A few tourists got off at Parliament Square and they managed to get seats, though not together. Aurélie retrieved her book from her handbag and focused on Nan’s predicament after Diane had kicked her out.

The Dark Room appeared small at first but the recessed area contained as many tables as the front room. The mix of chairs and armchairs reinforced the meaning of public house and the fire place crackled and spread waves of warmth. As the men decided where to sit, Aurélie and Lucy visited the loos. Simple and clean, with hypo-allergenic soap. Aurélie wrote down the name of the hand towel rolling machine which worked much better than the ones at the hotel.

Gareth took orders for everybody and they all rinsed their meals with beer, except for Aurélie who preferred a vodka and cranberry. Between two bites of her burger, Aurélie waved at Katie, who stood behind the bar with a colleague, but Katie ignored her. The chatter of her friends made Aurélie giddy and perhaps the alcohol caused even more dizziness. Her spiralling thoughts blocked at the source any attempt to talk to Katie. Her lips and legs froze and she accepted with relief when Lucy offered to get the next round of drinks.

The man at the table behind Lucy threw his glass on the floor, prompting the woman opposite him to stand up, slap him and leave the pub. He picked up his chair and slammed it down. Katie and three cooks circled him and kicked him out. One of the cooks explained to a customer that they knew the couple, the man an alcoholic and his wife a drug addict, and they often fought over money in the pub. Aurélie went to the bar to buy the next round and Katie served her.

“Damn, I hate this. Nine times out of ten, the evening goes smoothly. But then, this happens and we have to get the guys out of the kitchen to deal with it,” Katie said.

“I was impressed by how quickly you got them.”

“Shows you how often this happens innit.” Katie laughed and rubbed her forehead. “I can’t help thinking what if we couldn’t get the guys out on time, or what if they blocked the entrance to the kitchen.”

“You’d find a way to deal with it, I’m sure. You can handle a bunch of drunk guys.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence but I’m not so sure myself…”

Aurélie lifted her left hand to her face and picked at the skin below her nose. “How have you been since… You know, the party?”

“I’ve been good. I’ve started studying for my GCSEs.”

“That’s great. Which subject?”

“English and Maths for now.”

“Great. Are you still seeing, you know, the DJ?”

“Jed? No, no, I haven’t seen her since that night. Or the morning after I should say.” Katie’s colleague moved closer to Katie and Katie coughed. “I’m glad you came.”

“Me too.”

“I’m sorry for what I said to you,” Katie said.

“I’m sorry, I was over the line. I should have minded my own business.”

“You’re here now, that’s what matters. I’m finished in half an hour, maybe I can join you after?”

“That would be great.”

Aurélie brought the drinks back to her friends and pressed her own glass against her burning cheeks. Gareth glanced at her then at Katie and smiled and nodded. At ten, Katie strode towards their table and Aurélie pushed her chair back to make some space. Katie sat next to her, her thigh directly touching Aurélie’s, and Aurélie took her long sleeve top off, folded it and laid it on the window sill behind her. As Aurélie spun back into position, Katie’s colleague approached the party and settled on Katie’s lap, her arm around Katie’s shoulders.

***

Matt laid down the table as Jim read the newspapers and Katie, Charlene and Linda discussed Property Ladder and laughed at the inexperienced couple who hoped to transform a three bedroom house into a nine bedroom. When he finished, he added a box to the pile of presents under the tree.

“Anyone need to do some last minute shopping?” Linda asked.

“No, I’m done Mum,” Matt said.

“I’m done too Mum.”

“Sorted,” Charlene said.

“Jeez, you are growing up. Last year, you were all running around on Christmas Eve.”

“I’ve wasted too much money like that, I now plan my presents well in advance,” Matt said.

“That’s good, that’s good,” Jim said. “No one minds if I go? I have to get a couple of bits for Peter.”

Jim excused himself and the others sat down for a light lunch. Matt stirred the soup and cut thick slices of the bread he had bought from Mixed Blessings bakery in the morning.

“That’s delicious! Where did you get that?” Charlene asked.

“That place on Walworth Road.”

“Camberwell?”

“Not the Greek bakery, no, the one near East Street market.”

“That stuff is so good. You’ll have to get it more often.”

“If you’re a nice girl.”

Charlene wiggled on her seat, her cheeks rosed and Matt planted a kiss on her nose.

“So,” Matt said,” how is the course going Katie? Not finding it too difficult?”

“I love it. I’m so convinced it’s the right thing for me to do.”

“Are you talking about the GCSEs or the pilot course?” Charlene asked.

“GCSEs. I’m studying English and Maths this month. This is a lot more exciting than I though it would be. I love learning.”

“Well done you, I’m proud of you,” Linda said.

“I’m on a buzz, really.”

