The Ladykiller Read Online Free PDF Page B

the length and breadth of the country. People like George amazed and intrigued him. How could you live fifty-one years and have nothing to look forward to? He saw himself in years to come, when he was a bit long in the tooth for affairs and fumbling encounters, living with his wife and watching his grandchildren grow up. With hundreds of happy memories to see him through the twilight years.
    ‘Come on, Georgie boy, drink up. Think of the great leaving do we’ll have for you! There, that’ll cheer you up.’ He snapped his fingers at the barmaid again. ‘Another round here, Viv, if you please.’
    The pub was beginning to fill up and George watched Peter greet friends and acquaintances. He nodded hello at different introductions and all the time his mind was in a turmoil.
    What the hell was Elaine going to say?
     
    Elaine sat in the canteen at work and stirred her coffee listlessly.
    George was not right, yet she had to admit he had been a lot better to live with these last few weeks. He had been lighthearted. Like before all the trouble.
    She pushed the unpleasant thoughts from her mind. George had paid his debt to society. He had a clean slate. They had built themselves a new life of sorts. After twenty years, maybe it was time to let go of the past.
    ‘Oh, Elaine, I hate Fridays, don’t you?’
    Margaret Forrester sat down at Elaine’s table and slipped off her shoes.
    ‘My feet will end up in the Guinness Book Of Records one of these days. The most swollen feet in the world.’
    Elaine laughed at her friend.
    ‘Why do you insist on wearing those heels? Get yourself a pair of comfortable flats.’
    ‘No. My legs are me only vanity. I won’t let them go till I have to.’
    Elaine shook her head. ‘Shall I get you a coffee?’
    ‘Oh, yes please, Elaine. And a bowl of cold water if they’ve got one.’
    Elaine got her friend a coffee and they sat together chatting.
    ‘So where you off to on holiday then?’
    Elaine shrugged.
    ‘Probably Bournemouth again.’
    ‘Oh, sod off, Elaine. No one goes to Bournemouth these days unless they go in a wheelchair. Why don’t you come to Spain with me and the girls? Sun, sand, sea, sex . . .’
    Margaret did a little dance in her chair.
    ‘I can’t wait to get there! Last year we was in this hotel, right on the seafront, and next door was only a bloody parrot sanctuary. All bloody night the sodding things screeched. And you know Caroline from frozen foods? She threw all our shoes at them one night. Pissed out of our heads we was. We had to go and ask for them back the next day. It was a scream!’
    Elaine smiled.
    ‘I don’t know, Margaret. George . . .’
    ‘Oh, balls to George! It’s only a hundred and twenty quid for the fortnight, full board. I know it’s in March and it’s not that hot. But, oh dear me, do we have a good time! Please come.’
    For the first time in her life Elaine felt a surge of pleasure in doing the unexpected. George was quite capable of looking after himself.
    Margaret put her hand on Elaine’s arm.
    ‘Come on, girl. Let your hair down before it’s too late.’
    Elaine ran her tongue slowly over her teeth, then bit her lip. Margaret could see the indecision on her friend’s face.
    ‘All right then . . . I’ll go!’
    Elaine began to laugh in excitement.
    ‘We’ll go and book it after work. That way you can’t change your mind.’
    ‘George will have a fit when I tell him.’
    ‘Let him! My old man did the first time, but as I said to him: “You only live once”.’
    ‘That’s the truth.’
    Elaine bit her lip again. This time in excitement. Two whole weeks without George! Bliss . . .
     
    Elaine heard the front door shut and squared her shoulders as if waiting to begin a fight. But George wouldn’t fight. George never fought about anything.
    He would give her his wounded soldier look, his baffled schoolboy look, or his ‘What have I done to deserve this?’ look. She carried on mashing the potatoes. George entered the