times. You know how much I like you. Really like you.’ She paused to kiss him and he shifted urgently beneath her.
‘Then why not?’
‘Because I’m not ready yet.’
‘It’s not like I’m asking you to do anything you don’t want to. I know you want to.’
‘Of course I do, but …’ Her cheeks reddened. ‘Say we made a mistake and I got—’
‘I’d be careful.’
‘I can’t.’ She shook her head and stood up. ‘Not yet. I need more time.’
‘I suppose you want me to go.’
‘It is late.’
‘Yeah.’ He got up from the chair, the ache in his body a mocking reminder of what he wanted to do with Jill, what he wanted to do so badly that he almost felt sick.
She fetched his coat from the bedroom, hurrying before he had time to follow her in there. ‘Will you be in college tomorrow?’
‘Course not. It’s reading week.’
‘I know, I just thought you might be popping in, that’s all. Thought I might …’
‘What? Get me all frustrated again?’
‘I was going to say cook you something and then go through the notes for the next assignment.’
‘I don’t think so. You’ve cooked for me enough over the past weeks.’
‘I like doing things for you.’
‘Do you?’
‘We could go to the pictures.’
‘I’m doing a few extra shifts at the garage. To get some money for the weekend.’
‘Planning something special?’
‘Yeah, I’m going down to the coast on Saturday, but you wouldn’t be
‘Yes, I can.’ Chas bent down and kissed her on the top of her head. ‘See you.’
‘When?’
‘Not sure. In the week, probably.’
Vi sat bolt upright. ‘That’s not good enough, Chas.’
He looked at her sitting there. She was still a bit of all right – for her age – but she was getting demanding. And that got on his nerves. ‘Like it or lump it, darling.’
She said nothing. She didn’t want to burn her boats, not before she had found herself at least a temporary replacement. She smiled and shrugged. ‘No choice, have I, lover?’
‘No. Not really.’
He took out his wallet from his back pocket, took out two ten-pound notes and tossed them on to the bedside table. ‘Get yourself a new dress.’
Vi looked up at him through her lashes and blew him a kiss. This was more like it. She’d have a nap, then she’d get up, get dressed and see if she could round up someone else to take her out for a drink and a bit of dinner.
Angie and Jackie sat at the table in the club, sipping their drinks which glowed peculiarly in the ultraviolet lighting.
‘So, if that bloke sitting over there wants to meet you.’ Jackie raised her chin to indicate a nearby table. ‘All he has to do is pick up the phone in front of him, dial the number that’s on our sign—’ she pointed to the chrome-and-black number eleven by way of demonstration ‘—and our one rings and you pick it up.’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Angie.
‘I’m telling you, Ange. That’s how it works. All the tables can ring one another.’
‘No, I mean I wouldn’t pick it up.’ She paused and took another sip. ‘Not if it was him ringing me. Look at him, he’s like the old boy in
Steptoe and Son
.’
They both burst out laughing, and, as the disc jockey announced he was going to play ‘She Loves You’, a ‘real golden oldie’, Jackie snorted, ‘Just like that bloke!’
As their laughter grew even louder, heads turned to see what was so funny.
At the sight of the pretty blonde and her lovely copper-haired friend, men around the room reached for their receivers. The girls’ phone began ringing and didn’t stop for the rest of the night.
They made a formidable pair in the unsophisticated atmosphere of Chadwell Heath.
Martin swallowed the last of his red wine – he was getting quite a taste for the stuff – and put the empty glass on the floor beside the armchair. ‘Please, Jill.’
Jill was sitting on his lap, her arms around his neck. ‘Martin, we’ve discussed this so many times. You know how much I like you. Really like you.’ She paused to kiss him and he shifted urgently beneath her.
‘Then why not?’
‘Because I’m not ready yet.’
‘It’s not like I’m asking you to do anything you don’t want to. I know you want to.’
‘Of course I do, but …’ Her cheeks reddened. ‘Say we made a mistake and I got—’
‘I’d be careful.’
‘I can’t.’ She shook her head and stood up. ‘Not yet. I need more time.’
‘I suppose you want me to go.’
‘It is late.’
‘Yeah.’ He got up from the chair, the ache in his body a mocking reminder of what he wanted to do with Jill, what he wanted to do so badly that he almost felt sick.
She fetched his coat from the bedroom, hurrying before he had time to follow her in there. ‘Will you be in college tomorrow?’
‘Course not. It’s reading week.’
‘I know, I just thought you might be popping in, that’s all. Thought I might …’
‘What? Get me all frustrated again?’
‘I was going to say cook you something and then go through the notes for the next assignment.’
‘I don’t think so. You’ve cooked for me enough over the past weeks.’
‘I like doing things for you.’
‘Do you?’
‘We could go to the pictures.’
‘I’m doing a few extra shifts at the garage. To get some money for the weekend.’
‘Planning something special?’
‘Yeah, I’m going down to the coast on Saturday, but you wouldn’t be
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