and saw him. She waved and smiled, her cheeks pink with cold. Kevin felt so lucky to have her. He ran down the stairs, jumped off the bus and was in the doorway with her. They kissed and Linda opened her umbrella. The wind turned it inside out. Kevin helped her to put it right.
'Why didn't you wait in Tesco's? Look at you, you're all wet.'
They walked off arm in arm towards the supermarket.
'I wanted to make sure you didn't get too wet. I thought I'd come to the rescue with what's left of my umbrella,' Linda told him. Like Kevin, she always made every effort to spend a few extra minutes with her other half. Kevin felt a surge of love for her. Neither of them had ever been out with anyone else. So what if other people thought they were geeks? So long as they had each other, it didn't matter.
Occasionally, Kevin would lie in bed in the middle of the night and worry about what life would be like if she wasn't there. What if she left him? Or got ill and died? 'Come on. Let's get the shopping done and go home,' he said.
As they walked up to Tesco, Kevin said, 'I just met Debs on the bus. From school, remember?'
Of course Linda remembered. Debs had been the really pretty punk that all the boys fancied and all the girls had wanted to look like. 'You fancied her, didn't you?'
'Nah, not really. Well, OK. Everyone did. Not that she would have looked at me.'
'How is she? I never liked her.'
Kevin kept it brief. He didn't say Debs had been taking the piss out of his haircut. And his wife. 'She seemed OK, I suppose. Now, what shall we get for tea?'
CHAPTER SIX
T HE RAIN BOUNCED OFF the windows of Kevin and Linda's house. It was a two-up, two-down Victorian terrace, nicely decorated in B&Q paints and nicely furnished by Ikea. They liked their home. It was warm and safe.
Kevin knew more about celebrity diets, liposuction and Oscar-night outfits than the average man should. Linda read gossip magazines. She always felt the need to share what she learned, so Kevin always knew what was hot and what was not. They finished off their microwave chicken dinner for two and cuddled up on the settee. Linda flicked through her latest magazine and Kevin picked up a holiday brochure. How could he tell her he still hadn't asked for the day off?
'What do you think of this, Kev?' Linda flapped the page under his nose.
'It's a woman in a long green dress.'
'It's Halle Berry. I'd love to look like her. Isn't
her dress beautiful?'
'It's fine.'
'It's a bit better than that, Kev.'
'It's lovely, then.'
'You'll never make a fashion reporter.'
'And you'll never make a TV holiday presenter if you don't pick one out.' He bopped her on the head gently with the brochure. 'I'm wondering if we should look at your mum's caravan again. I know we really want Greece, but Southwold would be much cheaper. What do you think?'
Linda turned a few pages of blue skies and sea. 'Greece looks fantastic. Do you really fancy the caravan?'
'Not really. But there's the mortgage to pay, and that new car we keep talking about. Maybe we're pushing it this year.'
'OK. I'll ask her on Friday.' She put down the brochure. 'Hey, you know what, Kev? Maybe you should rob a bank instead of working in one.'
Kevin gave her a look that said, 'We never do bank-robbery jokes.'
'I know, I know! Only joking. But I was thinking about old George Rowland and all that
cash he's got tucked away.'
'Don't you dare tell anyone I told you!' Kevin cut in. 'I'd lose my job!'
'But if your bank got robbed and all those safe-deposit boxes were opened, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone he'd had all that cash stolen, would he? Serve him right.'
She giggled.
'Just think if we had his money, Kev. We could pay off the mortgage, buy the car and a place in the sun, pay for my mum's treatment. I could even buy Halle Berry's green dress.'
'Yeah, yeah. Green dresses and tropical islands all round, eh?'
'Can't really see you in a green dress, Kev, but, yep, you get the idea.'
Kevin made a grab
'Why didn't you wait in Tesco's? Look at you, you're all wet.'
They walked off arm in arm towards the supermarket.
'I wanted to make sure you didn't get too wet. I thought I'd come to the rescue with what's left of my umbrella,' Linda told him. Like Kevin, she always made every effort to spend a few extra minutes with her other half. Kevin felt a surge of love for her. Neither of them had ever been out with anyone else. So what if other people thought they were geeks? So long as they had each other, it didn't matter.
Occasionally, Kevin would lie in bed in the middle of the night and worry about what life would be like if she wasn't there. What if she left him? Or got ill and died? 'Come on. Let's get the shopping done and go home,' he said.
As they walked up to Tesco, Kevin said, 'I just met Debs on the bus. From school, remember?'
Of course Linda remembered. Debs had been the really pretty punk that all the boys fancied and all the girls had wanted to look like. 'You fancied her, didn't you?'
'Nah, not really. Well, OK. Everyone did. Not that she would have looked at me.'
'How is she? I never liked her.'
Kevin kept it brief. He didn't say Debs had been taking the piss out of his haircut. And his wife. 'She seemed OK, I suppose. Now, what shall we get for tea?'
CHAPTER SIX
T HE RAIN BOUNCED OFF the windows of Kevin and Linda's house. It was a two-up, two-down Victorian terrace, nicely decorated in B&Q paints and nicely furnished by Ikea. They liked their home. It was warm and safe.
Kevin knew more about celebrity diets, liposuction and Oscar-night outfits than the average man should. Linda read gossip magazines. She always felt the need to share what she learned, so Kevin always knew what was hot and what was not. They finished off their microwave chicken dinner for two and cuddled up on the settee. Linda flicked through her latest magazine and Kevin picked up a holiday brochure. How could he tell her he still hadn't asked for the day off?
'What do you think of this, Kev?' Linda flapped the page under his nose.
'It's a woman in a long green dress.'
'It's Halle Berry. I'd love to look like her. Isn't
her dress beautiful?'
'It's fine.'
'It's a bit better than that, Kev.'
'It's lovely, then.'
'You'll never make a fashion reporter.'
'And you'll never make a TV holiday presenter if you don't pick one out.' He bopped her on the head gently with the brochure. 'I'm wondering if we should look at your mum's caravan again. I know we really want Greece, but Southwold would be much cheaper. What do you think?'
Linda turned a few pages of blue skies and sea. 'Greece looks fantastic. Do you really fancy the caravan?'
'Not really. But there's the mortgage to pay, and that new car we keep talking about. Maybe we're pushing it this year.'
'OK. I'll ask her on Friday.' She put down the brochure. 'Hey, you know what, Kev? Maybe you should rob a bank instead of working in one.'
Kevin gave her a look that said, 'We never do bank-robbery jokes.'
'I know, I know! Only joking. But I was thinking about old George Rowland and all that
cash he's got tucked away.'
'Don't you dare tell anyone I told you!' Kevin cut in. 'I'd lose my job!'
'But if your bank got robbed and all those safe-deposit boxes were opened, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone he'd had all that cash stolen, would he? Serve him right.'
She giggled.
'Just think if we had his money, Kev. We could pay off the mortgage, buy the car and a place in the sun, pay for my mum's treatment. I could even buy Halle Berry's green dress.'
'Yeah, yeah. Green dresses and tropical islands all round, eh?'
'Can't really see you in a green dress, Kev, but, yep, you get the idea.'
Kevin made a grab
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