uched his naked； beating heart； the bonhomie with which he brimmed at each encounter was a way of driving out that primitive； instinctive terror。 They had told him at the hospital afterwards that he needed to lose some weight； but he had dropped two stone naturally while he was forced to live off their dreadful food； and Shirley had been intent on fattening him up again once he was out …
Howard sat for a moment more； enjoying the ease with which he breathed after using his inhaler。 Today meant a great deal to him。 Thirty…five years previously； he had introduced fine dining to Pagford with the élan of a sixteenth…century adventurer returning with delicacies from the other side of the world； and Pagford； after initial wariness； had soon begun to nose curiously and timidly into his polystyrene pots。 He thought wistfully of his late mother； who had been so proud of him and his thriving business。 He wished that she could have seen the café。 Howard heaved himself back to his feet； took his deerstalker from its hook and placed it carefully on his head in an act of self…coronation。
His new waitresses arrived together at half…past eight。 He had a surprise for them。
‘Here you are；’ he said； holding out the uniforms： black dresses with frilly white aprons； exactly as he had imagined。 ‘Ought to fit。 Maureen reckoned she knew your sizes。 She’s wearing one herself。’
Gaia forced back a laugh as Maureen stalked into the delicatessen from the café； smiling at them。 She was wearing Dr Scholl’s sandals over her black stockings。 Her dress finished two inches above her wrinkled knees。
‘You can change in the staff room； girls；’ she said； indicating the place from which Howard had just emerged。
Gaia was already pulling off her jeans beside the staff toilet when she saw Sukhvinder’s expression。
‘Whassamatter； Sooks？’ she asked。
The new nickname gave Sukhvinder the courage to say what she might otherwise have been unable to voice。
‘I can’t wear this；’ she whispered。
‘Why？’ asked Gaia。 ‘You’ll look OK。’
But the black dress had short sleeves。
‘I can’t。’
‘But wh – Jesus；’ said Gaia。
Sukhvinder had pulled back the sleeves of her sweatshirt。 Her inner arms were covered in ugly criss…cross scars； and angry fresh…clotted cuts travelled up from her wrist to her inner arm。
‘Sooks；’ said Gaia quietly。 ‘What are you playing at； mate？’
Sukhvinder shook her head； with her eyes full of tears。
Gaia thought for a moment； then said； ‘I know – e here。’
She was stripping off her long…sleeved T…shirt。
The door suffered a big blow and the imperfectly closed bolt shot open： a sweating Andrew was halfway inside； carrying two weighty packs of toilet rolls； when Gaia’s angry shout stopped him in his tracks。 He tripped out backwards； into Maureen。
‘They’re changing in there；’ she said； in sour disapproval。
‘Mr Mollison told me to put these in the staff bathroom。’
Holy shit； holy shit。 She had been stripped to her bra and pants。 He had seen nearly everything。
‘Sorry；’ Andrew yelled at the closed door。 His whole face was throbbing with the force of his blush。
‘Wanker；’ muttered Gaia； on the other side。 She was holding out her T…shirt to Sukhvinder。 ‘Put it on underneath the dress。’
‘That’ll look weird。’
‘Never mind。 You can get a black one for next week； it’ll look like you’re wearing long sleeves。 We’ll tell him some story …’
‘She’s got eczema；’ Gaia announced； when she and Sukhvinder emerged from the staff room； fully dressed and aproned。 ‘All up her arms。 It’s a bit scabby。’
‘Ah；’ said Howard； glancing at Sukhvinder’s white T…shirted arms and then back at Gaia； who looked every bit as gorgeous as he had hoped。
‘I’ll get a black one for next week；’ said Sukhvinder； unable to look Howard in the eye。
‘Fine；’ he said； patting Gaia in the small of her back as he sent the pair of them through to the café。 ‘Brace yourselves；’ he called to his staff at large。 ‘We’re nearly there … doors open； please； Maureen！’
There was already a little knot of customers waiting on the pavement。 A sign outside read： The Copper Kettle； Opening Today – First Coffee Free！
Andrew did not see Gaia again for hours。 Howard kept him busy heaving milk and fruit juices up and down the steep cellar steps； and swabbing the floor of the small kitchen area at the back。 He was given a lunch break earlier than either of the waitresses。 The next glimpse he got of her was when Howard summoned him to the counter of the café； and they passed within inches of each other as she walked in the other direction； towards the back room。
‘We’re swamped； Mr Price！’ said Howard； in high good humour。 ‘Get yourself a clean apron and mop down some of these tables for me while Gaia has her lunch！’
Miles and Samantha Mollison had sat down with their two daughters and Shirley at a table in the window。
‘It seems to be going awfully well； doesn’t it？’ Shirley said； looking around。 ‘But what on earth is that Jawanda girl wearing under her dress？’
