Fortunately, this was one of the responses he’d considered in his myriad rehearsals. — Yes would work.
— Yes! Of course! Kay screamed in glee, bending down to kiss him on the mouth as he placed the ring on her finger.
Brian Kibby, out with Ian Buchan on Princes Street, was sporting his favourite baseball cap. A roaring blast of wind suddenly ripped it from his head, hurling it over the railings into the gardens. — My hat! Kibby gave chase, heading through some gates down a cobblestoned slope.
At first he couldn’t see it, then he registered that it had come to rest underneath one of the park benches at the bottom of the hill, where a girl in a white jacket was sitting alone. Brian Kibby walked up slowly behind her, and bent down to pick up the cap. As he did, he found himself staring, to their mutual disbelief, through the bars on the bench, straight into the eyes of a kneeling Danny Skinner.
Finding themselves practically in each other’s faces, both men were stricken by shock. There was a frozen moment of purgatory before Kibby spoke. — Eh, hi, Danny, he said softly. —It’s ma hat, it blew away, he inspidly explained, as Kay turned round in her seat. Kibby was trying not to notice that Skinner was on his knees in front of a startlingly beautiful girl. The white leather jacket she wore had a fur trim, and she sported a furry hat with earmuffs. Her pixie-like nose twitched in the cold, and her eyes widened, as if to compensate for the narrowing of Danny Skinner’s, who was ludicrously pretending not to see Brian Kibby. The game was up when Kay nudged him and pointed at his colleague, who was now standing up, clutching the offending cap to his chest.
— Oh, hi, Brian . . . Skinner said with the minimum possible grace.
Kay stood up, thus forcing Skinner to do the same, and put her fingertips together. Cocking her head to the side, she looked up at Skinner in an eager, urging smile, then turned back to Kibby, who marvelled at her dazzling white grin and the swish of her shining black hair in the wind, which cascaded on to her shoulders from under her hat and muffs.
Despite feeling the words jamming in his throat, Skinner managed to cough out, — Eh, that’s Brian. He works with me at the council. Then he added quickly, — This is Kay.
Kay smiled broadly at him and Kibby almost passed out.
She’s lovely, and she’s with Skinner, and they’re probably in love and there’s no justice in this world . . . a lassie like her going out with the likes of that . . . her teeth are so white, her skin’s so smooth, her hair’s so beautiful . . .
—
Hiya, Brian, Kay said, and nodded to his friend Ian, who had appeared by his side. Then she nudged Skinner, who seemed to Kibby to be sick with tension and disgust and said eagerly, — I can’t help it, Danny, I want to tell the world!
Skinner gritted his teeth, but Kay didn’t notice. She extended her hand to show Kibby the ring; the diamond ring he’d given her in that exquistite moment of intimacy, only seconds ago, which had now been completely ruined for him.
Him! That fucking little arse-licking walking foetus is the first personto know about us, about my cunting engagement! Caught on my knees by that fucking . . . and that cunt he’s with . . .
—
We just got engaged! Kay sang, as the Christian gospel music soared to new heights.
Skinner stole a scornful glance at Brian Kibby’s friend. All he saw was a pair of protruding ears and a prominent Adam’s apple.
Another fucking muppet!
Through witnessing Danny Skinner’s silent rage, Brian Kibby realised that he’d inadvertently intruded on a precious moment. It was of the type he’d never personally experienced, but had enviously seen in the lovers around him; and he felt, through that glacier, psychotic stare of Skinner’s, that he would emphatically pay for this trangression. — Congratulations, Kibby said as warmly as he could, trying to both ingratiate himself to Kay
— Yes! Of course! Kay screamed in glee, bending down to kiss him on the mouth as he placed the ring on her finger.
Brian Kibby, out with Ian Buchan on Princes Street, was sporting his favourite baseball cap. A roaring blast of wind suddenly ripped it from his head, hurling it over the railings into the gardens. — My hat! Kibby gave chase, heading through some gates down a cobblestoned slope.
At first he couldn’t see it, then he registered that it had come to rest underneath one of the park benches at the bottom of the hill, where a girl in a white jacket was sitting alone. Brian Kibby walked up slowly behind her, and bent down to pick up the cap. As he did, he found himself staring, to their mutual disbelief, through the bars on the bench, straight into the eyes of a kneeling Danny Skinner.
Finding themselves practically in each other’s faces, both men were stricken by shock. There was a frozen moment of purgatory before Kibby spoke. — Eh, hi, Danny, he said softly. —It’s ma hat, it blew away, he inspidly explained, as Kay turned round in her seat. Kibby was trying not to notice that Skinner was on his knees in front of a startlingly beautiful girl. The white leather jacket she wore had a fur trim, and she sported a furry hat with earmuffs. Her pixie-like nose twitched in the cold, and her eyes widened, as if to compensate for the narrowing of Danny Skinner’s, who was ludicrously pretending not to see Brian Kibby. The game was up when Kay nudged him and pointed at his colleague, who was now standing up, clutching the offending cap to his chest.
— Oh, hi, Brian . . . Skinner said with the minimum possible grace.
Kay stood up, thus forcing Skinner to do the same, and put her fingertips together. Cocking her head to the side, she looked up at Skinner in an eager, urging smile, then turned back to Kibby, who marvelled at her dazzling white grin and the swish of her shining black hair in the wind, which cascaded on to her shoulders from under her hat and muffs.
Despite feeling the words jamming in his throat, Skinner managed to cough out, — Eh, that’s Brian. He works with me at the council. Then he added quickly, — This is Kay.
Kay smiled broadly at him and Kibby almost passed out.
She’s lovely, and she’s with Skinner, and they’re probably in love and there’s no justice in this world . . . a lassie like her going out with the likes of that . . . her teeth are so white, her skin’s so smooth, her hair’s so beautiful . . .
—
Hiya, Brian, Kay said, and nodded to his friend Ian, who had appeared by his side. Then she nudged Skinner, who seemed to Kibby to be sick with tension and disgust and said eagerly, — I can’t help it, Danny, I want to tell the world!
Skinner gritted his teeth, but Kay didn’t notice. She extended her hand to show Kibby the ring; the diamond ring he’d given her in that exquistite moment of intimacy, only seconds ago, which had now been completely ruined for him.
Him! That fucking little arse-licking walking foetus is the first personto know about us, about my cunting engagement! Caught on my knees by that fucking . . . and that cunt he’s with . . .
—
We just got engaged! Kay sang, as the Christian gospel music soared to new heights.
Skinner stole a scornful glance at Brian Kibby’s friend. All he saw was a pair of protruding ears and a prominent Adam’s apple.
Another fucking muppet!
Through witnessing Danny Skinner’s silent rage, Brian Kibby realised that he’d inadvertently intruded on a precious moment. It was of the type he’d never personally experienced, but had enviously seen in the lovers around him; and he felt, through that glacier, psychotic stare of Skinner’s, that he would emphatically pay for this trangression. — Congratulations, Kibby said as warmly as he could, trying to both ingratiate himself to Kay
Similar Books
