by Sue Welford
‘I’ve got to take my parents to the airport,’ he explained. ‘They’re going back to Jamaica for a holiday, would that be OK, Drew?’
‘Sure,’ Drew said. ‘What time do you want me to be there. I’ve got some hours to put in around the hotel.’
‘I need to leave round five,’ Max said.
‘That’s fine, I’ll ask Mr Appleby if I can knock off then.’
‘It’s usually pretty quiet on a Saturday evening,’ Max said. ‘So there shouldn’t be any problems. I’ll pay you the going rate, of course.’
But Drew wouldn’t hear of it. He was glad to be able to repay Max’s favours.
Drew spent most of the day cleaning up around the pool area and helping tidy the stock room. He knocked off at four thirty, showered and changed and made his way through to the gym.
Max was waiting. ‘Here,’ he handed Drew a navy blue tracksuit with the Pavilion logo on the front. All the fitness centre staff wore them.
‘Will you be back before I close up?’ Drew asked.
Max shook his head. ‘No, just cash up as usual. If there’s any problems you can get me on my mobile phone.’
‘There won’t be,’ Drew said confidently. He’d been around the gym long enough to know the ropes.
When Max had gone, Drew changed into the tracksuit. He felt good in it. Better than those crummy overalls. Maybe he’d ask Max if there was a job going in the gym permanently. It was about time he went up in the world. He combed his hair back with his fingers and gazed at himself in the full length mirror for a minute. He was in pretty good shape. All those hours heaving weights round was certainly paying off. There were a dozen or so people using the machines. Drew spoke to one or two of the people working out. No-one seemed to need any advice so he tidied up a few free weights that had been left out of the cabinet then sat behind the counter reading one of Max’s magazines. He was just wondering if Cindy and Carl would turn up when she came in on her own. After the evening he had given her a lift home Drew wondered how she would react when she saw him. He need not have worried. Her face lit up when she saw him behind the counter.
‘Hi!’ She held his gaze briefly then looked down.
‘Hi,’ he said softly. ‘How are you?’
She looked up again and smiled. She still looked tired. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail and she wasn’t wearing a scrap of make-up. ‘OK, thanks.’ she said.
‘How’s your mum?’
‘She’s getting along all right.’
‘No word of a donor yet?’ Drew asked.
Cindy shook her head sadly. ‘No. They say it could be tomorrow, or it could be months, there’s just no telling. The strain’s beginning to tell on my dad. He’s going around like a bear with a sore head. That’s why I came out. We’ve been at the hospital all day. I thought a good work-out would do me good.’
‘It makes you wish you could do something to help.’
‘Yes.’ she said. ‘I wanted to have some tests to see if I could be a donor but Mum won’t hear of it.’
Drew thought that was about the most unselfish thing he’d ever heard. ‘I guess she wouldn’t want you to go through something like that,’ he said.
‘Yes, that’s what she said.’
She put her sports bag down and gave him her member’s card to run through the machine.
‘Where’s Carl?’ Drew asked.
‘Oh, he’s gone out with his friends... that new club in town.’
‘Why didn’t you go?’
‘I just didn’t feel like it. I said I was going to have a night in then changed my mind.’
‘He won’t like that,’ Drew said. ‘Especially if he knew I was here.’
She sighed. ‘No. But I didn’t know you would be. And can’t stand those clubs, he knows that. I said I just wanted some peace and quiet but...’
Drew waited but she didn’t go on. ‘I’ll turn the music down if you like,’ he said.
She smiled. ‘No, it’s OK. I don’t mind it here.’ She picked up her bag and went through into the changing room.
Drew watched her go. He wanted so much to take her in his arms it was like a pain deep in the pit of his stomach. He felt so helpless. She was having such a bad time and there was nothing he could do about it. He wanted to tell her she was crazy, sticking with someone like Hickson. Couldn’t she see how he was stringing her along. He was having a great time at the club, probably flirting around as usual. But Drew knew she wouldn’t thank him for telling her. OK, they were friends, but even friends didn’t always want to hear the truth. Anyway, she loved Carl, for better for worse, so it wouldn’t make any difference what Drew said.
