Try a Little Tenderness

by Joan Jonker

  Mick straightened himself out. ‘We usually charge, yer know, Auntie Lizzie, but not those we love.’ He turned to Jenny. ‘I knew yer were there. I always know when ye’re there, even if I can’t see yer.’

  Lizzie smiled, while Mary and Stan pulled surprised faces at each other. John, on the other hand, was trying to think of a way to get even. ‘The only way yer’d know that, mate, would be if Jenny ponged. And I can’t smell nothing.’

  Jenny roared with laughter. ‘Will you two ever grow up?’

  ‘Not unless we’re forced to,’ Mick said. ‘We like acting daft and yer can’t get away with it when ye’re grown-up.’

  ‘Well, try and act grown-up tonight, please. Remember, it’s me mate’s house we’re going to.’ Jenny slipped into her coat and asked, ‘What time d’yer want me in by, Mam?’

  ‘It’s work tomorrow, sunshine, so I think eleven is late enough.’ Mary cocked an ear. ‘Isn’t Laura going with yer?’

  ‘Yeah, but she’s calling for Cynthia first.’ Jenny blew a kiss. ‘Enjoy yerselves and don’t get too drunk.’

  Martha Porter was looking for something to fault the two girls, but so far they hadn’t put a foot wrong. They were friendly without being pushy, polite, well-dressed, and their faces weren’t caked with make-up. And far from running after the boys, they were sat side-by-side on the couch while Bill and his mate Gerry were doing their damnedest to chat them up. They weren’t getting very far, either, from what she could see. It was going to be a very quiet party from the looks of things. If it wasn’t for Mick and John, it would be dead boring. They had Jenny and Janet in stitches the whole time. When Mick cracked a joke, John had one ready to throw back at him, and vice versa. They seemed to bounce off each other. And they were keeping Vincent amused, too. Her husband never had a smile off his face.

  ‘Why don’t yer put a record on, Bill?’ Martha asked. ‘Liven the place up a bit.’

  Laura showed her interest. ‘Ooh, have yer got a gramophone?’

  Martha proudly lifted the lid of a wooden cabinet standing next to her chair. ‘Yes, and we’ve got some records.’

  ‘Do yer dance, Cynthia?’ Bill asked hopefully.

  Cynthia seemed to sink back further on the couch. ‘No, I’ve never been to a dance, but Laura can. I’ll be quite happy to sit and watch.’

  ‘What shall I put on, a waltz or a quickstep?’

  Gerry, who thought he was God’s gift to women, stuck out his chest. ‘It doesn’t make no difference to me, Bill, I can dance to anything.’

  Laura, thinking the night wasn’t going to be a complete waste of time, was eager to show off her prowess on the dance floor. It was a pity somebody hadn’t told her that Gerry was the biggest liar in Liverpool, and the worst dancer. But she was about to find out the hard way. He couldn’t wait for her to stand upright before pulling her into his arms, gripping her left hand tight and thrusting their arms out as far as they would stretch. If anyone had been standing near, they would have either lost a few teeth or been sporting a black eye. He started off with the wrong foot and his size ten shoe landed down hard on Laura’s toes. She let out a cry and her face crumpled with the pain, but Gerry soldiered on regardless.

  Mick and John looked on with amusement. ‘She’ll have no feet left by the time this record’s over,’ Mick spoke out of the side of his mouth. ‘He’s like a walking plank.’

  ‘Yeah,’ John agreed, ‘as stiff as a board.’

  ‘Ay, Jenny, d’yer want to have a go? Yer couldn’t be any worse than that bloke.’

  Jenny shrank back. ‘No, thanks, Mick, I’ve never danced in me life.’

  ‘I’ll show yer how, eh? If I excuse yer sister, saving her from a fate worse than death, you could watch what she does with her feet, and then have a go with me when they put the next record on.’

  John was certain Mick wouldn’t excuse Laura. Even if he liked her, which he didn’t, he wouldn’t have the nerve. ‘Go on, mate, I dare yer. In fact, I double dare yer.’

  Mick looked down into eyes as blue as the sky on a summer’s day. ‘How about it, Jenny, are yer game?’

  ‘Ooh, I don’t think so, Mick, I’d be frightened of making a fool of meself.’

  ‘I’ll dance with yer, Mick,’ said Janet, who was on home territory and didn’t care if she did make a fool of herself. ‘I’d like that.’

