Riding Solo

by Woods, Karen

  Harry’s back was up and his nostrils were flaring. If anyone wanted trouble with him he was more than ready for them. He could fight as well, he was quick. The deep scars across his face didn’t get there on their own, they were fighting wounds. Scars of honour he called them. “Are you going to tell me or what?” Harry hissed. “Don’t keep me waiting, you know I hate it when you fuck about like this, just tell me.”

  Jack swallowed hard and took a quick swig from his pint. Mark was hanging on his every word, he urged him to continue. He wanted this out in the open. “My missus said she saw your Jenny out with another guy last Tuesday.”

  Harry chuckled and reached for his pint. Gasping his breath he smirked at them both. “And what, you think my Jenny is having an affair or something.” He held his head back and flicked Jack across the head with his fingertips. “Come here you pair of dick heads. You know how much my Jenny loves me. As if she would be out with another guy, get a grip lads.” Harry pulled his pals heads together and banged them softly.

  Jack continued. “I said the same thing to my Susan. I told her straight I did. I said, Jenny fooling around? Are you having a laugh or what? She loves Harry more than life itself.” Harry stood tall, he was proud, nodding his head slowly. He’d been with Jenny for over ten years; she would never look at another man never mind cheat on him. He was all the man she needed. They’d had their ups and downs of course, and he was lazy admittedly, but another man with his Jenny, never in a month of Sundays.

  Harry scratched his head as he looked at Jack again. “Did you say it was Tuesday when Jenny was supposed to have been seen with this guy?” Jack nodded his head, “Yep mate, Sally said it was Tuesday in the town centre.”

  “Well, there is no way it was her. We watched a film on Tuesday night, curled up on the sofa we was.” Harry’s face was white, he was lying but there was no way he was telling them the truth, he kept his trap firmly shut. Sat thinking for a minute he remembered Jenny telling him she was going to see her friend in Rochdale, an old school friend she’d told him. His knuckles turned white and he clenched his teeth together tightly. His face turned slowly away from his pals, there was no way he was letting them know they were right.

  “Who’s up for a game of darts then?” Jack piped up ready for action.

  Mark was up on his feet and the banter started. “Just call me fucking Eric Bristow. How many games have I won now? I’m the champion darts player.” Jack playfully punched him in the arm. “What? I was pissed out of my head last week; I couldn’t even see the dart board, never mind throw darts at it. Tell him Harry, wasn’t I steaming?”

  Harry was in a world of his own and his mind was working overtime. Jack nudged him. “Wasn’t I pissed last Friday mate?”

  Harry stood to his feet and tried to seem interested. “I’m just going for a piss. You two start without me.” Jack and Mark walked over to the oche and placed their drinks on a table. Grabbing the darts from the end of the bar they were still arguing about who was having which set of darts.

  Harry dug his hand deep into his pocket looking for some lose change; his chest was rising faster than normal and you could see he wasn’t happy. Stepping towards the phone he made a call. “Hiya sweetheart, is your mother there?” His face dropped and you could see his grip tightening around the receiver. “When did she go out? Who’s minding you then?” The call ended after a few minutes and Harry ran to the toilets. Once inside you could hear him spewing his guts up inside the cubicle, the colour drained from him. Harry came out of the toilets and stood at the mirror, his fingers ran through his thick black hair and he let out a laboured breath. “Stop it Harry, Jenny would never cheat on you. Just get that thought right out of your head,” he whispered to himself. Splashing cold water onto his face he went back inside the toilet.

  Pulling a small plastic bag out of his pocket he made a line of the white powder on top of the toilet cistern. Cocaine was a part of his social life. Every weekend he took the drug to unwind. They all did. Jenny had found the remains of some cocaine in his pocket months ago and the shit had hit the fan big time. She was livid. He’d promised her he would never touch the stuff again, but what the eye didn’t see, the mind didn’t know. Rolling up a crisp twenty pound note Harry snorted the two white lines he’d made up. The rush from the drug was there on his face for everyone to see. Nostrils flaring, chin held high he rested his body against the back of the door feeling the rush circling through his veins. Opening the cubicle door he was ready to face his friends again, he was confident and afraid of nothing. Harry had too much pride to admit his thoughts to his friends. He was a man’s man, and no woman would ever have him over, he was too wise for that. Not even his Jenny, he would have known for sure if she was playing away from home, he was on the ball, he didn’t miss a trick.