It was almost an hour later when the fire alarm went off. It took Drew a couple of seconds to realise what was going on. The bell was tested every Friday evening and there were regular fire drills. Drew jumped off his stool. Today was Saturday. This was no test, this was the real McCoy!
Luckily, the gym was quiet now. Most punters had finished their work-outs, showered and gone off to the bar for drinks. There was a man on the exercise bike and another using the dumb bells. Cindy was nowhere to be seen. Drew had been so determined not to keep gazing at her he’d buried his head in a book and hadn’t even noticed she’d finished.
Drew ran over to the man using the dumb bells, shouting as he went. ‘Out! This is for real... out as quick as you can.’ The man headed towards the changing room. Drew dashed after him and grabbed his arm. ‘You can’t get your stuff, just get out, please. Wait in the staff car park so we know where you are!’ The man ran out, followed by the guy who’d been using the exercise bike.
Drew knew the drill like the back of his hand. Even part-time workers like him had to know what to do in case of a fire.
Drew dashed to the ladies changing room. He hammered on the door.
‘Cindy!’ he yelled.
There was no answer so he didn’t hesitate. He pushed open the door and ran inside.
‘Cindy!’ he yelled again. He could hear the swish of the shower and a cloud of steam rose from the top of one of the cubicles.
‘I’m in here.’
‘Cindy, you’ve got to get out!’
He grabbed a towel from the shelf and threw it over the top of the cubicle. She turned off the water and appeared with it wrapped round her. She blinked at him. ‘Isn’t it a test?’
He pulled her arm. ‘For goodness’ sake, Cindy no it isn’t!’
She looked at him in horror. Water dripped into her eyes. ‘I can’t go out like this.’
‘Yes, you can. Come on... please.’
He took her arm and they ran to the door, along the covered way and out into the car park. It was chilly out there. The sky was clear and a keen wind blew round the corner of the building with a sharpness like the edge of a knife.
People were spilling out of the fire exits. They were milling around, looking scared and confused. Drew left Cindy and ran over, ushering the people outside. He told them to stay where they were. Whether the fire was serious or not they would need to know if anyone was missing. He helped an old lady who had stumbled coming out of the door. He took her bag from her hand and led her over to a group of people and left them all talking together.
Cindy was still standing where he had left her.
‘I can’t see any fire,’ she said. She began to shiver, hopping up and down to try to keep warm. ‘Drew, I’m freezing.’
He took off his tracksuit top and put it round her shoulders.
She looked up at him. ‘Thanks.’
‘Stay here, I’ll go and see if I can find out what’s going on.’
She held his arm. ‘Drew, don’t go inside.’ There was something like panic in her voice.
‘It’ll be OK... it’s probably a false alarm but you can’t be sure.’
‘Well, be careful.’ She was still shivering, hugging herself.
‘I will.’
He met Mr Appleby coming out of door. He told Drew what was going on. ‘Is just a small pan fi
re in the kitchen,’ he explained. ‘It set all the alarms off. We’ve got to wait until the fire brigade get here before we can go back in, though.’
‘Right.’ Drew ran back to where Cindy was still trying to keep warm. She was talking to one of the waitresses. He explained what had happened. The waitress went off to tell the others.
The fire engine turned up and screeched to a halt in front of the building. A couple of firemen jumped out and spoke to the manager, waiting by the gate. The firemen disappeared inside. A while later, the assistant manager came out, full of apologies, and began ushering people back inside.
‘Come on,’ Drew put his arm across Cindy’s shoulders and hugged her to him. ‘Before you get pneumonia.’
She rubbed his arm, covered in goosebumps. ‘You’re cold too.’
Then Drew heard someone call her name. John Hickson was hurrying across the car park. Instead of his usual business suit he wore baggy jeans and a polo shirt. He arrived out of breath.
Cindy turned in the circle of Drew’s arm. ‘Uncle John!’
The manager hurried up to speak to him but Hickson waved him aside. ‘I’ll be with you in a minute, George.’ He gazed at Cindy, then at Drew, still standing with his arm round her. ‘Cindy are you all right?’
