enough as it is.
Eddie, Roy and Tim would soon sort you out if you interfere. Now let go of my
arm before I call for help.’
‘And don’t you dare
threaten me with the Pickford Mafia!’ He pushed her away in disgust.
Then lunging towards her again he gripped her shoulders. ‘If he ever lets you
down or lays a finger on you, he’ll have me to answer to. I’ll wait for you.
One day you’ll need me so badly that you’ll be begging me to take you back.’
She shivered at his words and
pulled away from his grasp. ‘Don’t you bet on it. I wouldn’t want you if you
were the last man on earth. Now piss off, or I really will call for help.’
Mark stared hard at her then
looked at his watch. ‘I’ve an hour to kill. I might go and see your mum. Have a
cup of tea with her. She always told me I’d make the perfect son-in-law. She
was so glad Eddie Mellor was out of your life. I wonder what she’ll say when I
tell her he’s screwing her daughter.’ He left the stockroom without a backward
glance. Jane slumped down onto the LP boxes, tears running freely down her
cheeks.
***
On his way back into the shop
from buying lunch, Carl sidestepped as Mark brushed roughly past him. Carl
frowned and continued downstairs. ‘What’s got into him?’
Stuart looked up. ‘You okay?
Thought you were going for lunch. I suppose you want the NME?’
Carl nodded and picked up the New
Musical Express. ‘Mark’s just stormed out with a very angry look on his face.
Go and see if Jane’s alright while I hold the fort.’
***
Stuart ran quickly upstairs. He
could hear Jane sobbing as he opened the stockroom door. ‘Hey, come on.’ He
took her in his arms. ‘What’s all this about? You were happy as Larry earlier.’
‘Mark’s gone to tell my mum I’m
seeing Eddie,’ she cried and took the handkerchief Stuart proffered. ‘I’ve got
mascara all down your shirt, Stu.’
‘Never mind that, it’ll wash.’
‘He was scary and threatening. I
don’t want mum to know yet; it’s too soon. The time needs to be right or she’ll
hit the roof. Should I call Eddie, tell him what Mark’s up to, or just leave
it?’
‘If you want my opinion, Jane,
Mark’s bluffing about going to see your mum. He hasn’t the guts to cause
trouble for you. He’s trying to make you suffer because he’s hurt and feeling
rejected. On the other hand, if you were my bird and someone was
upsetting you, I’d want to punch his bloody lights out. So yeah, call Ed.’
Jane nodded. ‘Thanks, Stu, for
listening and for the advice.’
‘Hey, what are friends for? After
all, it was John and me who introduced you to Eddie in the first place. I’d
love to see the pair of you together. I think you’re soul mates.’
‘Really?’ Jane smiled through her
tears.
‘Really,’ Stuart replied. ‘Take a
few minutes to compose yourself and then come on down. I’ll keep Carl out of
the way for a while.’
‘Thanks again, Stu. Eddie should
be home by now. I’ll try calling him there.’
‘Use the phone up here then. It’s
a bit more private than the shop phone.’
***
‘Can you get that, Mum? It might
be Roy for me,’ Eddie yelled from
upstairs. ‘I’m just getting changed.’
His mother shouted that the call
was for him. Eddie ran down the stairs and took the phone. ‘Who is it?’ he
asked but she walked away with a shrug of her shoulders. ‘Hello. Oh, hi, Jane.
What is it?’ He detected a voice wobble when she spoke. ‘Has something upset
you?’
He listened, anger rising as Jane
related what had happened between her and Mark. ‘Right, leave it with me. He
needs to be put in his place.’
‘What will you do?’
‘Just leave it with me, Jane.
I’ll sort it. Nobody threatens my girl and gets away with it.’
‘Eddie, don’t do anything silly,
please.’
‘I won’t. But there’s no way Mark
will go telling tales to your mother when I’ve had my say. Where does he live?’
