Ch 4. All Right Now.

Eddie and Anne meet Demo Dave at the Two Puddings.

Chapter 4

East London. 1973.

♂

I walked in to the bar Two Puddings in Stratford with my girlfriend, Anne. We arrived at the public house in a demolition company works Mini Van. We have been going steady for almost a year and Anne is never happy with our mode of transport. Despite telling her I would soon buy a car, I was not really interested in getting one. This is the main bone of contention in our close loving relationship. The thing is, while I have the van, the company pay the road tax and insurance and I even get money for petrol.

         My workmate, Dave, was already in there and although the place was packed with young people, he spotted us straight away and began to make his way over to meet us. He waved to Anne and she waved back before turning to me.

         "Look," Anne said. "We're in luck, here's your mate Demo Dave." She paused as if pondering on something. "Why is it they call him Demo Dave, but they don't call you Demo Eddie?"

         "Because he's a prick."

         Anne gave a feeble push on my shoulder. "Oy, that's not nice, is it," she said but gave a laugh.

         Dave struggled through the crowd and as he reached us he put an arm around Anne's shoulders causing a slight resentment from me. "Hello, still looking after the girl of my dreams?" he said.

         "Yeah, something like that," I said.

         "I thought you would be working at the restaurant tonight, Anne?" Dave said.

         "No, Dave, we don't have to do many Saturdays. Toni's girls are students and they work weekends to earn some cash."

         "You should complain," Dave said. "Taking your jobs."

         "And why would I want to work on a Saturday night, Dave?" She looked at me. "Go on, ask him then,"

         "You ask him. It was your idea," I said,

         "Ask me what?" Dave said.

         Anne smiled at him. "We want to borrow your car."

         "Having a laugh, ain't ya?" Dave moved his arm from Anne's shoulders as the friendly grin left his face. "Anyway, Lesley is meeting me here later and she might want to go to The Lacy Lady disco'."

         "Or she might not," Anne said. "Who would of thought that the tomboy, Les, would turn into the lovely, Lesley."

         "Like a chrysalis tuning into a beautiful butterfly, " I said.

         "How romantic, Eddie," Anne said. "It's almost poetic. Anyway, Dave, you can take the Mini Van to the Lacy Lady, it's parked outside."

         "I don't think I will, Anne."

         "Oh, come on, Dave, do us this little favour, just for me." She linked her fingers behind his neck and nestled her head on his shoulder.          "Umm, Brut," she said, almost overcome by Dave's excessive use of his aftershave, but pretending to be captivated.

         "Sounds about right," I said. I was never happy about Anne's familiarity with my friend, and I felt that over the weeks their flirting was getting steadily more outrageous.

         Dave laughed. "Hark at him, mister Old Spice Burley aftershave."

         "Nothing wrong with Old Spice," I said.

         "Come on, Dave." Anne nibbled teasingly on Dave's earlobe while breathing heavily into his ear. She only did it for a few seconds, just long enough to send his pulse rate haywire. "I know deep down you secretly love me." As she whispered the words one of her hands gently rubbed on the nape of his neck.

         "What do you want the car for anyway?" Dave said. The smile returning to his face as he was noticeably delighted by her attention.

         "We're going over The Apollo for a romantic meal."

         "Sounds nice; I might come with you."

         "No, Dave," I said. "A romantic meal is for two people, not three.

         "I suppose you're right." He looked directly into Anne's eyes. "Another time then, maybe."

         "Anyway, you said you are meeting Lesley in here later," Anne said.

         "She might not turn up," Dave said.

         "And why wouldn't she turn up?" Anne said.

         "I tried it on with her in the back of the car last night. She was not best pleased but I think I smoothed it over."

         "Maybe she's just waiting for the right man to come along, Dave," I said," and it's obviously not you."

         Dave chose to ignore my comment and he looked back at Anne. "Anyway, you can walk from here; it's only down the road."

         She glanced back at him, flashing her mascara-laden lashes. "Oh, Dave, you can't let me walk all the way over there with these heels on and we'll look a right pair of prats turning up in the Mini Van, won't we? Come on, Dave, please, please, pleeeease. You are our special friend and I promise I'll make it up to you one way or the other." She spoke softly while drawing her hand slowly up and down the inside of his thigh.

