Chapter 6
“’Ere,
Nikki,” Julie Saunders nudged her in the ribs causing her to grunt with pain.
“Remember that brew we made? Well, me and Ju…”
“Yeah,
we was wonderin’…” Julie Johnson supplied.
Nikki
looked at them suspiciously then the light dawned. “No way! You can piss off if
you think I’m going through all that again and
I never even got to taste it!”
“What’s
all this then?” Tommo demanded.
“These
two chuffs made some cider or whatever it was a few months back,” Nikki told
her. “And I was the muggins who had to do all the fetching and carrying.”
“Sounds
interesting,” Tommo mused. “I once made some using rice, cold tea and…raisins,
I think it was.”
“Don’t
you bloody start!” Nikki retorted. “You’re as daft as they are!”
“Yeah,
but you know you love me,” grinned Tommo.
Nikki
grinned back at her until she realised they were being observed. Helen was
standing only a few yards away and couldn’t have failed to hear Tommo’s remark.
Her heart sank but why should she care
what Helen Stewart thought?
Helen
turned away. She hadn’t believed it before but now she had heard it with her
own ears. Nikki loved someone else. She turned and rushed from the wing, before
she made a complete fool of herself, straight into a pair of arms.
“We
really are going to have to stop meeting like this,” a voice told her. “Even
though I am enjoying it.”
She
looked up to find Alex Gilbert giving her a mocking smile. “Sorry. In a rush
again,” she apologised.
“Well,
the next time you’re not in a rush, maybe we could have a chat,” he suggested.
“Yeah,
call me some time,” she said hurriedly. “Sorry, gotta go.” She managed to get back
to her office before the tears spilled down her cheeks. It had taken a long
time for her to admit to herself she really did love Nikki and now she couldn’t
believe how much it hurt knowing she didn’t care anymore.
“Are
you alright, Helen?”
Her
head jerked up at the sound of Alex Gilbert’s voice. “Have you ever heard of
knocking?” she demanded angrily as she brushed her tears away.
“I
did but you obviously didn’t hear me. I saw on the wing, you were clearly
upset. Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked gently.
“Not
unless you can prescribe me something for a broken heart, doctor,” she smiled
tearfully.
“How
about a drink with me tonight?” he suggested. “I’m a good listener and I won’t
take ‘no’ for an answer. Doctor’s orders.”
“I
don’t think so…” she began.
“Why?
Is there a ‘Mr Stewart’?”
“No.
Is there a ‘Mrs Gilbert’?”
“Two,
actually. My mother and my sister-in-law,” he answered with a smile. “Do you
know The Plough? Little pub down a side road, off the High Street?” She nodded.
“I’ll meet you there about eight.” With that, he breezed out without giving her
time to reply.
Nikki
had watched Helen’s retreating back and seen the exchange between her and the
new doctor. He seemed a nice guy. She had seen him in the infirmary when she
had been having the dressing on her hand changed. There was no sign of the
nurse who had helped her escape and, as she had collected her cash from Trish,
she guessed she must be well on her way to Australia by now.
“So,
have you thought about it, Nikki?” Julie S’s voice broke into her thoughts.
“Have
I thought about what?” she asked looking at her expectant face.
“You
know, Nik.” Julie J winked at her.
Nikki
sighed, exasperatedly. “I’ve told you. No! Don’t you think I’m in enough trouble,
as it is? Since my escape, I’ve got both Betts and Stewart breathing down my
neck. They’ll be giving me a permanent cell on the block next.”
“I’ll
help you, Julies,” Tommo offered.
“And
you can stay out of trouble, as well,” Nikki snapped at her. She looked across
the dining room. Barbara was sitting on her own, looking very forlorn. They
hadn’t spoken since the argument and now she had calmed down, she was feeling
guilty for the way she had treated Barbara. They had been good friends and she
missed Barbara’s mature level-headedness. She liked Tommo but she was very
impetuous and would have got herself into no end of scrapes if she hadn’t held
her back. She excused herself from the table and walked over to Barbara.
The
older woman smiled at her nervously as she loomed over her.
“Do
you want to come and sit with us, Barbara?” Nikki asked softly.
