I鈥檇 not seen him down here before.听 This used to be Suzie鈥檚 patch until鈥 well, we all know what happened to Suzie, don鈥檛 we?听 The Waterfront Beat we called it, best spot in town because they knew where to find you.听 Worst spot for the same reason, but I鈥檇 never had trouble, not really.听 鈥淐old, isn鈥檛 it?鈥 Again he didn鈥檛 answer, just looked down at me; hey, that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 here for, I wanted to say, come stare down your nose at me but I鈥檓 doing all right.听 My girl got four GCSE鈥檚 last summer, now she鈥檚 off to college; I鈥檝e got a flat up near the Hoe, I鈥檓 off the smack; how about you?听 But it doesn鈥檛 do to look too smart or talk lippy to the boys, some of them can get really nasty especially if they鈥檙e coming down and trade鈥檚 not been good, so I just smiled. He bent down and pinched the cigarette from between my fingers, dragging at it like he was kissing a lover, then handed it back, which was nice.听 鈥淣ah, you keep it, love.听 I鈥檓 trying to give up.鈥 He grinned then.听 鈥淢e too.听 But this is a hard night and I needed something.鈥 鈥淵ou got trade then?听 It鈥檚 been dead here.听 Wish I鈥檇 stopped in, with my knitting.鈥澨 He grinned again and wormed his way down to sit next to me, feet dangling towards the water.听 He was wearing boots too, great buckled things that looked like they weighed more than he did, huge big cloak wrapped round him, keeping the cold out but not quite keeping the smell in.听 He was pretty, in an understairs-cupboard kind of way, and I could see how he could have been earning tonight; hanging round the Devonshire Arms with that pale, big-eyed look, they like them like that up there. |
