little hand in mine and shook it. ‘Better for having met you,’ I said.
His face broke into a broad grin. ‘You want to play catch?’
‘Now, now Billy,’ Cindy said. ‘I’m sure Tess has other things she would like to do than play catch.’
His smile quavered and I knew that I would do anything to put it back where it had been. ‘Actually,’ I said, glad I had gone with the khaki pants, ‘catch is one of my favourites.’ I’d only met him a minute ago but he already had me wrapped around his little finger.
He beamed at me and grabbed my hand, dragging me across the grass to meet his friends. ‘This is Tess,’ he yelled. ‘She’s gunna play too.’
‘Going,’ Cindy called out. ‘The word is going, not gunna.’
He shot me a grin and whispered, ‘I say it like that because I know it annoys her.’
‘Got to keep her on her toes,’ I said. ‘Don’t want her slacking off on her mothering duties.’
He nodded his head. ‘Exactly.’
Harry joined us a few minutes later and the game quickly degenerated into a game of catch and tickle. After that had left me breathless and giddy from being caught so many times, we made our way to a café. Billy walked between Harry and me, holding both our hands.
I made small talk with Cindy while we waited for our coffees and Billy’s chocolate milkshake to arrive. Her blue eyes initially observed me warily, but after ten minutes or so I could see the small lines of tension around them relax.
By the time we left, arrangements had been made for Billy to stay with us in the next school holidays. Both he and Harry were ecstatic and so was I. It seemed it was not so hard to win the affections of a small boy after all.
***
The phone rang as I picked up my handbag to head for the front door. I was due at the club in an hour and I wanted to get there early to see Liss. I missed not living with her.
I stared at the receiver as the shrill cries rang out through the kitchen. Did I dare pretend I hadn’t heard it? Only the thought that it might be Harry ringing from college made me pick it up.
‘Harry,’ the voice on the other end rasped.
‘I’m sorry. He’s not here at the moment.’ The receiver was halfway back to its cradle when the voice said, ‘Tess.’
‘Who is this?’ I hoped it wasn’t some sicko. I was still recovering from the finger episode, I didn’t need any more excitement at the moment.
‘Jim.’ There was a thudding, crashing noise and then silence.
‘Jim?’ His words had been so garbled I almost couldn’t understand them.
Scrabbling. A moan. Gurgling.
Christ something was happening to Jim. Was Giuseppe there? Was I listening to Jim being killed?
I dropped the receiver, grabbed my bag and sprinted for the door. I had to get to the Pink Flamingo and I had to get there five minutes ago.
I flagged a cab heading down the street, threw myself in the back seat and barked out my destination. I only had a twenty, so when we got there I threw that at the driver and jumped out, sprinting for the door and the concierge I could see floating near the front desk. His name tag said Tom.
‘There’s something wrong with Jim.’ My voice was barely controlled hysteria.
‘I’m sorry, is Jim a guest at the hotel.’
Resisting the urge to shake him I said, ‘Jolly Jim. Mr Milano.’
That got his attention.
‘He rang me. I think he’s collapsed.’ Or missing a limb or two.
‘Sally,’ Tom barked, ‘call an ambulance. Send them to the penthouse.’ Then he grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the elevator. He swiped the card necessary to access the penthouse level and then also inserted a key. ‘Prevents the elevator from stopping at any other floors.’ He nodded at the key.
‘Great.’ I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. What if Giuseppe was up there? I should have grabbed the gun.
Even without having to stop at any other floors it seemed to take forever to get to the top. Finally, the doors started to creep open.
His face broke into a broad grin. ‘You want to play catch?’
‘Now, now Billy,’ Cindy said. ‘I’m sure Tess has other things she would like to do than play catch.’
His smile quavered and I knew that I would do anything to put it back where it had been. ‘Actually,’ I said, glad I had gone with the khaki pants, ‘catch is one of my favourites.’ I’d only met him a minute ago but he already had me wrapped around his little finger.
He beamed at me and grabbed my hand, dragging me across the grass to meet his friends. ‘This is Tess,’ he yelled. ‘She’s gunna play too.’
‘Going,’ Cindy called out. ‘The word is going, not gunna.’
He shot me a grin and whispered, ‘I say it like that because I know it annoys her.’
‘Got to keep her on her toes,’ I said. ‘Don’t want her slacking off on her mothering duties.’
He nodded his head. ‘Exactly.’
Harry joined us a few minutes later and the game quickly degenerated into a game of catch and tickle. After that had left me breathless and giddy from being caught so many times, we made our way to a café. Billy walked between Harry and me, holding both our hands.
I made small talk with Cindy while we waited for our coffees and Billy’s chocolate milkshake to arrive. Her blue eyes initially observed me warily, but after ten minutes or so I could see the small lines of tension around them relax.
By the time we left, arrangements had been made for Billy to stay with us in the next school holidays. Both he and Harry were ecstatic and so was I. It seemed it was not so hard to win the affections of a small boy after all.
***
The phone rang as I picked up my handbag to head for the front door. I was due at the club in an hour and I wanted to get there early to see Liss. I missed not living with her.
I stared at the receiver as the shrill cries rang out through the kitchen. Did I dare pretend I hadn’t heard it? Only the thought that it might be Harry ringing from college made me pick it up.
‘Harry,’ the voice on the other end rasped.
‘I’m sorry. He’s not here at the moment.’ The receiver was halfway back to its cradle when the voice said, ‘Tess.’
‘Who is this?’ I hoped it wasn’t some sicko. I was still recovering from the finger episode, I didn’t need any more excitement at the moment.
‘Jim.’ There was a thudding, crashing noise and then silence.
‘Jim?’ His words had been so garbled I almost couldn’t understand them.
Scrabbling. A moan. Gurgling.
Christ something was happening to Jim. Was Giuseppe there? Was I listening to Jim being killed?
I dropped the receiver, grabbed my bag and sprinted for the door. I had to get to the Pink Flamingo and I had to get there five minutes ago.
I flagged a cab heading down the street, threw myself in the back seat and barked out my destination. I only had a twenty, so when we got there I threw that at the driver and jumped out, sprinting for the door and the concierge I could see floating near the front desk. His name tag said Tom.
‘There’s something wrong with Jim.’ My voice was barely controlled hysteria.
‘I’m sorry, is Jim a guest at the hotel.’
Resisting the urge to shake him I said, ‘Jolly Jim. Mr Milano.’
That got his attention.
‘He rang me. I think he’s collapsed.’ Or missing a limb or two.
‘Sally,’ Tom barked, ‘call an ambulance. Send them to the penthouse.’ Then he grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the elevator. He swiped the card necessary to access the penthouse level and then also inserted a key. ‘Prevents the elevator from stopping at any other floors.’ He nodded at the key.
‘Great.’ I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. What if Giuseppe was up there? I should have grabbed the gun.
Even without having to stop at any other floors it seemed to take forever to get to the top. Finally, the doors started to creep open.
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