The Flower Girl by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788634564
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2019-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

‘Jim. What can I say?’ Cissie stood there, feeling like a spare, if grateful, part, as she watched Jim expertly manoeuvre the stall into place and then set about organising the flowers for her.

‘All yer help at the market yesterday and today, and now yer helping me like this with the stall. Honest, I just dunno how to thank yer, showing me the ropes like this. Yer a really good bloke, d’you know that?’

‘Someone wants to tell my old woman,’ puffed Jim, as he started hauling the stacks of display vases from the storage compartment between the wheels.

Cissie flinched at the mention of Jim’s wife. She didn’t like to think of him as being a married man. Even though as far as Cissie could gather, based on the little he’d actually said about his wife, there didn’t seem much love lost between them. In fact, Cissie had noticed that he could hardly bare to mention her name. But, all that apart, the realisation that she even thought about whether Jim had a wife or not still came as a surprise to Cissie. More than a surprise really. It was hard to admit, a bit shocking actually, but she cared about it a lot.

That terrible day, when Cissie had heard that Davy had been killed, she had just felt numb. If anyone had told her that she would ever expect to feel attracted to another man, ever again – never mind a scarce three months after her husband’s death – she would have laughed in their face.

Perhaps it was because Jim was making it possible for her to begin her life again, she wondered. Perhaps. Or maybe it was nearer the truth to say that his fair-haired good looks and his gentle strength reminded her so much of Davy.

Jim straightened up, kneading his fists into his back. ‘That’s it then. Yer all set and ready to go.’

‘Sorry, Jim, what did yer say? I was miles away for the minute.’ Cissie could feel her cheeks flushing, as though he had the power to read her thoughts as clearly as if they had been printed on her forehead like the headlines on the evening paper.

‘Well, yer’d better wake up, love, cos here comes yer first customer by the look of it.’

Jim began to walk away, as the young woman who had paused by the stall sniffed at a bunch of pale pink rosebuds.

‘Say them blokes come back?’ Cissie called after him, ignoring the potential sale in her sudden panic at being left alone.

‘They won’t,’ Jim called without turning round. Then, thinking better of it, he stopped. He had been told to keep Cissie Flowers happy. If she started getting all worked up and upsetting herself, Turner might find out. Bloody Turner.

Looking at Cissie over his shoulder, Jim smiled and winked. ‘I promise yer they won’t, all right. And see that big bloke along there by the station? The one with the newspaper stand—’

‘Yer mean Fat Stan?’

‘Yer know him, do yer?’ Jim asked, surprised.

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