by Kit Eyre
‘Why haven’t you?’
‘Because she doesn’t matter. Let her think what she likes as long as we’re getting her money at the end of the day. I’ll play nice with her, but she’s not right. Booking in customers or talking over the phone – it’s just what you do.’
‘I bet I still couldn’t do it,’ Amy said.
Max’s lips twitched. ‘If I take you up on that, I can nip down the road and get us some cake. What do you reckon?’
‘I – I couldn’t, I’d mess it up –’
‘If Drew can do it, you can,’ Max cut in. Then she held up a hand and continued, ‘Not that I’m forcing you into doing it, just thought you might want some lemon drizzle cake, that’s all.’
That made her mouth water, though she covered by taking another sip of tea.
‘How did your internship work out?’ questioned Max after a moment.
‘I did a lot of filing and making cups of coffee,’ Amy replied.
‘No answering the phone?’
She shook her head. ‘They didn’t quite know what to do with me. It was like they were wearing kid gloves, you know? I was there, I got the tick for my CV, but they didn’t want to offend me by giving me anything to actually do. I was bored.’
‘Maybe they should’ve got you to answer the phone. That’s not boring.’
‘Yeah, but it is important and I’m not . . .’
‘What, good enough?’ Max finished for her.
‘I’ll mess up,’ she murmured.
Max patted the switchboard then stood up. ‘Not on this thing, you won’t. Come on, I’m not leaving you to it, but I’m saying I could if I wanted. All you do is speak to them naturally and put the postcode into this machine. Here, I’ll show you.’
Even though her stomach was churning, she found herself leaving the Batman mug on the carpet and taking Max’s place in the switchboard chair. It smelled more of sugar than the rest of the office, although the backrest was deceptively comfortable. She listened attentively to all Max’s instructions then nearly panicked when the machine in front of her buzzed and flashed.
‘You’re fine,’ Max said, rubbing her shoulder. ‘Go for it.’
Amy cleared her throat then pressed the button. ‘Pinder Cabs, Amy speaking.’
‘Oh, hiya, love,’ a raspy voice replied. ‘Can I have a taxi from 8 Bawlin Lane on the Cottinghill Estate?’
‘Where are you going to?’
‘Cat and Bottle, down Ridgeway Lane.’
She put all that into the system and clicked. ‘That’ll be eight minutes. Can I take a name?’
‘Doreen.’ There was a pause. ‘Eight minutes?’
‘Sorry – is that too long?’
‘No, love, I’ll set me stopwatch by it, that’s all.’
Her gruff laugh was cut off when the call ended. Amy covered her eyes and tried to duck out of the seat, but Max pushed her back down.
‘You’ve still got to dispatch, don’t do half a job. You’re giving it to Raj from where he is so just radio it through. Or it’ll be more like nine minutes, come on.’
Amy couldn’t help but laugh. It took a second to recall how to use the radio then she blurted out the instructions in a rush. That left her facing another lengthy pause that brought fresh heat to her cheeks.
‘Erm, who’s this?’ Raj asked.
Max chuckled and took over. ‘8 Bawlin Lane, soon as, mate.’
‘That was horrible,’ Amy muttered, burying her head in her hands. ‘I sounded like such an idiot.’
‘You got the call dispatched, you’re fine. Doreen was only taking the mickey out of you and Raj was just checking he wasn’t being had. It’s normal, it’s good.’
‘Good?’ she repeated.
‘Yeah, the job got done. It’s that simple sometimes. Look, you could’ve gone off on one like Pauline did this once with her niece’s ex’s mother-in-law. That lost us hundreds, but she felt better after it.’
Amy smiled. ‘You’re not a normal boss.’
‘I wouldn’t wanna be. That’s how me and Drew got going with this place – our old boss was a right old arsehole so we took half his lads and started out on our own. Only took two years for him to go out of business. Should feel sorry for him, but he deserved it. Here, you’ve done your bit and proved you can do it. I’ll take back over.’
‘No, I need another chance,’ she replied.
