Dot (Araminta Hall)

and made him feel like a complete dickhead. Some women were like that; they wanted to know that you wanted them so they could feel better about themselves and then make you feel like a total bell end. Maybe she was a lesbian? Yes, maybe that’s why Tony had left?
    By the time Gerry crossed the hall to his bedroom he felt much better about what he was about to do, much more in control of the situation. Sandra was in bed, sitting propped up by pillows, her stomach rounding out the sheets and her eyes closed.
    ‘Hi, love,’ he said. ‘You feeling any better?’
    She shook her head. ‘I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been sick.’
    ‘D’you want anything? Cup of tea?’
    ‘Ooh, yeah, that’d be lovely.’ Gerry turned to go but she called him back. ‘Was it good? Did the girls enjoy themselves?’
    ‘It was fab. Mavis and Dot loved it. She’s flat out, I put her straight to bed.’
    ‘Did you make her do a wee?’
    ‘Yes,’ he lied. ‘I’ll get you that tea.’
    Gerry had another cigarette standing by the back door as he waited for the kettle to boil. The breakfast things were still in the sink and he reminded himself to come down and wash them before Sandra got up in the morning. Not that she’d care, but because he wanted to be nice to her. Sandra had told him that Alice and Clarice had a cleaner and the memory made him hate her even more.
    He left his bomber jacket hanging over a chair in the kitchen and his trainers kicked off by the back door, and then carried the tea tray to the bedroom. He half lay on the edge of their bed and poured out the tea, which Sandra sipped at gratefully.
    ‘Try having a biscuit,’ he said, holding out the plate, ‘you probably need some sugar.’
    Sandra took one but each bite looked as if it was causing her pain. ‘It must be a bug. D’you think it’ll harm the baby?’
    ‘No. But I’ll ring the doctors in the morning if you aren’t any better.’
    ‘I’ve been thinking today. We really need to decorate this room.’
    Gerry looked around at the swirling brown carpet and sad floral wallpaper. ‘Guess we do.’
    ‘Don’t you remember we said we’d do it when we moved in, but that was four years ago now.’
    ‘Time flies.’
    ‘But seriously, Gerry, it’s awful. D’you think we could do it before the baby comes?’
    ‘I don’t see why not.’
    They smiled at each other and Gerry knew he was losing the moment. In a few more rounds of the clock what he was about to say would sound ridiculous. ‘Listen, San, I’ve got something to tell you. I nearly didn’t, but I don’t want to keep it from you.’ She sat forward at this and she looked white and tired so that guilt trickled down his spine for a minute. ‘Something really odd happened after the circus.’
    ‘Odd?’
    ‘I think Alice made a pass at me.’
    ‘You what?’ Anxiety rippled through Sandra’s voice but Gerry kept hold of her eyes. He saw sweat break out above her top lip.
    ‘I had to pull the car over. I didn’t know what to do.’
    Sandra put her cup on to the bedside table and he saw her hands were shaking. ‘What are you talking about? Tell me exactly what happened.’
    Gerry had rehearsed this bit in the kitchen and he pulled the lines from his brain as his body drowned. ‘We had a great time at the circus; the girls loved it, like I said, but Alice was quite giggly. I’ve never seen her like that before and it felt like she was flirting with me, but I thought I must be wrong because she’s your friend and everything. Anyway, we got in the car to come home and the girls fell asleep and it was really dark on the roads so I was concentrating on driving, but she turned on the radio and found this station that was playing slow songs and then she started talking about Tony and how he’d left and how lonely she felt. And I was saying nice things back, which I probably shouldn’t have, but I felt sorry for her. Then I felt her hand on my leg and I was so shocked I didn’t do anything at first, but then she squeezed my leg and started moving it upwards, towards my dick, so I pulled the car over and as soon as we were stopped she sort of lunged at me and I had to push her back and explain that I wasn’t interested.’
    Sandra had won the staring competition. Gerry felt her eyes fixed on to him like a hawk: one slip and he was dead. Her voice was spookily calm. ‘What happened then?’
    ‘She apologised and said she must have read the signs wrong. If it hadn’t been for