“Now look, will you stop acting as if I was a tax collector?
I’ve known you for eight yean. We’re pals, aren’t we? Just how
bad is it?”
“Well, we owe eighty-nine pounds, and we’ve only got
about fifty to meet the monthly bills. If we don’t settle our bills, they’ll stop supplies. That’s how bad it is.”
“Fifty quid would put you in the clear?”
“For this month it would, but then there’s next month.
We’re beginning to realize, Bill, Eagle Street is a wash out.”
“Let’s take care of this month. Next month can take care
of itself.” He produced a cheque-book from his pocket. “I’m going to lend you fifty quid, Harry, just as you would lend it to me if I was in a jam.”
“You’re not ! Now look, Bill, it’s d@mned nice of you, but
I’ve got to see this thing through myself. If I take the money from you, I shall still be as badly off. I’d worry myself sick wondering how I was going to pay you back. No, I can’t take it.”
“Fifty quid will hold you over to the end of the month. In
the meantime something might turn up. Come on, Harry, don’t
be proud. I don’t give a damn when you pay it back.”
“But you can’t afford to lend me fifty quid, Bill, and you
know it.”
“It may surprise you, my boy, to know I have a hundred
and fifty smackers in the bank. I’ve been saving ever since I
left the Army. I have no one to spend the money on except
myself.
Now come on, say you’ll take it. You’d do the same for
me, and I wouldn’t be proud.”
I hesitated. Fifty pounds would be a godsend at this
moment. The thought of getting rid of all the niggly little bills that were cluttering up my desk proved too big a temptation.
“Well, all right. It’s damned nice of you. You may have to
wait some time before I can give it to you back.”
Bill grinned
“There’s no hurry. Pay it back when you like.”
I watched him write out the cheque, and when he tossed
it across the desk, I shoved out my hand and gripped his.
“Thanks a lot, Bill. I’m damned grateful. There’s just one
thing, don’t tell Ann about this. She wouldn’t like it.”
A surprised, puzzled expression jumped into his eyes.
“Is that a good thing to do, Harry? I thought you and Ann
were like one: no secrets and nothing up your sleeve kind of
thing.”
I felt my face turn red.
“Well, we are like one, but this is a bit different I know
she wouldn’t like it, and it would worry her. Women aren’t like men.
Men make use of their friends: women don’t. You know
I’d help you if you wanted help, and I’m ready to accept your help when you offer it, but Ann wouldn’t. I’d rather you didn’t say anything to her about it.”
“All right, but I think you’re making a mistake.” His red
face looked unhappy. “You know, Harry, I’m as fond of Ann as
I am of you. You two are a great couple. The way you’ve been together has been an eye-opener to me. I thought marriage was a cat and dog life until I saw you together. Don’t spoil it, will you?”
“You’re talking a lot of sentimental bosh.” I tried to laugh.
“Ann and I will always be the same to each other.”
“I hope so.” He put his cheque-book away and got up.
“Well, I’d better get back to the grindstone. Three more days
and I start my new job. If Ann and you’ve got nothing better to do, how about going to the local flea pit on Saturday? They’ve got a good film on: Hepburn. I like that girl. What do you say?”
“Okay. Come and have supper with us; about seven.”
“Let’s hope it won’t be such a damned awful wake as last
night,” Bill said, grinning.
I walked with him to the entrance of the garage just as a black Jaguar swung to the kerb. At the wheel in a smart white mackintosh, but still without a hat, was Gloria.
The sight of her made my heart lurch against my side.
She gave me a wave to indicate she was coming in. I felt Bill
looking at me.
“See you Saturday,” he said, and stepped into the driving
rain.
I grunted something as I waved Gloria to the space I had
cleared.
Tim poked his head out from under the car he was
working on and stared. I frowned at him, and after one more owlish stare, he retired under the car again.
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