wouldn’t let him go. Right meeting we’ve ’ad and not ’alf’
Jimmy, always ready for a bit of gossip, said, ‘Let’s get your drink in and then yer can tell us.’
‘That’s all right, thanks, Barry’s getting mine. Will yer mind if he sits with us?’
There was a chorus of, ‘Of course not,’ just as Barry came to the table with the drinks.
Jimmy greeted him with, ‘Evenin’, Barry. Don’t see you in here much.’
‘No.’ Sylvia moved up a little further and Barry squeezed in beside Pat. ‘I’m a Jug and Bottle man myself, but this was the nearest tonight. It’s quite nice in here, isn’t it? I might change my allegiance.’ He smiled at Pat, showing those lovely white teeth again, and she smelt the mouthwash. She’d never known before that mouthwash could be so … so …
Willie urged Pat to tell them what had happened at the meeting.
‘Sheila Bissett’s put her foot in it again.’
Barry banged down his glass and said, ‘Bloody woman! Needs her brains examining, saying Pat couldn’t run the refreshment marquee! For two pins I’d have throttled her.’
Pat chuckled. Jimmy, unable to resist making a comment about Pat’s escort, gave Barry a sly look and then said, ‘It’ll be a long way up that drive this time o’ night on yer bike, Pat.’
‘Mind yer own business, Jimmy.’
‘It is my business. Me and Willie ’ere have been guarding your interests for a long time. We don’t want you cycling up there in the dark, do we, Willie?’ Willie agreed. ‘Can I offer yer a lift in me taxi?’ Jimmy asked.
Pat felt a fool. She blushed.
Barry laughed. ‘Yer can stop digging for clues – I’m taking her home. Her bike’s in my van right now.’
‘Oh well then, I’m relieved. I know she’ll be in capable ’ands with you, Barry. Oh yes, very capable hands. Very capable … hands.’
There was something about the twinkle in Jimmy’s eye and the smirk on Willie’s face which made Pat question what Jimmy had said. ‘What do you mean by that?’
Jimmy jerked his thumb in Barry’s direction. ‘Ask ’im.’
‘Well?’
‘I don’t know what he’s talking about. Take no notice, Pat.’
‘Why have you gone red then?’
‘I haven’t.’ But he had. Bright red and very embarrassed.
Willie chuckled. ‘Casanova. That’s what he is. Casanova.’
‘He’s had more girls in the last twenty years than I’ve had hot dinners,’ Jimmy sniggered.
‘That wouldn’t be difficult, seeing as it’s mostly pork pie and a bag of crisps for yer dinner,’ Pat retorted. Oddly shefelt quite pleased Barry was inclined that way. It would make life more exciting. Her Doug had been about as sexually active as a monk. She never did quite understand how she had ever managed to conceive twice.
‘Come on then, Barry, if yer’ve finished yer drink. I’ve an early start in the morning, and it was already beginning to freeze when we left the meeting.’ Barry squeezed out from the settle followed by Pat. Behind Barry’s back Jimmy gave her the thumbs-up and Sylvia flashed her a wink.
Barry shouted, ‘Night all,’ as they both left.
As he helped her climb up into the van, he said, ‘Take no notice of what they were saying in there.’
‘Doesn’t matter to me. You’re only giving me a lift ’ome. Why should I worry?’
‘Oh I see.’ She was glad when he shut the doors. The air was freezing cold. In the short time they’d been outside her nose had gone cold and she was shivering.
‘No heater in this old wagon, I expect?’
‘No. I’m a hot-blooded man meself, don’t need no heating.’
‘Hot, are yer? So it is true?’
‘Look! They were only pulling yer leg. OK, I haven’t reached forty without having been around a bit. You wouldn’t have it otherwise, would you?’
