Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

Seven

Seven

 Amy had just sat down with her doughnut and coffee when the doorbell rang. She tutted and set them aside. Once in a blue moon I get a few minutes to myself… “Oh, hi, I was going to ring you in a bit,” she said as Becky kicked her shoes off in the hallway. “Come through to the kitchen.” She went via the lounge, gathering her drink and doughnut on the way.

Becky followed her through and seated herself on a stool beside the breakfast bar.

“Want a coffee, doughnut?” Amy offered.

“Eat yours, I’ll get myself a coffee,” Becky said, getting off the stool, and adding, “What were you ringing me about?”

“Oh yes,” said Amy, wiping a blob of jam from her chin, narrowly precluding it from landing in her lap. “I was wondering if you’re free this Saturday? I was hoping we could go for that drink with Adrian.”

“Ooh, drinks with Adrian,” she smiled. “That’s that decision made for me then.”

“What decision?”

“Well,” she said, returning to the breakfast bar, “I’m in a bit of a quandary. I’m meant to be meeting Joel on Saturday, but I’m not sure I want to go.”

“How come? I thought Joel was the odds on favourite.”

 “Yeah, he probably was, but that was before I’d been out with the pair of them. And to be fair, I stand by what I said with regards to his charm and intelligence - and bank balance.”

“But?”

“It’s just that he’s incredibly boring, which is fine for a one night stand. But do I really want to see him again?”

Amy couldn’t help but laugh at Becky’s dry tone. “What a dilemma! Seriously, Beck, surely there’s no point, not if he’s incredibly boring.”

“Ah, but that’s the thing,” Becky said with a pained expression, “there is a point - he’s just so bloody fit.” She grabbed a doughnut and began licking the sugar off it. “Mind you,” she added, “so is Adrian. So come on then, what’s the plan for Saturday?” 

“We’re meeting him in ‘The Cock and Bull’, Saturday, seven thirty.”

“The Cock and Bull,” laughed Becky. “How appropriate.”

The doorbell rang again.

“Okey doke, half seven, I’ll meet you there,” Becky called as Amy went to answer it.

It was unlike Helen to call unannounced. “Oh, hi, come on in,” Amy invited.

“You look like you were expecting someone else,” said Helen.

“I thought Ben had forgotten his keys. He’s popped round to his mum’s with the kids.”

“And you didn’t join them. Did you not fancy an afternoon with Martha?”

Amy raised her eyebrows. “Beck’s in the kitchen; come through.”

 “Hiya, haven’t seen you for a while, how’s things?” said Helen as she joined Becky at the breakfast bar.

“To be perfectly honest,” Becky said, “bloody fantastic; blokes aplenty, lost three pounds - despite having scoffed an entire Vienetta last night and the irritating, skinny, tanned, blond bitch at work has been fired for shagging her boyfriend in the car park. So all in all, life’s a bowl of cherries at the moment - and you?”

“Yeah, not bad,” said Helen. “Possibly not as perfect as yours, but can’t grumble.” Amy took a third mug from the cupboard. “No, no, don’t worry,” said Helen, “it’s just a flying visit. I was just wondering if there’s any chance you could baby-sit on Saturday?”