         "Hold on a minute, Anne, aren't you going a bit over the top now?" I said.

         Dave and Anne were gazing at each other and taking no notice of me as if I were not there. "All right," Dave said. "But only for tonight and I'll meet you and Eddie in The Jug House tomorrow lunch and swap back. I don't want to be stuck with the van all weekend."

         "You're a right diamond, Dave, you really are. I won't forget this." She reached across and kissed him fully on his lips.

         Dave looked as if he were in heaven, but I was getting angry. "Will you bloody well turn it in, Anne," I said.

         She grinned. "Wow, you're not jealous are you, Eddie? " she said, but moved away from Dave leaving a huge grin on his face.

Dave swapped keys with me and looked across to the crowded bar. "Who's going for the drinks then?" he said, hoping that I would volunteer leaving him alone with Anne for a while.

         "We don't want a drink we're going now," Anne said.

         "What?" both Dave and I said together.

         "He don't want a lot to drink if he's driving your car, does he, what with them breathalyser thingy's going on? Anyway, I'm right hungry. Come on let's get going."

         "Be seeing you then," I said and gave a laugh before we walked off leaving Dave looking slightly cheated.

         We got into Dave's Hillman Hunter car and I turned to Anne. "I didn't know you wanted to go for a steak tonight," I said.

         "I'm hungry, Eddie, but not for food. Sod the steakhouse; let's get over to our secret place in Millwall near The Ferry Inn."

         I looked at her and laughed. "I don't know, Anne, all that bull about the steakhouse. Sometimes you're like a bitch on heat."

         Anne howled like a baying wolf. "We haven't had it off for ages, have we? And I feel so frustrated I could rip your clothes off right now.          So, to Millwall driver, and don't spare the horses."

         "Maybe you should change your name to Lady, or Sheba or something?"

         "Just shut up, Rover, and drive."

* * * * *

         I met Dave at the Jug House Bar Sunday lunchtime as planned.

         “So, did you get it last night?” Dave asked.

         “Get what. What do you mean?”

         “The steak, only I didn’t see my car outside the restaurant when I went past.”

         “Oh yeah, we decided to go for something at The Ferry Inn instead. But how did you get on with Lesley?” I asked, eager to change the subject.

         “She didn’t turn up.”

         I didn’t comment. I took a drink of my beer and looked around the bar. I was not surprised that Lesley had not met with Dave. Since she had taken on her serious feminine role all those year ago she became very popular with the local lads and many tried to become her boyfriend. I had to admit, she was something special. It was a surprise to me when I saw her smiling at me from the other end of the barroom. I smiled back and gave a wave. She waved back before looking back to the man she was with. I turned to Dave. “There’s Lesley over there.”

         Dave looked over. “What’s she doing with him. She told me she had finished with him.”

         A short while later Lesley walked over to them after her companion had left the bar. “Hello, Eddie, “ she said. “It’s good to see you again. How is Anne?”

         “She’s okay. Keeps asking if I have seen you and she will be sorry that she didn’t come with me today, so she's missed you.”

         Dave seemed to be a bit disappointed that she spoke to me first and not to him. “I thought you had finished with him,” he said, referring to her companion.

         “I have, but he keeps pestering me.”

         “Well, Lesley I'm really sorry about my behaviour the other night in my car. Maybe I can take you out for a nice meal and make it up to you.”

         “I’d like that,” she said. “Tomorrow night is good for me.”

         “That’s settled then,” Dave said.

         “Well, I have things to do,” She said. “So I’ll have to leave you two. I’ll see you in here about seven tomorrow night, Dave.” They said their goodbyes and Lesley left the bar.

         "I knew she couldn’t refuse me, Eddie. We go back a long way.”

         “Yeah, but she has come a long way since her tom boy days. Don’t you think you might be punching above your weight now?”

         “What do you mean?”

         “Well, it’s like she is a peach and you are a potato.”

         Although Dave gave a laugh, he was not happy with the remark and he changed the subject.

         “So, it’s Joy’s party on Friday,” Dave said. “Will Anne let you go on your own?”

         “She knows I go out Friday nights with the lads.”

         “But does she know you’re going to a party afterwards?”

         “Not unless someone tells her.”

         "Should be okay then,” Dave said.

Ch 5. All Right Now  (18+) It's nearly right. #2352474 by Bruce.