1953 - The Things Men Do (4 page)

"It's when things get bad, I want to be sure you need me.

I want to help you, Harry. This isn't the time for us to lose faith in each other."

"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 damned 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 kissed 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."

"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 chequebook 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 damned 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 chequebook 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.

"What a horrible morning," Gloria said, opening the car door and getting out. She made no attempt to conceal her legs as she swung them to the floor. I had a quick, electrifying glimpse of blue frills, white thighs and sky-blue garters that had me gaping like any spotty youth at a peep show.

"Morning." I watched her adjust her mackintosh and reach in the car for her handbag and umbrella.

"I'll leave it here for today. I may use it tomorrow. If it's fine, could you have it cleaned?"

"Yes. I'll fix that."

She turned to look at the car.

"Nice bus, isn't she?"

"A cracker."

"Ever driven one?"

"No."

"You must try it one of these days. It goes like a bird, and has a pick-up that'll frighten the life out of you."

"I'd like to."

She looked over at Tim's long legs that were sticking out from below the car he was working on. Then she looked at me and over at the office, raising her eyebrows.

"I'll just take down the log-book details if you'll come into the office."

She smiled and gave me a quick, mischievous wink.

When we were in the office, she closed the door and leaned against it.

"Your garage isn't very private, is it, Harry?"

"Tim's all right." My voice was husky.

She raised her eyes and looked up at the ceiling, then at me.

"She's out shopping."

"You soon cotton on, don't you?" She laughed, wrinkling her nose at me. "I don't mean to be mysterious, but some wives don't like girls talking to their husbands."

"Ann's not like that." I felt the hairs on the nape at my neck rise the way a cat's back bristles when it sees a dog.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to drop a brick." She thrust her hands into her mackintosh pockets, smiling at me. "I want you, to come to my party on Saturday night. There's a man coming who might be able to help you. He's in the radio business, and it occurred to me, it might be a good thing if you met him."

"Radio business? I don't know much about radios."

"You wouldn't have to. He told me he's looking for an agency that would carry his spare parts. The agency has to be in the West End. You have plenty of room out here. You could stock his stuff. You would be dealing with the trade. They would have to come to you if they wanted spares. Don't you think that would be a good idea?"

I saw at once it was a good idea.

"I'd jump at the chance if he would let me have the agency, but would he?"

She smiled.

"He might. I have a little influence with him. Come and meet him on Saturday. You have a dinner jacket?"

I very nearly said I hadn't but stopped myself in time.

"Is it going to be one of those parties?"

"Of course." Her eyebrows shot up. "Bring your wife too if you like, or do you think we'd better make this a business meeting? Wives can get in the way, can't they?"

"I wouldn't bring Ann."

She nodded, looked down at her neat reverse calf shoes, then up at me again.

"Then that's settled? Come to my flat. It's on the second floor above Kenwick's, the jeweller's, halfway down on the right hand side. There's a side entrance. Come about eight o'clock."

I suddenly remembered I had promised Bill we'd go to the movies with him on Saturday night. My brain worked fast. I could duck out and let Bill take Ann: in that way Ann wouldn't be alone for the evening.

"Would you do me a favour?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Would you phone me about seven on Saturday? Just call the number, and when I answer, hang up."

The black sparkling eyes studied my face.

"Preparing an alibi, Harry?"

I felt myself turn hot.

"Does it matter? Will you do it?"

She nodded. "I'll do it."

I wanted her to go now before Ann came back. I made a move to the door.

"Who was that funny little man you were talking to just now, Harry?" she asked casually as she picked up her handbag from the desk.

"That's Bill Yates. He and I have been pals for years."

"What is he—a postman?"

"At the moment, but he's got promotion. He's going to be a guard on Monday."

"A guard? Do they have guards in post offices?"

"They have them on the vans when they're carrying valuable registered mail."

"Do they? I didn't know. He looked nice."

"He is nice. He's my best friend."

She walked with me down the garage to the entrance.

"Good-bye, Harry."

"Good-bye and thanks."

As she walked through the entrance into the street, Ann came hurrying in, sheltering under an umbrella. They passed so close they could have touched if they had stretched out their hands. I saw Gloria look at Ann's lisle stockings and stout, shabby brogue shoes, then she went on down the street.

Ann hadn't seen her, sheltering as she had been under the umbrella.

I suddenly noticed Tim's head poking out from under the car. He looked at Ann, then at me. I felt like a pickpocket caught in the act.

chapter four

A
round three o'clock on Friday afternoon I told Tim I was going down to Ward's in Charing Cross Road to get a few spare Gnome bulbs.

After I got the bulbs, I went to Moss Bros, and hired an evening dress suit. I had cashed Bill's cheque so I had the necessary money and the transaction went off without a hitch.

I was also given a suitcase to take the suit, shirt and accessories, and I took it to Charing Cross Station and lodged it with the Left Luggage Office.

Don't think I was happy about this deception. I wasn't, but I couldn't bring myself to tell Ann that Gloria had invited me to a party, and I wasn't taking her with me.

This would be the first time since we had married that I was going out without her; and worse, going out with another woman. I kept telling myself that it was a business date; that it was a chance in a lifetime. I assured myself that I would be a reckless fool to have refused Gloria's invitation, but I knew I was doing the wrong thing by not insisting that Ann should come with me. But the idea of telling her that Gloria had invited me to her flat after Ann had actually asked me if Gloria had been the cause of our misunderstanding, was beyond me.