The Ballroom on Magnolia Street (8 page)

‘I don’t know. It must get pretty boring, hanging around the doors all night. Maybe they spread rumours just to pass the time?’

‘Oh, no! There’s Bingham going in the main door. She always checks the post table, first thing. Hurry up, Shirley! Take the other lift.’

The sisters ran straight to the post table in the main office and hid their coats in the stationery cupboard. The other staff in the section were polishing off some breakfast scones and cups of watery coffee, carried to their desks from the staff canteen.

‘Old Battleaxe is on her way,’ said Kate. ‘Quick! Get busy. Let’s see how many begging letters we have today from the dear old dole-ites. God bless their ragged little socks!’

‘Kate Winters! We don’t use negative words like that any more,’ said the supervisor, coming into the room behind her. ‘I think you’ll find you mean, “Let’s open today’s correspondence from our valued customers.”’

‘Yes, Miss Bingham.’

‘I hope you can develop a better attitude to those less fortunate than ourselves, Miss Winters. If you don’t like your position here, you know what you can do about it. I’m sure one of the
dear old dole-ites
would be glad of it.’

‘Yes, Miss Bingham.’

‘Well, then. Hurry up and open the bag.’

Kate promptly loosened the string around the neck of the sack, and emptied the huge bundle of letters onto the table. The tight-lipped clerks pulled slithering piles of envelopes towards them, opened them and began to read, sorting the letters into boxes, according to surname. Miss Bingham gave Kate a disapproving stare, and then marched on through to the Fraud department to see if anything interesting had happened on the weekend’s spying operations.

Shirley opened one rather grubby letter. It was from Alex Stone.

Dear Sir,

I am shocked that you could even think I was doing the double. I declare truthfully that I was not working as a bouncer and claiming benefits at the same time. The person who informed on me must have been my ex-girlfriend; you didn’t say who it was. She has been pestering me and phoning me for weeks now, so I think it was her. She is just trying to get me in trouble because we broke up. You know what women are like. They think they own you. I do not work as a bouncer in Hogan’s or anywhere else. I go there a lot because I am a very sociable person. That is all
.

Yours very truthfully,

Alex Stone

Shirley kept the letter in her pocket and showed it to Kate when they were having lunch. Kate was picking over a hefty portion of cod and chips, and didn’t seem to realize the significance of the information.

‘Are you not eating that?’ said Shirley, nodding at the fat fish steak.

‘It looked nice under the spotlights,’ said Kate, absentmindedly, ‘but I’ve lost my appetite now.’

‘Well, listen. This letter from Alex Stone – do you realize the situation he’s in?’

‘So what? Some jealous girl sent in a letter about him. And do you have to button that shirt right up to the neck? I’m suffocated just looking at you.’

‘Kate, he’s sexist. “You know what women are like.”’

‘Who cares? Not all women are perfect, you know. Just look at Louise Lowry. The big vicious lump!’

‘You’re missing the point, Kate. Again.’

‘I’m not missing any point, Shirley. Half of Belfast is cheating the system. Everybody knows that. It’s a low-wage economy, and a conflict-torn industrial wasteland to boot. How in God’s name do you expect Alex to live on a bouncer’s wages? We both live at home, don’t we? We can’t afford to move out and get places of our own.’

‘It’s not just the dishonesty.’

‘Isn’t it?’ Kate set down her knife and fork. She felt nauseous and jittery.

‘No, of course not. This is a very small city. He’ll be caught.’

‘Well, excuse me, Maggie Thatcher. When did you turn into a bloody Tory? You try living on the peanuts he gets at Hogan’s. It’s all right for them snobs in the government, with their country houses and their inherited millions. They don’t know what it’s like to be hungry.’

‘That’s not the
point
, Kate. If he’d told the truth about his situation, he’d still get something towards his rent. You know I’m no Tory, for God’s sake. Everyone we know is struggling to make ends meet. But he could end up in court. They’re cracking down on fraud, you know. Or have you missed this month’s newsletter?’

‘Who’s the letter addressed to? Is Fraud really going to check this out?’

‘I expect so. I have to pass it on to them today.’ Shirley folded up the letter.

‘Give it here, you little class-traitor,’ snapped Kate. She put the letter in her pocket. ‘I’ll bin it later. They’ve little to do, so they have. Chasing poor Alex Stone, for a few measly quid!’

