Page 9 of Big Sexy Love
‘Right, yes. It all sounds veryurgent.’
I step to the side as a customer approaches the counter and orders somescallops.
I nod. ‘I suppose it is,’ I say with a grimace. I hate urgency. Urgent is never a good state to be in. ‘My flight is at 6 a.m. in the morning,’ I add, thinking about how little time I have to prepare. At the hospital Birdie stressed how little time she had to waste, that of course the Joans would say yes and that she got a much better deal on a last minute flightbooking.
‘You take as much time off as you need,’ Tall Joan says as she puts the scallops into a tray. ‘It’ll be good for you to experience a newplace.’
I like this placejustfine!
‘Yeah…’ I sayfaintly.
‘Here,’ Taller Joan smiles, pressing the till so that the money tray shoots open with a lovely round ringing sound. She pulls out three twenty-pound notes. ‘Call it a bonus.’ She holds out the cash in mydirection.
‘I can’t take that!’ I wave her away. ‘I haven’tearnedit.’
‘You bloody have,’ Tall Joan says firmly. ‘You work so hard here. And you’re never sick. You’re going to need some spends for the airport. Get yourself a new perfume from duty-free. Or a nice book to read on theplane.’
I do love perfume. And books. But not airports. I mean, I’ve never been to one, but I’m pretty certain I do not like them. They’re full of strangers for astart.
‘Take it, you daft sod, before someone runs past andnicksit.’
Heartened by her generosity, I take the money from Taller Joan and tuck it carefully into mysatchel.
They’re being really nice about this. Like they really want metogo.
‘Will you even manage without me?’ I ask. ‘I don’t want toinconvenienceyou!’
‘We’ll manage fine, won’twe,Joan!’
‘Of course wewill,Joan.’
‘We’ll keep this placetickingover!’
‘Right! Um. Okay.’ I look at each of them suspiciously. They seem very, very keen for me to go. Almosttookeen.
‘You best get packing,’ Tall Joan says with a bright, innocent smile. ‘See you when yougetback.’
‘Bye now, Olive!’ Taller Joan adds before turning to serve a newcustomer.
Okay.
I guess that’ssorted.
I give the Joans a goodbye wave and shuffle off back through the market to thetramstop.
Rightthen.
I’m reallydoingthis.
I’m going to NewYorkCity.
Onmyown.
Shit!
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ChapterFive
