Impossible to Forget(27)

He leant over so that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. She gave a half-hearted struggle to try to get free, but he sat firm, grinning at her. This was the moment, she thought. He was going to kiss her, and she didn’t care that Angie and Leon were there to witness it. She just wanted it to happen. She looked into his face, trying to signal this with her eyes. He must know, surely. They couldn’t get this close to one another and it not lead to a kiss.

But then she heard Leon shout, ‘Maggie’s down. All pile on!’

And then he was on her legs behind Tiger and the moment was gone. She could feel Angie come in and sit behind the two boys, and soon they were all lying on top of her, her breath being forced out of her lungs as their collective weight bore down. She could tell that Tiger was doing his best to take the bulk of their weight with his body, and moments later he tipped to one side and they all fell in a heap on to the carpet, gasping for breath.

‘Are you trying to kill me?’ she laughed, and they all denied it.

One by one they got to their feet, Leon offering Maggie a hand and hauling her up.

‘Well done, Mags,’ he said. ‘A worthy opponent in the cereal box challenge, but, as it turned out, not quite up to the mark!’

‘How did you do that, Lee? You must have been secretly practising for years,’ said Angie. ‘It’s like the bloody saxophone all over again.’

Leon shrugged. ‘I am a man of many hidden talents,’ he said, grinning at her.

‘Hmmm,’ she replied. ‘What time is it anyhow?’

‘It’s nearly twelve thirty,’ said Leon. ‘I don’t think anyone’s coming to our party.’

‘Good job,’ said Tiger. ‘Someone drank all the punch! Well, there’s a bit left. Who wants a bit more?’

They all passed him their cups and he scooped out the remainder.

‘A toast!’ said Angie. ‘I don’t care that no one showed up. I’ve had the best time with all my favourite people. Who needs anyone else? Please raise your glasses.’ She held her cup aloft. ‘I mean, your plastics. To us! Mates forever!’

A slurred echo of her words reverberated round the room.





15


THE NINETIES


1993


There was to be a gathering of the clans. Well, not actual clans, but Angie and Maggie had been invited round to Leon’s place for dinner. Since university none of them had moved very far. Maggie and Angie were both still in York and Leon had gone back to live in Leeds so they were all within forty-five minutes of one another. Obviously, it wasn’t the same as when they all lived in the same house, but they kept in touch and tried to meet up when they could.

Usually when they got together, food was just something that happened because they had to eat. It had never been the focus of the arrangement and so, when the formal invitation had arrived through the post and Angie had opened the crisp white envelope, she had nearly fallen off her beanbag. Who invited someone for dinner by letter? What was wrong with just ringing them up and asking them round? And this was from Leon, which made the whole thing even more extraordinary.

She and Maggie made the trip to Leeds together, Maggie driving whilst they speculated wildly about what on earth was going on.

‘Maybe he’s finally taken that contract at Ronnie Scott’s,’ said Maggie, ‘and wants to celebrate in style with his oldest friends.’

‘Sadly, I think it’s more likely that I’ve taken up with Brad Pitt,’ replied Angie. ‘And believe me, I haven’t.’

They pulled up outside Leon’s flat, the ground floor of an old Victorian pile in Headingly which was surrounded on all sides by students and so was, as Leon had told them, ‘reassuringly cheap’.

‘Shit!’ said Angie. ‘We haven’t brought a bottle. Shall we nip over to that offie and get something?’

‘No. I’ve brought one of each,’ said Maggie. ‘They’re in the boot. Right. Let’s go and see what this is all about, shall we?’

It was obvious that something had changed in Leon’s world within seconds of him opening the door. He was wearing a gingham shirt and a pair of beige chinos in place of his usual jeans and T-shirt. Angie was about to comment, but something about his expression made her hold fire. He was giving her the distinct impression that he would rather have been dressed differently and that she was not expected to tease him about it.

Instead, she threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. ‘You’re looking very dapper,’ she said, but couldn’t resist adding, ‘Is this an interview or something?’

Leon didn’t reply, opening the door wide instead and taking the proffered bottles from Maggie. ‘Come in,’ he said. ‘Come in.’

The flat had been transformed. Usually, it was barely a step up from their student houses with books, sheet music and old coffee cups scattered across every surface. Now, though, everything was put neatly away, and the stark overhead lights had been eschewed in favour of more intimate table lamps. There was only one reason that Angie could envisage for these changes: Leon had a girlfriend.

Following her gut instinct, Angie glanced around the room and, sure enough, there was a woman sitting on the sofa behind them. She was smiling, but she made no effort to come forward to greet them.