‘Yes, I’m fine Uncle John, honestly.’
‘Thank goodness for that.’ He took a puff of his cigar then looked back at Drew. His eyes travelled up and down Drew’s figure. ‘You work here, don’t you?’ He said, frowning.
‘Yes, sir,’ Drew said.
‘Uncle John, this is Drew Devlin,’ Cindy said. ‘He’s been working in the gym this evening. He was great in getting us all out.’
‘Good, good. Remembered your fire drill, did you?’
‘Yes, sir.’ Drew said.
‘Well done,’ he patted Cindy absent mindedly on the shoulder. ‘As long as you’re all right, Cindy.’ The manager was still hovering behind them, wringing his hands together. The car park was almost clear now. ‘I’d better have a word with George.’ Hickson said.
Drew took his arm away from Cindy’s shoulders as they went back through the door. She took off the track-suit top and handed it back to Drew. His fingers brushed hers as he took it from her. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I’d better get changed.’
By the time she came out, Drew had cashed up and was ready to take the money over to the reception desk where it was put in the safe over night. He was waiting to switch off the lights and lock up.
‘Thanks for looking after me, Drew,’ she said.
He shrugged. ‘What are friends for.’
She stood close to him, her wet hair plastered back, her face flushed from the humidity of the shower room. A bead of moisture ran down her forehead. Without even thinking he raised his finger to wipe it away.
Drew never knew quite how it happened but suddenly his arms were round her. All he knew was that he wanted to kiss her more than anything else in the world. Nothing else mattered.
There was a thud as her bag fell to the floor. She was beating his chest... ‘Drew!’
But as he went to let her go, her arms went up round his neck and they were kissing. Softly at first, then more insistent. Her lips were soft and tasted like heaven. He heard her make a small noise in her throat. Her hands went up into his hair and she was pulling his head down as if she never wanted to let him go. He felt fire shoot through his veins. He began to tremble. He’d kissed a few girls before but nothing in the whole wide world had ever been like this.
Then, with a cry, she broke away. To his horror, tears were running down her cheeks. Before he could gather his reeling senses, she had grabbed her bag and flung herself out of the door.
‘Cindy!’ He shouted but she had gone. Running across the car park as fast as she could. She wrenched open the car door and threw her bag in the back. Then she climbed into the drivers seat and gunned the ignition. The Mini spun away, its tyres sending up a shower of gravel. It didn’t stop at the entrance but with another screech of tyres she pulled straight out into the road and accelerated away down the street.
Drew watched until the red tail lights disappeared from sight. Then he sat down on the step and put his hands over his face. He was still shaking. His knees felt like jelly. The kiss had been everything he had dreamed of. Every moment since he had first seen her standing by the college gates had been leading up to this. What had possessed her he didn’t know. But whatever it was he knew one thing for certain. She had wanted that kiss as much as he had.
He groaned and ran his hands through his hair. He felt stunned. Why on earth had she responded like that? Then he began to realise that, for Cindy, it had been nothing but one weak moment. She had been feeling fed up. Her mum was sick, her boyfriend gone out without her, she had been scared by the fire. His chest rose in a deep sigh. Yes, that’s all it had been. He wished that’s all it had been for him too.
Trying to pull himself together, he stood up, got the cash box and locked up the gym. He was still feeling dazed as he deposited the box with the porter and said goodnight. He made his way out to the car park.
The wind had dropped and the sky was a vault of stars. Drew gazed up at them for a minute or two then got on his bike and rode home.
He couldn’t sleep that night. He still felt dazed, confused. It was almost as if he could see the next few months unwinding in front of him like a slow reel of hopelessness. Bumping into Cindy at the gym, at college, seeing her with Carl. He knew it would tear him to pieces. But what could he do? Nothing, except get over it. He would have to put her to the back of his mind. It wouldn’t be easy. In fact it would be toughest thing he’d ever had to do in his life. But he knew, somehow or other, he had just got do it.
