Free Underbelly by G. Johanson Page B

himself up for playful banter. She never bit.
    “ That’s about the only way I would stand out from the crowd,” Grey remarked as he put the shirt back on the hanger and back in the cupboard. His unremarkable exterior was a drawback to his eventual side profession, as public medium. He sprung onto the bed and lay next to Germaine who sat on the edge of the bed in her petticoat as she sorted through her belongings for a suitable dress to wear. Grey stroked her back and said, “Looks like I’m going to have to be your mattress tonight. I’m not complaining.”
    Germaine turned to look at him and grasped his point: the narrow single bed was not designed for couples.
    “ We’ll be very cosy in my old single bed,” Grey said.
    “ That’s fine. We’re not fat.”
    “ After living on rationed food for a year, dead right we’re not,” he said emphatically. “All that’s over now, Germaine. Mom’s a good cook and you’ll see a full plate in front of you with the works on it. Anything you can’t finish I’ll happily scavenge.”
    “ I may have to disappoint you there, James. I didn’t like to say before but I am starving too.”
    “ I want you to love my country and I think the fact that it has food, a decent variety and a decent amount, might help. It works for me, I know that.”
    “ I already love America. I’m in love with an American so I love the country because it gave me you. I’m looking forward to seeing all of the places that mean something to you,” she said ardently.
    “ I’ll give you the Keokuk tour tomorrow, for sure. I know that I was getting a little bit tetchy with him before – I’ll try my hardest not to do that again. I am going to try and get on with them so if things work out we might end up delaying the tour of the States and just doing a tour of Iowa for a couple of months if that’s okay with you.” Even if they managed to get on with his parents Grey could not face staying with them for more than three months.
    “ That’s what I want. I’d sooner you were close to your parents than meet the stars of Hollywood.”
    “ I did promise that, didn’t I, that I’d introduce you to some,” Grey said, smirking as he remembered some big promises he’d made prior to the trip that would be hard to keep. “Yep, we’ll play it by ear here.”
    “ I think I know what that means – well, I don’t, but how you’ve said it gives me an idea.”
    “ It means,” he said, leaning towards her and snatching a quick kiss, “welcome to Keokuk. I never dreamt when I left here in February last year that I’d be returning with a girl as lovely as you, who I’m lucky enough to call my wife. I know it shouldn’t be, and that I shouldn’t bellyache at all about coming home when so many didn’t, but without you this might have been difficult for me – with you at my side it’s going to be great,” he said positively.
    “ You give me too much credit,” Germaine said, flattered and coquettishly coy at the undue praise.
    “ Perhaps I have ulterior motives,” Grey said playfully, raising his eyebrows which made Germaine laugh. “Keokuk has never looked as good as it does now.”
 
    Abner declined dinner initially, telling them that he’d already eaten at six and didn’t want to eat again at eight, before eventually sitting down at the head of the table, insisting he only wanted vegetables. Grey and Germaine were both happy to have more left for them and enjoyed the beef and pork. Shirley was so nervy that she could hardly eat anything and just kept nibbling at her plate. She made conversation uneasily, updating Grey on the community with the occasional one line contribution from Abner, often contradicting and disputing what she was telling them, viewing a lot of it as unfounded tittle-tattle. Grey helped move the conversation along, talking a little of what it was like in the army but mostly just talking about the food they had to survive on and on the shortages in Britain.
    “