Anywhere's Better Than Here by Zöe Venditozzi Page B

drive. She said that Sandy had been different before she met Ed’s dad but that after she married she stayed in her house as much as possible and all but lost contact with her own family. It was Sheila that had kept phoning and visiting and she said that sometimes she felt as if Ed’s mum wouldn’t be too bothered if she didn’t call again.
    Maybe Ed would talk to his auntie Sheila while he was staying at his mum’s. Maybe she’d encourage him to spread his wings a bit. Laurie knew she should be feeling happier, but she didn’t know how she felt. The sight of him playing on the computer when she came home from work never failed to set her teeth on edge and clutch her bag as tightly as she’d like to wring his neck, but the thought of coming home to darkness and silence was not appealing to her. Too much like coming home from school to an empty house and hours to fill before everyone else was back from work or clubs or friend’s houses. She couldn’t really be bothered to speak to Ed when she was at home, but being on her own was worse. She feared finding herself talking out loud in partial sentences and re-arguing ancient arguments with herself in mirrors.
    What did other adults do? According to TV there were loads of girls her age going to work, coming home, cooking, getting dressed in nice gear and going out again to meet lots of similarly happy girls and guys. She just couldn’t see herself doing that – organising a social life, caring about it. Besides, how do you organise a social life if you work the night shift? That was assuming she stayed in the cleaning job. It was ridiculous really, she had a degree – why was she even considering staying in a cleaning job? She could do all sorts of other jobs that paid far better and had sociable hours. But these jobs came with responsibilities; meetings; paperwork; suits; lots of other people. Not yet, not for a while. There was no hurry, was there?
    She watched the number 22 pull in. She had no need to catch a bus to get to where Gerry lived and she’d almost be there by now if she’d just walked. But she wanted someone else to move her along today.
    She stood up and smiled at the old couple. The man immediately snapped his eyes back down to his paper. The woman blinked slowly back at Laurie.

Sunday the 19th of December
Still Early
Sudden Cold Fronts
    â€˜â€˜He’s no in.’’
    Laurie ignored the rough looking woman who had appeared from downstairs as she raised her hand to knock on Gerry’s door.
    â€˜â€˜Ah said, he’s no in!’’
    â€˜â€˜I heard you, but I’d rather see for myself.’’ She knocked again.
    Gerry opened the door, clearly trying to look as if he’d just woken up.
    Laurie stood on his step with her back to the other woman who was leaning against the banister at the top of the flight of stairs. Laurie could feel her scowling.
    â€˜â€˜Alright?’’ said Gerry to the women, as he pretended to wipe sleep from his eyes.
    Laurie looked over her shoulder. The woman from downstairs swept her eyes from Gerry’s face to his groin and back again, the scowl never changing shape, flicked her head up at him by way of greeting and thumped back down the stairs, her house coat trailing behind her.
    Laurie raised an eyebrow. Gerry took her by the shoulder and pulled her into the flat and shut the door behind her. They stood facing each other for a second, neither quite sure what to do next, before leaning into each other and kissing. This time it was smoother, more coordinated. Laurie was more familiar with the shape of his face, the workings of his tongue. Before Gerry she’d never kissed someone with a beard. Gerry was her first man, really.
    She pressed up against him, feeling herself getting carried away. Gerry gripped her tightly and then lifted her up to him like a child and carried her to the bedroom. He lowered her on to the bed and stood