Page 17 of The Three of Us
‘Not even to share a bag of chips and a saveloy? I’ll be getting some anyway. I love a bit of unhealthy stodge. When the cat’s away and all that.’
‘Very tempting, but who knows where a chip could lead? Greasy fingers today, full-blown affair tomorrow!’ I laugh, and Syd joins in, pulling up outside my flat and putting his hand over mine.
‘Good decision. We men are so easily led! But seriously, Carly, I would like to catch up with Jack, if that’s all right with you. We could get some of the old crowd together. Once the company went bust, we all went our separate ways but I still see quite a few of them. And Rosie does let me out occasionally. You wouldn’t have to come along yourself. Unless you wanted to, of course.’
‘You know I’d want to. There’s just something about him, Syd.’
‘Let it go, Carly. Honestly, after all this time, let it go. He’s not available, and life is too short.’
‘I never had you down as such a philosopher.’
‘Just a realist, that’s all. It might feel like he’s the only man for you, but there are millions of us, you know. Plenty of good guys who could make you happy. Marriage, kids, domestic bliss. You should give it a try.’
I give a shrug, lean over and kiss him on the cheek. ‘Thanks. I don’t have Jack’s number or address or anything, but if you want to talk to him, just call the office and they’ll put you through. He’s in the IT department, obviously. Best not tell me where you’re meeting up though. I can’t give in to temptation and turn up if I don’t have the details, can I?’
‘Good decision. And he’s not that special, you know. Believe me, as a man who’s shared a flat with him, I know these things. That guy farts in his sleep, just like the rest of us. And his feet smell.’
I get out of the car, laughing, and run up the path through the rain, waving over my shoulder as the car moves away. Fran’s home, and I can detect the unmistakeable aroma of a Chinese takeaway as soon as I reach the top of the stairs and open the door to our flat. Suddenly, I feel really hungry and hope there’s enough going spare. A girl can’t live on chocolate alone, and I was starting to regret turning down that meal at Mum’s. To be honest, I’ve never been that keen on pork chops, and all the allotment talk would probably have been a real turn-off. And chips with my best friend’s husband didn’t feel right either, no matter how innocent the invitation.
‘Just in time,’ Fran says, as she spoons a dollop of chicken chop suey onto her plate and hands me what’s left in the carton. ‘Grab a fork, and stop me eating the lot!’
Chapter 11
Molly
Molly settles into a cosy corner in the Brown Cow village pub and slips off her shoes. Is it a pregnancy thing, she wonders, feet swelling up and aching like they’ve been walking for miles when she’s hardly done a thing all morning? And how is she going to explain saying no to her usual vodka and orange when her father-in-law starts taking orders for their drinks?
Jack’s mum, Brenda, plonks down beside her and pushes her handbag down under the table. ‘Won’t be needing my purse today,’ she jokes. ‘Steve’s paying for everything. Birthday girl privileges.’
‘Quite right.’ Molly smiles at her. ‘I hope he bought you something nice.’
‘Oh, he’s not much of a one for presents. I got a nice bunch of flowers, and there’s this meal to look forward to. I don’t need anything else.’
‘You’ll not be wanting this then.’ Molly nods over to Jack, sitting opposite, and he pulls a small wrapped package from his inside pocket.
‘Happy birthday, Mum.’
‘Oh, you shouldn’t have.’
‘I’ll take it back then, shall I?’ Jack pretends to pocket the present as his mum’s hand whips out across the gap between them and grabs for it.
‘Don’t you dare!’
Molly watches her pulling off the paper and ribbons and cooing over the expensive bottle of perfume inside.
‘It’s lovely. Thank you both. But I don’t know when I’ll ever wear it. It’s not as if we ever go out anywhere posh.’
‘You mean this doesn’t count?’ Her husband is laughing beside her, still standing as he tries to memorise the round of drinks he’s about to go and buy. ‘The Brown Cow’s as posh as it gets around these parts. Come on, love, give us a squirt so we can all see what it smells like.’
‘You can’t see a smell, Dad.’ Jack’s brother Richard always has been a stickler for facts, but he’s first to lean forward and take a sniff as his mum liberally sprays the perfume onto her wrists. ‘Mmm. Very nice. But we’re here to eat, and I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.’
‘I don’t think horse is an option, love. They do a very nice chicken pie though.’
‘Well, let’s order, and then you can have our present. Call it a gift horse!’ He laughs and touches his mum’s arm. ‘Just don’t look in its mouth.’
His wife, Jennifer, raises her eyebrows and places their gift on the table. ‘Forgive him, he thinks he’s funny,’ she says, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. ‘Happy birthday, Bren.’
‘Now, now, children. First things first.’ Steve looks around at his family and silently mouths the list of drinks he’s already tried to memorise. ‘Let’s all get a drink and toast the beautiful birthday girl. I’ll grab us a couple of menus from the bar, but our Maureen and Bill aren’t here yet, so we can’t eat just yet.’ Molly had left her dad sorting out food for the dog while her mum dithered over which coat to wear and whether to bother bringing her mobile when anyone likely to call would be here for the meal anyway, but she knows they won’t be long.