burr.’
‘Can ’ave if Oi want,’ he replied before feeling that was a bit too flirty and throttling back to studiously businesslike. ‘So, I’ll need one or two things.’
He saw her dip forward in an extravagant, cleavage-revealing way to haul a cardboard box on to the counter. It was filled with an assortment of packets, jars and tins.
‘Bread, coffee, tea,’ she said, lifting up the items to show him, ‘some eggs and bacon and a couple of tins of beans. I put in low-fat spread rather than butter, but I can swap it if you like, and a couple of pints of milk. We have a milkman delivers to the village, so if you want him to include you, let me know.’ She looked over the things inthe box. ‘And there’s matches of course, washing-up liquid, cleaning stuff, some pasta and a jar of pasta sauce.’ There was a flash of amusement in those eyes again. ‘Nice soft toilet rolls too.’
‘Wow.’ Mack was genuinely surprised. ‘How did you know what I wanted?’
‘Not much I don’t know about round here.’
Yeah, I’m starting to understand that.
‘Well, that’s just brilliant.’ Was he being too gushing? ‘Now, about the fire—’
He was interrupted by the door opening, and a man of about sixty walked in as though his feet were hurting. Following him was a much younger man, probably only in his late twenties. The eyes in his handsome face were startlingly green, and with his trendy padded jacket open, it was possible to see that his T-shirt was tight across his substantial, toned chest. Mack saw Sonia’s smile.
Ah, her husband and son. Husband’s a bit old for her.
‘How did you get on, Hal?’ Sonia said to the older man.
‘Oh all right, did a good job. Got out the corns.’ He sounded as though the ‘r’s were rolling around on the back of his tongue.
‘Go and have a rest then.’ Sonia touched his arm lightly, and he headed for the bead curtain. The instant he had gone, something happened to the atmosphere in the shop. The young man stepped towards Sonia, and it was a wonder Mack wasn’t scorched by the sexual charge between the two of them. Her ‘Hello’ was deep with meaning, all of it dirty.
‘Hello,’ the young man replied, the foreign accent obvious even in that one word.
Oooh no, definitely not mother and son … although it is the country …
Sonia reached behind her, located a chocolate bar by touch alone, and placed it in the young man’s hand, not once taking her gaze from his face.
The young man, with a quick look towards the beaded curtain, put the chocolate bar in his pocket, patted it suggestively and left.
Well, well. Here was me thinking I’d come to Nothings-happeningville. Perhaps her husband is the old one, because those two are definitely having it off and they don’t want the older one to know. File that away.
Sonia made absolutely no comment about the men; it was as though Mack had dreamed the incident.
‘You were going to ask me about the fires?’ she said. ‘I dropped a couple of bags of coal and some firelighters into the bunker in your back yard. If you prefer logs, I can arrange that too. Must be cold over there.’ She frowned. ‘That guy who rents it out is a slob.’
‘How much do I owe you?’ he said taking out his wallet.
‘Open an account if you like. I know where to find you if I need to.’
Mack decided that Matt Harper would look a bit nervous about the double entendre in that sentence. He put his wallet down on the counter and lifted up the box.
‘Can’t interest you in any shampoo for that lovely thickhair?’ she said as she came round the counter. ‘Toothpaste, toothbrush?’
‘Thank you, no. Brought them with me.’ He moved towards the door.
‘Disposable razor?’ She followed him.
‘No, brought that too.’
She had her hand on the door handle.
‘Condoms?’
He had to swallow down a laugh. ‘No. No … um … don’t think my girlfriend would approve.’
‘Ah, all the best ones are taken. Still, if you get
‘Can ’ave if Oi want,’ he replied before feeling that was a bit too flirty and throttling back to studiously businesslike. ‘So, I’ll need one or two things.’
He saw her dip forward in an extravagant, cleavage-revealing way to haul a cardboard box on to the counter. It was filled with an assortment of packets, jars and tins.
‘Bread, coffee, tea,’ she said, lifting up the items to show him, ‘some eggs and bacon and a couple of tins of beans. I put in low-fat spread rather than butter, but I can swap it if you like, and a couple of pints of milk. We have a milkman delivers to the village, so if you want him to include you, let me know.’ She looked over the things inthe box. ‘And there’s matches of course, washing-up liquid, cleaning stuff, some pasta and a jar of pasta sauce.’ There was a flash of amusement in those eyes again. ‘Nice soft toilet rolls too.’
‘Wow.’ Mack was genuinely surprised. ‘How did you know what I wanted?’
‘Not much I don’t know about round here.’
Yeah, I’m starting to understand that.
‘Well, that’s just brilliant.’ Was he being too gushing? ‘Now, about the fire—’
He was interrupted by the door opening, and a man of about sixty walked in as though his feet were hurting. Following him was a much younger man, probably only in his late twenties. The eyes in his handsome face were startlingly green, and with his trendy padded jacket open, it was possible to see that his T-shirt was tight across his substantial, toned chest. Mack saw Sonia’s smile.
Ah, her husband and son. Husband’s a bit old for her.
‘How did you get on, Hal?’ Sonia said to the older man.
‘Oh all right, did a good job. Got out the corns.’ He sounded as though the ‘r’s were rolling around on the back of his tongue.
‘Go and have a rest then.’ Sonia touched his arm lightly, and he headed for the bead curtain. The instant he had gone, something happened to the atmosphere in the shop. The young man stepped towards Sonia, and it was a wonder Mack wasn’t scorched by the sexual charge between the two of them. Her ‘Hello’ was deep with meaning, all of it dirty.
‘Hello,’ the young man replied, the foreign accent obvious even in that one word.
Oooh no, definitely not mother and son … although it is the country …
Sonia reached behind her, located a chocolate bar by touch alone, and placed it in the young man’s hand, not once taking her gaze from his face.
The young man, with a quick look towards the beaded curtain, put the chocolate bar in his pocket, patted it suggestively and left.
Well, well. Here was me thinking I’d come to Nothings-happeningville. Perhaps her husband is the old one, because those two are definitely having it off and they don’t want the older one to know. File that away.
Sonia made absolutely no comment about the men; it was as though Mack had dreamed the incident.
‘You were going to ask me about the fires?’ she said. ‘I dropped a couple of bags of coal and some firelighters into the bunker in your back yard. If you prefer logs, I can arrange that too. Must be cold over there.’ She frowned. ‘That guy who rents it out is a slob.’
‘How much do I owe you?’ he said taking out his wallet.
‘Open an account if you like. I know where to find you if I need to.’
Mack decided that Matt Harper would look a bit nervous about the double entendre in that sentence. He put his wallet down on the counter and lifted up the box.
‘Can’t interest you in any shampoo for that lovely thickhair?’ she said as she came round the counter. ‘Toothpaste, toothbrush?’
‘Thank you, no. Brought them with me.’ He moved towards the door.
‘Disposable razor?’ She followed him.
‘No, brought that too.’
She had her hand on the door handle.
‘Condoms?’
He had to swallow down a laugh. ‘No. No … um … don’t think my girlfriend would approve.’
‘Ah, all the best ones are taken. Still, if you get
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