Barbara
knew this was Nikki’s way of apologising and it would be churlish to refuse.
“I’d love to Nikki, thank you,” she smiled.
She
placed a friendly arm around Barbara’s shoulders as they went back to her
table. This is Tommo and I think you know the two reprobates over there,” she
jokingly indicated the two Julies. “Tommo, this is Barbara, a very good friend
of mine.”
“Babs,
we’ve been trying to get Nikki to help us make up a special brew, if you know
what I mean,” Julie S told her in hushed tones when they were all seated.
“Maybe you could convince her.”
Barbara
remembered what Helen had told her about keeping an eye on Nikki. She was sure
Fenner wouldn’t do what he had intimated but it didn’t hurt to be careful.
“Sorry, Julie, but I’m with Nikki on this. She can’t get into anymore trouble
or it might jeopardise her appeal for good.”
Nikki
smiled at her gratefully.
“Sorry,
Nik. Never thought about that,” Julie S apologised. “Guess you’ll have to help
us then, Tommo.”
Nikki
raised her eyebrows at Barbara as the other three women got their heads
together. Barbara laughed at her. It was good to be back!
Helen
parked her car in The Plough car park then sat staring ahead of her. Why on
earth had she agreed to meet Alex Gilbert tonight? All she really wanted to do
was sit at home with a bottle of vodka and wallow. She remembered when she used
to sit at home and wait for Nikki’s call. Every night at the same time, just
before lock-up. These past couple of weeks she had sat there, anticipating the
time coming and her heart sinking when there had been no call. She had almost
fallen out of her chair the one night it had rung but it had been a wrong
number.
She
heard someone tapping on the car window and turned to see Alex gurning at her.
She laughed, feeling suddenly light-hearted, and stepped out of the car. “It’s
a good job the wind didn’t change, pulling a face like that,” she said
cheekily.
“It
would have been worth it to see your beautiful smile. I was beginning to think
you’d been born an old grouch,” he teased.
“Don’t
push it,” she warned him jokingly. “Or I’ll get back in the car.”
“I’d
better watch my step then, hadn’t I?” he smiled. “Have you eaten?”
Helen
shook her head.
“Come
on, what are we waiting for? They do a good bar snack here and I’m starving.”
He took her by the elbow and led her into the crowded pub.
Helen
looked at Alex over the rim of the one glass of wine she allowed herself when
she was driving. The last ‘date’ she’d had was with Dominic and he had spent
most of the evening looking at her with puppy dog eyes, obviously over-awed by
her. Alex wasn’t quite as good-looking as Dominic, but he wasn’t lacking in
self-confidence and he was trying his hardest to cheer her up.
“He
must be an idiot,” Alex said suddenly.
Helen
looked at him in surprise. “Who must?”
He
looked at her sympathetically. “Whoever has broken your heart. Isn’t that what
you asked me for, a broken heart cure?”
“Oh,
that,” Helen flushed.
“Do
you want to talk about it? I told you I was a good listener.”
“Alex,
do you mind if I don’t?” she asked. “It’s just a bit painful at the moment.”
And how did she explain to him that the idiot was a ‘she’ and not a ‘he’? “Tell
me about yourself,” she suggested, trying to steer the conversation away from
her troubles.
“Thirty-five,
six-two, brown hair, blue eyes.”
“I
can see all that for myself,” she laughed.
“And
I have a very good bedside manner,” he drawled.
Her
face became serious. “I’ll have to take your word for that,” she said quietly.
“Pity,”
he replied suggestively.
“Thank you for a lovely evening, Alex. I’ve
really enjoyed myself,” Helen told him truthfully as they stood at her car.
“Well,
I’m glad to see you’re looking better than you did earlier,” he told her
sincerely as he opened the car door for her. He bent his head and brushed his
lips across hers. “’Night, Helen. See you tomorrow,” he said softly before
striding away to his own car.
Helen
touched her lips with the tips of her fingers. She had become so used to
Nikki’s softness that it seemed strange after all this time to feel lips that
bore just a hint of stubble. She sighed deeply. Weren’t there enough
complications in her life without adding Alex Gilbert to the list?