Page 54 of The Last Love Song
Peggy’s face portrayed a half-smile, half-grimace. ‘All right.’ She held out a hand. Derek put the parcel into its palm. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘Any time. Now, shall I call round tomorrow and see how you are?’
Peggy’s eyes darted about the street. ‘Er, no, don’t bother. I’ll probably go back to Mum and Dad’s if I’m still feeling like this. And it’s probably best if you steer clear of Dad.’
Derek ran a hand through his hair and forced a chuckle. ‘Yeah, you’re probably right about that one. Well, I’ll pop round sometime next week and maybe take you out for that Indian.’
‘Sure, Derek. Thanks for the present. I really must be going now. I feel awfully shaky. Bye-bye.’ She began to push the door closed but Derek stopped her with his hand.
‘I’ve missed you, Peggy, you know that, don’t you? I’ve never stopped after all these years.’ His puppy dog eyes implored her to respond positively.
‘I...’ Uncertainty crossed her face. ‘I have to go. Bye, Derek.’
She shut the door, secured it with the chain, and made her way upstairs. In the kitchen of her grubby, run-down flat, she went to the front window and tweaked the net curtain back. There, sitting on the bench below, was Derek. She sighed and let the curtain fall back into position. She really shouldn’t have taken the present.
Sitting at her fold-out table, she unwrapped the small parcel. Inside the paper was a velvet-covered box, with the name ofa Hatton Garden jeweller. Nestling inside was a beautifully engraved heart-shaped golden locket. She removed it and opened the small clasp.
Peggy,
In my heart, always.
Derek
She put her head in her hands and chastised herself.What have you done?!Why, after all the unfortunate trouble she’d experienced with Derek years ago, had she ever gone to the pub to see him?
She tried to analyse her decision.
He had always been kind to her, no doubt about it. The thing that had marked Derek out from the countless other men in her life was the respect he’d shown her. Dozens of teenage boys spent their time trying to get into her underwear, but she’d always sensed that Derek genuinely loved her company. The way he used to ‘bump into her’ on their walks to school had been sweet, and to be adored so completely was unquestionably very flattering.
But the problem was that she had never really fancied him.
Had she led him on all those years ago? Maybe. Either way, it certainly didn’t excuse bricks being thrown through windows.
When she had seen him in the chip shop, she had been impressed by his remarkable career development. That, coupled with his beaming smile and swoosh of thick hair, had piqued her interest. However, this locket all but confirmed he was still infatuated with her. And, if she was honest, she would never feel the same. And why on earth did he still insist on calling her by that silly school nickname?
She knew she had to cut him out, again. This time for good.
She replaced the locket, then opened a kitchen drawer andhid the box at the back of it. She returned to the window. The bench was empty.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Darling, where are you?’
She left the kitchen and made her way to the small bedroom. The curtains were drawn.
‘You were ages.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Who was it?’
She slipped off her robe.
‘Oh, no one. An old friend,’ she said as she sank into the warm bed and his embrace.
17
Helen stepped off the bus and walked along Baker Street. It was the last day of the summer term and a beautiful bright morning. As she went to cross the road, the sound of two young lads wolf-whistling caught her attention. She looked up at the scaffolding, and the men’s eyes seemed to be fixed on her. Scanning the area, she confirmed that there were no other young females in sight. The ‘compliment’, as offensive as some others found it, must have been meant for her. She smiled in secret delight and thought how much she’d accomplished since she’d first taken this short walk from the bus stop to college. No longer was she the plain, gawky girl from Ballymore. Feeling a surge of confidence, Helen blew the men a kiss, to rapturous cheering. She giggled.