Outside, Drew heard the sound of his neighbour’s car pull up outside. In the distance a train rumbled its way towards the city. Then came the roar of a powerful motorbike on the main road. Drew turned over and eventually drifted off into a restless and uneasy sleep.
He was still in the same frame of mind by the middle of the following week. He hadn’t seen Cindy or Carl since the night of the fire. He hadn’t gone to the gym in case they were there. He couldn’t face Cindy, not yet. And he certainly couldn’t face Carl, especially if his father had told him he’d seen Drew and Cindy together. He could only hope Carl wasn’t giving her a bad time over it.
He had avoided going into the college canteen in case she was there. Once he thought he had spotted her talking to a crowd of girls in the quadrangle but it had turned out to be someone else entirely.
Then a few days later, he saw her.
He and Skip had been sitting on the grass with their shirts off, trying to get a sun tan during the lunch hour.
‘Hey, look,’ Skip had suddenly said. ‘There’s the body beautiful.’
Cindy was over by the gate, standing alone. She seemed to be looking for someone. She was wearing denim cut-offs and a blue shirt tied in a knot at the waist. Drew’s heart turned over at the sight of her. He saw her glance at her watch. He wanted to rush over, to say ‘hi’ and find out if she was OK. To find out if she would explain why she had kissed him as if she never wanted it to end. But he stayed where he was, watching her from afar and knowing it was the only thing he could ever do.
‘So it is,’ he said, trying to sound casual but knowing he wasn’t fooling his friend one little bit.
‘Have you heard the rumours about Hickson?’ Skip asked. He lay back, leaning on one elbow and chewing a piece of grass.
Drew looked at him sharply. ‘No... what?’
‘They say he’s going out with a girl from Marie’s school.’
Drew stared at him. ‘What...? Two-timing Cindy?’
Skip shrugged. ‘It’s only a rumour... someone saw them at that new club in town.’
Drew felt a surge of anger. Trust Hickson! He’d always had a reputation for messing his girlfriends around. But Cindy...! The guy must be crazy.
Skip was looking at him. ‘You going to tell her?’
> ‘You’re joking,’ Drew said. ‘It’s nothing to do with me anyway.’
‘No that’s true,’ Skip said. ‘Anyway, it’s only a rumour.’
Drew lay back on the grass with his face to the sun. He could hear the sound of a motor mower from the playing field and the scent of newly cut grass drifted towards him on the breeze. He felt groggy, tired. He hadn’t been sleeping well and for the first time since he started college, was beginning to find his Course tough going. And now what Skip had just told him made him feel worse. He hated the thought of Cindy getting hurt.
Then suddenly he heard her voice. ‘Hi, you two.’
When he opened his eyes she was standing there, staring down at him. Drew felt his heart turn over.
He sat up quickly. ‘Hi,’ he said, annoyed to hear his voice come out in a squeak. He cleared his throat noisily.
He was suddenly acutely aware of the fact this was the first time they had been near to one another since that crazy kiss. The kiss that he couldn’t get out of his mind however hard he tried.
Cindy was gazing at him. She flushed slightly as their eyes met and he could tell by the expression on her face that she was remembering too.
‘How’s your mum?’ Skip asked.
Cindy looked surprised that he knew about her. She glanced at him. ‘She’s getting on OK,’ she said.
‘Is she still having dialysis?’ Drew asked.
Cindy nodded. ‘She’ll have to have that until she gets a transplant.’
‘Let’s hope it’s soon, then,’ Drew said. He didn’t know what else to say. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to go through all that.
‘Er, Skip,’ Cindy was saying. ‘Could I talk to Drew alone for a minute, please?’
‘Er, yeah, sure.’ Skip scrambled to his feet. He gathered up his things. ‘See you.’
‘See you,’ she flung him a brief smile. ‘Can I sit down?’ she asked Drew.
He spread his T-shirt out on the grass and patted it. ‘Sure.’
She sat with her knees drawn up to her chin, not looking at him. ‘Drew, I really need to talk to you.’
‘Go ahead,’ he said. He tried to sound casual although his heart was banging away like a drum in his chest like a demented rock band.