‘You can’t bin it,’ said Shirley. ‘It’s been registered. Fraud sent him a letter in the first place, you idiot. Even if there’s no reply, they’ll still follow this up.’

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake! Right. Well, I’m glad you told me about this, Shirley. You’ve been a great help.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I’m going to warn him that they’re on to him. That they might send someone round to check if he works in Hogan’s. It will be the perfect opportunity to get to know him better.’

‘I give up. You’ll get into hot water if they find out. Sacked, for sure.’

‘He’s only getting by as best he can, Shirley, until the inheritance comes his way. This is the real world, you know. We can’t all get by on daydreams and charity shop cast-offs, like you do.’

‘Well, I hope you know what you’re doing. Get someone else to tell him, at least, so you’re not seen talking to him.’

‘Ach! You’re paranoid. Sure, no one will ever find out. They’re all half-dead in this godforsaken place. Any tea left in that pot? My stomach’s in a right knot.’

Shirley shook her head and pushed the pot across the table.

9. Kate Gets Her Man

Louise Lowry’s face was a picture. Mary was not able to console her friend, no matter how many times she told her it was all for the best. Alex Stone had his arm round Kate Winters’s waist, and the two of them were talking away, their mouths going like machines. Even when Hollywood Hogan was spotted making his rounds, they went on talking. The staff all knew that Johnny Hogan had something on his mind these days; he was not as sharp with them as he usually was. Louise and Mary weren’t to know, but Kate had just played her trump card, and Alex was very grateful indeed.

‘You’re a special kind of girl, Kate. That was very decent of you to tell me about those DHSS Nazis. No offence, now. Yes, very decent.’

‘Well, Alex, I hate to see the low-paid suffer in this way. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.’

‘Ah, you’re a great girl. You know, the humble circumstances are only temporary. I won’t always be ducking and diving. No way.’

‘Oh, I know, Alex.
I know
. And I won’t always be stuck in that dump. It’s not exactly my dream job.’

‘Yeah, babe. You and me are destined for higher things.’

‘Oh, I hope so, Alex. I’m tired of that place, and everybody in it.’

‘So, what can I do to say thank you? Would you like to go out for a meal sometime? Next Saturday night, maybe?’

At last, thought Kate.
At last
.

‘I’d love to, Alex. Will you not be working?’

‘No. I’ll take a few weeks’ holiday from here. There’s another place I can work in till the heat’s off me. Why don’t you give me your phone number?’

‘Well, I think I will. You won’t forget, now? Will you?’

‘Not at all. I won’t forget.’ She told him the number and he wrote it on his arm. ‘Now, off you go before Johnny gets my length, that’s a good girl.’ And he patted her on the back.

Kate joined Shirley in the hot-food bar, where she was half-heartedly sipping a scalding coffee the colour of old tights. Kate dusted some burger-bun crumbs off a vinyl-covered chair and gently lowered her leather-covered backside onto it. She had to be very careful how she sat down sometimes, wearing skirts that were so shamefully short.

‘Well,’ said Shirley. ‘Tell me all the gory details. Have you got a date? More importantly, have you had all your vaccinations, before you get up close and personal with that creature?’

‘Give it a rest, Shirley.’ Kate was in a better mood tonight than she had been for days, but she was still cautious and a little short-tempered. Her mystery symptoms might reappear at any time.

‘Do you know any good vets?’ Shirley laughed. ‘Just in case?’

‘Shut up, I said. He’s going to ring me.’

‘Okay. It’s your life. I won’t say another word about it.’

‘Good. Louise Lowry is over there, watching everything. She nearly fell over, trying to get a good gawp at us. She’s fit to be tied. Oh, it feels good to be a winner. It feels good, good, good to get your man!’

‘I wouldn’t know.’

‘I’ll tell you something that’ll put the fizz back in your bottle. Declan Greenwood is in the building.’

‘Kate! Are you joking? Where is he?’

‘At the main bar. He came in with another fella, while I was talking to Alex. He recognized me. I saw him looking at me as if he knew me. He must have seen us in Quigley’s, that day. Why don’t you swap that dishwater for a double vodka, and flirt with him?’

‘Oh, God. I’m going to check my make-up. Wait here.’

‘Hang on, don’t go. Some sleazeball’s coming over to us. Bloody hell, it’s Kevin McGovern!’

