Fireflies (10 page)

Rebecca’s jaw dropped. ‘You dirty bastard’.

‘And her mother’.

‘You are joking’.

‘No, straight up’.

‘Well yes I know all about that with you’ said Rebecca. ‘In fact, I can see you’re getting it on again, aren’t you?’

‘Why don’t you slip your hand down there and find out?’

Rebecca slipped her hand under the duvet and sure enough Jonathan was getting another whopper of an erection. She wrapped her fingers lightly round it and stroked it gently.

‘I’m not much of a mystery man, Rebecca’.

‘Not much?’

‘Every gentleman keeps some things secret just like every lady’.

‘After the sex we’ve just had I don’t think there’s much about me you don’t know’.

‘I know that you’ve got beautifully shaped breasts that are just the right size for my hands’ said Jonathan as he caressed her breasts with his free hand. He then fingered his way
down her body and penetrated her with his finger and started massaging around. ‘I know that you’re very accommodating down here’.

Rebecca arched her back and gasped. He’d found the place again just like he’d done before and his finger would be wet through when he brought it out.

‘God, that feels good’ said Rebecca, her head back.

Jonathan began to kiss her breasts and then bite on her erect nipples. She could feel his erection against the top of her leg and she wanted him inside her again. Jonathan brought his finger out and licked it dry as she watched. Then he gently parted her legs and was taking her again.

‘You’re a dirty job but somebody’s got to do you’ said Jonathan as he went into the rhythm.

‘I’ll bet there’s a lot of dirt on you, Jonathan’ she blurted out between gasps. She wrapped her arms round his neck and then slid her hands go down into the small of his back where she urged him in deeper.

‘Me? The only dirt you’ll find on me, sweetheart, are the stains I make on your sheets’.

By the time they’d finished the second time Rebecca had lost track of whatever the time was. But somehow she didn’t care. It had taken Jonathan to walk into her life and sweep her off her feet to make her admit to herself that her feelings for Jeff Barton were complicated.

‘I should never have let this happen, Jonathan’.

‘What have you got to be guilty about?’

‘Oh nothing. I was just thinking’.

‘Don’t think. People do too much bloody thinking. Just do is what I say. It felt right to have sex with you and I’m so glad we did. But some people would’ve still been thinking about it. You know?’

‘I know’.

‘I’ve never seen the point’ said Jonathan. ‘I’m not very English in that way’.

‘No, you’re not very English at all’ said Rebecca. She ran the back of her hand through the hairs on Jonathan’s chest. ‘You are so open, Jonathan. That’s one of the things I really like about you’.

‘One of the things?’

‘Well okay, that and your big cock’.

‘Yeah, he’s not a bad size, I’ll grant you that’.

‘I shouldn’t be laughing like this as if I haven’t got a care in the world’.

‘That’s because right at this minute you haven’t’.

‘Right at this minute?’

‘Well I’m aware I’m a poor substitute for the boss’.

Rebecca sat upright. ‘What did you say?’

‘It’s not only women who are perceptive’ said Jonathan. ‘The whole station know there’s something unspoken going on between you and Jeff Barton. To be honest they all wish the two of you would just get on with it’.

Rebecca was mortified to think that everybody had been talking about her and Jeff when there was no her and Jeff to talk about. ‘Everybody knows?’

‘Pretty much’.

‘So what was this all about?’

‘Well seeing as I didn’t exactly have to drag you here kicking and screaming then why don’t you tell me what it’s all about?’

‘A diversion?’

‘Yes, we’re adults, Rebecca and we’ve had fantastic fun. A fun diversion with no strings’.  

‘It doesn’t bother you that I might have feelings for someone else?’

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders. ‘It didn’t bother me when I was fucking a bride and an hour later her mother when their respective husbands were at the bar’.

‘A bride on her wedding day?
That’s low, Jonathan’.

‘Lower than doing it with her mother do you think?’

‘I don’t know. I’ll have to ponder that one’.

‘Well don’t ponder too much. Too much pondering and thinking is very bad for the spontaneity in the soul’.

‘Oh I’ve been played good and proper’.

‘Yes you have’ said Jonathan. ‘But not by me. I mean, who
do you think has been spreading it around the station that you and the boss have got the hots for each other?’

‘Tell me?’

‘DC Ollie Wright’.

‘Ollie?’

‘Oh yes’.

‘I don’t believe it’ said Rebecca. ‘Ollie is the last person I would think of as a gossip’.

‘Well I’ve only been there five minutes and I can see right through him’ said Jonathan. ‘He’s been putting it around about you and the boss’.

‘I can’t believe it. Ollie?’

‘It’s what those bitter and twisted Queen types do’.

‘Now you’ve lost me again?’

‘Is that something else you didn’t know? Rebecca, Ollie is gay. He’s probably hot for Barton which is why he decided to spread his poison. He’s jealous of you’.

‘Well now you are being ridiculous’.

‘Am I?’

‘I don’t mean about Ollie being gay because I couldn’t care less about that’ said Rebecca. ‘But I would never take him for the nasty vicious Queen that you’re making him out to be’.

‘’Rebecca, all I can tell you is that he’s given me nothing but a hard time since I started’ said Jonathan. ‘He more or less accused me of trying to steal his wallet the other day’.

‘You’re not serious?’

‘Oh yes I am and it’s true what they say. You sometimes don’t really know those closest to you’.

‘I’m sorry to have to do this, Tina’ said Paula Jones, the supermarket manageress.

‘So that means that I’m not going to like it’.

‘Tina, I have to put the interests of the store and the company before anything. That’s the only way I can protect all the staff and our customers. Do you understand?’

‘No’ said Tina who was resenting being held on the Welsh dragon’s carpet. After all she’d already been through the last thing she needed was this.