  Marching back into the boozer he whistled over to his mates who were playing darts. “You two want another beer lads?” They both nodded and Harry shouted over to the barmaid. “Oi, sexy legs, pull us three pints of Foster’s will you love and get one for yourself.” The brassy blonde barmaid smiled and hitched her skirt up slightly. She loved the attention she got from the punters and in the past she’d been known to drop her knickers for a few of them. Ring and ride, the guys in the boozer nicknamed her, but Harry knew to keep well away, she was a man-eater and she had a big gob. Walking over to his mates Harry was more than ready to party. His hips were gyrating and he was ready to get the night swinging.

  “Finish these lads and let’s go into town. We can come back here for last orders.” Mark was more than ready for it, he loved flirting and being in Manchester city centre was the ideal chance for him to strut his stuff. The guys swigged their beers and waited outside for a taxi.

  Jack looked at Harry and he could tell he’d had some sniff. Nudging him in the waist he kept his voice low. “Oi, snidey bollocks, whatever happened to sharing?” Harry smiled and dug his hand in his trouser pocket. “Here, sort yourself out when we land in the next pub. Sort Mark out too.” The drugs were passed over as the taxi pulled up. Jack concealed them in his trouser pocket. Harry jumped in the front seat and the two other men sat in the back. Harry patted the driver on his arm and smiled. “Alright mate, we’re going into Manchester. Is it buzzing with pussy tonight down there or what?”

  The taxi driver chuckled and pulled out of the car park. “Yep lads I’ve just dropped a gang of girls off in The Frog and Bucket. So get your arses in there. They were a right rum lot, dying for some male attention if you ask me.”

  Harry pulled the passenger mirror down and smirked at his mates, his eyebrows lifted. “The Frog and Bucket it is then.” Mark wound his window down and the hot summer air filtered around his body tickling his skin. He was hot and two wet patches were underneath his arms. He was sweating like a camel’s arsehole and hated that he suffered excess perspiration. Pulling up in the town centre Harry handed the driver a tenner. “Here you go lad, keep the change, get yourself a beer or something.” The driver thanked him and watched them enter the pub. You could see by his face he was gutted he wasn’t going with them, they seemed a lively lot and he could have done with a laugh.

  Mark and Jack went straight to the toilets for a fix. Friday nights wasn’t the same without it. Harry stood at the bar and scanned the area. The taxi driver was right, the place was buzzing with women. Waving his hand over to the barmaids he made sure he got their attention. “Can I have three pints of Foster’s lager love and three shots?” Harry stood waiting for his order and felt his bum cheeks being pinched. Turning his head quickly he met the eyes of a tall brunette. Smiling at her he tilted his head to the side. “Did you just pinch my arse?”

  The woman chuckled and placed her hand on his waist. “Yeah, it was me. I couldn’t help myself, it’s so perky, and I just had to have a feel.”

  Harry was smiling from ear to ear, he’d copped and he’d only been in the gaff two minutes. Making sure the woman stayed by his side, he placed his hand on her shoulder. “Who you with lov
e?” The female pointed over her shoulder and he could see a group of girls sat in the corner waving. They were a lively lot and all sat laughing and joking. Mark and Jack were back from the toilets and he handed them their drinks. Harry winked at them both. “Ay lads this dirty little minx has just pinched my arse.” The woman hid her face away and looked embarrassed. “It was a dare, we are playing a drinking game and they said my forfeit was to pinch a man’s arse.”

  Harry swigged a mouthful of his pint and spoke. “And here’s me thinking I was special. I feel hurt now.”

  The girl, who now introduced herself as Kim, patted him on his arm. “Orr, don’t be like that. If it’s any consolation your bum was the nicest in here anyway that’s why I picked yours.” Mark and Jack knew Harry had struck gold with this woman; she was all over him like a rash. Kim invited them to sit down with her. The four of them walked to the corner of the room. The gang of girls were cheering as Kim came back to join them.

