Page 109 of The Winter of Second Chances
‘Yes, thank you.’
‘Coffee to help you work?’
‘Please.’
‘I’ll bring it round to you. It’ll be about ten minutes.’
Alfred nodded and shuffled off out of sight. A woman –an out-of-towner, Annie caught herself thinking – watched Alfred leave with something amounting to distaste and took his place at the window; her face was pinched into repulsion as she looked around, as though Alfred’s presence had somehow dirtied the immediate vicinity.
‘Begging, was he?’ she asked.
Annie was instantly indignant.
‘He happens to be a friend of mine and a very fine handyman,’ she said.
The woman sniffed. ‘He dresses like a tramp.’
‘I try not to judge people on their appearance, it’s such an unappealing personality trait. What can I get you?’
The woman, trying to decide if she had just been insulted, gave her order and Annie moved to make it as quickly as she could; she didn’t want that kind of customer hanging around. The woman took the proffered coffee with a huff and left. John took her place, stooping to look in through the window.
‘Hello,’ he said.
‘Hello,’ Annie smiled. She felt self-conscious and a bit giggly. Her eyes kept wandering from his eyes to his mouth. She was suddenly very warm despite the fearful draught coming in from the open window.
‘You handled her very well,’ said John.
‘Her type are all pomp and tiny minds.’
‘How’s your head today?’
‘Fine,’ said Annie brightly. ‘After twelve coffees, it’s absolutely fine.’
John laughed.
‘I feel I should apologise,’ he said.
‘Oh? Why, what have you done?’
‘I can’t seem to stop kissing you.’
Annie felt a flush race up from her toes and burst into her cheeks, which felt like they were pulsating on red alert. She tried to gather her wits.
‘I mean, I didn’t like to say anything...’ said Annie.
‘It must be a terrible inconvenience for you.’
‘One doesn’t like to complain,’ said Annie, smiling.
John smiled back at her, an easy smile that lit his whole face and made Annie want to pull him in through the hatch and ravish him beneath the coffee machine.
‘You look busy,’ he said, tilting his head to look around her at the full cafe within. ‘I might go around and see if Alfred needs a hand.’
‘I’ll be taking him round a coffee in a minute. Would you like one?’
And maybe a sex-starved forty-four-year-old woman on the side?
‘I thought you’d never ask.’