Max went over to retrieve her mug from the floor and passed it to her. ‘You’ll need this.’
The next hour passed in a flurry of calls and a few customers appearing in person. Amy found herself almost enjoying it, especially when a woman complimented her phone manner. Instead of hovering, Max took root on the sofa with a Stephen King novel and Amy was sure she heard snoring from behind it at one point.
Her equilibrium was shattered when the door opened and Drew walked in though. She snatched the headset from around her neck, dumping it on the chair and backing away.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t –’
‘Whoa, hold up, I’m not a monster,’ he interrupted. ‘Just an idiot when I’m not asleep, if you listen to Max. Has she got you pulling illegal shifts now then?’
‘Only if we’re paying her in tea,’ Max said as she crossed the room. She rested a hand on Amy’s shoulder and asked, ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine,’ she murmured.
Drew scratched his cheek. ‘It’s my fault. Look, I was well out of line last week. It’s no excuse, but I had a lot on my mind and I’m a prat to boot so . . . If you’re a mate of Max’s, you’re welcome here anytime. As long as her mates aren’t ashamed of her, that’s fine by me.’
‘I’d never be ashamed of her,’ Amy answered.
‘Yeah,’ he said with a smile, ‘you wouldn’t be here if you were.’
Chapter 19
‘Drew, I swear, I’m pregnant, not terminally ill. If you lay one finger on that potato masher, you’ll be wearing the turkey instead of a paper hat.’
Max winced as Elena rounded on him with a wooden spoon then she stretched to nudge him away towards the table.
‘Here, pull a cracker with me,’ she suggested.
‘I’m only trying to help,’ he said.
‘Help me with the cracker then. I want a hat.’
It took until dinner was on the table for him to settle properly, but then he managed to hoover up everything that came within a foot of his plate. That shut him up for a while, giving Elena more chance to talk than she usually had when the three of them were together.
‘When’s Valerie picking you up?’ Elena asked when the pudding bowls were empty.
‘Three, so she said.’
Drew burped. ‘Expecting her to be on time?’
‘She is out feeding the homeless,’ Elena said. ‘I’m not sure punctuality comes into it today.’
‘Well, she’s not doing it for the love of the homeless, is she?’
‘I wouldn’t know. I still haven’t met her, remember?’
‘You’re not missing much,’ he muttered.
‘I doubt that’s fair.’ Elena glanced to Max. ‘Do you think she’d come up for a drink?’
Max reached for their bowls to stack with her own. ‘We’ve only got a few hours before she goes to Clarice’s with Amy, but I don’t see why not.’
‘Oh, do we have to?’ Drew moaned.
‘I want to meet her,’ insisted Elena. ‘I’ve met Amy and she’s fantastic –’
‘Yeah, well, the apple bounced off the tree, fell in the canal and drifted half a mile away. They’re nothing like each other. Amy’s lovely, Valerie’s a pain in the arse. Come on, El, it’s Christmas. I’m not having her in my home.’
Elena crossed her arms over her swollen stomach. ‘Do I have to play the pregnant woman card?’
He groaned, but they all knew she’d won. In her text message, Max made it clear that Elena was the one doing the asking, and Valerie confirmed within two minutes. She’d had an interest in Elena since that night at the hospital, no
t that Drew wanted to understand that. It’d mess with that image he had in his head of her with webbed feet and bloodshot eyes.
The minutes ticked by and Drew started shredding his paper hat to pieces. Max got herself another beer then dived into a conversation with Elena about some of the vandalism down by the park. It kept them talking till the buzzer rang then Max leapt up to answer it.
Drew sniggered. ‘She really has got you trained.’
Elena threw a cushion at his head, giving Max chance to slip out into the hallway. She buzzed Valerie in, unlatched the door, then spent the time till she arrived looking at the picture of the last ultrasound Drew had framed next to the kitchen.
‘I promise, they look different when they come out,’ Valerie said beside her.
Max jumped as she twisted around. ‘You scared me.’
‘Well, you were in your own little world. Are you all right?’