  “Well done Kim, we didn’t think you had it in you!”

  Mark stepped forward and rubbed his hands together. “I hope there’s a task that involves sucking me off.” The women were laughing hysterically; they were on form and loved the banter.

  Jane, Kim’s friend answered Mark. “Cheeky aren’t you? Come and park your arse next to me and I’ll see what I can do later.” Mark’s face dropped, he wasn’t expecting that kind of answer. Jane pulled Mark by his arm to sit next to her. “Come on then Mr full of yourself, let’s see what you’re like when you’re drinking with the big girls.” Harry and Jack looked at each other with a grin on their faces, these girls were the business. Modern day women who held nothing back, they were the real McCoy. Harry sat next to Kim and they were laughing and joking. They shared a few kisses, but they never meant anything and it couldn’t be classed as cheating could it?

  Harry said goodnight to Kim at the end of the night. Jane had Mark pinned up against some wall in the distance and she was sucking the face off him. Jack was clock watching and he was eager to get a move on. He walked to Harry’s side breaking up the conversation he was having. “Right, Romeo and fucking Juliet, it’s time to say goodnight. Some of us have wives to go home to you know?” There he was again, Mr Sensible. Jack always put the dampeners on any situation involving other women. He was a happily married man and had morals. Harry snarled at him, he was such a misery and very rarely got involved with any females on their nights out. Well, except on one occasion and even then he had been riddled with guilt for weeks after. Jack promised himself it would never happen again, it was too risky.

  “Harry hurry up,” he shouted again as he flagged a taxi down on the main road. Mark staggered towards them looking worse for wear. Jane was behind him trying to hold him back. “Come back, I’ve not finished with you yet. The night’s only getting started, stay here with me,” she shouted behind him. Harry said goodbye to Kim. He was glad to see the back of her, she was getting a bit clingy, and he knew no further contact would be made with her. Mark fell into the back of the taxi and his head banged against the window.

  “Fuck me, get me home,” he slurred. Mark’s shirt was open and his zip was undone on his trousers. You could see the top of his pubic mound sticking out. He’d been having the time of his life the mucky devil. Jack sat in the front of the taxi and he didn’t look amused, he kept looking over at Mark and shaking his head.

  Harry patted Jack on his arm and chuckled. “Fuck me they were horny as fuck them two. I could have gone back to Kim’s house for a night of filthy sex if I wanted to.”

  Mark lifted his head up from the window and his voice was low, he was traumatised. “I think I’ve been abused lads. Jane stuck her finger up my arse when I wasn’t even expecting it. Honest, I swear to you, I’m not even joking. I’ve been violated, someone phone the police.” Jack and Harry pissed themselves laughing. The taxi driver was amused and tried his best not to laugh. Mark was hanging his head out of the opened window and his face was white. Every now and then he shook his head and held his bum cheeks with his hands. “Fucking liberty,” he moaned.

  The lads made it back to the pub for last orders and they were laughing over Mark’s ordeal. Harry wobbled to his feet and slurped the last bit of liquid from his glass. Usually he would have stayed in the pub until they threw him out, but tonight Jenny was still lying heavily on his mind and he wanted to go home. “Right lads, I’m fucking off home. My Jenny is expecting a night of passion from me when I get in, so I better try and sober up. Have any of you got any Viagra. My ten inch warrior’s going to need it tonight; it’s like a shrivelled worm at the moment.”

  Jack held his lower stomach and giggled. “Nar mate, the last ones I had I gave to Mark. You know he struggles with brewer’s droop.”

  Mark smirked; he was still traumatised by the sneaky finger entering his bum hole. “Have you heard yourself Jack? I had one Viagra tablet from you and now you’re going on as if I have problems getting a bone on. It’s like a bar of steel when it’s at its full glory. Trust me, I don’t have any problems whatsoever in that department, and, if I remember rightly,” his eyes were wide open and he was pointing his finger at Jack. “It was you who bought the pills in the first place, so who’s the one with problems ay? Say no more Harry? We all know who’s got the problem.” Jack was bright red and he was struggling to get his words out. Harry sniggered and said goodbye, leaving his two mates still arguing.

