Kate & Alf

by Carrie Stone

  Without skipping a beat, Viv was quick to retort. ‘For him, yes. But what about you? Being a couple is about compromise, love. You have a proper think about what suits you, too. You’d be giving up your life here.’

  ‘She’s right. Worst thing you can do – give up your own happiness for a fella,’ Lil warned, her beady brown eyes looking at Kate reproachfully. ‘And I should know that. Why’d you fink I’m in here? I shouldn’t have listened to Terence’s urges to put the will in his son’s name. Fat lot of good that did me.’

  Despite the complexity of her own situation, Kate wanted to laugh. Although Lillian was a force to be reckoned with, she was at a loss as to how her late husband’s son had managed to force the sale of his father’s large estate – thus leaving Lillian effectively homeless and with the only option to reside at Oak Park.

  ‘You’ve got Viv. You two are a great team. What more could you want?’ Kate joked, relieved that the focus was being moved away from her.

  ‘Hmm, well. I suppose it could be worse,’ Lil grumbled, voice barely audible.

  ‘What about your tea-leaf reading? Do you want it now instead of tomorrow night?’ Viv asked suddenly, a twinkle in her eye.

  ‘Now? But I thought you only liked to do them in your lunch break or evening?’

  Viv flapped her hand in front of Kate. ‘Don’t be silly. For you it’s a different set of rules.’

  Kate glanced at the clock on Vivian’s living-room wall – she was halfway through her morning shift. If she delayed the paperwork that was waiting for completion, then she’d have enough time to spend an extra twenty minutes with Viv. ‘Okay, go on then, you’ve twisted my arm.’ She didn’t add that her legs had suddenly turned to jelly and her heart had picked up its pace. She realised she was nervous. Really nervous. What if Viv saw something about Alf’s new job situation?

  ‘Sit yourself down,’ she instructed Kate, pulling out the “special” visitors’ table from the nest of tables in the corner. ‘Lil, make yourself scarce. Kate and I have got business to do.’

  Lillian looked up in surprise. ‘You’ll tell me all the details after anyway. What’s it matter if I’m here or not?’

  Shooting her daggers, Vivian tutted and switched on the kettle.

  ‘You’re fine to stay, Lil. I wouldn’t expect you to leave,’ Kate said truthfully. ‘Besides, I could do with the support.’

  Both Lillian and Kate watched quietly as Vivian poured boiling water into a teapot full of loose English breakfast tea leaves. After a few minutes, she retrieved her special plain, white cup and saucer from its cabinet and poured a small amount of the strong brew into it.

  ‘Drink it when you’re ready’ she instructed, setting the cup and saucer down on the small table in front of Kate.

  Eyeing the steaming cup of tea, Kate waited for it to cool before she drank as much of the bitterly strong brew as possible.

  Watching with a satisfied smile, Vivian ordered her to turn the cup three times anti-clockwise and then place the saucer on top, turning both over and allowing the remnants to drain for a full minute. Kate did as she was told, glancing at Lillian with a nervous expression.

  ‘Okay, let’s see what the leaves have to say.’ Viv replaced the upturned cup back to standing position and stared into the messy interior.

  ‘Interesting. Look at that!’ she said, pointing to the bottom of the cup. ‘A picture of a house and a number six.’ Peering forward into the cup, Kate wondered how on earth Vivian was seeing a house and number in the jumbled mess of brown specks. ‘You’ll be moving soon. In six months’ time.’ Vivian said. ‘There’s a new job opportunity too – you see the balloon?’ she pointed to the other side of the cup, where a balloon was supposedly clear to see. Kate nodded, despite not being able to see anything of the sort. ‘And a ring – look at the ring.’ Intrigued, Kate could vaguely make out a round circle in the spot where Viv was pointing. ‘There’s an engagement coming to you,’ she said matter-of-factly. Kate’s heart skipped a beat.

  Vivian peered curiously at the cup, holding it at a funny angle. ‘Well I never…’ she said, her face clouding over.

  ‘What is it?’ Lil interrupted, scooting forward in her seat.

  ‘Alf. It says Alf.’

