Sadie Was A Lady (18 page)

Sadie nodded. ‘If I say a thing, I mean it. I will definitely be there.’

‘I’ll look forward to it.’ Geoff spun her around. ‘You
can
think about where yer’d like to go. Where d’yer live, by the way?’

Sadie gave a start. ‘I never tell any boy where I live ’cos me parents are very strict. They think I’m out with a girlfriend. But it’s somewhere in Toxteth.’

‘I live in Wavertree, not that far away.’ Geoff looked disappointed when the dance came to an end. ‘I’ll see yer Tuesday, then.’

‘Yeah, okay.’ Sadie went back to the chairs they’d been sitting on but there was no sign of Alec. She looked around the room and saw him in a corner talking to Doris, and he seemed to be in a right temper. I’m not waiting for him, Sadie thought, otherwise it’ll be midnight before I get home. She skirted the dance floor and came up behind him. Tapping him on the shoulder she said, ‘I’ll go on, Alec. I can see yer busy.’

‘I’m coming now.’ He took her arm. ‘I’ll see yer next week, Doris.’

But Doris wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easy. The crafty bugger must think I was born yesterday, she thought. He’s put it that way so the blonde he’s with thinks he means here, next Saturday. ‘Yeah, Alec, outside the Grafton on Wednesday at eight.’

Alec didn’t answer. In fact, he never opened his mouth until they were halfway up the street. ‘Some hope she’s got,’ he muttered under his breath, walking so quickly Sadie was panting to keep up with him. ‘If she thinks I’m takin’ her out she’s got another blinkin’ thing coming.’

‘Surely yer wouldn’t let the girl down? That would be a lousy trick, Alec Gleeson.’

‘Let her down? Have yer seen the face on her – it’s enough to curdle the milk.’

‘She had the same face when yer took her down an entry, Alec.’ Sadie was making a guess but Alec’s start of surprise told her she’d hit the nail on the head. ‘Now she’s makin’ yer pay for yer bit of fun.’

‘I don’t know where yer got that idea from,’ Alec said, bluffing it out. ‘I’d have to be hard up to be seen with her.’

‘That’s the point isn’t it, Alec? That’s what yer go down an entry for –
not
to be seen.’

‘I’ve never been down an entry with her, so for heaven’s sake shut up about it.’ Alec was not in the best of moods. First that bloody bloke having the nerve to dance with Sadie, and then Doris turning up. He needed something to put him in a better mood, and who better to do that than the girl walking by his side with the face of an angel and a figure to drool over. But he’d have to warm her up first. So he forced a smile to his face and cheerfulness to his voice. ‘Yer doing well with yer dancing, Sadie, yer’ve come on a treat.’

‘Yeah, I’m quite pleased with meself. Another couple of weeks and I’m going to try the Grafton or the Rialto.’

‘With me, I hope?’ They were walking on the main road when Alec stopped, put his arms around her and gave her a kiss full on the lips. ‘It will be with me, won’t it?’

‘Alec, let go of me! Everybody’s lookin’ at us.’

‘Sadie, the road’s nearly deserted. But if it makes yer feel any better, we’ll do our snogging where we can’t be seen.’ He pulled a protesting Sadie into a shop doorway. ‘There, does that please yer?’

‘Alec, what the hell d’yer think yer doing.’ Sadie struggled to free herself from his vice-like grip. ‘Take yer hands off me!’

Alec’s mouth came down hard on hers, stopping her from crying out. He had her pressed back against the side wall of the shop doorway, his body keeping her prisoner while his kiss was rough and bruising. He placed one of his hands on her neck, making it impossible for her to move without being choked. His free hand was fondling her breast, then she felt his body bend and the next thing she knew his hand was up her skirt and on her thigh. It was the feel of his hand on her bare flesh that turned her fear to anger. How dare he do this to her! Who the hell did he think he was! She brought her knee up as hard as she could and was rewarded by his yelp of pain. He fell away from her, his two hands clutching his crotch as he bent double and groaned in
agony.
‘You little bitch! I’ll get you for this!’

Sadie looked down at his stooped figure and felt like kicking him in the face. ‘That should teach yer that all girls don’t welcome your advances, Alec Gleeson. If I were you I’d stick to girls like Doris who can’t get a decent bloke. She’s a tart, Alec, and I don’t know the word for a male tart, but whatever it is you’re one. So you and Doris make a fine pair, two of a kind. She was blackmailing you tonight, or d’yer think I’m too stupid to have figured that out? Well, I hope she puts the screws on yer ’cos that’s what yer deserve.’