‘Don’t hurt him,’ she pleaded and
gave him
Eddie, Roy and Tim would soon sort you out if you interfere. Now let go of my
arm before I call for help.’
‘And don’t you dare
threaten me with the Pickford Mafia!’ He pushed her away in disgust.
Then lunging towards her again he gripped her shoulders. ‘If he ever lets you
down or lays a finger on you, he’ll have me to answer to. I’ll wait for you.
One day you’ll need me so badly that you’ll be begging me to take you back.’
She shivered at his words and
pulled away from his grasp. ‘Don’t you bet on it. I wouldn’t want you if you
were the last man on earth. Now piss off, or I really will call for help.’
Mark stared hard at her then
looked at his watch. ‘I’ve an hour to kill. I might go and see your mum. Have a
cup of tea with her. She always told me I’d make the perfect son-in-law. She
was so glad Eddie Mellor was out of your life. I wonder what she’ll say when I
tell her he’s screwing her daughter.’ He left the stockroom without a backward
glance. Jane slumped down onto the LP boxes, tears running freely down her
cheeks.
***
On his way back into the shop
from buying lunch, Carl sidestepped as Mark brushed roughly past him. Carl
frowned and continued downstairs. ‘What’s got into him?’
Stuart looked up. ‘You okay?
Thought you were going for lunch. I suppose you want the NME?’
Carl nodded and picked up the New
Musical Express. ‘Mark’s just stormed out with a very angry look on his face.
Go and see if Jane’s alright while I hold the fort.’
***
Stuart ran quickly upstairs. He
could hear Jane sobbing as he opened the stockroom door. ‘Hey, come on.’ He
took her in his arms. ‘What’s all this about? You were happy as Larry earlier.’
‘Mark’s gone to tell my mum I’m
seeing Eddie,’ she cried and took the handkerchief Stuart proffered. ‘I’ve got
mascara all down your shirt, Stu.’
‘Never mind that, it’ll wash.’
‘He was scary and threatening. I
don’t want mum to know yet; it’s too soon. The time needs to be right or she’ll
hit the roof. Should I call Eddie, tell him what Mark’s up to, or just leave
it?’
‘If you want my opinion, Jane,
Mark’s bluffing about going to see your mum. He hasn’t the guts to cause
trouble for you. He’s trying to make you suffer because he’s hurt and feeling
rejected. On the other hand, if you were my bird and someone was
upsetting you, I’d want to punch his bloody lights out. So yeah, call Ed.’
Jane nodded. ‘Thanks, Stu, for
listening and for the advice.’
‘Hey, what are friends for? After
all, it was John and me who introduced you to Eddie in the first place. I’d
love to see the pair of you together. I think you’re soul mates.’
‘Really?’ Jane smiled through her
tears.
‘Really,’ Stuart replied. ‘Take a
few minutes to compose yourself and then come on down. I’ll keep Carl out of
the way for a while.’
‘Thanks again, Stu. Eddie should
be home by now. I’ll try calling him there.’
‘Use the phone up here then. It’s
a bit more private than the shop phone.’
***
‘Can you get that, Mum? It might
be Roy for me,’ Eddie yelled from
upstairs. ‘I’m just getting changed.’
His mother shouted that the call
was for him. Eddie ran down the stairs and took the phone. ‘Who is it?’ he
asked but she walked away with a shrug of her shoulders. ‘Hello. Oh, hi, Jane.
What is it?’ He detected a voice wobble when she spoke. ‘Has something upset
you?’
He listened, anger rising as Jane
related what had happened between her and Mark. ‘Right, leave it with me. He
needs to be put in his place.’
‘What will you do?’
‘Just leave it with me, Jane.
I’ll sort it. Nobody threatens my girl and gets away with it.’
‘Eddie, don’t do anything silly,
please.’
‘I won’t. But there’s no way Mark
will go telling tales to your mother when I’ve had my say. Where does he live?’
‘Don’t hurt him,’ she pleaded and
gave him
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