“That’s right. You’re my girl, Ann; you and no one else.”
I saw her face crease up suddenly like a child’s who has
been hurt. She bit her lip, turning her face away.
“It’s good to hear you say that.”
“I’m a d@mned fool, Ann, but I love you. I don’t know what
I’d do without you. Sorry about yesterday. Forgive me, will
you?”
Her arms went round my neck and her face pressed
against mine.
“There’s nothing to forgive. I know you’re worried, Harry.
It was that that made you so funny yesterday, wasn’t it? It
wasn’t that—that girl?”
“Of course not. There’s no other girl but you, Ann:
honest. You mustn’t think such things.”
“I know I look a fright. I know I should try to look smart,
but it’s awfully difficult, Harry, Be patient with me.”
“Don’t say things like that. It’s you I love, not what you
wear. It wasn’t anything like that. We’re in a mess. We’ve got to face it. If this goes on much longer well go bust. Then what are we going to do?”
“We’ll sell up and well get jobs. You can get a job any
day, and so can I. So long as we stick together. Harry nothing matters. Do you think we should sell now, and cut our losses?”
“Not yet.” My mind moved to Gloria again. “Let’s hang on
a little longer, Ann. We might get a break. I might think of
something.”
She kssed me and slid off my lap.
“All right. Eat your breakfast now before it gets cold.
Perhaps it would be an idea if I got a job. It would help,
wouldn’t it?”
“Well hang on a bit longer. I don’t want you away from
here. You’re a good lad, Ann. I don’t know what I’d do without
you.”
Around ten o’clock one of my few clients brought his car
in to have a tappet fixed. I talked him into changing his oil for the stuff I had overbought, and I told Tim to take care of it.
While I was talking to Tim, Bill came in.
“Hello, Harry, got some business?”
“Not much, but it’s something.”
“I’d like to have a word with you.”
I looked at him.
“Come into the office, Bill. What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing much.” He followed me into the office and
dosed the door. “Have a gasper?”
We lit up. He sat on the straight-backed chair and I sat
behind the desk.
“How’s Ann?”
“She’s fine.”
“That’s good.”
“We enjoyed the party last night. Nice of you to have
celebrated with us, Bill.”
Bill took off his peaked cap, scratched his head and put
tin cap on again.
“That’s all right. After all you and Ann are the only people
I care about.”
“That, goes for you too.”
Bill looked at me and gave me an embarrassed grin.
“I know. We’ve had some good times together, haven’t
we?”
“And some bad ones.”
“That’s a fact.”
Silence hung in the little room while we smoked. I kept
looking at him, but he was staring down at the floor, a worried expression on his red, kindly face.
“What’s on your mind, Bill?”
“You and Ann.”
I didn’t say anything.
“Maybe it’s none of my business, but I’m fond of you two. Things are a bit rough, aren’t they?”
“Yes, they’re rough all right, but you don’t have to bother
your brains about that.”
“Don’t I? You know, Harry, I was under the impression
that friends are supposed to help each other. If I got into a mess, I hope you would help me.”
“Well, I would, but there’s nothing you can do, Bill. It’s
just one of those things.”
“There is something I can do. Last night was a bit of a
wash out, wasn’t it?”
I looked sharply at him, and he grinned.
“We just weren’t in the mood for a party, Bill. We hoped
you hadn’t noticed.”
“Not noticed? Blimey! You looked like a couple of
pallbearers. What do you think I am? Blind?”
“Sorry, Bill, but we’ve got a lot on our minds right now.”
“How bad is it, Harry?”
“Bad enough.”
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