Just Good Friends

"Damn you, Damn you," she said, tears streaming down her face. She
stood in the hallway of the Red Lion between the public and the saloon
bars as the clock on the wall struck eight. She glared at him with a
fury which he had never seen before. "Go away, just go away," she said,
sobbing, her face red and stained from the waterproof makeup that
wasn't and her whole body shaking with emotion. He picked up his helmet
which lay on the floor where he had dropped it after walking in with
her best friend. The worst thing was that he had told her that he was
staying in to do some revision for his Science exams the following
week. And now here he was with that slut. Someone she had thought of as
an ally not a rival for Gordy's affections. Gordy still looked stunned.
The girl standing behind him said nothing. Gordy turned to her: "You
had better go back to the bike, Gina. I'll be out in a minute." He
tried to move towards her. His hands raised placatingly. "Listen to me,
it's not what you think, Alice, we are just good friends, that's all.
You see I got bored, and you said you were visiting your gran so I
thought I would go for a ride on the bike and I saw Gina and she was
waiting for the bus and then it started to rain and I thought we would
come here for a drink and --" "You bloody liar Gordy," Alice said
almost snarling the words out. "Do you think I am blind? I saw you
kissing here outside by the bike, through the window." "No, you can't
have done, the curtains were closed," Gordy protested. "You were bloody
frenching her like it was serious," Alice observed, still shaking. "How
often have you seen her, Gordy, behind my back? Tell me, you bastard.
Tell me, I want to know." Gordy fumbled for a cigarette, his nerves
rattled by Alice's unreasoning fury. "A couple of times," he admitted.
"Just a couple of times. Anyway." He paused to take a drag of his
cigarette. "I saw you and Simon kissing in the cinema, bet you thought
you could get away with that then? He's your bloody cousin, Alice." A
glint came into his eye. "If you had his kids they would be simple."
And with that he turned on his booted heel and stomped out of the pub.
Alice felt in her coat pocket for her Dunhill Menthols and lit one
after breaking two matches. She was beginning to calm down now Gordy
had gone. She heard a motorbike roar off down the road towards the
lights at the top of the high street. She took at her handkerchief and
stared at herself in the hall mirror, then tried to repair the damage
her tears had done. She took a puff of her cigarette. Then the door to
the public bar opened and Simon walked out. He stood next to her and
they both looked in the mirror. "What's up cuz?" he asked. Alice looked
at him. Simon looked back at her. They both smiled. Screw Gordy, he was
crap at sex, she thought, unlike Simon who knew how to treat a woman.
She gave him a kiss. Of course they were just good friends but she was
beginning to doubt that anyone believed them. Gordy stopped the bike
outside the italian coffee shop in Halton Street and Gina got off the
bike. Gordy climbed off to and set the side stand then followed her
into the shop. They found a table and sat down. Gina looked at Gordy
and he looked back at her. Gina half smiled. "Alice was pretty upset,"
she offered as an opening gambit. Gordy lit a cigarette. "Christ,
Gina," he said. "I loved Alice. You know that. But this cousin of hers.
I can't cope with all the lies." Gina put her hand on his. "Gordy," she
began. Gordy looked into space. "Gordon! Listen to me." Gordy looked at
her. "Alice may be your heart's desire but she's found someone new.
It's hard, but you have to accept that, that she no longer loves you."
Gordy said nothing but his face hardened. "And whether you feel like it
is the end of the world as you know it, I am here. And you have to
think about us now, Gordon. Not about you and Alice. All right?" Her
voice had a sharp edge to it, but Gordy listened. "You dumb chuck. I
need you, Gordy, can't you see that? I need you." Gordy stood up,
ground out the cigarette in the spotless ashtray. "You want a coffee
then, Gina," he said quietly. "Or one of those new frothy coffees?"
"Just a coffee, Gordy, please," Gina said. Outside there was a screech
of brakes and then two car doors opened and shut. Gordy looked out of
the window. It was Alice and Simon, and he had driven his new Ford
Classic to the coffee shop. Alice and Simon came into the shop and
pointedly ignored Gordy and Gina. Simon went up to the counter. "Two
coffees to go," Gordy heard him say. Gina stared at Alice and then took
Gordy's hand. "Let's go, I dont want a coffee now," she said. Gordy
paused again. Looking first at Alice and then at Gina. "Well, we have
something they will never have," he said finally. And they left.