Beth?’
Bethany nodded and grinned reluctantly.
‘You do actually.’
Tommy lumbered from the room awkwardly to get them their teas.
‘He’s a right fucking weirdo, ain’t he, Kira?’
She tutted.
‘Don’t be horrible. He’s nice, just a bit . . .’
Bethany made a face and said helpfully, ‘Fat?’
Kira laughed despite herself and said: ‘No, sad.’
Bethany, her crinkly hair pulled back in a ponytail, giggled.
‘He likes you anyway.’
Kira shivered.
‘Stop it, I can hear him coming.’
Tommy came into the room and lowered his bulk on to a large chair by the bed; his pudgy hands held the three mugs easily.
‘Here you are, girls, a nice cuppa.’
Tommy was in his element. He loved guests and these two were the kind of guest he’d dreamed of having. Girls, young girls, were his favourite. He loved the way they talked and sat and even moved their little hands. He wasn’t too sure about Bethany yet; he had a feeling she could be a mare if the fancy took her. But Kira . . . well, she was a little lady. A Barbie in the making.
‘I love the Sleeping Beauty Barbie, she’s one of my favourites. And I love the Barbie air hostess as well. All her little lilac cases!’
Kira’s voice was high with excitement.
Bethany lit another cigarette even though Tommy frowned.
She waved out the match and looked at him askance as if to say, ‘Ashtray, now.’
He shook his head and said sadly, ‘In the lounge.’
Bethany skipped from the room to search for the ashtray and used it as an excuse to have a good nose round.
‘She don’t mean it, Tommy. She thinks it makes her look grown up.’
‘Well, it doesn’t. It makes her look like a little tart.’
Kira didn’t answer him; she didn’t know what to say. Instead she picked up Malibu Barbie and sighed with complete happiness. This was turning into a really good day.
Joanie turned over another card. The woman before her was waiting with bated breath.
‘Well, come on, Joanie!’
‘King of Wands. It’s him all right.’
The woman deflated.
‘He’ll be back then?’
Joanie nodded and they both laughed.
‘You didn’t need me to read your cards to tell you that - he always comes back anyway.’
‘I know, but hopefully one day he won’t. He’ll stay with whoever he’s shagging and leave me alone!’
Joanie really laughed now.
‘If he did, no one would get a bigger shock than you, Suzy, and you know it.’
Her neighbour placed a ten-pound note on the table and then heaved her weight from the chair. She was heavily pregnant and her husband Dicky always went on the missing list when she got to seven months. This was her seventh child and he had gone again.
‘Keep the money, Suzy, I don’t want it.’
‘Nah, that’s all right, you been sitting there an hour telling me what I already knew. Fuck me, you deserve it for your patience.’
Joanie laughed.
‘Thanks, love, but I’ll take it off your club account, OK?’
Suzy hugged her awkwardly.
‘Thanks, darlin’. I better get home and sort out the others.’
Joanie saw her out and then she went into her small front room and looked around. It was clean and tidy, and this made her smile. Turning on the TV she put on UK Style; The House Doctor had just started. It was one of her favourite programmes. One day when the kids were gone she was going to do this place up a treat. That was her dream.
Then, kneeling in front of a display unit that held a collection of photos and ornaments, she opened the large bottom drawer and took out her treasures. Over the years she had collected all sorts of things for her flat. These ranged from an espresso machine that was hidden in her wardrobe to a silver After Eight holder for her imaginary dinner parties.
In her wilder dreams Joanie had celebrities to dinner, and
Bethany nodded and grinned reluctantly.
‘You do actually.’
Tommy lumbered from the room awkwardly to get them their teas.
‘He’s a right fucking weirdo, ain’t he, Kira?’
She tutted.
‘Don’t be horrible. He’s nice, just a bit . . .’
Bethany made a face and said helpfully, ‘Fat?’
Kira laughed despite herself and said: ‘No, sad.’
Bethany, her crinkly hair pulled back in a ponytail, giggled.
‘He likes you anyway.’
Kira shivered.
‘Stop it, I can hear him coming.’
Tommy came into the room and lowered his bulk on to a large chair by the bed; his pudgy hands held the three mugs easily.
‘Here you are, girls, a nice cuppa.’
Tommy was in his element. He loved guests and these two were the kind of guest he’d dreamed of having. Girls, young girls, were his favourite. He loved the way they talked and sat and even moved their little hands. He wasn’t too sure about Bethany yet; he had a feeling she could be a mare if the fancy took her. But Kira . . . well, she was a little lady. A Barbie in the making.
‘I love the Sleeping Beauty Barbie, she’s one of my favourites. And I love the Barbie air hostess as well. All her little lilac cases!’
Kira’s voice was high with excitement.
Bethany lit another cigarette even though Tommy frowned.
She waved out the match and looked at him askance as if to say, ‘Ashtray, now.’
He shook his head and said sadly, ‘In the lounge.’
Bethany skipped from the room to search for the ashtray and used it as an excuse to have a good nose round.
‘She don’t mean it, Tommy. She thinks it makes her look grown up.’
‘Well, it doesn’t. It makes her look like a little tart.’
Kira didn’t answer him; she didn’t know what to say. Instead she picked up Malibu Barbie and sighed with complete happiness. This was turning into a really good day.
Joanie turned over another card. The woman before her was waiting with bated breath.
‘Well, come on, Joanie!’
‘King of Wands. It’s him all right.’
The woman deflated.
‘He’ll be back then?’
Joanie nodded and they both laughed.
‘You didn’t need me to read your cards to tell you that - he always comes back anyway.’
‘I know, but hopefully one day he won’t. He’ll stay with whoever he’s shagging and leave me alone!’
Joanie really laughed now.
‘If he did, no one would get a bigger shock than you, Suzy, and you know it.’
Her neighbour placed a ten-pound note on the table and then heaved her weight from the chair. She was heavily pregnant and her husband Dicky always went on the missing list when she got to seven months. This was her seventh child and he had gone again.
‘Keep the money, Suzy, I don’t want it.’
‘Nah, that’s all right, you been sitting there an hour telling me what I already knew. Fuck me, you deserve it for your patience.’
Joanie laughed.
‘Thanks, love, but I’ll take it off your club account, OK?’
Suzy hugged her awkwardly.
‘Thanks, darlin’. I better get home and sort out the others.’
Joanie saw her out and then she went into her small front room and looked around. It was clean and tidy, and this made her smile. Turning on the TV she put on UK Style; The House Doctor had just started. It was one of her favourite programmes. One day when the kids were gone she was going to do this place up a treat. That was her dream.
Then, kneeling in front of a display unit that held a collection of photos and ornaments, she opened the large bottom drawer and took out her treasures. Over the years she had collected all sorts of things for her flat. These ranged from an espresso machine that was hidden in her wardrobe to a silver After Eight holder for her imaginary dinner parties.
In her wilder dreams Joanie had celebrities to dinner, and
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