‘Bandages？’ suggested Miles； squinting across the room。
‘Hi； Sukhvinder！’ called Lexie； who knew her from primary school。
‘Don’t shout； darling；’ Shirley reproved her granddaughter； and Samantha bristled。
Maureen emerged from behind the counter in her short black dress and frilly apron； and Shirley corpsed into her coffee。
‘Oh dear；’ she said quietly； as Maureen walked towards them； beaming。
It was true； Samantha thought； Maureen looked ridiculous； especially next to a pair of sixteen…year…olds in identical dresses； but she was not going to give Shirley the satisfaction of agreeing with her。 She turned ostentatiously away； watching the boy mopping tables nearby。 He was spare but reasonably broad…shouldered。 She could see his muscles working under the loose T…shirt。 Incredible to think that Miles’ big fat backside could ever have been that small and tight – then the boy turned into the light and she saw his acne。
‘Not half bad； is it？’ Maureen was croaking to Miles。 ‘We’ve been full all day。’
‘All right； girls；’ Miles addressed his family； ‘what’ll we have to keep up Grandpa’s profits？’
Samantha listlessly ordered a bowl of soup； as Howard waddled through from the delicatessen； he had been striding in and out of the café every ten minutes all day； greeting customers and checking the flow of cash into the till。
‘Roaring success；’ he told Miles； squeezing in at their table。 ‘What d’you think of the place； Sammy？ You haven’t seen it before； have you？ Like the mural？ Like the china？’
‘Mm；’ said Samantha。 ‘Lovely。’
‘I was thinking about having my sixty…fifth here；’ said Howard； absent…mindedly scratching at the itch Parminder’s creams had not yet cured； ‘but it’s not big enough。 I think we’ll stick with the church hall。’
‘When’s that； Grandpa？’ piped up Lexie。 ‘Am I ing？’
‘Twenty…ninth； and what are you now – sixteen？ Course you can e；’ said Howard happily。
‘The twenty…ninth？’ said Samantha。 ‘Oh； but …’
Shirley looked at her sharply。
‘Howard’s been planning this for months。 We’ve all been talking about it for ages。’
‘… that’s the night of Libby’s concert；’ said Samantha。
‘A school thing； is it？’ asked Howard。
‘No；’ said Libby； ‘Mum’s got me tickets for my favourite group。 It’s in London。’
‘And I’m going with her；’ said Samantha。 ‘She can’t go alone。’
‘Harriet’s mum says she could—’
‘I’m taking you； Libby； if you’re going to London。’
‘The twenty…ninth？’ said Miles； looking hard at Samantha。 ‘The day after the election？’
Samantha let loose the derisive laugh that she had spared Maureen。
‘It’s the Parish Council； Miles。 It’s not as though you’ll be giving press conferences。’
‘Well； we’ll miss you； Sammy；’ said Howard； as he hauled himself up with the aid of the back of her chair。 ‘Best get on … all right； Andrew； you’re done here … go and see if we need anything up from the cellar。’
Andrew was forced to wait beside the counter while people passed to and from the bathroom。 Maureen was loading up Sukhvinder with plates of sandwiches。
‘How’s your mother？’ she asked the girl abruptly； as though the thought had just occurred to her。
‘Fine；’ said Sukhvinder； her colour rising。
‘Not too upset by that nasty business on the council website？’
‘No；’ said Sukhvinder； her eyes watering。
Andrew proceeded out into the dank yard； which； in the early afternoon； had bee warm and sunny。 He had hoped that Gaia might be there； taking a breath of fresh air； but she must have gone into the staff room in the deli。 Disappointed； he lit up a cigarette。 He had barely inhaled when Gaia emerged from the café； finishing her lunch with a can of fizzy drink。
‘Hi；’ said Andrew； his mouth dry。
‘Hi；’ she said。 Then； after a moment or two： ‘Hey； why’s that friend of yours such a shit to Sukhvinder？ Is it personal or is he racist？’
‘He isn’t racist；’ said Andrew。 He removed the cigarette from his mouth； trying to keep his hands from trembling； but could not think of anything else to say。 The sunshine reflected off the bins warmed his sweaty back； close proximity to her in the tight black dress was almost overwhelming； especially now that he had glimpsed what lay beneath。 He took another drag of the cigarette； not knowing when he had felt so bedazzled or so alive。
‘What’s she ever done to him； though？’
The curve of her hips to her tiny waist； the perfection of her wide； flecked eyes over the can of Sprite。 Andrew felt like saying； Nothing； he’s a bastard； I’ll hit him if you let me touch you …
Sukhvinder emerged into the yard； blinking in the sunlight； she looked unfortable and hot in Gaia’s top。
‘He wants you back in；’ she said to Gaia。
‘He can wait；’ said Gaia coolly。 ‘I’m finishing this。 I’ve only had forty minutes。’
Andrew and Sukhvinder contemplated her as she sipped her drink； awed by her arrogance and her beauty。
‘Was that old bitch saying something to you just then； about your mum？’ Gaia asked Sukhvinder。
Sukhvinder nodded。
‘I think it might’ve been his mate；’ she said； staring at Andrew a