  Mick’s heart plummeted, but he didn’t let it show. ‘Okay, Janet, ye’re on.’ With that he stepped forward and touched Gerry’s arm. ‘Excuse me, please.’

  The relief on Laura’s face was obvious. And when Mick began to twirl her around like the experienced dancer he was, she was delighted. ‘Thanks, Mick, I owe yer one. That bloke was flaming hopeless.’

  Too quickly the record ground to a stop. ‘Ah, I was enjoying that,’ Laura said. ‘Ye’re a good dancer, Mick. If I get lumbered again, will yer come to my rescue?’

  Mick grinned. ‘I’ve promised the next dance to Janet, but John’s a good dancer, better than me. He can come to yer rescue next time.’

  Martha turned the record over and the strains of another waltz filled the room. ‘Take yer partners for a waltz,’ she said, sitting back and folding her arms. Then with a wink at Laura, she added, ‘And it’s an “excuse me”.’

  Mick bowed from the waist before extending a hand. ‘This is my dance, I believe, Miss Porter.’

  Janet was willing and eager. ‘Don’t twirl me around, though, Mick, not until I’ve found me dancing feet proper.’

  ‘I’m not that daft, Janet.’ Mick led her into the middle of the room. ‘I’ll put me hands on yer waist, and that way yer can see me feet better.’

  Cynthia saw Gerry rub his hands together and look at Laura. Sitting next to her, perched on the arm of the couch, was Bill. She tapped his arm. ‘Get Laura up quick, before soft lad gets to her.’

  Bill bent towards her ear and whispered, ‘Only if yer promise to come out with me one night.’

  ‘We’ll talk about that later, now get moving.’

  Laura was happy because Bill was a good dancer, and Janet was deliriously happy because, under Mick’s tuition, she was mastering the basic steps of the waltz. Her face was animated and she’d never looked so pretty.

  ‘Ye’re doing well, sweetheart,’ Martha called, ‘I’m proud of yer.’

  When the dance ended, Mick passed her over to John. ‘You can give Janet her second lesson now, while I give Jenny her first.’ He saw Jenny was about to object and got in before her. ‘Don’t forget, I let me mate double dare me so I could dance with yer.’ He stood in front of her and put his hands on her waist. ‘There’s only three basic steps in a waltz, so let’s try. You go back with yer left foot, to the side with yer right foot, then bring them together. See, do it again. There yer go, it’s as easy as falling off a bike.’

  Jenny was feeling quite pleased with herself. At least she’d got over her shyness, and those three steps were easy enough. So when Mick said they should hold each other properly now, she did it without hesitation or thought. And she was too busy keeping tabs on her footwork to notice the strange expression on his face. He was experiencing feelings he’d never felt before, like his spine and legs had turned to jelly, and there were shooting stars in his head. He put his lips close to her hair and whispered, ‘Grow up quickly, Jenny.’

  She pulled back a little. ‘What did yer say, Mick?’

  ‘Oh er, the time’s going quick.’

  Janet watched them for a while, then looked up at John. ‘Mick’s holding Jenny different to what we are. Why can’t we hold each other proper, like?’

  John chuckled. ‘What about yer mam and her rolling pin?’

  Not for one moment did he think she’d take him seriously. And he blushed to the roots of his hair when she called, loud enough for everyone to hear: ‘Mam, if John holds me proper, yer won’t hit him on the head with the rolling pin, will yer?’

  It was hard to say who laughed the longest, but the loudest definitely came from Mick, with Cynthia a close
second. And Martha had to get hers under control before she could answer. ‘As long as he leaves a space of three inches between yer.’

  ‘Did yer hear that, John?’ Janet lifted a hand and measured with her thumb and forefinger, what she thought was three inches. ‘That’s about it.’ She looked so innocent, he thought, Ah, God bless her, and he felt like hugging her, as he would a baby.

  For the rest of the evening, in between having something to eat and drink, the two boys were very fair with each other and swapped partners for every dance. That is, all except for two dances which the girls had with Gerry, who they felt sorry for. The fact that they were beginners didn’t make any difference to him; he plodded on in his own way anyhow.

  They were enjoying themselves so much, Jenny was sorry when she saw the time was a quarter to eleven. ‘I’ll have to go, Jan, I promised me mam I’d be home by eleven.’