  Walking down the road to his house, Harry was unsteady on his feet. He’d had more than enough to drink and he was steaming drunk. Singing to himself he slid his gold key into the door. Closing it quietly behind him he walked into the hallway tiptoeing across the laminated floor. There was still a light on in the front room. He looked confused. Creeping towards the door he pushed it slightly open with his hand. This was odd; everyone was usually in bed at this time of the night. Jenny was sat in the armchair reading a magazine; she raised her eyes up when she saw him standing at the door. “Hello, sweetheart, what are you still doing up? I thought you would have been well away by now?” Jenny closed her magazine and just sat staring at him, she was thinking. Walking further into the room Harry danced about in front of her. “We had a right laugh tonight Jenny. I swear to you, Jack and Mark are off their heads.” There was no reply. Harry fell onto his partner’s knees and cupped her chin in his hands. “Give us a kiss then.”

  Jenny pulled away from him and her face creased with disgust. “Will you just get off me Harry, I’m being serious, you’re crippling my legs, just get off me.” Harry snarled at her, in the past he’d given her a belt for less but these days he’d calmed down a lot.

  Jenny pushed him away from her and stood looking at him. Her hands rested on her hips. “Harry, I’m leaving you.”

  He was confused and sat down in the chair trying to digest what she’d just said. Taking a few seconds he held his arms out towards her. “Orr come here will you and stop fucking about. You know I go out on Friday nights, stop being daft. Come and sit on my knee and let’s talk about it.”

  Jenny paced the front room and she was adamant she was leaving. “No Harry, I’m being serious this time. I’ve had enough. I’m done.”

  Harry seemed to sober up in seconds, swallowing hard he stood to his feet and pulled her closer. “Are you being serious Jenny?” Licking her dry lips she nodded her head slowly. A single tear ran down her cheek and you could see she’d thought about her next words. “I love you Harry, but I’m not in love with you anymore.”

  He gripped her face in both hands and the beast inside him was ready to rear its ugly head. “You’re going nowhere. Where has all this come from anyway? You were fine before I went out with the lads, what’s happened since then?”

  Jenny wriggled free and stood facing the window, her body rocked slowly as she spoke. “I’ve just had enough Harry. My mind’s made up. On Monday I’m going to look for somewhere else to live. I’m taking the kids with me.”

  Harry melted to the floor, his mouth was open and no words were com
ing out, his lips were trembling. “You can’t just leave me. We love each other. Me and you all the way, remember?”

  “I’ve changed Harry. I want more from life,” she sobbed.

  “I can give you whatever you need,” Harry pleaded, “Just name it and it’s yours. Go on, name it.”

  Jenny turned to face him; she was trying to be as subtle as possible. Her voice was soft. “It’s too late Harry. I’ve fallen out of love with you.”

  Her words stabbed into his heart and he looked like he was going to collapse. Small beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Wiping them from his head, he pleaded with her, he was desperate. “We can work it out Jenny, nothing’s that bad that we can’t talk about it. I swear to you, I’ll do whatever it takes. Look,” he stood up and walked towards her. “I’ll stop going out on Friday night if that’s the problem.”

  Jenny chewed on her bottom lip, and shook her head slowly. “It’s too late for that Harry. I’m leaving no matter what you say.”

  His face changed and his fist curled into two balls at the side of him. There was no way she was having him over, she was getting a reminder of who he really was. He pummelled his fists into her slender body and she was screaming at the top of her voice.

  Harry’s daughter stood at the door watching her father’s outrage in floods of tears. “Dad, get off her will you. Why are you hurting her?” Morgan was thirteen years old and old headed for her age, she ran to her mother’s side trying to protect her. “Get back to bed Morgan, go now, before I lose my rag with you too.”

  The young girl shouted back at her father. “I’m staying here dad. If you hit her one more time I’m going to phone the police.” Harry knew he had to calm her down, she was hysterical. Taking her by the hand he yanked her away from Jenny. “I won’t touch her again, I promise you. Just go back to bed. This is adult stuff.”