Free Underneath by Andie M. Long

punctual in posting, in order to maintain my one hundred per cent feedback rating. Hopefully I might get some regular customers. If that happens, I can up my game and regularly look for items, rather than just visiting the odd charity shop or car boot. I feel really energised and positive.
    The guys get back from swimming and Joe is in a strop. ‘He must be tired after his late night with Tyler,’ says Niall.
    ‘I’ve packed a picnic for us,’ I say. ‘Do you want to get the bikes out and we’ll go to Rother Valley?’
    ‘Are you joking, Love? We’ve just come back from swimming. He’s in a right mood and I just want to have a sit down. I’ve been working all week.’
    ‘I thought it’d be nice for us to have some family time.’
    ‘What’s this then? Are we not a family now?’
    ‘You know what I mean; going out, having fun.’
    ‘Well, let’s compromise. We’ll have the picnic in the garden and I’ll kick a football around with Joe for a bit. He’ll like that.’
    ‘You can do that,’ I say, thinking about the dwindling stock on my eBay account. I’m going to have lunch and go to the car boot this afternoon.’
    ‘Oh, Joe’ll enjoy that.’
    ‘I’m not taking Joe, he’s tired, remember? I’m going on my own.’
    ‘Here we go.’
    I walk into the kitchen before I throttle him.
    I eat lunch, and gather my boot stuff together. I take three fold up cotton bags that fit inside each other and a small handbag with lots of loose change. I’ve learnt that people doing car boots never have change and always run out of carrier bags before the end. As I go to get in the car I see a shadow cross the concrete. I turn quickly with my keys turned out, ready to stab in self-defence.
    ‘Hey steady on. Gosh, you haven’t changed one bit, Lauren,’ says Danny Southwell.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
    I back up against the car. I see the same lad I knew from school, only now he has lines on his face, grey flecks in his hair and stubble. He’s small for a man, only about an inch taller than my five feet seven, but as he stands wide-legged, with his hands in his pockets, his demeanour makes me wary.
    ‘What are you doing here? Do I need to shout for my husband?’
    He grins. ‘You look like I’m about to kill ya, Lauren, mate. Calm down, I’m here about Bet.’ His eyes focus on my face. ‘Gosh you really haven’t changed much since school. It’s weird us being older, innit? I still feel about fifteen.’
    My jaw is clenched and my shoulders are fixed. I feel like I cannot move. Is Danny here to hurt me or for a school reunion? ‘How did you know where I live?’
    He clasps his hands tightly. ‘After the police accused me of kidnapping my son, I rang her mother. She said you’ve been a good friend to her. A little digging on the internet got me your address, so I thought I’d come and see what the score was.’
    ‘Have you any idea how psycho that sounds?’
    ‘Lauren, I’m not without resources now and seriously, an eight year old could find out where you live on the internet these days. Anyway,’ he nods towards the house, ‘nice looking place you’ve got. How ya been doin’ all these years?’
    I feel myself start to loosen as memory takes over and I’m back just talking to Danny from school. He has a small scar on his lip which I know is from where he fell off his skateboard in Year Seven, and he has the tiniest hint of acne scars. I’d always had a soft spot for him at school, he was a loveable rogue. Not that our paths crossed often, but he’d been in a few of my classes.
    I straighten up and move nearer to speak to him. ‘I’m alright, Danny. Yesterday was a misunderstanding. She’d forgotten I was picking the kids up. What did the police say?’
    ‘They rang and said they were on their way round to check out the house and I had to stay there until they arrived. Not long after that call, they phoned back to say he’d been found. How the dozy cow managed to lose