‘So it is. You wouldn’t know him, out of the overalls.’

Kevin approached the table gingerly and asked the sisters if he could buy them a drink. Kate was temporarily lost for words. Kevin seemed to have had a makeover of some kind. Gone were the dull tartan shirts and grey drainpipe trousers of old. He was wearing a loose-fitting baby-pink suit, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a bright blue shirt (no tie) and
white
patent shoes with Velcro straps and long pointed toes. To complete the outfit, he had (yes, it was true) a blue silk handkerchief dangling from his breast pocket.
And
a Simon Le Bon haircut, with blond highlights and a feathered fringe. What had happened to his flat brown hair?

‘My God,’ said Kate. ‘Is it really you?’

‘In the flesh,’ said Kevin proudly. ‘What do you think of the new threads?’

‘Unbelievable,’ said Kate.

‘Thanks,’ he said. He was delighted with himself. ‘A drink?’

‘Ah, ah, coffee? Maybe another coffee?’ Shirley stammered. She was more than a little overwhelmed by Kevin’s outfit. Even though
she
was wearing an antique, knee-length dress covered with black sequins, along with red tights and black suede ankle boots. And four bracelets she had made herself, from plaster of Paris and plastic gemstones.

‘We’d like vodka, please. No ice. We’ll split a cola.’ Kate smiled up at Kevin, and elbowed Shirley in the side. ‘We’ll get a seat near the dance floor, while you’re away.’

‘Sure,’ he said. ‘I’ll be right back.’

He hurried to the bar with a great sense of purpose. This was a superb development in his relationship with the lovely Kate, and worth the terrible teasing his brothers had given him for the new hairdo. But he had been friendly with Kate for a couple of years now, to no effect, so he had decided to up the ante slightly. And he had asked a very stylish shop assistant in London to give him some fashion advice. And the assistant had sold him a pink suit and told him to get his hair done. All the girls love a poser. Those were his exact words.

While he was waiting for the barman to assemble the drinks on a little tray, Kevin pulled a couple of strands of his gelled hair down over his eyes. Girls seemed to go for that kind of thing, he’d noticed. The ‘pretty boy’ look, it was called. Well, if it helped him to get a woman, he’d be as pretty as he could. Meanwhile, Kate and Shirley made themselves comfortable at a new table. Kate was hoping Alex might notice them and feel jealous. But not so jealous that he might land over and hit Kevin. She hoped Kevin could handle himself in a fight. She supposed he must be stronger than he looked, what with all the mechanic-type things he did all day in the garage.

‘Well, you’ve landed on your feet, you jammy thing!’ said Shirley. ‘He’s mad keen on you, and you never even made an effort to be nice to him. What’s your secret, Kate?’

‘I’m gorgeous.’

‘And modest with it.’

‘No, it’s because I’m gorgeous. Men are very basic creatures, I told you that before.’

‘You’d better not be thinking of using him to get Alex’s attention. Are you? Kate?’

‘As if I would.’ But she had the decency to blush.

‘He’s coming back. Be nice to him, won’t you? He’s okay,’ Shirley whispered as Kevin sat down at the table, and set the drinks gently before the girls.

He had treated them to a cola apiece, and the vodkas were doubles. He’d even asked the barman to give him pretty glasses and slices of lemon. He smiled broadly at both girls before lifting a pint of ice-cold lager to his lips. They all smiled at each other. This was very cosy indeed. And to think the lads at the bar said no woman would be seen dead with him in a pink suit. In fact, they’d put money on it. And here he was, with two women, no less. Both of them stunning. What a result! Those pop-star guys on the television knew what they were doing, all right.

Shirley saw Alex and Jim watching them intently. The two bouncers stared from their place along the back wall, intrigued that Kate was being romanced by another man.

Kate was worried. She knew that if Kevin so much as brushed past another male on the dance floor, Alex would have him out of the door in a heartbeat; accused of disorderly behaviour. The bouncers in Hogan’s had a lot of power. She decided not to dance with Kevin, if he offered. No need to upset Alex unnecessarily. She’d have to talk to the new improved Kevin, instead. And make it look as if they were just friends, sharing a friendly drink.

‘So, tell me, Kevin, do you think we are all still influenced by the moon?’ Kate asked. She was beginning to feel giddy. Maybe it was because she feared another meaningful request from Louise Lowry.