Maisie watched as Chrissie left the two of them at the table, with a wave and a knowing smile

The Serial: The Green Years, Day 10

Maisie was pacing up and down the toilet floor with excitement. “What’s up?” Maisie pulled her friend to the far end of the toilets and lowered her voice.

“Kenny Wilson’s just spoken to me,” she said, “and we’ve to meet him and Rab at the Palais tonight.”

Chrissie’s mouth fell open in shock. “But, you said...” Maisie hushed her up. “I know what I said, but that was last week. It’s different now.”

Chrissie felt more confused, until Maisie related the encounter with Kenny, word for word. “So, you see,” she ended, “we just have to be there.”

“Are you sure, this is what you want?” Chrissie asked, concerned at Maisie’s total change of heart. “You’re not rushing into things again, are you?”

Maisie placed her hands on her hips, slightly chastened by Chrissie’s comment.

She didn’t rush into things did she? And Kenny had been so sincere, how could she possibly doubt him. “No,” she answered firmly. “Now, are we going tonight or not?”

Chrissie pushed down the unease that had formed at Maisie’s news. Leopards don’t change their spots, she believed, and Kenny Wilson was indisputably the “spottiest leopard in the jungle”.

Swaggered

“OK,” Chrissie sighed, “if you’re really sure.” Maisie hugged her friend. “You’re the best Chrissie Dalton,” she said. “I’ll see you at seven, my place.”

The date agreed, the two girls hurried back to finish their shift. The supervisor was always on the look out for slackers and neither of them could afford to be sacked.

“See you at seven,” Maisie mouthed as they made their way back to their work tables.

Tonight was going to be wonderful, she told herself. All the feelings she’d had for Kenny now enveloped her again, and this time, even stronger.

Maybe it had taken kissing a few frogs before finally meeting her Prince Charming, but it was all worth it now. Kenny would be hers, at last.

The Palais was packed with dancers of all ages, all dressed to thrill and looking for “real” love.

The lads swaggered around the dance hall, taking sly nips from bottles of whisky concealed in their jackets, while the girls danced with each other, pretending not to notice them. “Any sign of them yet?” Maisie was looking anxiously around Chrissie while trying to keep up with the fast-paced jive in the black stilettos she still hadn’t returned to her friend.

Maisie twirled Chrissie till she was facing the doors. It was past nine o’clock and the pubs would be chucking out soon, so where was Kenny? Surely he wasn’t going to turn up drunk!

The music stopped and Chrissie suggested they get themselves a cold drink in the cafe downstairs. Chrissie nodded and followed her, all the while glancing over her shoulder in the hope that Kenny would suddenly appear.

“It’s a wee while until closing time,” Chrissie said, pushing a bottle of ice-cold cola towards Maisie. “He’ll turn up soon.”

But Maisie wasn’t so sure. She relived the moment of their earlier encounter. “He definitely said, he’d be at the Palais to meet ‘the girl of his dreams’ and that definitely meant ME.”

The girls fell into a confused silence. “Mind if I join you?” asked a man, pulling up a chair from another table. “How have you both been?”

Confirmation

Maisie turned to face the owner of the voice. He did look familiar, but in the low lights of the cafeteria, she couldn’t be sure.

“Do we know you?” she asked, her eyes squinting into his. “It’s Ian,” he said, “Ian Brown.”

“Rebel’s dad?” Maisie asked incredulously. Ian laughed. “Well, I’m not his dad exactly, more his master, but yep, that’s me.”

“But, you look so different!” Maisie exclaimed, taking in the dark suit and white shirt and tie, I didn’t recognise you.”

She turned to Chrissie for confirmation: “Did you know who he was?”

But Chrissie was already on her feet, draining the last few drops of her cola through the straw. “Sure,” she said, “nice to see you again. But if you don’t mind, I need to visit the Ladies.”

Maisie watched as Chrissie left the two of them at the table, with a wave and a knowing smile. Maybe Maisie hadn’t spotted it, but Chrissie had – Ian Brown had “the hots” for Maisie.

“So,” he began, with a laugh, “do you come here often?” Maisie acknowledged the corny line and sipped her drink, careful to avoid any slurping sounds.

Ian offered her a cigarette. “No boyfriend, then?” Maisie put down the coke and allowed him to light the filter-tipped cigarette.

“Not at the moment,” she said, realising for a minute she’d forgotten about Kenny Wilson and wondering how she’d missed the handsome Ian Brown at their first encounter. “And you,” she asked, “I mean, no girlfriend?” Ian shook his head. “There’s just me and Rebel and work,” he replied.

He pulled his chair in closer and leaned forward. “Are you for a dance, when you’ve finished your drink?” he asked.

Maisie was about to answer when she saw the frantic figure of Chrissie waving and pointing up the stairs while mouthing the words, Kenny Wilson.

He was here and Maisie’s world was about to burst into wonderfulness. She looked at Ian Brown. “Sorry,” she said, abruptly, standing up and moving away from the table. “Not tonight.”

She hurried over to Chrissie, leaving Ian Brown in her wake. “He’s here Maisie,” Chrissie whispered, “but he’s kind of drunk.”

Disbelief

Maisie winced in disbelief. “Over there,” Chrissie pointed “and I think he’s seen us!” Kenny Wilson had indeed seen them, and after nudging Rab to follow him, made his way unsteadily towards them.

The smell of alcohol almost knocked Maisie backwards, as Kenny pulled her towards the dance floor. “Been waiting long?” he slurred. Maisie cringed. So, this was how Kenny Wilson treated the ‘girl of his dreams’.

Angrily, Maisie pushed him away and walked off the floor. How could he, she fumed, realising it had all been an act. She wasn’t the girl of his dreams at all, just another notch on his conceited belt.

“C’mon Chrissie,” she said, vowing never to let any man fool her again. “Let’s go.” She drew a glance at Rab Skelly. “And, as for you,” she murmured, “time you grew up.”

“But, Maisie,” Rab protested, “it wasn’t my fault he got drunk. I’m not his keeper.”

“Well you should be,” interrupted Chrissie, “because the man’s an animal.” More tomorrow.