his private moment. He wanted her all to himself and now suspected she’d be tarnished by Larry’s smutty comments.
‘You know her?’ Michael asked, still sitting on the settee. He wasn’t really interested in ogling her as he only had eyes for his sweetheart.
‘Sure as hell like to!’ Larry said. ‘She goes out with a mate of mine, Sam Allington.’
That was the indeed truth of it, the cold fact that tormented Danny deeply. Although she was only a matter of yards away from him right now, she may as well be a million miles away. She was untouchable to him. Only special people like Samuel Allington were in her league.
‘Get out of here! You’re not friends with him,’ Michael protested.
‘I am.’
‘Really? How do you know him?’
‘Oh, I know people, my friend. I know people. I tell you, he’s one lucky chap that lad,’ Larry went on. ‘Got his father’s business empire to inherit and got the best looking girl in the whole town.’
‘And he’s got some fine looks himself too,’ Michael added.
Larry laughed. ‘I didn’t know you were that way inclined. Did you write that to your beau?’
‘I don’t think I’m his type. Just as none of us is her type.’
Larry looked out the window again and shrugged. ‘You never know…’
‘Okay,’ Michael said, ‘you guys want to hear the rumour about her?’
They both turned simultaneously to look at him. Being the only one of them who’d lived here all his life, Michael told many intriguing tales about the town, and he delivered them all in a curiously sincere tone.
‘Another one of your half-arsed stories?’ Larry asked.
‘Just something I heard about her. Someone told me it a while back. It’s a bit weird.’
They listened patiently.
‘Yes?’ Larry prompted.
‘The story goes that Stella is a siren, you know, like a sea nymph. She fell in love with someone, found her long lost love, so that’s why she’s stayed in Dark Harbour. You know, with Sam Allington. Maybe she might take him away one day.’
For a moment or two, no one said anything. Usually when Michael told them a story they would wait for him to say juuuuuuust kidding! even though it never came.
‘A siren? You’re certainly full of it, mate,’ Larry said. He finally went and sat down, his interest now waning.
‘It’s true!’
‘I thought sirens were supposed to lead men to destruction.’
‘They do?’ Michael asked. ‘I thought that was just women in general.’
They both laughed, but Danny did not join in. He was lost in his moment again, looking on as Stella disappeared down the street.
Larry yawned. ‘Anyway, who’s coming down The Waggon with me to play pool?’
‘I don’t know,’ Michael replied. ‘There’s a documentary on Channel 4 I was going to watch this evening.’
‘Oh, come on! It’s the weekend. How about you and Dan take us on at doubles again?’ Larry persisted.
‘You and Eddie?’ Michael asked, slowly starting to consider it. He was never one for making decisions of any sort. ‘I suppose it’s about time we gave you a good kicking again.’
‘What do you mean? We thrashed you last time!’
‘No you didn’t! Me and Danny beat you five-nil!’
‘Now you definitely are talking crap!’ Larry said as he got up.
‘Come on then, Diamond,’ Michael said. ‘Let’s go get ourselves a table. Where’s Eddie?’
‘In his room?’
‘I’ll go get him.’
Michael, being the diplomat, was always keen to include their elusive flatmate on things. Even though Eddie was clearly a young man who wasn’t bothered about fostering friendships, Michael still saw him as a part of their circle of friends, or the ‘square’ as he referred to it. He put his book down as he started to make a move.
Danny was still rooted to the window as he watched Stella finally disappear from view. He still couldn’t think of the right words for his poem, couldn’t even remember the lines that he’d been composing earlier. It was as if a
‘You know her?’ Michael asked, still sitting on the settee. He wasn’t really interested in ogling her as he only had eyes for his sweetheart.
‘Sure as hell like to!’ Larry said. ‘She goes out with a mate of mine, Sam Allington.’
That was the indeed truth of it, the cold fact that tormented Danny deeply. Although she was only a matter of yards away from him right now, she may as well be a million miles away. She was untouchable to him. Only special people like Samuel Allington were in her league.
‘Get out of here! You’re not friends with him,’ Michael protested.
‘I am.’
‘Really? How do you know him?’
‘Oh, I know people, my friend. I know people. I tell you, he’s one lucky chap that lad,’ Larry went on. ‘Got his father’s business empire to inherit and got the best looking girl in the whole town.’
‘And he’s got some fine looks himself too,’ Michael added.
Larry laughed. ‘I didn’t know you were that way inclined. Did you write that to your beau?’
‘I don’t think I’m his type. Just as none of us is her type.’
Larry looked out the window again and shrugged. ‘You never know…’
‘Okay,’ Michael said, ‘you guys want to hear the rumour about her?’
They both turned simultaneously to look at him. Being the only one of them who’d lived here all his life, Michael told many intriguing tales about the town, and he delivered them all in a curiously sincere tone.
‘Another one of your half-arsed stories?’ Larry asked.
‘Just something I heard about her. Someone told me it a while back. It’s a bit weird.’
They listened patiently.
‘Yes?’ Larry prompted.
‘The story goes that Stella is a siren, you know, like a sea nymph. She fell in love with someone, found her long lost love, so that’s why she’s stayed in Dark Harbour. You know, with Sam Allington. Maybe she might take him away one day.’
For a moment or two, no one said anything. Usually when Michael told them a story they would wait for him to say juuuuuuust kidding! even though it never came.
‘A siren? You’re certainly full of it, mate,’ Larry said. He finally went and sat down, his interest now waning.
‘It’s true!’
‘I thought sirens were supposed to lead men to destruction.’
‘They do?’ Michael asked. ‘I thought that was just women in general.’
They both laughed, but Danny did not join in. He was lost in his moment again, looking on as Stella disappeared down the street.
Larry yawned. ‘Anyway, who’s coming down The Waggon with me to play pool?’
‘I don’t know,’ Michael replied. ‘There’s a documentary on Channel 4 I was going to watch this evening.’
‘Oh, come on! It’s the weekend. How about you and Dan take us on at doubles again?’ Larry persisted.
‘You and Eddie?’ Michael asked, slowly starting to consider it. He was never one for making decisions of any sort. ‘I suppose it’s about time we gave you a good kicking again.’
‘What do you mean? We thrashed you last time!’
‘No you didn’t! Me and Danny beat you five-nil!’
‘Now you definitely are talking crap!’ Larry said as he got up.
‘Come on then, Diamond,’ Michael said. ‘Let’s go get ourselves a table. Where’s Eddie?’
‘In his room?’
‘I’ll go get him.’
Michael, being the diplomat, was always keen to include their elusive flatmate on things. Even though Eddie was clearly a young man who wasn’t bothered about fostering friendships, Michael still saw him as a part of their circle of friends, or the ‘square’ as he referred to it. He put his book down as he started to make a move.
Danny was still rooted to the window as he watched Stella finally disappear from view. He still couldn’t think of the right words for his poem, couldn’t even remember the lines that he’d been composing earlier. It was as if a
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