"Morning Mr Blair." Mrs Cherry put her shopping bag down on the sawdust-covered floor and smiled at the white-coated man behind the counter. "Lovely day."
"'Deed it is, Mrs Cherry." Mr Blair put down the hammer he had been using to tenderise a piece of meat and adjusted his butcher's apron. "Now what can I do for you today? I got some lovely steak." He winked and smiled. "Rump."
Mrs Cherry's cheeks coloured at the remark, and she smiled back. "You know that's too much for my poor pension. I was thinking maybe just some mince and a pork chop."
"Mince," the butcher muttered, and scribbled something on his notepad. "A pound?"
"Yes please."
Mr Blair busied himself. First he took a square of greaseproof paper and put it on his scales. Then, using a stainless steel scoop, he started ladling portions of minced beef from a tray onto the scales.
"Where's Mrs Blair?" Mrs Cherry asked, glancing around the butcher's shop.
"At home."
The bluntness of the reply surprised Mrs Cherry. She leant on the glass top of the counter. "She's not ill, is she?"
"No. But we both agreed she might be better off staying at home for a while."
"Oh."
Mr Blair pulled a strip of brown paper off a roll that hung next to the cash register, and started to wrap the parcel of mince. "A little bit of trouble," he said matter-of-factly. "I cam home the other day to find her entertaining - if you know what I mean?
"Of course, I wasn't going to stand for that sort of thing. I made my feelings known to the gentleman in question." Mr Blair almost spat out the word 'gentleman'.
"But - ?" Mrs Cherry gasped. "What about - ? Did you - ?"
"Mrs Blair is fine. My mother brought me up not to raise my hand to a lady - no matter what the provocation. No. Mrs Blair and I had a chat. We decided it would be best if she kept to herself for a while." Mr Blair placed the parcel of meat on the counter. "One pound of mince. Now, you said you wanted a pork chop?"
"Oh." Mrs Cherry roused herself from her thoughts. "Please. But just the one. I really can't afford any more than that."
Mr Blair wiped his hand on a stained towel. "Tell you what, Mrs C. You're a good customer, and I like to do good by my regulars. I could do you a deal. What do you say to two for the price of one?"
"Yes, please!" Mrs Cherry clapped her hands together. "That would be wonderful."
"I'll have to fetch them from the back, mind. They're a special shipment." Mr Blair looked questioningly at his customer. "You don't mind if they're frozen, do you?"
