Free The Ballroom on Magnolia Street by Sharon Owens Page A

Johnny Hogan had something on his mind these days; he was not as sharp with them as he usually was. Louise and Mary weren’t to know, but Kate had just played her trump card, and Alex was very grateful indeed.
    ‘You’re a special kind of girl, Kate. That was very decent of you to tell me about those DHSS Nazis. No offence, now. Yes, very decent.’
    ‘Well, Alex, I hate to see the low-paid suffer in this way. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.’
    ‘Ah, you’re a great girl. You know, the humble circumstances are only temporary. I won’t always be ducking and diving. No way.’
    ‘Oh, I know, Alex. I know . And I won’t always be stuck in that dump. It’s not exactly my dream job.’
    ‘Yeah, babe. You and me are destined for higher things.’
    ‘Oh, I hope so, Alex. I’m tired of that place, and everybody in it.’
    ‘So, what can I do to say thank you? Would you like to go out for a meal sometime? Next Saturday night, maybe?’
    At last, thought Kate. At last .
    ‘I’d love to, Alex. Will you not be working?’
    ‘No. I’ll take a few weeks’ holiday from here. There’s another place I can work in till the heat’s off me. Why don’t you give me your phone number?’
    ‘Well, I think I will. You won’t forget, now? Will you?’
    ‘Not at all. I won’t forget.’ She told him the number and he wrote it on his arm. ‘Now, off you go before Johnny gets my length, that’s a good girl.’ And he patted her on the back.
    Kate joined Shirley in the hot-food bar, where she was half-heartedly sipping a scalding coffee the colour of old tights. Kate dusted some burger-bun crumbs off a vinyl-covered chair and gently lowered her leather-covered backside onto it. She had to be very careful how she sat down sometimes, wearing skirts that were so shamefully short.
    ‘Well,’ said Shirley. ‘Tell me all the gory details. Have you got a date? More importantly, have you had all your vaccinations, before you get up close and personal with that creature?’
    ‘Give it a rest, Shirley.’ Kate was in a better mood tonight than she had been for days, but she was still cautious and a little short-tempered. Her mystery symptoms might reappear at any time.
    ‘Do you know any good vets?’ Shirley laughed. ‘Just in case?’
    ‘Shut up, I said. He’s going to ring me.’
    ‘Okay. It’s your life. I won’t say another word about it.’
    ‘Good. Louise Lowry is over there, watching everything. She nearly fell over, trying to get a good gawp at us. She’s fit to be tied. Oh, it feels good to be a winner. It feels good, good, good to get your man!’
    ‘I wouldn’t know.’
    ‘I’ll tell you something that’ll put the fizz back in your bottle. Declan Greenwood is in the building.’
    ‘Kate! Are you joking? Where is he?’
    ‘At the main bar. He came in with another fella, while I was talking to Alex. He recognized me. I saw him looking at me as if he knew me. He must have seen us in Quigley’s, that day. Why don’t you swap that dishwater for a double vodka, and flirt with him?’
    ‘Oh, God. I’m going to check my make-up. Wait here.’
    ‘Hang on, don’t go. Some sleazeball’s coming over to us. Bloody hell, it’s Kevin McGovern!’
    ‘So it is. You wouldn’t know him, out of the overalls.’
    Kevin approached the table gingerly and asked the sisters if he could buy them a drink. Kate was temporarily lost for words. Kevin seemed to have had a makeover of some kind. Gone were the dull tartan shirts and grey drainpipe trousers of old. He was wearing a loose-fitting baby-pink suit, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a bright blue shirt (no tie) and white patent shoes with Velcro straps and long pointed toes. To complete the outfit, he had (yes, it was true) a blue silk handkerchief dangling from his breast pocket. And a Simon Le Bon haircut, with blond highlights and a feathered fringe. What had happened to his flat brown hair?
    ‘My God,’ said Kate. ‘Is it really you?’
    ‘In