Part 18 (1/2)
”Oh yummy!” Holly said, licking her lips. ”You lucky things. Isn't your daddy the best?” she said, laughing. Richard looked pleased.
”Junk food?” Holly questioned her brother.
”Ah.” He waved his hand dismissively and sat down beside her. ”Everything in moderation, isn't that right, Emily?”
Five-year-old Emily nodded her head as though she had completely understood her father. Her big green eyes were wide and innocent and her nodding head was sending her strawberry blond ringlets bouncing. She was eerily like her mother and Holly had to look away. Then she felt guilty and looked back and smiled...then had to look away again. There was something about those eyes and that hair that scared her.
”Well, one McDonald's meal isn't going to kill them,” Holly agreed with her brother.
Timmy grabbed at his throat and pretended to choke. His face went red as he made gagging noises and he collapsed on the gra.s.s and lay very still. Richard and Holly laughed. Emily looked like she was going to cry.
”Oh dear,” Richard joked. ”Looks like we were wrong, Holly, the McDonald's did kill Timmy.”
Holly looked at her brother in shock for calling his son Timmy but she decided not to mention it, it was obviously just a slip of the tongue. Richard got up and threw Timmy over his shoulder. ”Well, we better go bury him now and have a funeral.” Timmy giggled as he dangled upside down on his father's shoulder.
”Oh, he's alive!” Richard laughed.
”No, I'm not,” giggled Timmy.
Holly watched in amus.e.m.e.nt at the family scene before her. It had been a while since she had witnessed anything like this. None of her friends had any children and Holly was very rarely around them. There was obviously something seriously wrong with her if she was doting on Richard's children. And it wasn't the wisest decision to become broody when there was no man in your life.
”OK, we best be off,” laughed Richard. ”Bye, Holly.”
”Bye, Holly,” the children cheered, and Holly watched Richard walk off with Timmy slung over his right shoulder as little Emily skipped and danced along beside her father while gripping his hand.
Holly stared in amus.e.m.e.nt at the stranger walking off with two children. Who was this man who claimed to be her brother? Holly certainly had never met that man before.
TWENTY-THREE.
BARBARA FINISHED SERVING HER CUSTOMERS, and as soon as they left the building she ran into the staff room and lit up a cigarette. The travel agent's had been so busy all day that she had had to work through her lunch break. Melissa, her work mate, had called in sick that morning, although Barbara knew very well she had partied too hard the night before and any sickness she might have had was only self-inflicted. So she was stuck in this boring job all by herself today. And of course it was the busiest day they'd had in ages. As soon as November came with those horrible depressing dark nights and dark mornings and piercing winds and sheets of rain, everyone came running in the door booking holidays to beautiful hot sunny countries. Barbara shuddered as she heard the wind rattle the windows and made a note to herself to check for any special holiday deals.
With her boss finally out to run some errands, Barbara was really looking forward to her cigarette break. Of course, just her luck, the bell over the door sounded just then and Barbara cursed the customer entering the shop for disturbing her precious break. She puffed on the cigarette furiously, almost making herself dizzy, reapplied her glossy red lipstick and sprayed perfume all around the room so her boss wouldn't notice the smoke. She left the staff room expecting to see a customer sitting behind the counter, but instead the old man was still slowly making his way to the counter. Barbara tried not to stare and began pressing random b.u.t.tons on the keypad.
”Excuse me?” she heard the man's weak voice call to her.
”h.e.l.lo sir, how can I help you?” she said for the hundredth time that day. She didn't mean to be rude by staring at him, but she was surprised at how young the man actually was. From far away his slumped figure looked elderly. His body was hunched and the walking stick in his hand seemed to be the only thing preventing him from collapsing on the floor in front of her. His skin was very white and pasty, as though he hadn't seen the sun for years, but he had big brown puppy eyes that seemed to smile at her. She couldn't help but smile back at him.
”I was hoping to book a holiday,” he said quietly, ”but I was wondering if you could help me choose a place.”
Usually Barbara would have silently screamed at the customer for making her do this unbelievably impossible task. Most of her customers were so fussy that she could be sitting there for hours with them flicking through brochures and trying to persuade them where to go when the truth was she really couldn't give a toss where they went. But this man seemed pleasant, so she was glad to help. She surprised herself.
”No problem, sir, why don't you take a seat there and we'll search through the brochures.” She pointed to the chair in front of her and looked away again so she didn't have to watch his struggle to sit down.
”Now,” she said, full of smiles, ”is there any country in particular that you would like to go to?”
”Em...Spain...Lanzarote, I think.”
Barbara was glad; this was going to be a lot easier than she thought.
”And is it a summer holiday you're looking for?”
He nodded slowly.
They worked their way through the brochures and finally the man found a place that he liked. Barbara was happy that he took her advice into account, unlike some of her other customers, who just ignored every single bit of her knowledge. She should know what was best for them, it being her job and all.
”OK, any month in particular?” she said, looking at the prices.
”August?” he asked, and those big brown eyes looked so deep into Barbara's soul she just wanted to jump over the counter and give him a big hug.
”August is a good month,” she agreed with him. ”Would you like a sea view or a pool view? The sea view is an extra thirty euro,” she added quickly.
He stared into s.p.a.ce with a smile on his face as though he were already there. ”A sea view, please.”
”Good choice. Can I take your name and address, please?”
”Oh...this isn't actually for me...it's a surprise for my wife and her friends.”
Those brown eyes looked sad.
Barbara cleared her throat nervously. ”Well, that's very thoughtful of you, sir,” she felt she had to add. ”Could I have their names then, please?”
She finished taking his details and he settled the bill. She began to print the arrangements from the computer to give to him.
”Oh, do you mind if I leave the details here with you? I want to surprise my wife and I would be afraid of leaving papers around the house in case she finds them.”
Barbara smiled; what a lucky wife he had.
”I won't be telling her till July, so do you think it could be kept quiet till then?”
”That's no problem at all, sir, usually the flight times aren't confirmed till a few weeks before anyway, so we would have no reason to call her. I'll give the other staff strict instructions not to call the house.”
”Thank you for your help, Barbara,” he said, smiling sadly with those puppy eyes.
”It's been a pleasure, Mr...Clarke?”
”It's Gerry.” He smiled again.
”Well, it's been a pleasure, Gerry, I'm sure your wife will have a wonderful time. My friend went there last year and she loved it.” Barbara felt the need to rea.s.sure him his wife would be fine.
”Well, I better head back home before they think I've been kidnapped. I'm not even supposed to be out of bed, you know.” He laughed again and a lump formed in Barbara's throat.
Barbara jumped to her feet and ran around the other side of the counter to hold the door open for him. He smiled appreciatively as he walked past her and she watched as he slowly climbed into the taxi that had been waiting outside for him. Just as Barbara was about to close the door her boss walked in and it banged against his head. She looked over at Gerry, who was still waiting in the taxi to move out onto the road and he laughed and gave her the thumbs-up.
Her boss threw her a look for leaving the counter unattended and marched into the staff room. ”Barbara,” he yelled, ”have you been smoking in here again?” She rolled her eyes and turned to face him.