LITMIR.BIZ

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      ‘Ha ha, very funny I don’t think,’ Paula told him. ‘Oh, God, it’s just amazing.’ She showered both her parents in kisses. ‘Can I take it tonight? Round to show Joey? To the gig? Is it all insured and that?’

      ‘Insured. MOT. You’re good to go. Want to try it? I reckon we ought to take it for a run-out together first anyway – been a while since you passed your test now.’

      ‘Oh my God!’ They all turned around to see Lou had by now appeared. Not yet two in the afternoon and she was already done up like she was off to an all-night party. They were good kids, her siblings, and with the age gap (at fifteen, Tommy, the next eldest, was still five years her junior) she felt like a second mum to them sometimes. And she was, much of the time, because her mam worked long days at the factory, and together they could be a right handful. And Lou especially, now she’d discovered boys and UB40 as well as her and her mam’s make-up – a potentially lethal combination round their way. She was definitely going to need some watching over from now on. ‘Yeah, and good plan, sis,’ she was saying to Paula now. ‘You could drop me off at the youthy, couldn’t you? I am going to look way cool turning up there in that.’

      ‘Not looking like that,’ her mam said. ‘You’re going nowhere till you change out of that skirt and put some jeans on or something.’

      ‘As long as the “or something” is jeans,’ her father added sternly.

      It only took a couple of circuits round the neighbourhood before Paula’s dad pronounced her safe to venture out alone in her new toy. To see her toy-boy, as her mam had joked when she and her dad had returned home. She’d seemed as tickled by their fledgling romance as Paula herself had been surprised by it. Joey was two years her junior, and a world away from her last boyfriend, after all. But that had been a good thing, not least because her last boyfriend, she’d discovered, had been an ignorant oaf, and as her mam had pointed out, age was only a number – and because Joey had had such a rough start in life, he had a very old head on his shoulders. Not to mention a very handsome one, she thought to herself as she sorted out her mic stand.

      She and Joey, his uncle Nicky having dropped his kit off earlier, were now back in The Sun with the rest of the band, setting up for what was already looking like being a sell-out performance. Well, or would have been, had the audience had to pay to come and see them, anyway. And, just perhaps, one day, they would.

      She glanced across at Joey, bent over his various stands and pedals, feeling a flush of attraction rise up through her stomach. She was going back to his tonight, as his mam and dad were going to be out late, and though nothing had been said as such, she knew there was a possibility that she might end up staying over. Though they had his uncle staying, on the sofa, Joey had also mentioned there being a little box room the other night. Perhaps to persuade her that his intentions were honourable? She smiled at the thought. Not too honourable, she hoped, but for the moment, because she really liked him, she was keen to take that side of things slowly.

      And now she had her car, she had the precious gift of independence. She’d see how it went. How well she’d be able to resist him …

      For the moment, however, her mind was mostly focussed. ‘Can you believe it?’ she said to Matt as he jumped up on stage. ‘I’ve never seen so many people here at this time before. God,’ she added, a thought having suddenly hit here. ‘We’re going to have to do the soundcheck in front of them!’

      ‘You’ll be fine, babe,’ Matt reassured her, in his usual chilled style. ‘They’ll know it’s a soundcheck. What’s the problem?’

      ‘Hey, and look who’s just come in?’ Joey said, pointing across towards the bar. ‘That bloke.’

      ‘What bloke?’ Matt asked.

      ‘The one I told you about? The one I reckon might be in the music business. Spoke to me last week.’

      Matt shielded his eyes. ‘Hmm. So that’s him, is it? Hmm …’ he said again. ‘Don’t hold your breath,’ he said finally.

      ‘Why – d’you think you know him?’ Paula asked.

      ‘Never seen him before,’ Matt said. ‘Or those other blokes with him either. But if I had a fiver for every time someone told me some big-time scout was going to be in, I’d be a lot fucking richer than I am, trust me.’

      ‘Yeah, but don’t you want to be?’ Dan, the bassist chipped in. Though, in Paula’s estimation, Dan was about as interested in making the big time as he was in knitting. Which was to say, not at all.

      ‘Well, whatever,’ she said, feeling the nerves begin to kick in as the man turned and stuck a thumb up in their direction. He could surely tell they were discussing him. ‘You never know,’ she said brightly. ‘Tonight might just be that night. Come on, let’s get this soundcheck done. I still need to get changed yet.’

      ‘Never change, babe,’ Matt told her, grinning. ‘Stay as sweet as you are.’ And there was something about the way he said it that made her pause – was she imagining it? Made her think they weren’t perhaps on the same page any more.

      The applause as they finished the first set was rapturous. Almost the whole pub had been dancing and singing along with them. It was, Paula thought, the very best feeling ever. She was buzzing as she grabbed Joey and tugged him through the crowd – many of whom were cheering and whooping and slapping them on the back, like they’d just got married or something. ‘Come on, Joey,’ she yelled as she dragged him through the reluctantly parting mass. ‘Let’s go chat up this mystery man of yours, shall we?’

      The man’s expression when they reached him seemed to hint that he’d been expecting them to as well.

      ‘Joey,’ he said, moving along the bar to make room for them. He was standing apart from the group of men he’d been watching the set with. Paula noticed how, despite the rush of people anxious to get a drink in, no one seemed to dare invade his space.

      Joey nodded. ‘Mo, isn’t it?’ He held a hand out. The big black man shook it. Joey then put his other hand on Paula’s back and edged her forwards. ‘Nice to see you again. And this is my girlfriend, Paula.’

      Mo raised his eyebrows. ‘Girlfriend?’ he said. He trained his dark eyes on Paula. Assessing. ‘Well, it’s very nice to meet you, young lady.’

      Paula felt irritated to realise she was blushing as she shook his hand. Even more so that she also had an almost overwhelming – and completely ridiculous – urge to curtsy. ‘Nice to meet you too,’ she said, squaring her shoulders instead. ‘You from round here?’

      Mo smiled, flashing his perfect white teeth at her. ‘Oak Lane,’ he said smoothly. ‘Do you know it?’

      Paula had to stop herself from gaping. That meant serious money. Oak Lane was very much where the ‘other half’ lived. Well, if it was true, which they didn’t know yet. Nor where his apparent wealth came from. She nodded, sensing he was challenging her. ‘Sort of,’ she said. ‘I once worked as a receptionist at an insurance company up there. Been pulled down now, though. It’s a mosque now, I think.’

      The big man grinned. ‘Aren’t they all, love? Aren’t they all?’ he said. ‘More mosques in Bradford than greengrocers these days, eh? Anyway, I’m glad you’ve come over. I have something to ask you. More of a proposition, in fact.’ He glanced at Joey. ‘That’s if you’re both interested.’

      Joey was grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat, Paula noticed. Perhaps he’d been right. And Matt wrong. Maybe this man was some sort of talent scout or something. Perhaps her natural suspicion of anyone with his sort of confidence said more about the Hudson genes in her than anything. Suspicion of anyone who wasn’t a Hudson was a Hudson family trait. Oak Lane. He was something big, at any rate.

      ‘Course we’re interested,’ Joey said. ‘Shall I get us all a drink?’

      Mo politely declined. ‘But I’ll buy you both one if you’d like

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