Mack's Progress Ch. 09

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Shortly I clattered about as I apparently climbed up from the cellar, and acted surprised that I found the girls carrying the shopping into the kitchen. Like a gentleman - and I hoped - without too large a grin on my face, I gallantly helped carry the rest.

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The Wherry was doing well, better than any of us expected, I think. Having been tidied up, especially the gardens and riverside moorings, we had plenty of hire cruisers stopping by. I had been worried that we'd take trade from the Willow's but there proved to be plenty of customers to go around. In the season, that is; in the winter we hadn't expected to do much more than tick over anyway.

Julia and her mob came up to stay in our couple of letting rooms a few times; we weren't really into bed and breakfast, being so busy with the pub. My parents visited quite a few times as well and even Conway and Joan stayed a few days. The atmosphere was what can only be described as tense between Conway and me at first, but we did warm to each other eventually. Conway was very helpful around the place actually; he unloaded the dray one day almost single handed, because we were busy in the bar, and he appeared to be fascinated with all the pipes and what have you in the cellar. Could be that Conway is a frustrated publican on the quiet.

Once the season was over, it fell to Jean, George's daughter, to give - very publicly as is her habit - Lindsey and I the shove that she felt we needed. The evening in question was what you might call a publican's night at the Willow's.

During the quiet season, groups of publicans get together to chew the fat and moan about everything from the breweries to the customers. It's a kind of meeting where we can show our pubs off to each other and at the same time communally commiserate about the downside of the job.

Millie was looking after the Wherry that night with a part timer. Lindsey had always come to these things with me. Not that we'd been to many, what with the season only just having ended.

We were playing darts, Landlords against Landladies; Lindsey, of course, was acting as the Wherry's Landlady. Anyway something happened and Bev had to nip off into the kitchen to sort out some imminent disaster with the meal she was laying on for us all. Jean temporarily took her place in the landladies dart team.

I'd just played and having extracted my darts from the board handed them to Lindsey who used mine because she didn't have any of her own. But we must have... well, I know now that it did take a fraction of a second longer to place them in Lindsey's hands than was necessary.

Remember although Lindsey and I worked together all day almost every day, we were both dancing around each other like we were walking on eggshells. We hadn't so much as kissed each other all the time we'd been at the Wherry. So when our hands did touch to exchange the darts, I think we both cherished the moment and maybe our hands stayed in contact a little longer than necessary.

"God, give me strength!" Jean yelled at the top of her voice, and everyone in the pub, including Lindsey and I, turned to look at her.

"Jesus!" Jean said, looking directly at Lindsey and me. "You two are even worse than Bev and dad were. When are you going to stop pretending and get bloody married? We could do with a bloody good party."

I went to say something in reply - I'm not sure what now - but in doing so I tried to move a little. The problem there was I found that I was still holding onto Lindsey hands; or she was holding onto mine. Whatever, the whole pub burst into howls of laughter that brought Beverley from the kitchen to investigate.

"What's going on?" Bev demanded.

"These two silly sods, will you look at them? I just told them we could do with a party to liven things up before Christmas," Jean told her.

Then Bev began to laugh as well. I looked back at Lindsey and at the same time realised that we were still holding hands. I attempted to pull my hands away but Lindsey held them tight. So tight she crushed the flights on two of my darts.

"What am I supposed to say?" I asked Lindsey, who smiled back at me shyly.

She didn't get a chance to answer because someone started chanting "down on one knee, Mack!" and everyone else joined in.

"Do you want me to?" I asked Lindsey.

"Yes, Mack," she replied very quietly.

"But I haven't got a ring."

"Yes, you have." Lindsey suddenly sprung into life and released my hands, the darts falling to the floor as she did so. From her handbag she retrieved a little red jeweller's box and held it out to me. I knew what it contained; not an engagement ring; but the first present I'd ever given Lindsey, a friendship ring.

"This will do nicely for now," she said as she handed it to me.

Yeah, well, I did the one knee bit in front of everyone, feeling like a prize chump actually. Well, when you have half the village, all of your friends and peers standing around cheering you on, you do feel like an idiot on these occasions.

Having put the ring on Lindsey's finger, we kissed for the first time in god knows how many years. Somehow we ignored the cheering and shouting going on all around us; except for the noise, as far as Lindsey and I were concerned we were the only people there. Anyway after that the darts game was abandoned, I believe; Lindsey and I took no further part in it anyway and we even left the Willow's before Beverley had served up the food.

Down at the launch, I helped Lindsey climb aboard and, whilst she started the engine, I cast off then jumped aboard myself. Then Lindsey took me by surprise, instead of heading up river towards the Wherry, she turned off into the short canal that lead to Phil and Millie's farm; then when we were in the still water Lindsey cut engine and lights, then swung the bow into the reeds; where the boat came to a gentle halt.

"And what have you got in mind now, Lindsey?" I asked.

"Just an hour or so alone with my man. You realise that someone will have called Millie at the Wherry and they'll all be waiting for us, don't you?"

"Yeah, you have a good point there," I replied.

Anyway it was a little different making out with your girl in a launch in the moonlight. Although I'll point out that it was September and not what you call a warm evening. Lindsey and I kept each other warm though.

End of chapter 9

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  • COMMENTS
4 Comments
Martyr2002Martyr2002over 1 year ago

Sorry the last two chapters are too foolish for words. Not only is he a poor judge of character, he is too trusting of his so called friends ad family. He allows himself to be made a fool of.

Well written as usual, I’d expect nothing less from this author, but the story line strains beyond the realms of credulity and breaks any suspension of disbelief.

Mack seems like the kind of person that fell off of the special short bus and needed a minder to keep him safe from eating the paste at school

BetterEndingBetterEndingover 6 years ago
Waiting For It

Glad to see they are together, but now I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because of the nature of the story so far, I find it hard to believe the author is going to allow these two to have a happy ending, at least with each other.

AnonymousAnonymousover 15 years ago
Good and bad

I enjoy the story so much that I dread that the end is near.

bruce22bruce22over 15 years ago
Almost to Nice a wind-up

or does the Wanderer have yet another twist hidden up his sleeve? All went pleasantly enough, though I admit it does seem strange that his women folk were not angry about his falling in love with an American tart... Thanks!

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