arrangement permanent. Word spread about us and we were heard by a guy from Crawdaddy Records, Brett Phillips. He offered us a recording contract and that was that. That was in October ’73.’
***
They were working at the table in the sunny kitchen. ‘How do you think it’s coming along?’ Johnny pushed his hair out of his eyes and squinted at Alex.
‘Well, it’s good. We’ve got the early days pretty much covered. We might have to add some extra detail for the anoraks, but I’ll go over what we’ve got first. That should show up any gaps.’
‘Cool. It hasn’t been as bad as I’d feared. Tough in places, but manageable.’
Alex smiled but said nothing. They weren’t as far on as she would have liked, but she couldn’t see the point of letting Johnny know that. There was time to catch up, she’d see that they got back on track.
They were a couple of weeks in and the Easter weekend was beginning. Alex was heading home and she knew Johnny was going away, although he was vague on the details. ‘I’ll see you Tuesday,’ she said.
Johnny nodded. ‘Sure. Have a good one.’
Chapter 16
Back in the North East, Alex was heading to Isabel and Robert’s house for dinner on Friday night. She picked up some wine on the way, Chianti for her and Robert, and something non-alcoholic for Isabel.
As soon as the door was opened, she passed the wine to Robert and hugged her sister.
‘How are you?’ she asked holding Isabel at arm’s length to see.
‘Fine, absolutely fine. And look,’ Isabel said, running her hand over a flat stomach, ‘I’m starting to show.’
‘Idiot,’ said Alex, and hugged her again.
Later, over pizza and wine, Alex was quizzed about the job she was doing, although having signed a confidentiality agreement she had to be careful what she disclosed.
‘Well,’ she told Isabel and Robert, ‘the house is huge. You could walk for days in the grounds. It’s like something off the television.’
‘How does he look after it all?’ asked Robert.
‘He has staff. There’s an estate manager, a housekeeper, a girl from the village who helps the housekeeper, and a local firm comes in to look after the gardens.’
Isabel marvelled at the idea of living in a house with staff. ‘You’ll get ideas above your station,’ she told Alex.
‘It’s not me they look after, it’s Johnny Burns. I stay in a room at the local pub, remember?’
‘So, what about you and Johnny Burns?’ Isabel asked, mischievously.
‘What do you mean?’
‘How’s the crush these days?’
‘What crush?’ Alex smiled. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Honestly.’ She turned to Robert. ‘We shared a room when we were kids, you know. She was always into some raggedy-arsed band of gypsies or other. They’d normally broken up by the time she got round to them and more often than not some poor bugger had died in tragic circumstances.’ She rolled her eyes in mock horror. ‘Anyway, Alex had this great big poster of Heartbreaker on the wall and she used to kiss Johnny Burns goodnight.’
Alex was laughing now. ‘It’s nothing to what you used to do to Jason Donovan. And besides, I only did it when you were asleep.’
‘That’s what you think.’
‘So?’ asked Robert, grinning, ‘how is the crush?’
‘Past and gone, Robert. I’m a big girl now, and this is just a job.’
***
Alex spent the rest of the weekend sorting out her new flat. She had moved in just before her recent holiday and was still getting it the way she wanted it. On Sunday evening, she headed out to meet Carol for a drink and a gossip.
‘Hey, y’alright, mate?’ Carol was at the bar when Alex walked into the Black Dog. ‘What can I get you?’
‘Pint, please,’ said Alex. ‘Thanks.’
‘So how’s the job going?’ asked Carol as they sat down at a corner table. ‘Are you still enjoying it?’
‘Yes, it’s great. Unusual, but good fun.’
‘How much longer will you be down south? Another two
***
They were working at the table in the sunny kitchen. ‘How do you think it’s coming along?’ Johnny pushed his hair out of his eyes and squinted at Alex.
‘Well, it’s good. We’ve got the early days pretty much covered. We might have to add some extra detail for the anoraks, but I’ll go over what we’ve got first. That should show up any gaps.’
‘Cool. It hasn’t been as bad as I’d feared. Tough in places, but manageable.’
Alex smiled but said nothing. They weren’t as far on as she would have liked, but she couldn’t see the point of letting Johnny know that. There was time to catch up, she’d see that they got back on track.
They were a couple of weeks in and the Easter weekend was beginning. Alex was heading home and she knew Johnny was going away, although he was vague on the details. ‘I’ll see you Tuesday,’ she said.
Johnny nodded. ‘Sure. Have a good one.’
Chapter 16
Back in the North East, Alex was heading to Isabel and Robert’s house for dinner on Friday night. She picked up some wine on the way, Chianti for her and Robert, and something non-alcoholic for Isabel.
As soon as the door was opened, she passed the wine to Robert and hugged her sister.
‘How are you?’ she asked holding Isabel at arm’s length to see.
‘Fine, absolutely fine. And look,’ Isabel said, running her hand over a flat stomach, ‘I’m starting to show.’
‘Idiot,’ said Alex, and hugged her again.
Later, over pizza and wine, Alex was quizzed about the job she was doing, although having signed a confidentiality agreement she had to be careful what she disclosed.
‘Well,’ she told Isabel and Robert, ‘the house is huge. You could walk for days in the grounds. It’s like something off the television.’
‘How does he look after it all?’ asked Robert.
‘He has staff. There’s an estate manager, a housekeeper, a girl from the village who helps the housekeeper, and a local firm comes in to look after the gardens.’
Isabel marvelled at the idea of living in a house with staff. ‘You’ll get ideas above your station,’ she told Alex.
‘It’s not me they look after, it’s Johnny Burns. I stay in a room at the local pub, remember?’
‘So, what about you and Johnny Burns?’ Isabel asked, mischievously.
‘What do you mean?’
‘How’s the crush these days?’
‘What crush?’ Alex smiled. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Honestly.’ She turned to Robert. ‘We shared a room when we were kids, you know. She was always into some raggedy-arsed band of gypsies or other. They’d normally broken up by the time she got round to them and more often than not some poor bugger had died in tragic circumstances.’ She rolled her eyes in mock horror. ‘Anyway, Alex had this great big poster of Heartbreaker on the wall and she used to kiss Johnny Burns goodnight.’
Alex was laughing now. ‘It’s nothing to what you used to do to Jason Donovan. And besides, I only did it when you were asleep.’
‘That’s what you think.’
‘So?’ asked Robert, grinning, ‘how is the crush?’
‘Past and gone, Robert. I’m a big girl now, and this is just a job.’
***
Alex spent the rest of the weekend sorting out her new flat. She had moved in just before her recent holiday and was still getting it the way she wanted it. On Sunday evening, she headed out to meet Carol for a drink and a gossip.
‘Hey, y’alright, mate?’ Carol was at the bar when Alex walked into the Black Dog. ‘What can I get you?’
‘Pint, please,’ said Alex. ‘Thanks.’
‘So how’s the job going?’ asked Carol as they sat down at a corner table. ‘Are you still enjoying it?’
‘Yes, it’s great. Unusual, but good fun.’
‘How much longer will you be down south? Another two
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