‘Fine,’ she replied. ‘Eaten too much, that’s all.’
Valerie wrapped both arms round her waist and pressed a kiss to her lips. She pulled away then motioned for them to move out of the hallway. Max would’ve hung back a bit longer if Elena’s voice hadn’t echoed from the living room.
‘Stop hogging her,’ she called.
‘Is that what you’re doing?’ Valerie whispered.
A shiver ran through Max’s body. ‘Oh, yeah.’
‘Later,’ said Valerie as she took a step towards the living room. ‘I promise.’
Walking into Drew’s line of sight was the best passion-killer Max could’ve come across. He was watching the doorway with a snarl on his face that barely eased when Elena glanced over at him. Anyone else might’ve been intimidated, but not Valerie. She just nodded in his direction then turned her full attention to Elena.
‘Thank you for inviting me, it’s good to finally meet you. I feel as though we’ve spent months missing each other. You’re looking remarkably well.’
Elena patted her stomach. ‘I don’t feel it. But I don’t care. Do you want a glass of wine?’
‘I think I’d better stick to water since I’m driving,’ Valerie answered.
‘Always on the job, eh?’ Drew muttered.
Valerie ignored him and smiled at Elena. ‘You’re due in early April, aren’t you?’
‘They’ve got me down for the 1st, believe it or not.’
‘Well, that could be interesting. Do you know what you’re having yet?’
‘No, we haven’t asked.’
‘Any preference?’
‘As long as it’s healthy, I couldn’t care less,’ Elena said.
‘I understand. I’m sure you’re doing everything right, it’ll be fine.’
Drew snorted as he dragged himself up from the sofa. ‘You can’t be sure, none of us can be. Not the doctors, no one.’
The tension in the room ramped up a notch. Max exchanged a look with Elena, getting her silent permission to end this as quickly as she could, then reached for Valerie’s hand. It was yanked away before she could get hold of it as Valerie rounded on Drew.
‘A platitude is better than nothing, wouldn’t you say?’ she questioned.
‘Doesn’t mean anything coming from a politician.’
‘I’m not a politician by trade.’
‘Yeah, then why are you acting like one?’
Valerie crossed her arms. ‘I wasn’t aware that I was.’
‘Feeding the homeless Christmas dinner? Right photo opportunity, chance to get your face in the papers again. You’re sick.’
‘I see you didn’t bother volunteering,’ she said.
‘I’ve got responsibilities,’ Drew shot back. ‘Can’t go swanning off when I feel like it. That’s what it’s like when your family lives in the same house.’
‘Oi,’ Max said sharply.
‘It’s true,’ he snapped.
Valerie let out a growl that was more usual in other circumstances. ‘I’d really love to know what your problem is with me. I haven’t done a thing wrong as far as I can tell. We’ve barely spoken a handful of times.’
‘A handful,’ he mimicked.
‘Oh, that’s it, is it? Plain old leftie jealousy.’
He reared up on his heels. ‘You what?’
‘There we go – that’s what you think it comes down to. Class war; me against you. Because I happened to land on my feet with Tim, you think I’ve forgotten, don’t you? People don’t forget.’
‘Your sort do.’
‘My sort?’
‘Users,’ he said, squaring up to her. ‘You got a good home out of Tim, now you’re getting a good – secret – shag out of Max every other day. You must reckon you’ve got it made. Only thing is, Amy can see right through you. She’s a smart kid, that one. Must get it from her dad.’
Valerie twisted back towards him, every muscle in her body throbbing. Mindful that Elena had just recoiled into the sofa, Max stepped between them and held up her hands to Drew.
‘Just leave it,’ she said.
He shook his head. ‘She’s using you. Anyone can see a mile off.’
‘All right, will you shut up?’ Max demanded.
The voice coming out of her mouth surprised all of them, including herself. She didn’t recognise it as her own, more like Colonel Peter Jarvis on loudspeaker. She shot a look at Elena to check she was okay then stretched out a hand to Valerie.
‘We’re going,’ she said.
