“I’ll let you have the rest of it next month. I’ve leased a bit of the garage to a radio firm and, believe it or not, they’re paying fifteen quid a week for the privilege.”

Bill whistled.
“Nice going. Sure you won’t hang on to this a little
longer?”

“Take it, Bill. I don’t like owing you money.”
“Please yourself.” He put the notes into his pocket “What
was up with you on Saturday night, Harry?”

I grinned, but I couldn’t meet his eyes. I lit a cigarette to
cover up my embarrassment.
“Made a bit of a fool of myself, didn’t I? I was just telling Ann. You see I was fixing up this radio deal. They wanted to see me on Saturday night.

I didn’t want to tell Ann until I was sure it was going through. So I pretended I had a break-down call. D@mn silly come to think of it. Ann spotted I wasn’t telling the truth.”
Bill gave me an old-fashioned look.

“So did I. You’re not cut out for those stunts, Harry. You
didn’t make our evening a very pleasant one. Ann was worried
sick: so was I.”
I began to feel irritated.

“You two fuss too much about me. I just wasn’t sure if I
was going to pull off the deal. I didn’t want Ann to be
disappointed.”

“Don’t get your shirt off,” Bill said and smiled. “Well, you did pull it off. Congratulations. They must be suckers to pay all
that money for a piece of this garage. Why, there’s an empty
shop up the street . . .”

I was getting fed up hearing about this empty shop.
“I know. Ann was telling me. It’s their business if they
want to come here, isn’t it?”
He was quick to spot my irritation.
“Lucky for you, anyway. By the way, Harry, who are
these people? What’s the firm’s name?”

I suddenly realized with a sense of shock that I didn’t
know the name.
“The chap’s name’s Dix: Ed Due. The company’s making
a new kind of T.V. set. It’s secret at the moment. They’ll be doing experimental work here.”
“But what do they call themselves?”

“I don’t know.” I felt my face redden. “They’re a small
company: just starting.”
“Doesn’t sound as if they’ll last long, paying out all that
money for a piece of this garage. Well, I suppose they know their own business best. Probably a racket to evade paying excess profits or something like that.”

“That’s the way I figured it.”
He stubbed out his cigarette, stroked the side of his blunt
nose, and then looked up with an apologetic grin.

“Sorry if I’m butting it, Harry, but I shouldn’t pull that stunt of yours again. Ann was pretty sick about it.”
Again I felt a wave of irritation run through me.

“Don’t drive it into the ground, for goodness’ sake. Ann
and I have talked it over. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Just thought I’d mention it.” He got to his feet. “Well, I’m
off home now. Be seeing you, Harry.”

I walked with him to the entrance to the garage.
He paused by the Jaguar.
“So she is garaging her car here,” he said.

“That’s right.” I tried to sound casual, but I knew I wasn’t making a job of it.
He looked at me.

“Some girl, Harry. The sort of girl that would give any
man ideas: she gave me a few myself.”
“Did she?”
“A girl like that wants watching. Take my tip and watch
her.”

“You buzz off, Bill.” My smile was fixed and my irritation
was fast turning to anger. “Watch her yourself if you want to. I’ve got a business to look after.”
“Did you meet Dix through her, Harry?”

“What the h*ell do you mean?” I said, feeling blood rush
to my face.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You don’t think you fooled me on
Saturday, do you?”

“Now look, Bill
“I’m looking and I don’t like what I’m seeing. See here,
Harry, you’re due for a straight talking to. You’re shaping to make an a$$ of yourself over that girl.”

“I don’t know what you mean. If you can’t talk sense
you’d better clear off!”
“Don’t let’s get angry about this, Harry. It sticks out a
mile. You saw that girl on Saturday, didn’t you? Maybe you did see Dix, but she was there too.

I know the signs. When a man
wants a woman as badly as you want her, he looks the way
you looked on Saturday. I’m going to tell you something.
You’ve got to think of Ann before you do anything you’ll be ashamed of. If you don’t want to keep your self-respect, you’ve got to make an effort for her sake.”

I stood rooted, glaring at him.
“You’ve got it all wrong! You can’t talk this way to me!”
“Don’t get hot under the collar. It won’t get you any where to glare at me. I know what you’re up to. Leave that girl alone:
she’s no good, and make her leave you alone. You’ve got Ann
who’s worth a hundred girls like this one. You’re a married
man with responsibilities. Try and act your age, Harry.”

I closed my fist and swung at him. I was so furious I
forgot he had been the light-heavy-weight champion of our
battalion. He moved inside my wild swing and caught me a
crisp clip on the jaw.
I scarcely felt it, but I went down as if I’d been pole-axed.
He bent over me.

“Sorry, Harry, but you asked for that. You should know
better than to lead with your right.” He grabbed hold of my
wrist and pulled me to my feet.
I was shaking with rage and wrenched myself free.

“You go to h*ell!”
“Now look, Harry, I said I was sorry. Don’t let’s fall out . .
“Get out!”
I turned and walked back to the office. “Harry
I went inside and slammed the door.

Click 6 below to continue reading