  ‘What?’ Both Kate and Lillian asked in unison.

  Vivian, failing to hide her concern, looked once again at the cup and the clear ‘Alf’ spelled out. ‘Look here.’ She pointed, holding the cup at the correct angle for both Kate and Lillian to view.

  ‘Oh, my good lord! It bloody well does! It says Alf.’ Lillian nudged Kate’s arm with her elbow. ‘Can you see it?’

  Kate stared in disbelief at the small, but perfectly formed, three letters. There was no denying they spelled Alf’s name. ‘That’s amazing. What does it mean, though?’ she asked, intrigued, noticing that Viv had gone a little quiet.

  ‘Well, dear, it’s only ever meant one thing to me, in all my years of experience doing this,’ she replied apprehensively.

  ‘Which is?’ Lil asked, impatient.

  ‘It’s the name of the man Kate’s destined for. It’s Alf she’s going to marry.’

  Failing to notice the wary glances exchanged between Lil and Viv, for the first time in over a month Kate felt a great sense of relief.

  With Vivian’s words she finally had clarity. She felt every nerve ending in her body buzzing with happiness and certainty. Alf was the one. He was the one she was going to marry. Even though she’d always thought it was Alf, there’d been doubts of late, the constant niggles that had started to make her question things. Now she’d just played witness to an undeniable and inexplicable sign of reassurance.

  She had her answer and it was the one she’d never expected to hear. Least of all through a tea-leaf reading.

  ‘Why didn’t you just keep your trap closed then?’ Lillian grumbled, annoyed. It was typical of Viv to act first and think later.

  ‘Well, it wouldn’t have been right, would it? The girl is entitled to know.’ Vivian took another gulp of her third can of Guinness.

  ‘Well then quit your moaning. Who knows – it might even be wrong.’

  ‘Have you not been listening to anything I’ve been saying? That’s the whole point I’m trying to make. I don’t feel that Alf is the one for her – I never have done. But you know how Kate is about him, completely blinded. So, I can’t tell her so. I just don’t understand why his name would be written in the cup like that.’

  She was baffled. It wasn’t like her to be contradicted in her readings and yet that’s exactly what had happened. And with her lovely Kate – of all people. She’d been hoping it would be the push Kate needed to start making long-overdue changes.

  Lillian, despite not fully believing in all things alternative, trusted her friend’s judgement. ‘I agree. So, let’s just let her work that one out herself. She’s a grown woman – she’ll find out soon enough he’s not the right man for her. You mark my words.’

  Vivian took another swig of her Guinness. She desperately hoped Lil was right.

  Otherwise she had an uneasy feeling that she’d just unwittingly pushed Kate further down the wrong path.

  Replacing the phone handset in its holder, Alf stared at his computer screen, his mind racing. He could already feel the perspiration beginning to trickle down his forehead. Clyde had requested to see him immediately. It could only mean one thing – his job wasn’t safe. He felt his stomach turn to water.

  Getting up from his desk, he consciously wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and straightened his tie. Trying to ignore the fact that his legs felt like leaden weights, he picked up his ballpoint and note pad and walked towards the chairman’s office with as much confidence as he could muster.

  Janelle, Clyde’s executive assistant, was staring at the spreadsheet on the screen in front of her as Alf approached her desk. She glanced briefly at the printed daily diary that was wedged between her keyboard and hard drive – yet she didn’t need to. She was already
aware that Clyde had requested Alf – he’d come out of his office two minutes previously to warn her.

  ‘Go on through, he’s waiting for you’ she said, never growing bored of her role as gate keeper to the most important man in the building. She watched as Alf walked to his fate – unaware of what Clyde had in store for him. As the door closed behind him, she couldn’t help but feel slightly sorry for the man.

  She, of all people, knew how ruthless Clyde could be.

  Chapter 10

  Running her hand over the teal-sateen fabric, Kate knew instantly that it was the ideal dress for her night out with Megan and Shilpa. The subtly sexy and stylish design with ruche detailing on the bodice would give her the elegant look she was striving for.

