Lonie63

‘Let’s get out of here.’ Lonie swilled the last of the tea round the bottom of his mug and polished it off. As he stood up, he stretched his long limbs, and grabbed for his coat hanging on the back of his chair. The edge of the card in his pocket acted as a reminder. ‘Shit.’ He pulled it out handing her it. ‘This is for you.’

Audrey remained seated. Her plate and mug had been cleared away by the waitress. She placed the card down on the empty table and slipped it out of the envelope.

‘It’s a get well card.’ Lonie stated the obvious, slumping back into his seat, with his coat on and the collar up. ‘There’s a couple of quid. Ah think about a tenner. We had a whip-round for you.’

Audrey smiled at the lilac coloured flowers on the face of the card, turning it over and reading the nice comments in different coloured inks and a variety of handwriting, looking at some of the smiley faces that had been added to a name, and her eyes welled up and she felt like blubbering. The waitress left the bill discreetly on a saucer on the table, before slipping through a gap between a chair close by their table and returning to the counter. Lonie grabbed for the slip, before she could get a nosey of how much it was.

‘Ah’ll get this.’ Lonie strode to the counter to pay the bill, giving her time to collect herself. When he turned she had moved near the door and was standing sideway waiting on him. His heart beat faster and his cock leaped in his trousers so that he too had to stand sideways to the counter.

Outside the café sleety rain drifted in towards them. Traffic on Byres Road slowed at the lights and the car wheels squelched through the growing sludge as if crunching over seashells. Lonie stuck his arm through Audrey’s, sandwiching her body close to his. ‘Let’s go for a drink.’ He looked along the road towards the Tennent’s Bar and started pulling her in that direction. It was cheap and did a good pint and that was good enough for him.

Audrey pulled her arm away from his as they got closer to the bar. ‘I’ll just go and get the subway.’ The traffic slowed behind a single decker bus. If she scooted across the road she could make the subway station without her hair getting soaked and be home in about an hour. ‘I’m awful sorry. I’ll need to make sure Craig is ok.’

Lonie grabbed at her hand as she turned to face the on-going traffic. Her fingers were icy, but the look she gave him was enough alone to make him drop them. ‘What about that other thing.’ He watched what he meant registering on her face. ‘Come in and get a drink…One drink won’t kill you…And we’ll discuss it.’

Audrey hadn’t forgotten about his reference to having arranged an abortion, but she’d pushed it somewhere to the back of her mind where she didn’t have to deal with it. She let herself be persuaded, tugged towards the side-street entrance of the Tennent’s Bar.

A few rough looking middle-aged men in denim jackets leaned against the bar, watching them as they came in through the swing-doors. Lonie guided her past their prying eyes and followed the horseshoe shaped bar round to where the soft seats where. Audrey took her coat off, resting it on the back of her chair and putting her bag at her feet. whilst Lonie stood within touching distance at the bar. Audrey listened to the murmur of conversation and the beeps of someone playing a fruit machine and let her nerves settle.

Lonie jerked his neck round to look at her. ‘Whit you wantin’ to drink?’

‘Surprise me?’ Audrey surprised herself by saying it, but she quickly added, ‘I’m just having the one.’

The young barman smiled at her answer, and his head tilted to one side, looking round and past Lonie to check her out.

‘Give me a Whyte and Mackay and…’ Lonie turned to face Audrey as if looking at her would help him decide ‘…and a half pint of lager and lime. No. No.’ He changed his mind, ‘A Bailey’s.’ He eyed the barman. ‘Make it a double.’ He reached for a pound note in his side pocket.

Audrey shouted over the din and through the pall of cigarette smoke. ‘You trying to get me drunk?’

‘If that’s whit it takes.’ Lonie and the barman shared a conspiratorial grin as he poured their measures.

After a few minutes he brought their glasses over to the table and placed them between them. ‘Cheers.’ Lonie picked his glass up and held it up for her to chink her drink against before he took a drink.

‘Cheers.’ Audrey’s drink tasted like a child’s idea of cold coffee. She shivered as she sipped at it. He banged his glass down, having finished his.

‘You want another?’ His breath smelled of whisky and he lit a fag, but his face was lit up with a glow it didn’t have before.

‘No. I’ll get it.’ As she scrambled for her bag beneath the table their knees banged together and they laughed.

‘No. No.’ Lonie was on his feet in a flash. ‘Ah’d never let a beautiful woman buy a drink when she’s in my company.’

A pink flush crept into Audrey’s cheeks, but she didn’t feel embarrassed. She told herself she’d have another one then she’d go.

A few hours later their knees had crept together again. One group of drinkers had been replaced by another more raucous crowd that sang and swayed along to the Jukebox music. His hand was on her denim knee, stroking her leg. She’d closed her eyes briefly and felt his lips on her mouth and she knew the language of hunger. He pulled her upright out of her seat. Through half-closed lids she felt herself falling against him, falling through the linoleum of the floor, falling through the basement of her mind and into his arms. She was already pregnant. Already fucked, and he lived close-by. She blew an imaginary kiss to going home early.