Sadie left the shadow of the doorway and walked a few steps before turning back. ‘I learned a few lessons tonight, Alec, so I suppose the evening hasn’t been a complete waste of time. I’ve always thought most men couldn’t be trusted and you have proved me right. Also, I’ve mastered a few more dance steps which is a good thing. But the best thing that’s happened is that you’ve got yer comeuppance and I’m glad I was there to see it. So on the whole a good night for me but a lousy one for you.’

Once more Sadie walked away, saying over her shoulder, ‘I would advise yer to stay out of my path in future.’

‘What d’yer mean, yer’ve had a row?’ Brenda couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. With Sadie out of the picture, she could be in the running with Alec. ‘You haven’t really fallen out, it’s just a lovers’ tiff.’ She managed to add a touch of sympathy to her tone while her heartbeat raced fifteen to the dozen. ‘I bet yer.’

‘Lovers’ tiff? What are yer on about, Brenda? I didn’t even
like
Alec Gleeson, never mind love him. He was handy to go out with when I had no money, but that’s as far as it went. Anyway, I’ll be walking past him today without letting on, so now yer know.’

‘But what was the row about?’

‘He said something I didn’t like, that’s all.’ This was the tale Sadie had told Harry when she’d met him in the park last night and she intended sticking to it because the truth was far too embarrassing. ‘It’s over and done with, Brenda, so let’s just forget it, eh?’

But Brenda had no intention of forgetting it. Nor had she any intention of walking past Alec without letting on. This was her big chance, and if she had to choose between Sadie and Alec, he would win hands down. So when the bell rang out to announce the dinner-break, she had her overall off before the echo of the clang had died away. She’d bought another new jumper on Saturday and she congratulated herself on having decided to wear it today. It was a summer jumper in a type of knitted rayon which clung to her curves. She pulled at the waistband to straighten any creases, and when she gazed down at herself she was pleased with what she saw. Then the comb came
out
of her handbag for a quick run though her dark brown hair.

Sadie watched the proceeding with a mixture of amusement and frustration. All this just to attract the attention of a man who wasn’t worth the effort. But it wasn’t up to her to warn Brenda – she’d have to find out for herself. Anyway, if she did say something her friend would only think it was a question of sour grapes.

Sadie threw her overall on one of the packing crates and reached for her handbag. When she straightened up she was sideways on to Brenda and she thought there was something different about her. ‘Have you got something stuck down yer brassière? Yer certainly weren’t that size on Saturday.’

Brenda blushed. ‘I’ve put a hankie in each of the cups ’cos yer could see me nipples.’

Sadie shook her head at the lame excuse. The hankies had been put there to make her bust look bigger and for no other reason. ‘Come on,’ she said, walking towards the door, ‘or the chippy will be packed.’ Then Sadie’s imagination took over. If Alec ever got Brenda down an entry he’d be in for a big surprise and an even bigger let-down.

When they walked out of the factory door the first person Sadie saw was Alec, leaning nonchalantly against the wall, dwarfing Bobby Bennett who was standing beside him. She could feel her heart begin to pound and her tummy was doing somersaults. But she took a deep breath, held her head high and walked on with her eyes fixed straight ahead. She sensed Brenda squaring her shoulders and thrusting her bust forward to make herself look even more voluptuous. Stupid nit, Sadie thought, she’s making a fool of herself. The best of it is, if a lad so much as laid a finger on her, she’d scream blue murder and want her mam.

‘He was looking at yer, Sadie,’ Brenda said as they walked through the gates. ‘If yer’d given him the chance he would have spoke to yer.’

‘So you were looking at him, were yer?’

‘Well, yeah. I couldn’t very well pretend I hadn’t seen him, could I?’ Brenda didn’t have the nerve to say that Alec had winked at her and she’d winked back. And he’d given her the thumbs up sign, which meant he thought she looked nice. ‘Anyway, Sadie, it’s you what’s had the row with him, not me. I don’t have to fall out with him just because you do.’

‘I didn’t say you had to. Look, Brenda, you do as you wish. Yer old enough to know what yer doing. Just don’t come running to me if you get yer fingers burned.’ They joined the line of people in the chip shop. ‘Just one last word, though, Bren. I’ve had enough of Alec Gleeson to last me a lifetime. I don’t ever want to hear his name again.’

Geoff was waiting when Sadie got to Everton Valley and she thought how smart he looked in his grey flannel trousers and white short-sleeved summer shirt. And his smile of welcome was so genuine it cheered her heart. He seemed a nice-enough bloke, but if he turned out the same as Alec she’d take to her heels and run.

