Three's Company by Kristian Parker

Author:Kristian Parker [Parker, Kristian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBTQIA Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group
Published: 2022-06-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

“Turn that music down. I won’t tell you again.”

Mohinder banged on the ceiling of the shop with her broom handle. Hardeep shook his head.

“Give her a break, Mum.”

“She’s frightening the customers away.”

Hardeep took in the empty shop. The struggle to get customers seemed to get harder each year. He didn’t think Satinder playing her boybands would have much impact. “Your hollering is going to draw them in, is it?”

The music stopped.

“Thank goodness for that,” Mohinder said, resuming her dusting.

The two women in his life were squaring up to each other more and more. Hardeep hated being caught in the middle. A few years ago, they’d been inseparable. Now they felt like two boxers with him in the middle.

“What were you banging on the floor for?” Satinder stood at the bottom of the stairs that led up to their flat.

“You know very well, young lady,” muttered Mohinder.

Satinder gave him a glare. “Am I not allowed to play music now?”

“Maybe you could wear those headphones I got you for your birthday?” Hardeep leapt in before his mother could stoke the flames.

“I’m going out anyway,” she said.

“You should be doing your schoolwork,” Mohinder said.

Satinder sighed.

“Have you done your work?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ve done it. Do you want to check it?”

“Satinder, there’s no need for the tone,” he chided.

With another exceptionally dramatic sigh, she turned to walk away.

“Just a minute,” Hardeep said. “What time will you be home?”

Satinder stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Is nine okay?”

Behind him, Mohinder made a disapproving noise.

“Nine o’clock? On a school night? Where are you going?” he asked, ignoring his mother.

Satinder shifted uneasily.

“Satinder. Where are you going?”

“Me and Kelly are getting the bus into Holton. Some friends are meeting up in the park.”

Mohinder couldn’t bear to be out of the conversation anymore and pushed past Hardeep. “Drinking in the park, I bet.”

“Yes, and drugs and boys,” Satinder shouted in retaliation at her grandmother.

Hardeep held his hand up. “Stop. Both of you. Satinder, don’t speak to your grandmother like that. And, Mother, leave my daughter to me. Go on.”

Still grumbling under her breath, Mohinder resumed her dusting. Hardeep pulled a ten-pound note out of his pocket. “Get some chips or something.”

Satinder took the note. “You always take her side then give me money.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and walked out of the flat. Beeb barked at the top of the stairs.

“Of course she wouldn’t take her dog to the bloody park,” Hardeep said.

Mohinder turned around to say something.

“Don’t say a word. Honestly, I’ve had enough.”

The day dragged on like that. Mohinder would get a dig in whenever she could until eventually she went off to Brockbank’s for a cup of tea. No doubt Mrs Turnbull would be hot on her heels. She spent most of the afternoon there before silently returning upstairs with no offer of helping him. At last, five o’clock came and he went out to put the shutters down.

“Another day done?”

He turned around to see Liz Poole’s son. “Hello, Dean.

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