  She glanced once again at the more expensive cream-chiffon dress that she already owned hanging on the mannequin in the boutique window. As much as she loved the dress and, with the helpful advice of Hilda had managed to remove most of the nail- polish stain, it didn’t feel fitting to be wearing it for a girls’ night out. She looked at the hand-marked price tag of the teal dress – very reasonable indeed.

  ‘That’s been quite popular, that sateen dress. It fits really well.’

  Kate turned and smiled, seeing the glamorous, heavily tanned boutique owner approaching her. ‘Yes, I was just thinking it’d be perfect for a girls’ night I have this weekend.’ She held the dress up against herself.

  The owner nodded approvingly, her bright-pink acrylic fingernails reaching out to touch the capped sleeve. ‘The colour really suits your olive skin tone and it’s definitely a party dress. Also the fabric is good, it washes well.’

  ‘Okay, I’m sold,’ Kate joked, walking across to the counter. She glanced down discreetly at her arms – olive skin tone? The tinted moisturizer she’d continued using – albeit sparsely – since her party, was clearly working its magic. Her arms did have a rather healthy and natural glow.

  The owner followed behind her, watching her curiously. ‘You’ve been in here before, haven’t you?’ she asked, squinting at Kate as if to try to place her. Her eyes suddenly lit up with recognition. ‘Ah, I remember you now. You were the one getting engaged. You bought the cream dress, didn’t you?’

  Blushing, Kate tried not to show her awkwardness as she inwardly cringed, fleetingly recalling the moment almost two months earlier when she’d excitedly shared her news. ‘That’s right,’ she nodded, hoping the woman didn’t push the matter further. Thankfully she didn’t. Neither did she gaze at Kate’s hand for the non-existent ring. Instead, she rang up the purchase on the till and carefully bagged the teal dress. ‘There you go, then.’

  She passed the bag to Kate, who politely smiled and said thanks, silently cursing herself for ever mentioning the engagement and wanting to get out of the shop as fast as possible.

  Moments later, she was walking back to her car, purchase swinging on her arm. Although satisfied that she’d found a wonderful dress, it had only provided a short distraction from more pressing matters.

  Spending the entire afternoon thinking about Megan’s revelation and her tea-leaf reading, she’d come to the conclusion that she couldn’t possibly keep the job news secret from Alf any longer. Two days had been more than enough.

  She knew Megan had told her mostly for her benefit and not Alf’s. After all – as Megan had pointed out – if Kate was having relationship doubts then this would likely be the make-or-break situation. She’d also urged Kate that it could be a good time to encourage Alf to look into alternative positions, closer to home, before the news broke. Yet the thought didn’t appeal to Kate.

  Although she’d much prefer to continue living in their home town, she didn’t have it within her to deny Alf such a career-enhancing opportunity. It wasn’t her nature to be devious or keep such positive news from the person she loved the most. And it certainly wasn’t fair on Alf to let him carry on believing his job could be at risk, when the likelihood was the complete opposite.

  She was going to have to tell him, and she hoped to God that it wouldn’t backfire on Megan. Unlocking the car, she contemplated how best to break the news – deciding she’d tell Alf that Megan accidently allowed the information to slip out and she herself had pursued it further.

  The jarring sound of her mobile tone disturbed her careful considerations. Grabbing it from the inside pocket of her handbag, she looked at the blinking screen. It was Alf. Her stomach knotted. She’d built up the courage and planned out what she’d say, all she had to do was tell him there was something that she needed to discuss later. She answered the call. It was now or never.

  ‘Glasgow?’ Kate repeated in astonishment. ‘But that’s Scotland.’ She stared at Alf in shock. Nothing was making sense. Megan had warned her that management had ear-marked Alf to be transferred to their Manchester office, yet there’d been no mention of heading up a new division in Scotland. She was at a loss for words.

  Alf looked at Kate’s crestfallen expression and felt his own excitement waver. The proposition had been the last thing he’d expected when he’d walked into Clyde’s office. He’d barely been able to take in what was being said to him. Whilst on the one hand it was flattering to hear that although he’d initially been selected for transfer to the Hamilton Manchester offices, they’d instead favoured him – over their original choice of Henry Cavendish – to head the Scotland start-up, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive behind the chairman’s decision. He was in no doubt that Henry was the stronger candidate for the position, given his managerial background. Brushing aside his qualms, he focused once again on the huge opportunity that had presented itself.

