immediately.
‘Not in here, you don’t.’
‘But I need one before I –’
‘It has been great since the smoking ban came into force. I can actually smell perfume and aftershave and not have to wipe my eyes all day because they sting. So you’re not lighting up in here. Besides, it’s the law and you’re not getting me a hefty fine and a reputation.’
‘I’ll stand outside and freeze my nipples off,’ Steph snapped. ‘That okay with you?’
‘Look if you’ve come here to snipe, then piss off. I’m not in the mood for you and your silly games. I need to –’
‘I woke up to find Phil Kennedy in my bed on Saturday morning.’
Carole’s eyes couldn’t have widened any more if she’d used some mediaeval torture gadget. ‘In your bed?’ she whispered, glancing around madly even though no one was in earshot. ‘Jeez. How the –?’
‘That’s the problem.’ Steph sighed. ‘I can’t remember how he came to be there.’
‘You blacked out again!’ Carole’s tone was accusatory enough without the crossing of her arms to indicate her disgust.
‘Yes… no… hell, I don’t know.’
‘Where did you go?’
‘The Potter’s Wheel.’
‘Who with this time?’
Steph raised an upturned hand. ‘Is it my fault you let me down so much?’
‘I have to work most evenings, remember. Work?’ Carole laughed snidely. ‘No, you wouldn’t remember that now, would you?’ She wrung out a cloth and wiped the top of the counter.
‘If you can’t make it and I want to go out, then I have to make do. I rang Tracy Smithson and she got a babysitter.’
‘Tracey Smithson? The last time we saw her you slammed her up against the wall and threatened to bite her ear off if she so much as looked in your direction again.’
Steph snorted as she tapped a cigarette on the packet. ‘Did I? I can’t remember that either. No wonder she was so quick to get a round in.’
The eldest member of the table of six waved to get attention. Carole glared at Steph before heading over. ‘Don’t move. I want all the details.’
Steph grabbed the opportunity to go outside for a cigarette. As a double-decker bus lurched past yards away from her, she wondered why she bothered to light up at all. Flapping away the fumes with one hand seemed ridiculous with a fag in the other but she hated the stench of dirty diesel. Greedily, she took another drag and coughed loudly as she choked on it. By the time she regained her composure she had tears streaming down her face. She swiped away at them. Was someone trying to kill her off today?
Seeing Phil look such a mess had really given her the jeepers for a moment back then. But he’d assured her she wasn’t involved. Terry had been fine since the weekend and they’d had sex again that morning. So even though Phil had been annoyed with her earlier, she knew he’d keep his mouth shut. He’d be too worried not to.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Carole as she joined her back inside a few minutes later.
‘Only choking,’ Steph explained her teary eyes. ‘No need to do your agony aunt routine on me. My life isn’t that bad.’
‘Yes, it is.’
Steph snarled her top lip at Carole before grinning back. It broke the ice enough for them to continue.
‘I can’t believe you took Phil home with you. Terry will do his nut.’
‘Phil won’t say anything,’ she said, more to convince herself.
‘No? You must be mad to think that. He’ll be bragging it all over Hanley before you know it. He’s been trying to get one over on your Terry for years. Nothing better than screwing the Missus.’
‘He won’t say anything, I’m sure.’ Steph decided to change the subject, although she made a mental note to push the point forward again the next time she and Phil met. ‘So, you ready for tonight?’
Carole poured herself a coffee. ‘Not really. I can see you are, though. Nice do.’
‘Thanks.’ Steph patted her hair, wispy tendrils hanging down onto what would become bare shoulders
‘Not in here, you don’t.’
‘But I need one before I –’
‘It has been great since the smoking ban came into force. I can actually smell perfume and aftershave and not have to wipe my eyes all day because they sting. So you’re not lighting up in here. Besides, it’s the law and you’re not getting me a hefty fine and a reputation.’
‘I’ll stand outside and freeze my nipples off,’ Steph snapped. ‘That okay with you?’
‘Look if you’ve come here to snipe, then piss off. I’m not in the mood for you and your silly games. I need to –’
‘I woke up to find Phil Kennedy in my bed on Saturday morning.’
Carole’s eyes couldn’t have widened any more if she’d used some mediaeval torture gadget. ‘In your bed?’ she whispered, glancing around madly even though no one was in earshot. ‘Jeez. How the –?’
‘That’s the problem.’ Steph sighed. ‘I can’t remember how he came to be there.’
‘You blacked out again!’ Carole’s tone was accusatory enough without the crossing of her arms to indicate her disgust.
‘Yes… no… hell, I don’t know.’
‘Where did you go?’
‘The Potter’s Wheel.’
‘Who with this time?’
Steph raised an upturned hand. ‘Is it my fault you let me down so much?’
‘I have to work most evenings, remember. Work?’ Carole laughed snidely. ‘No, you wouldn’t remember that now, would you?’ She wrung out a cloth and wiped the top of the counter.
‘If you can’t make it and I want to go out, then I have to make do. I rang Tracy Smithson and she got a babysitter.’
‘Tracey Smithson? The last time we saw her you slammed her up against the wall and threatened to bite her ear off if she so much as looked in your direction again.’
Steph snorted as she tapped a cigarette on the packet. ‘Did I? I can’t remember that either. No wonder she was so quick to get a round in.’
The eldest member of the table of six waved to get attention. Carole glared at Steph before heading over. ‘Don’t move. I want all the details.’
Steph grabbed the opportunity to go outside for a cigarette. As a double-decker bus lurched past yards away from her, she wondered why she bothered to light up at all. Flapping away the fumes with one hand seemed ridiculous with a fag in the other but she hated the stench of dirty diesel. Greedily, she took another drag and coughed loudly as she choked on it. By the time she regained her composure she had tears streaming down her face. She swiped away at them. Was someone trying to kill her off today?
Seeing Phil look such a mess had really given her the jeepers for a moment back then. But he’d assured her she wasn’t involved. Terry had been fine since the weekend and they’d had sex again that morning. So even though Phil had been annoyed with her earlier, she knew he’d keep his mouth shut. He’d be too worried not to.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Carole as she joined her back inside a few minutes later.
‘Only choking,’ Steph explained her teary eyes. ‘No need to do your agony aunt routine on me. My life isn’t that bad.’
‘Yes, it is.’
Steph snarled her top lip at Carole before grinning back. It broke the ice enough for them to continue.
‘I can’t believe you took Phil home with you. Terry will do his nut.’
‘Phil won’t say anything,’ she said, more to convince herself.
‘No? You must be mad to think that. He’ll be bragging it all over Hanley before you know it. He’s been trying to get one over on your Terry for years. Nothing better than screwing the Missus.’
‘He won’t say anything, I’m sure.’ Steph decided to change the subject, although she made a mental note to push the point forward again the next time she and Phil met. ‘So, you ready for tonight?’
Carole poured herself a coffee. ‘Not really. I can see you are, though. Nice do.’
‘Thanks.’ Steph patted her hair, wispy tendrils hanging down onto what would become bare shoulders
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