‘Your presence here may be disturbing for our customers’ said Paula, trying to reason. ‘Surely you can see that?’

‘No, I can’t’ Tina countered. ‘The responsibility for what happened lies solely with whoever did kill James Clifton and that wasn’t me’. 

‘Well I’m suspending you pending further investigations. I’ll be writing to you later today to make the decision formal’.

‘No way!
On what grounds are you suspending me?’

‘For bringing the store into disrepute’.

‘That’s crap and you know it!’

‘Could I ask you not to use bad language,
please’.

‘Oh well, sorry if I offend but I’m fighting my corner here against a prison cell and I’m just not going to let you put me in that position’.

‘You don’t have any choice, Tina. My decision has been approved by head office and is final’.

‘Because you and head office have decided I’m guilty? What happened to innocent until proven guilty, eh? Or have you and head office decided to write your own laws?’

‘I’m very sorry you see it that way’.

‘Well that’s what it comes down to’ said Tina. ‘And you know it’.

The door to the office opened and Andrea Kay came in.

‘Andrea, it is not appropriate for you to walk into my office like that and in these circumstances’.

‘Oh yes it is’ said Andrea, firmly. ‘I’m the union shop steward for this branch and Tina is one of my members. You shouldn’t have even been talking to her officially without consulting me first’.

‘Oh I’m sorry but I thought that as the manager I was running the store’.

‘You haven’t followed correct procedure in terms of industrial relations but we’ll deal with that later’ said Andrea who knew she’d got the Welsh bitch and from the look on her face so did the Welsh bitch. ‘But let’s deal with this first’.

‘I’m suspending Tina for bringing the store into disrepute’.

‘Well I’m sorry you’ve taken such a reckless decision because you will have to reverse it now’.

‘You don’t tell me what to do, Andrea’.

‘On this occasion I think you’ll find I do, Paula’.

Paula Jones was seething. Andrea Kay had got the better of her and she hated it.

‘Tina?’ said Paula. ‘I will consult with head office and then review my earlier decision’.

‘No, you’ll withdraw it now’ said Andrea.

‘I’m starting to seriously object to your tone, Andrea’.

‘Object to whatever you like but withdraw this nonsense over Tina’.

‘Or else?’

‘Or else I’ll bring this store out on unofficial action if need be’.

‘That would be suicide for your career and your position as shop steward’.

‘But it would generate an awful lot of negative publicity for the store and you as manager would be in the firing line too. Are you prepared to take that risk?’

‘Are you that desperate for a friend?’

‘I beg your pardon? Tina would be prepared to do back office duties until the court case is cleared, wouldn’t you Tina?’

‘Erm, yes, I would’ said Tina.

‘Oh whatever, okay Tina, there’ll be nothing more said on the matter. Consider it closed. Now please get back to work’.

Andrea began to follow Tina out of the office but Paula called her back.

‘Let me make one thing very clear’ said Paula. ‘I do not take threats to my authority lightly. Think again before you try and cross me next time’.

‘Excuse me, is that a threat I’m hearing?’

‘No, it’s a promise’ said Paula who was staring Andrea straight in the eyes. ‘I’m not one to be crossed’.

Andrea gave a half smile before leaning forward on Paula’s desk. ‘Well I’m glad we understand each other because I’ve seen off much better specimens than you so I suggest it’s you who needs to watch herself’.

FIREFLIES NINE

Malcolm Barnes hadn’t been round the old estate in
Wythenshawe where he’d grown up since his parents retired to Scarborough some years previously and he didn’t quite know why he was here today. But his cousin Bernie Connolly had insisted.

‘I haven’t been down here for years’ said Malcolm. 

‘I thought I’d remind you, Malcolm’ said Bernie, inhaling deeply on his fat cigar. He knew how uncomfortable his cousin would be. He was from the side of the family who thought they were better than the other side but it’s funny how they all come crawling when they need help. ‘Now that you’re part of the family firm at last’.

Malcolm didn’t know how he felt about that particular statement and he wished to God Bernie would put that stupid cigar out because it made him look like the most pathetic of stereotypical gangsters. Malcolm’s parents would have a fit if they knew he was even associating with Bernie, let alone doing business with him. Malcolm’s mother and Bernie’s mother had married two brothers who were very different men. Malcolm’s father was the kind of upright citizen who always paid his bills on time and had a good job at the railway. He’d retired on a generous pension. Bernie’s father had never had what could be called a career, unless you counted spending three stretches inside a pattern, but he’d been the kind of rogue with a glint in his eye that Bernie’s mother had not been able to resist. Although they’d grown up only a street away from each other, Malcolm and Bernie’s childhood couldn’t have been more different. Malcolm had been brought up in a safe, loving home whilst Bernie had learned very early how to navigate his father’s violent tempers until his mother had met local insurance salesman Mike Cooper and left Bernie’s father for him. But she left Bernie and his brother Tommy behind and that’s a resentment that Bernie will carry with him to the grave. She left them with their violent, drunken abusive father to fend for themselves. Bernie and his
brother Tommy had often eaten their meals at Malcolm’s place after their mother had gone. Malcolm’s mother had tried her best to fill in the gaps in her sister-in-law’s mothering skills where Bernie and Tommy were concerned.

But then Bernie had taken it all several steps further. He’d gone into business when he and Malcolm were both still teenagers and Malcolm’s parents had forbidden Malcolm from having anything more to do with his cousin. But they had carried on socializing behind their parents’ backs until Malcolm stole Tommy Connolly’s wife. After that there’d been no contact at all until Malcolm had gone to Bernie for help. There was no doubt though as they walked around that Bernie was held in high regard by the local community, some of whom were coming up and thanking him for sorting this or that out for them.