dirty dishes.
‘What was she doing here?’ Shaun asked.
Carole turned quickly to see him standing in the door frame. ‘Showing me what she’s wearing tonight,’ she said.
‘I suppose she came here to gloat. Tell you how wonderful life is for her and Terry. Make us feel like we’re pieces of shit. Too poor to be in the same league.’
‘Oh, don’t start.’ Carole’s shoulders sagged. ‘We’re going to The Moathouse tonight, whether you like it or not. All the staff are on rota here and we need to network like crazy. Maybe there’s a chance we can get someone interested in investing in the business.’
Shaun shook his head. ‘I doubt that very much. They’ll all be rich bastards. I bet they won’t even talk to the likes of us.’
‘Give over and pour us a brandy while I rest my legs for a minute.’
Shaun pushed two glasses up to the optics. Carole joined him at the counter as he placed one down for her.
‘How’s business been at lunchtime?’ he asked.
‘Steady.’ Carole was glad to see the fight had left him again. ‘Not busy, but not empty.’
Shaun sighed. ‘Where the hell are we going to get Kennedy’s money from?’
‘We’ll get it.’ Carole placed a hand over his and gave it a quick squeeze. ‘It’s only a matter of time.’
‘Time is what we don’t have. The business is failing. We’re in it up to here.’ He patted his forehead. ‘If the Orange Grove doesn’t start to pick up again soon, we’re screwed. We can’t even make this month’s instalment.’
Carole took a sip of the drink, relishing its warmth as it travelled down her throat. ‘Phil Kennedy knows that one word from you about him fleecing the takings from Terry and setting up as a loan shark and he’s a goner. So he won’t come down heavy on us because if he makes a fuss, then we’ll make a fuss, and I’m sure he’d prefer to keep his eyes rather than have them drilled out. Hang on to that thought.’
‘Right,’ Shaun huffed. ‘When Phil has his hands around my neck squeezing my life away? Or when he’s tied me to the back of his car and then dragged me all around the city? He’s a thug, Carole, and I’m a mug for thinking I could risk everything by going to him for a loan. We should have filed for bankruptcy.’
Carole bristled. They’d worked hard setting up The Orange Grove. Yes, they’d made a few mistakes at first, meaning their debts had spiralled out of control, but things had started to get better eventually. And just as things had begun to get manageable, the bank had refused to provide them with any more finance. All they’d wanted was five grand to keep them in the black for a few more months and they would have been over the worst. Not wanting to show how much of a failure they were, they’d bypassed Terry and turned to Phil Kennedy. Pretty soon it had become clear they’d made a terrible mistake: the five grand had escalated into ten. Last month it had stood at over twenty thousand pounds. And the monthly payments had doubled, taking what little profit they had and more.
‘You could always ask Terry for help,’ said Carole.
‘Are you mad, woman?’ Shaun knocked back his drink and slammed the glass down onto the counter. ‘He’d be so pissed off with me for going behind his back that he’d do me over me in an instant.’
‘Of course he wouldn’t.’ Carole shook her head. ‘Terry’s not like that. Not with his mates.’
‘But I’m not really a mate. I don’t even like him that much nowadays.’
Terry Ryder reminded Shaun of everything he hoped he’d be and everything that he wasn’t. Now, when they met up, which was fairly regular due to their wives’ friendship, it was written all over his face that he endured him. And although Terry was charming with it, he knew the feeling was mutual.
‘I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t,’ he added. ‘My life is over.’
‘No.’ Carole shook her head again. ‘There must be some way out of this mess.
‘What was she doing here?’ Shaun asked.
Carole turned quickly to see him standing in the door frame. ‘Showing me what she’s wearing tonight,’ she said.
‘I suppose she came here to gloat. Tell you how wonderful life is for her and Terry. Make us feel like we’re pieces of shit. Too poor to be in the same league.’
‘Oh, don’t start.’ Carole’s shoulders sagged. ‘We’re going to The Moathouse tonight, whether you like it or not. All the staff are on rota here and we need to network like crazy. Maybe there’s a chance we can get someone interested in investing in the business.’
Shaun shook his head. ‘I doubt that very much. They’ll all be rich bastards. I bet they won’t even talk to the likes of us.’
‘Give over and pour us a brandy while I rest my legs for a minute.’
Shaun pushed two glasses up to the optics. Carole joined him at the counter as he placed one down for her.
‘How’s business been at lunchtime?’ he asked.
‘Steady.’ Carole was glad to see the fight had left him again. ‘Not busy, but not empty.’
Shaun sighed. ‘Where the hell are we going to get Kennedy’s money from?’
‘We’ll get it.’ Carole placed a hand over his and gave it a quick squeeze. ‘It’s only a matter of time.’
‘Time is what we don’t have. The business is failing. We’re in it up to here.’ He patted his forehead. ‘If the Orange Grove doesn’t start to pick up again soon, we’re screwed. We can’t even make this month’s instalment.’
Carole took a sip of the drink, relishing its warmth as it travelled down her throat. ‘Phil Kennedy knows that one word from you about him fleecing the takings from Terry and setting up as a loan shark and he’s a goner. So he won’t come down heavy on us because if he makes a fuss, then we’ll make a fuss, and I’m sure he’d prefer to keep his eyes rather than have them drilled out. Hang on to that thought.’
‘Right,’ Shaun huffed. ‘When Phil has his hands around my neck squeezing my life away? Or when he’s tied me to the back of his car and then dragged me all around the city? He’s a thug, Carole, and I’m a mug for thinking I could risk everything by going to him for a loan. We should have filed for bankruptcy.’
Carole bristled. They’d worked hard setting up The Orange Grove. Yes, they’d made a few mistakes at first, meaning their debts had spiralled out of control, but things had started to get better eventually. And just as things had begun to get manageable, the bank had refused to provide them with any more finance. All they’d wanted was five grand to keep them in the black for a few more months and they would have been over the worst. Not wanting to show how much of a failure they were, they’d bypassed Terry and turned to Phil Kennedy. Pretty soon it had become clear they’d made a terrible mistake: the five grand had escalated into ten. Last month it had stood at over twenty thousand pounds. And the monthly payments had doubled, taking what little profit they had and more.
‘You could always ask Terry for help,’ said Carole.
‘Are you mad, woman?’ Shaun knocked back his drink and slammed the glass down onto the counter. ‘He’d be so pissed off with me for going behind his back that he’d do me over me in an instant.’
‘Of course he wouldn’t.’ Carole shook her head. ‘Terry’s not like that. Not with his mates.’
‘But I’m not really a mate. I don’t even like him that much nowadays.’
Terry Ryder reminded Shaun of everything he hoped he’d be and everything that he wasn’t. Now, when they met up, which was fairly regular due to their wives’ friendship, it was written all over his face that he endured him. And although Terry was charming with it, he knew the feeling was mutual.
‘I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t,’ he added. ‘My life is over.’
‘No.’ Carole shook her head again. ‘There must be some way out of this mess.
Similar Books