‘Have yer thought about where yer’d like to go?’ Geoff’s teeth gleamed in his brown, weatherbeaten face. ‘It’s a bit hot for the pictures, don’t yer think?’

‘Yeah, it is hot.’ Sadie tilted her head. ‘You’re nice and brown – I didn’t notice it at the dance. Have yer been on yer holidays?’

‘I should be so lucky! No, I work in the building trade and I’m out in all weathers. I’m an apprentice bricky and I’ve only got eighteen more months to go before I’m out of me time.’

Sadie was facing the sun and she put an open hand to her forehead to shade her eyes from the strong rays. ‘That makes yer nineteen, doesn’t it?’

‘Nineteen years and seven months, to be precise. And I can’t wait to be twenty-one and in the money.’ Geoff looked at his wrist-watch. ‘What would you like to do?’

‘I’ll leave it to you.’ Sadie’s knowledge of where young people went to enjoy themselves was nil. First-house
pictures
once a week had been her only enjoyment for two years, apart from the one trip on the ferry and two nights at a fourpenny hop. ‘You decide.’

‘We could nip into Liverpool on the tram and get the train to Southport – how does that appeal to yer?’

‘That would be lovely. I’ve never been to Southport.’

‘It’ll be nice there in this weather.’ Geoff cupped her elbow and led her towards the tram stop. ‘We can have a walk around the lake and stop somewhere for a drink.’

‘I can’t go in a pub, Geoff, I’m only sixteen.’

‘We’ll have a cup of tea, then, or an ice cream. There’s plenty to do and see there so we’ll be spoilt for choice.’

The tram ride wasn’t a novelty to Sadie, although she didn’t use the trams much because she never had any money for the fare. But she’d never been on a train before and she was like a child looking out of the carriage window at the sights. It was mostly factories they passed on one side, and streets of terraced houses on the other. But the further away from the city they travelled, the factories disappeared and the houses became more grand.

‘Ooh, look at those houses, aren’t they lovely?’ Sadie breathed. ‘I’ve never seen anything like them in all me life. And look at the gardens and trees. The people living in them must be very posh.’

Geoff was fascinated by her. He’d travelled this route many times, seen everything before. So he concentrated on the changing expressions on Sadie’s face. She wasn’t like any other girl he’d taken out before. Apart from a pale lipstick, she wore no make-up at all. But then with her natural beauty she had no need of it. And she was making no effort to impress him. There were no coy smiles, no patting of the blonde hair that owed its colour to nature and not a bottle of bleach, and no crossing of the shapely legs. He’d been immediately attracted to her at the dance where she’d stood out from all the other girls. Now her attitude of complete indifference to him made her all the more attractive to him. ‘Is it all right if I talk, Sadie?’

She turned from the window, her eyes and face glowing with pleasure. ‘I’m sorry, Geoff, but this is all new to me and I want to get a picture of it in me mind so I can go over it all again when I’m lying in bed tonight.’

Geoff smiled. ‘I’d like to have something to think about when I’m lying in bed tonight, too. But unless you talk to me, I won’t have anything. I’ll think I’ve been out on me own.’

Sadie giggled. ‘Yer’ve seen the back of me head, what more d’yer want?’

‘The back of you is very pretty, Sadie, but not as pretty as the front. So talk to me. Tell me how yer got on with yer “not really” boyfriend?’

Sadie didn’t want to talk about Alec. She’d get over what he did to her on Saturday night, but she’d never forget it – nor would she ever forgive him. But she couldn’t let it spoil her enjoyment, nor Geoff’s. ‘He’s not even “not really” now. We had a bust-up on Saturday on the way home and I don’t want nothing more to do with him.’

‘I’m glad, ’cos he’s not good enough for yer.’ The train was pulling into Southport Station and Geoff reached for her hand. ‘Come on, let’s paint the town red.’

Sadie’s eyes were everywhere as they strolled along Lord Street with its beautiful shops and arcades. She stopped outside an elegant shop to look at a dress that had caught her eye, and nearly fainted when she saw the fifteen-guinea price tag. ‘Oh, my God! That’s a year’s wages!’

Geoff roared with laughter. ‘Yer’ve got to be wealthy to shop in Lord Street, Sadie. It’s not for the likes of you and me.’

Sadie was flabbergasted. ‘No matter how much money I had, I’d never pay that amount for a dress.’ She looked down at the sixpenny one she was wearing and had to stop herself from blurting out how much it had cost. ‘I’ll make do with TJ’s or Blacklers.’