  ‘Yer don’t need me to walk yer home tonight, then Jenny?’ Bill asked, thinking she was still the nicest-looking girl he knew. But he was attracted by the mystery and intrigue which Cynthia wore like a cloak. She was very polite, but kept him and Gerry at a distance, as though they held no interest for her. And although his mate might be a lousy dancer, he was a fine figure of a man and had no trouble getting girls. So if this girl sitting on his mam’s couch was the real Cynthia, then she certainly hadn’t earned her reputation as a man-eater. Either that or she was a ruddy good actress. This was the mystery he wanted to solve.

  Mick was holding Jenny’s coat when she replied, ‘No, I’ve got two escorts tonight. But the other girls will need to be walked home.’ She shook Martha and Vincent by the hand. ‘Thank you for a lovely party, I really enjoyed meself.’ Her infectious giggle brought a smile to all the faces, even that of her sister. ‘And I got free dancing lessons into the bargain, so all in all I’d say I hopped in lucky.’

  ‘Ye’re welcome here any time, queen, yer know that,’ Vincent said. ‘Our door is always open to yer.’

  Martha gave her a hug. ‘A second daughter to us, that’s what yer are.’

  Janet showed them to the door. ‘Are we going to Auntie Lizzie’s tomorrow night?’

  She was looking at Jenny, but it was Mick who answered. ‘Yeah, we’ll all go. We won’t stay long, just keep her company for an hour or two.’

  ‘Oh, yeah.’ Janet was childlike in her pleasure. ‘We can show her how we’ve learned to do the waltz.’

  Jenny put a hand through each of the boys’ arms. ‘We’ll do that, Jan, and give her a good laugh. Thanks for inviting us to yer party, and good night and God bless.’

  Back in the living room of the Porters’ house, Cynthia and Laura were on their feet. ‘We’ll be on our way, ’cos it’s back to the grind tomorrow.’

  ‘We’ll see yer home,’ Bill said. ‘Just in case there’s any drunks around.’

  ‘Yer’ve no need to, Bill,’ Laura said. ‘We can look after ourselves.’

  ‘I’ve no doubt yer can, but we’ll still come with yer, even if it’s only to stop yer from falling over on the ice.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s bad out,’ Janet said. ‘Yer’d be best linking each other, like Jenny and the two boys.’

  They took their leave after thanking the Porters for a lovely evening. And they left Martha looking sheepishly at her husband. ‘It just goes to show, doesn’t it, that yer can’t believe everything yer hear? They seem like two nice girls to me, and if anyone tells me otherwise, I’ll clock them one.’

  Having been asked to do so as a favour to his workmate, Gerry took Laura’s arm and walked in front. ‘Do you and yer friend live near each other?’

  ‘In the same street.’ Laura was glad of his supporting hand because the slush had hardened and it was very slippery underfoot. ‘I live at the top end, and Cynthia at the bottom.’

  ‘How come you can dance and she can’t?’

  ‘Because I go dancing with me boyfriend.’ Laura thought a little white fib would nip in the bud any ideas he was harbouring. ‘He’s a smashing dancer.’

  Bill allowed the distance between the couples to grow. He wanted to talk to Cynthia without being overheard. ‘I asked yer earlier if yer’d come out with me one night, but I never did get an answer.’

  Cynthia knew she had nothing to fear from Bill, he was a different breed to Larry and Jeff. But still she couldn’t bear the thought of a boy even touching her. Perhaps after next week, when she’d completed the task she’d set herself, she might feel different, be more settled in her mind. And with Bill Porter she’d be as safe as houses. ‘I’ll come out with yer one night, but it won’t be for a couple of weeks.’

  ‘Why is that? Have yer got a boyfriend?’

  ‘No, it’s just that I’m tied up for a few weeks, that’s all.’

  ‘Yer haven’t got a boyfriend, but ye’re tied up every night?’ Bill raised his eyebrows questioningly. ‘And I’ve got to wait two weeks for a date?’

  ‘That’s the way it is, Bill, I’m sorry. I’m not playing hard to get, if that’s what yer think. I’ve got something important on and I can’t cancel it. If yer’d rather leave it, then I’ll understand. We’ll probably bump into each other some time.’

  ‘I’ll wait, but give me a date now, so I’ll know yer mean it.’

  Without hesitation, Cynthia said, ‘Two weeks tonight, and yer can call for me.’

  With that Bill had to be satisfied. As he had to be satisfied when she would only allow him to give her a good-night peck on the cheek. He kept telling himself to be sensible, she was just another girl and there were plenty of them around. But her very coolness fired his interest in her and he knew the next two weeks were going to be the longest he’d known.