Drew grimaced and slumped back towards the sofa, his cheeks burning. ‘I just can see what she’s doing. I’m only saying this because I care, because we’re mates.’
‘Then be a mate,’ Max replied as she nudged Valerie through the door into the hallway. ‘Stop being a prize arsehole because, otherwise, I’m done. I mean it, Drew. See you tomorrow night for the shift.’
Chapter 20
‘Can you please stop smiling?’
Valerie cast a glance sideways. ‘It’s appropriate to smile on Christmas Day.’
‘This isn’t an appropriate kind of smile. Please, tone it down, I wouldn’t like to have to explain it to Biddy’s church friends.’
‘It’s not what you think,’ Valerie said.
Amy tilted back her head and rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, God, now that’s what I’m thinking. Thanks, Mum. Just what I needed with half of St. Michael’s wandering around through there.’
Valerie chuckled then turned back to watch the guests ambling around the stifling kitchen. Beyond, in every other downstairs room, there were clumps of people that Amy barely recognised, but Biddy had enough influence to encourage them to leave their homes on Christmas Day and come to her party. She eschewed an extravagant Christmas dinner in favour of this, and every year she seemed to go further, ordering more food and stockpiling bottles of questionable wines. Only this week had Amy finally realised the amount of effort that she expended on it all, and she’d been horrified. That was why she’d found herself up to her elbows in soap suds on Christmas Eve, trying to scrub scorched pastry from the rim of a quiche tin.
‘Mum, I meant to say, don’t have any of the Victoria Sponge. I lost a nail and I’m not sure where.’
‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ Valerie replied with an attempt to smother her amusement. ‘I’m sad to see that Ed’s flair for baking hasn’t quite transferred onto you. Anyway, are you okay, sweetheart? You’ve been quiet since I arrived.’
‘Biddy’s pushing herself too hard,’ she muttered.
‘It’s only one night. It’s important to her, it always has been.’
Amy chewed on her lip. ‘I get that, I do. But I bet she’s twirling around in there with a sherry in her hand, and it’s not good for her. It’s like I’m the only one who cares what she might be doing to herself.’
‘Well, that’s not true. No one would be here tonight if they didn’t care about her.’
‘Then where are they the rest of the year? She gets phone calls; I know how many because I answer them. Some still write, a couple of them email. That’s great because she keeps acciden
tally deleting them. This – tonight – it’s a ritual, a chance for everyone to have a party at her expense.’
Valerie twisted to deposit her wine on the counter. ‘That’s the way she likes it. You father always said she was happy to live the rest of the year with just us if she could have this illusion every Christmas.’
‘Did he call it an illusion, or did she?’
‘I doubt he plucked it out of thin air.’
‘Was it him?’ Amy pressed.
‘Stop it,’ insisted Valerie. ‘I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong.’
Amy fell silent, picking a thread from her robin jumper while the carols rumbled on in the living room. The image in her mind of Biddy swaying back and forth between guests was interrupted by a face hovering around the periphery of her imagination, watching and smiling. As hard as she tried to add colour to his cheeks, the blanched complexion of his final Christmas party lingered on. The memory drizzled away when a round of applause went up from next door and Amy forced herself to turn to Valerie.
‘How was Max?’ she asked.
Valerie’s smile was back, more intimate than before. ‘Good. She survived Drew’s in one piece. I even went up to meet Elena for the first time.’
‘How did that go? Drew’s not your biggest fan.’
‘Oh, I know. That aspect of it was a complete disaster, but I realised something. I mean, I know Max loves me – loves us. But I think I doubted how far she’d go, especially if it came down to a choice. With Drew sniping over the past few months, it’s crossed my mind more than once. But it’s us, Amy. We matter to her as much as we mattered to your father. I didn’t think that could happen again.’
‘But you’re still lying,’ Amy pointed out.
‘We’re settled,’ Valerie said, reaching to retrieve her wine. ‘I can’t afford any drama, not with the election this close. If you start rattling the table at this point, one domino might fall. I can’t risk it.’
‘And after the election? Will you tell her then?’