The Other Side of Never by Paul Kane

Author:Paul Kane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags:  
Publisher: Titan

Boy

GUY ADAMS

They fucking love it. And who can blame them? Look at me. I’m the answer to all your questions. I’m the be all and end all. I’m the full stop. I’m the cock of the walk. The chancer, the dancer, the rip-roaring, oven-basted beauty that’s going to break your heart.

(And anything else that gets in my way.)

I’m the captain of the bruise cruise. I’m the clenched knuckle. I’m the pop and bang. The firework. Bullet right between the eyes.

I’m a laugh. The joker in the pack. Bantz. Bantz. Bantz. Ho. Ho. Ho.

My ribs are eight cylinders. Roar straight out of first. Purr. Growl. Guzzle.

I’m the reason God folded his first fanny.

Slippery Jack. The lad. The guy. The boy who never grew up.

Look at me! Propping up the bar, pints for the boys. Wet the whistle, pints of wife-beater and keep ’em coming. Belgian foam moustache. Nothing finer for the top lip. Except maybe whatever this lovely has on the melt. Tell by the way she’s standing. Can’t get enough of it. Summer days are the best. Thin cotton, nothing waiting to be peeled. Quality Street quim, unwrapped and popped in the mouth, soft centre sugar.

She’s been giving me the eye all evening. Trying not to. Trying to hide it. But I know. I can tell. I know what women are thinking. ’Course I do. They all want the same thing and they’re welcome to it.

The toilets are no damn good, no room to move. So it’s out the back and a recycle bin rendezvous, hers hoisted up, mine tugged down. She can have the lot. Shots on the house. Down in one.

Back to the lads and barely a breath has passed. Air is full of fruity vape steam, sweat-stirred Lynx and the hoppy mad huff of sloshed Stella. Have it! Have it! Have it! Lost boys on the lash. My bin bang has vanished, or if she hasn’t, I can’t see her anymore. I’m looking ahead. I’m looking at tomorrow, but I bet it never comes. It doesn’t have to for people like me. ’Cos I’m never going to stop, never going to uncurl. I’m the flex, I’m flying and I never want to come down. None of us do.

Toots has been living up to his name I see, bloodshot eyes and sugar-crusted nostrils. If that naughty boy lays another line he’ll bounce to the stars.

His Nibs, tie-knot like a silk apple, splashing the cash, notes folded round the fingers like gymnast tape, a bunce buffer to pull himself painlessly through life. He wafts a few pfennigs at the lass behind the bar, and her attention is won, drinks all round.

What there is of Slightly is draped over the shining upholstery, spreadeagled, like some bird has strung her tights out to dry. Christ but the boy’s thin. Skewers for bones. You could use him to pop a balloon.

Curly’s whirling on the dance floor, a dandelion pogoing to pop’s cracked-open graveyard. You’ll never get it wet like that, Curly old son, sensible skirt’s gonna run a mile from those moves.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.