  ‘What are you doing with yerself tonight, sunshine?’ Mary asked. ‘Are yer coming to the Moynihans’?’

  Laura shook her head. ‘No, I’m going to the dance. They didn’t have one last week with it being Christmas, but it’s open tonight. I don’t know whether they’ll finish at eleven, like they usually do, or if they’ll carry on to let the New Year in.’

  ‘Well, if ye’re not too late, Mrs Moynihan won’t mind if yer call in. Yer don’t want to see the New Year in on yer own, do yer?’

  ‘I’ll see how it goes.’ Laura had big hopes for tonight and wasn’t expecting to be going across the street. She’d made up her mind that no matter what Celia said, she was staying until the end. Surely Gary, on this special night, would ask to walk her home. And she should get her first kiss, ’cos at midnight everybody would be kissing everybody else – even strangers. Then a thought entered her head that took some of the pleasure away. Her grandad wouldn’t be getting a kiss; he’d be all on his own. Unless, with a bit of luck, his wife stayed in with him. If she did, she’d be doing everyone a favour.

  ‘Is Auntie Lizzie coming to the party, Mam?’ Jenny asked. ‘Or does she think it’ll be too noisy for her?’

  Mary chuckled. ‘It will be too noisy for her, sunshine, without a doubt. Especially as Auntie Amy’s back in fine form and raring to go. I don’t know what she’s got up her sleeve for us tonight, but she’s had a sly smile on her face all day.’

  ‘Oooh, I can’t wait.’ Jenny’s eyes were sparkling with excitement. If there was any dancing tonight, she’d definitely have a go. ‘Can I get washed at the sink, Mam, before we start the dishes? Then I can take me time getting ready.’

  ‘I was going to ask that,’ Laura said. ‘Let me go first, ’cos I’ve got a long way to go. You’ve only got to go across the street.’

  ‘Yeah, okay, but don’t make a meal of it. There’s others in the house beside you.’

  When Laura was leaving, her dance shoes tucked under her arm, Mary asked, ‘Yer won’t be coming home on yer own at that time of night, will yer?’

  ‘No, I’ll be with Cynthia.’

  ‘Even so, just take care. There’ll be a lot of people out on the street and most of them will be blotto.’

  ‘Mam!’ Laura shook her head and rolled her eyes. ‘We can take care o
f ourselves, we’re not kids.’

  ‘Yer mam’s only warning yer,’ Stan said, ‘so think on.’

  Jenny watched her sister leave the room and she felt worried inside. She didn’t know where Laura got to on a Thursday night, but wherever it was, she certainly didn’t go with her friend. Jenny had seen Cynthia a few times when she’d been coming back from Janet’s, and it was too early for her to have been to a dance. Besides, she was always on her own and wearing her working clothes.

  Jenny sighed as she went upstairs for her best shoes. I wish our Laura wouldn’t lie to me mam, she thought. And I wish I didn’t know she was lying because it makes me feel guilty. If she gets herself into trouble, and me mam and dad find out I knew there was something going on, they’d say I was as bad as her for not letting on. But I just can’t bring myself to snitch on my own sister.

  ‘Come on, sunshine,’ Mary shouted up the stairs. ‘Me and yer dad are ready and waiting.’

  ‘I’m coming, Mam.’ Jenny sighed before saying under her breath, ‘I’m not going to let our Laura spoil the party for me. She’s probably having a whale of a time, wherever she is, so why shouldn’t I enjoy meself?’

  Laura pelted around the corner of Burton’s shop to the side entrance of the dance hall. All the time she was chanting over and over, ‘Let him be there, let him be there.’ She took the stone steps two at a time, and when she pushed open the door at the top her heart flipped when the first person she saw was Gary. She could tell by the way his face lit up that he was as glad to see her as she was to see him. Even the presence of Celia and Charlie couldn’t dim her happiness.

  ‘I’ve been waiting for yer.’ Gary reached for her hand. ‘I was worried that yer weren’t going to come.’

  ‘Just as if.’ Laura nodded to Celia and Charlie. ‘Hi-ya. I’ll put me coat in the cloakroom, I won’t be a tick.’

  Celia followed close on her heels. ‘Come to the toilets with us, I want a word with yer.’

  Looking in the spotted mirror over a sink, Laura wet a finger with her tongue before running it over her eyebrows, making sure every hair was in place. She wanted to look her best tonight. ‘What d’yer want to have a word with me over?’ she asked Celia’s reflection in the mirror. ‘I can’t wait to get on the dance floor.’