Fireside Romance Box Set

Chapter 3-2

Life continued its predictable pattern over the next few months. The weather gradually turned colder and wetter. The shops in the town got out their Christmas decorations, and the Council put up strings of coloured lights between the lampposts all down the main street. They had also coughed up for a large pine tree in the town square, and wrapped lights round it. Fortunately the local vandals didn’t wreck the thing. Although I didn’t much enjoy walking home in the dark, it was nice to see the Christmas lights, and also to look in the shop windows at all the festive displays. The children’s section of the library had the only windows, which faced the high street, so it was up to the staff there to trim up the library’s contribution to the town’s outward show of festive cheer. The staff got the children to make decorations, and along with an aged—but still functional—carved nativity set, this comprised the display.

Of course the Scrooges at the Council had refused to find any money for decorations, so Mary and I put up some sprigs of artificial holly in Non-fiction. Mary’s mother had donated some coloured paper streamers to add to the effect.

Mary and I stayed late one night to put up the streamers in our section. Mary had a better head for heights than I, so she agreed to ascend the stepladder, though I was told under pain of death not to let go of it.

“And don’t you be looking up my skirt, Simon,” she said from the top of the stepladder.

“Aw, go on, just a quick peek,” I whined. “You’re no fun anymore.”

She laughed. “Don’t start, you’ll have me off this thing.”

Mary and I had grown even closer. We’d agreed to go out every Friday night. Sometimes we’d have dinner at a pub, other times we’d watch a movie at the town’s single screen cinema. Once we even went bowling, but I was totally hopeless at it, so we agreed—much to my relief—not to do that again.

Of course we kept up our usual friendly banter, laughing out loud frequently. People would look round at us to see what was funny and not unsurprisingly, this caused us to laugh even more. We played our usual game of man watching, Mary giving me a poke in the ribs if a bloke looked our way.

“See him, Simon, the one in the red sweater? No, don’t be so obvious about it. He’s looking this way. Perhaps this’ll be your chance.”

“No, he’s probably envious of me for being with you.” I replied, giving the man a quick glance. He certainly looked strong and broad and…

“Do you think so?” Mary touched her wavy auburn hair.

“Why not? If I liked women, I’d be jealous of anyone being with you.”

“Daft sod.” She punched me in the arm.

“It isn’t daft at all. You’re a lovely lady, and the man who manages to club you over the head and drag you back to his cave will be a very lucky guy.”

“I’m not sure I want to live in a cave.” She frowned. “Not one without central heating anyway.”

“Now who’s being daft?” I chuckled. “He just better treat you right, otherwise he’ll have me to answer to.” I said, flexing my puny arm and chest muscles. This caused another bout of laughter.