Fast Forward 6 Months Later
Betty For Dinner
It was Stephen's coffee break at 9 am. He knew there wouldn't be any customers at Grace Brothers at the opening bell, so he rang over. The switchboard operator put his call through to the Ladies' Department. Betty answered and his heart leapt.
"Betty? This is Stephen. If you don't have anything on for this evening, I was wondering if you'd like to come round for dinner. "
She smiled, "Yes, I'd like that."
He began figuring in his head what time he's pick her up- 'through at 6, change, bus ride home, wash up, set table…'
"Are you going to wear your pinny?" she asked.
"If you want me to," he teased, "How does half-past 7 suit you?"
"That will do me just fine."
"So I will pick you up at half-seven," he stated.
"I've got to go, Rumbold's walking this way. See you then."
"OK, Betty. Until then."
He hung up and did a Victory Flex, "Yesssss!"
One of Stephen's coworkers, Colin, walked up behind him, "Is that the one from Grace Brothers you're trying to get back with?"
He smiled and nodded, "She's coming round for dinner tonight!"
"Well done, mate!" he patted Stephen's back.
Stephen prepared the house for Betty's arrival. Everything looked flawless: the table was set with candles, wine, and flowers in a vase; he had soft music cued to play on the Hi-Fi.
He and Betty walked back to his flat, arm in arm. As they approached Stephen's flat, a brown scruffy-looking alley cat began yowling loudly.
"Oh, my! What a dreadful-looking pussy!" Betty lamented.
"Uh? Where? Oh, him. He's sort of adopted me," Stephen chuckled.
"Oh, he's so pitiful! He's only got one eye. Where did he come from?"
"He started hanging about a while back. I gave him a little bit of a sandwich I had left from the pub one night and I gave him some milk in a saucer. He's been here ever since. He listened to every aspect of the divorce. I call him Neville."
He reached down and scratched the cat's head. Neville purred loudly, rubbing around Stephen's legs.
"Why don't you bring him in? You could put in a cat flap." Betty stooped to stroke Neville's back. He looked up at Betty with his one big yellow eye.
"The boys in Building and Grounds knocked up a little cat house for him. They lined it with carpet from Mr. Woodward's office redecorating, I brought home a blanket that was damaged, and I put in his house. I must have looked a sight carrying his house on the bus! It's round back in the garden. I work too many hours to have an indoor pet. Could you see me at work going, 'I can't stay late- my pussy's been locked up 12 hours!' 'If I'm not home by the stroke of 7, my pussy goes mad!' It's bad enough your Mr. Lucas calls me 'Captain Slocombe'; I don't want people to think I'm pussy-whipped!"
She laughed.
After dinner, Stephen walked Betty home. He held her hand, his fingers interlaced with hers.
"I didn't know you still lived there," she said.
"Well, I have to be to work by 6 am to get the store ready. I come home at half-past 6, almost 7. Sometimes I work overtime or a double shift. This way I don't have to be alone for too long. I've been working like this for the past 6 months."
"That's why I haven't seen you," she mused.
"Fridays, in our pay packet, there's a voucher for a pint at the pub. It's to promote camaraderie," he chuckled.
"Do you go?"
"Occasionally. Sometimes I just want to be alone. Other times..." he sighed. Then he smiled excitedly,"I play football on Sundays!"
"You?" she sounded surprised.
"Would you like to come out and watch sometime? Almost every store has a team. We play against each other. The owners and managers put up wagers. We play for bragging rights."
"Do the teams have names? For instance, what is your team called?" still shocked. She did think he looked thinner than he had 6 months ago, but she rationalized that it was because she hadn't seen him for so long.
"Well, since we're from Woodward and Lothrop, we're the Wood Chucks,"he chuckled nervously.
"Does Grace Brothers have a team? I had never heard of stores having football teams."
"Yes. They are the Brothers. Derry and Toms are the Tom Cats. They tend to keep the names simple, so you know which stores are playing. Also it avoids any confusion with real, professional teams. Harrods' team is the Kings. We're part of an association called Ambush Football."
"Who are you playing against Sunday?"
He let out a groan,"Sainsbury's- The Saints. The never lose. And they're so cocky and arrogant about it. Bunch of spoiled college boys! You should come along; it'll be fun. We usually go out for a pint afterwards."
"That would make it worthwhile."
On her doorstep, he leaned forward, pursed his lips to kiss her, and panic gripped him. He was nervous as to where his nose should go- left or right? Mouth open? Mouth closed? Tongue? No tongue? Eyes open? Eyes closed? Will his moustache prickle her lips? His heart thumped in his chest. Why was this so difficult?
His voice yelled in his head,"You're bunging it big time! You've got a picture of the hottest kiss of your life in your wallet, why are you faltering? You can do this! Kiss her!"
Betty could sense his apprehension. She reached up and put her hand on the back of his neck. He dipped his head forward and it all fell into place.
Early the next morning, Stephen woke a little earlier than usual. He had a task to do before heading for the bus. As he stood drinking his coffee in the kitchen of his flat, he began to scribble a quick note to Betty on a piece of torn grocery sack.
"I never thought I'd miss you half as much as I do
And I never thought I'd feel this way, the way I feel about you
As soon as I wake up Every night, every day, I know that it's you I need to take the blues away. It must be love. Nothing more, nothing less, Love is the best.
How can it be that we can say so much without words?
I've got to be near you every night, every day
I couldn't be happy any other way. **
I love you. Stephen."
Stephen folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. He left a few minutes early; Neville meowed at him as he stepped outside the front door. He bent down to pet him, "How are you, Buddy? I'm going to drop this note in Betty's letterbox on my way to work. Be good."
"Meow!"
The neighborhood was quiet and peaceful except for a dog barking in the distance.
He quietly walked up to Betty's front door and gently opened the letterbox. He dropped the note through and silently eased the letterbox door closed. Then he hurried to catch his bus, buying a newspaper for the ride to work.
** (Madness)