Matt swallowed a spoonful of soup and half a glass of water. “Yes, it feels good when you master something new,” he said. “I feel the same with my training-”

“What’s the deal with the pilot course? Have you applied yet?” Charlene asked.

Matt bit his lower lip until it stung then rolled his tongue over it.

“No, but I’ve got the forms. I need five GCSEs then they need employment and medical history.”

“Medical history?” Matt asked.

“Yes, there‘s something to fill in.”

“Awesome,” Charlene said. “This is so much cooler than being a nurse. I’d re-train if I could.”

“Being a nurse is good,” Matt snapped.

“I know but you know what I’m saying, it ain’t got the same kudos.” Charlene clapped twice and smiled at Katie.

“Well anyway, Katie’s not a pilot yet. I hear it’s pretty tough to get in.”

“It’s tough but not impossible,” Katie said.

“Don’t get your hopes too high up, that’s all I’m saying.” Matt pressed his fingers on his left temple and slid them back and forth along his eyebrows.

“I’m not but I know I’ll be good at this. I’m really enjoying the challenge at the moment, it’s like a part of me has woken up.”

“Let’s hope it carries on.”

Matt picked up the plates from the table and tossed them into the dishwasher.

***

For Christmas, Katie stayed for four days at her mother’s and, for New Years Eve, she attended a lesbian club extravaganza with Fiona, Ruth and a few of their friends and hooked up with a woman called Beth, who admitted to her the following morning that not only she dated someone but she lived with him. After Beth departed from her flat, Katie slept until her evening shift.

She shared duties with her least favourite colleague, Patricia, and the emptiness of the pub provided no distraction. The first hour had languished, each second lasting a minute, and Katie sighed as she checked her watch one more time.

“It’s going to be a long night, everybody‘s stuck at home with the flu,” Patricia said.

“Yep.”

“Maybe we should close up.”

“I can’t afford it, I need to work every hour I can.” Katie traced her finger around the edge of the wet glass in front of her and wiped her hand on her jeans.

“Do you? Then you should do some overtime, there’s plenty to grab. Helena is taking a month off.”

“Is she? When?”

“Next month. Didn’t she tell you?”

Katie frowned.

“I thought you would know.” Patricia smirked and opened a bag of peanuts, which she dropped into her mouth one at a time.

***

The following day, Katie brought some of her English GCSE coursework to the pub, tidied up the staff cupboard so she could stand her folder in it, and ticked her named on the attendance sheet for the previous night. Mikael had partially recovered from his flu, even though he still coughed, and sorted out some paperwork in the office. Katie knocked on the open door.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering if there was any overtime available when Helena is away.”

“Yes, there is. Let me check.” He opened a big notebook and turned a few pages. “Here we are. You can have three hours the first week, two hours the second, one hour the third and two hours the fourth.” He looked up. “So, do you want them?”

“That’s all? I mean, yes, I want them but I was hoping for more.”

Katie chewed her bottom lip with her front teeth and licked the sore flesh with the tip of her tongue.

“Patricia is going full time next month so she’s taking on most of them.”

Katie isolated herself in the toilets. Tears flooded her eyes. Tears of betrayal and anger. Very salty tears. After a couple of minutes, she returned to her place behind the bar. Patricia stood next to her, joking with one of the few punters, a man in his forties.

“Do you live above the pub?”

“Oi mate, don’t you know the rules? You can’t flirt with me,” Patricia said.

“Yes, it’s quite true, I’m terrible at flirting. Please, I beg your pardon.” He bowed, sending Patricia into hysterical laughter. “Will you ever forgive me, Madam?”

The playful conversation between them carried on as Katie scrubbed the bar and the fridge door. Stephan, one of the cooks, offered Katie a plate of nachos and she picked at them with her fingers and a napkin.

“You’re very quiet tonight, are you alright?” Patricia asked Katie after man left.

“Not really.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Katie licked off the salsa sauce which had spilt onto the palm of her hand.

“Just ask me if you need anything, yeah.”

“As if you didn’t know! You didn’t tell me you were going full time next month. There’s no overtime left.”

“There should be a few hours.”

“Yes, like two hours a week. You should have told me.”

Patricia grimaced and raised her voice. “You don’t tell me anything so why should I?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you and Helena sleep together.”

“No we don’t.” Katie shook her head.

“Yes you do. I’ve seen your hands touching.”

“OK, that’s true. But we’ve not told you simply because we are not a couple, it’s very open.”

“How do you think it feels to watch you talk and laugh and cut me out?”

“Sorry if you feel left out, that’s not what we wanted. I had no idea you knew.” Katie rubbed her forehead with her left hand and blushed. Pearls of sweat stung her eyes and she pressed both her hands on her cheeks.

“Yeah. You thought I was the village idiot or what.”

“No, no, of course not.”

“Well, consider yourself lucky I’ve not told Mikael. Yet.”

Katie gasped but remained silent as Patricia swerved around to serve a customer.

 

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