‘No, I suppose not. I like a man to be a man. Anyway, it doesn’t matter to me.’ The slush of the last few days had now become treacherous ice. The wheels made crisp crunching sounds on the
Jimmy, always ready for a bit of gossip, said, ‘Let’s get your drink in and then yer can tell us.’
‘That’s all right, thanks, Barry’s getting mine. Will yer mind if he sits with us?’
There was a chorus of, ‘Of course not,’ just as Barry came to the table with the drinks.
Jimmy greeted him with, ‘Evenin’, Barry. Don’t see you in here much.’
‘No.’ Sylvia moved up a little further and Barry squeezed in beside Pat. ‘I’m a Jug and Bottle man myself, but this was the nearest tonight. It’s quite nice in here, isn’t it? I might change my allegiance.’ He smiled at Pat, showing those lovely white teeth again, and she smelt the mouthwash. She’d never known before that mouthwash could be so … so …
Willie urged Pat to tell them what had happened at the meeting.
‘Sheila Bissett’s put her foot in it again.’
Barry banged down his glass and said, ‘Bloody woman! Needs her brains examining, saying Pat couldn’t run the refreshment marquee! For two pins I’d have throttled her.’
Pat chuckled. Jimmy, unable to resist making a comment about Pat’s escort, gave Barry a sly look and then said, ‘It’ll be a long way up that drive this time o’ night on yer bike, Pat.’
‘Mind yer own business, Jimmy.’
‘It is my business. Me and Willie ’ere have been guarding your interests for a long time. We don’t want you cycling up there in the dark, do we, Willie?’ Willie agreed. ‘Can I offer yer a lift in me taxi?’ Jimmy asked.
Pat felt a fool. She blushed.
Barry laughed. ‘Yer can stop digging for clues – I’m taking her home. Her bike’s in my van right now.’
‘Oh well then, I’m relieved. I know she’ll be in capable ’ands with you, Barry. Oh yes, very capable hands. Very capable … hands.’
There was something about the twinkle in Jimmy’s eye and the smirk on Willie’s face which made Pat question what Jimmy had said. ‘What do you mean by that?’
Jimmy jerked his thumb in Barry’s direction. ‘Ask ’im.’
‘Well?’
‘I don’t know what he’s talking about. Take no notice, Pat.’
‘Why have you gone red then?’
‘I haven’t.’ But he had. Bright red and very embarrassed.
Willie chuckled. ‘Casanova. That’s what he is. Casanova.’
‘He’s had more girls in the last twenty years than I’ve had hot dinners,’ Jimmy sniggered.
‘That wouldn’t be difficult, seeing as it’s mostly pork pie and a bag of crisps for yer dinner,’ Pat retorted. Oddly shefelt quite pleased Barry was inclined that way. It would make life more exciting. Her Doug had been about as sexually active as a monk. She never did quite understand how she had ever managed to conceive twice.
‘Come on then, Barry, if yer’ve finished yer drink. I’ve an early start in the morning, and it was already beginning to freeze when we left the meeting.’ Barry squeezed out from the settle followed by Pat. Behind Barry’s back Jimmy gave her the thumbs-up and Sylvia flashed her a wink.
Barry shouted, ‘Night all,’ as they both left.
As he helped her climb up into the van, he said, ‘Take no notice of what they were saying in there.’
‘Doesn’t matter to me. You’re only giving me a lift ’ome. Why should I worry?’
‘Oh I see.’ She was glad when he shut the doors. The air was freezing cold. In the short time they’d been outside her nose had gone cold and she was shivering.
‘No heater in this old wagon, I expect?’
‘No. I’m a hot-blooded man meself, don’t need no heating.’
‘Hot, are yer? So it is true?’
‘Look! They were only pulling yer leg. OK, I haven’t reached forty without having been around a bit. You wouldn’t have it otherwise, would you?’
‘No, I suppose not. I like a man to be a man. Anyway, it doesn’t matter to me.’ The slush of the last few days had now become treacherous ice. The wheels made crisp crunching sounds on the
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