fill up and Sylvia noticed that the two young men had not strayed from their position near the bar, when suddenly the taller one pointed over in their direction. Sylvia wasted not one second as she caught his eye.
‘Come on, Chrissie,’ she said. ‘It’s time.’
Sylvia sashayed across the room with Chrissie trailing in her wake.
The young men introduced themselves as Billy and Clark and Sylvia immediately arrested Billy on to the dance floor.
‘Shall we sit down?’ ventured Clark, pulling a chair out for Chrissie. ‘Can I get you another drink?’
‘No thanks, I still have this one,’ replied Chrissie.
‘Your friend’s a great dancer,’ said Clark.
‘So’s yours.’
‘What, Billy? Yeah, he’s had plenty of practice. I don’t think any girl has ever refused him a dance.’
Chrissie noticed the melancholy in Clark’s eyes. ‘Never mind about Billy, tell me about you.’
‘Me?’ Clark look astonished. ‘Well, what do you want to know?’
Chrissie realised that he was actually more nervous than she was, and this relaxed her a little.
Chrissie shrugged. ‘Well, where are you from? Not from round here by the sound of it.’
‘I was born in Birmingham but came to live in Manchester when I was about seven. I met Billy at school and we’ve been friends ever since. I used to get teased at school because I spoke differently to everybody else, but Billy stuck up for me and, as he was the most popular lad in the class, they all listened to him. My school days would have been awful without him. In turn, I helped him with his reading and would sometimes do his homework for him. Not that he’s thick or anything, you understand, he was just always so busy with his sport and everything that he never really gave much thought to his studies. His mother spoils him rotten too. That lad can run rings round anyone.’
Chrissie glanced at Billy and Syl on the dance floor. He seemed distracted and kept glancing over at their table. When he saw Chrissie looking, he gave her a small smile and she felt her neck flush. She looked away in embarrassment.
‘It looks like he’s met his match with Syl.’
‘Oh, he’ll be alright. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she? Billy always gets the best-looking ones.’
Chrissie stared into Clark’s blue eyes and waited for him to realise what he had just said.
He looked mortified. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… you’re very pretty, in a much less obvious way,’ he floundered. ‘I mean, you don’t need all that make-up and stuff, you’re naturally pretty and…’
Chrissie held up her hand and smiled. ‘Enough! I forgive you.’
She sneaked a peak at her watch.
‘I’m not keeping you, am I?’ asked Clark.
‘Not at all, it’s just that I have to be back by midnight, which means leaving for the walk home about eleven-thirty.’
‘Plenty of time,’ said Clark, relaxing a little. ‘Would you like a cigarette?’
‘No, thanks, I don’t smoke, but you go ahead.’
‘If you’re sure?’
Clark opened his packet of Capstan and took out a cigarette. ‘Tell me about yourself.’
‘Not much to tell, really. I work for my father, Dr Skinner, in the surgery. My mother’s the local midwife so I sometimes help her as well but I’m a bit squeamish. I’ve seen enough births to put me off sex for good.’
Immediately these words were out, Chrissie wanted the ground to swallow her up. Her faced flushed a bright scarlet. She couldn’t imagine what on earth had possessed her to say such a thing. Clark choked on his drink and spluttered the amber liquid down his chin.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…’ Chrissie apologised.
Clark began to laugh and Chrissie joined in until they were both helpless.
By the time Billy and Syl returned to the table they were deep in conversation again. The band slowed the music right down and Clark silently stood up and held out his hand to Chrissie. She took it and allowed herself to be guided on to the dance floor. They
‘Come on, Chrissie,’ she said. ‘It’s time.’
Sylvia sashayed across the room with Chrissie trailing in her wake.
The young men introduced themselves as Billy and Clark and Sylvia immediately arrested Billy on to the dance floor.
‘Shall we sit down?’ ventured Clark, pulling a chair out for Chrissie. ‘Can I get you another drink?’
‘No thanks, I still have this one,’ replied Chrissie.
‘Your friend’s a great dancer,’ said Clark.
‘So’s yours.’
‘What, Billy? Yeah, he’s had plenty of practice. I don’t think any girl has ever refused him a dance.’
Chrissie noticed the melancholy in Clark’s eyes. ‘Never mind about Billy, tell me about you.’
‘Me?’ Clark look astonished. ‘Well, what do you want to know?’
Chrissie realised that he was actually more nervous than she was, and this relaxed her a little.
Chrissie shrugged. ‘Well, where are you from? Not from round here by the sound of it.’
‘I was born in Birmingham but came to live in Manchester when I was about seven. I met Billy at school and we’ve been friends ever since. I used to get teased at school because I spoke differently to everybody else, but Billy stuck up for me and, as he was the most popular lad in the class, they all listened to him. My school days would have been awful without him. In turn, I helped him with his reading and would sometimes do his homework for him. Not that he’s thick or anything, you understand, he was just always so busy with his sport and everything that he never really gave much thought to his studies. His mother spoils him rotten too. That lad can run rings round anyone.’
Chrissie glanced at Billy and Syl on the dance floor. He seemed distracted and kept glancing over at their table. When he saw Chrissie looking, he gave her a small smile and she felt her neck flush. She looked away in embarrassment.
‘It looks like he’s met his match with Syl.’
‘Oh, he’ll be alright. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she? Billy always gets the best-looking ones.’
Chrissie stared into Clark’s blue eyes and waited for him to realise what he had just said.
He looked mortified. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… you’re very pretty, in a much less obvious way,’ he floundered. ‘I mean, you don’t need all that make-up and stuff, you’re naturally pretty and…’
Chrissie held up her hand and smiled. ‘Enough! I forgive you.’
She sneaked a peak at her watch.
‘I’m not keeping you, am I?’ asked Clark.
‘Not at all, it’s just that I have to be back by midnight, which means leaving for the walk home about eleven-thirty.’
‘Plenty of time,’ said Clark, relaxing a little. ‘Would you like a cigarette?’
‘No, thanks, I don’t smoke, but you go ahead.’
‘If you’re sure?’
Clark opened his packet of Capstan and took out a cigarette. ‘Tell me about yourself.’
‘Not much to tell, really. I work for my father, Dr Skinner, in the surgery. My mother’s the local midwife so I sometimes help her as well but I’m a bit squeamish. I’ve seen enough births to put me off sex for good.’
Immediately these words were out, Chrissie wanted the ground to swallow her up. Her faced flushed a bright scarlet. She couldn’t imagine what on earth had possessed her to say such a thing. Clark choked on his drink and spluttered the amber liquid down his chin.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…’ Chrissie apologised.
Clark began to laugh and Chrissie joined in until they were both helpless.
By the time Billy and Syl returned to the table they were deep in conversation again. The band slowed the music right down and Clark silently stood up and held out his hand to Chrissie. She took it and allowed herself to be guided on to the dance floor. They
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