  ‘I know it’s a shock. It is for me, too’ he said, taking Kate’s hand in his own. ‘But think about it, babe, this is going to open so many doors for us. It’s a massive opening.’

  Kate didn’t know how to respond. The excitement was written all over Alf’s face; it had been since the moment he’d arrived home after telling her on the phone that he had something major to share with her. She’d naïvely felt so relieved, assuming that he’d been informed of his transfer to Manchester and that she’d no longer have to endure the uncomfortable presence of the secret hanging over her head.

  In one phone call, she’d been let off the hook, never needing to reveal what she already knew. She’d been so excited to arrive home and share Alf’s enthusiasm – she’d even felt it could be the breakthrough they needed to lay everything on the table about their future together. How ironic then, she thought bitterly, that there had been a twist in the turn of events. She repeated the word in her head. Glasgow. Scotland. Miles away.

  Aware that Alf was waiting for her to say something she kissed him on the lips. ‘I’m so proud of you for being chosen. And I know it’s a huge opening for you – well, for us, even. But I won’t lie, Alf, it’s come as a bit of a shock.’

  Although she’d begun to warm to the idea of starting a new life in Manchester, she couldn’t help but feel anxious about the idea of Scotland. She pulled back from his lips, looking directly into his eyes and felt a tug of familiar connection. ‘It’s a lot to take in. Scotland’s not just up the road – it’s as far away as we could possibly get.’ She watched as he pondered her words, running his hand anxiously through his hair.

  ‘It is far. But there are trains and even flights. We could be back here within half a day.’

  Biting down on her lip, Kate didn’t know how to respond. It was true that Scotland wasn’t the other side of the world – she was certain that plenty of people commuted on a regular basis in much the same way as they’d have to. But it was much further than she’d expected. The idea filled her with panic – it certainly wouldn’t be as easy or economical to hop on a train at short notice to see those she’d be leaving behind.

  ‘Well, look, we don’t have to make any decisions right now. Let’s sleep on it, give it a day or two and see how we feel?’ Alf said, not failing to notice Kate’s hesitation. Putting his arms around her waist,
he pulled her closer to him. ‘But just keep in mind where this could lead us to in a few years, Kate.’ He gently stroked the back of her hair and placed a small kiss on the top of her head.

  Kate closed her eyes in Alf’s embrace, wanting to stay there forever in that familiar, secure and warm place. She wanted to be happy and excited for him – she really did. But she couldn’t, because she had an underlying feeling that a tidal wave was heading straight for them – with no way of escaping.

  If she was honest with herself, she knew she didn’t want to go to Scotland, she certainly didn’t want to lose Alf and, furthermore, she didn’t want to stay in the same pattern that they’d got stuck in lately. It left little choice.

  For the first time in a long time, she felt truly scared for the future.

  ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to cook you something before I go?’ Megan asked, poking her head through the doorway of the living room. She watched Jonnie laugh at something on television before he turned to her.

  ‘No, stop fussing. I’m fine. I’ll put a pizza in the oven later.’

  Megan sighed, wishing for a moment that she didn’t have such a strong mothering instinct. He’d been doing well since his last slip-up with the drink, but it didn’t stop her from worrying about him. It hadn’t helped matters to find out his working hours had been cut down at the builder’s merchants. She knew that it wasn’t ideal for Jonnie to have too much time on his hands – it invariably led to over-thinking and him drowning his sorrows.

  ‘Okay, well I’ll finish off getting ready, then.’ She hurried back up the cream- carpeted staircase, wondering which of the two dresses she’d chosen would be the most appropriate to wear. She wasn’t even sure why she was making such an effort; it wasn’t as if she was particularly bothered about Michael. Yes, he was handsome, in a chiselled and preened kind of way, plus there was the added benefit of his intelligent conversation and the fact he preferred the finer spots of London, enjoying both good food and wine. Why then, wasn’t she feeling bowled over that the conveyancing lawyer had asked to see her for a third time?