Judgement Call by Nick Oldham

long drink, too.
    The beer had an instant effect.
    Henry smiled. Jo smiled back. He said, ‘Made it.’
    â€˜That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile all day.’
    Henry blew out his cheeks. ‘Lost a good prisoner, got shot at, and I’m not altogether certain that I’ll be going back to a warm reception from my girlfriend.’
    â€˜Quite a day. How are you feeling?’
    Henry pouted and shrugged. ‘Dunno, really. Bit stressed.’
    â€˜I’d be a wreck,’ Jo said. ‘Especially if someone blasted a shotgun at me. It was bad enough in comms. You must be quite brave … and cool. I was listening to you transmitting during the car chase. I’d’ve been shouting and screaming!’ She lifted her beer to her mouth and looked at Henry across the top of the glass, her eyes moist and sparkling.
    He shrugged modestly, incapable of denying her assessment of him.
    â€˜What did it feel like, to have a gun pointed at you?’
    â€˜Scary, actually. I could easily have wet myself.’
    â€˜But you didn’t.’
    â€˜No, I didn’t.’ Somehow he could not bring himself to tell her about how he had vomited his fear.
    â€˜Brave,’ she confirmed.
    â€˜Or stupid.’
    â€˜No, brave,’ she insisted.
    â€˜Thank you.’ Henry looked her in the eye, knowing this was a mating ritual.
    â€˜Have you told your girlfriend about your adventures?’
    â€˜Not yet.’
    â€˜She’ll be impressed.’
    â€˜Not so sure.’ He took another sip of his beer and heard his stomach rumble. It was only then he realized that the last meal he’d eaten was breakfast. ‘I need some food down me.’
    The Chinese was average but OK. Hot and sour soup followed by sweet and sour chicken for Henry, won-ton soup and king prawn chop suey for Jo, accompanied by more beer and a loosening of the conversation, which started innocently enough talking about themselves, asking about each other, but then started to disintegrate little by little into suggestiveness and innuendo.
    After the meal they rolled back to the pub for a couple more pints before closing time.
    Henry used the public payphone in the toilet corridor to call Kate, but wished he hadn’t. She began pleasantly but when she clocked that Henry was talking with four pints down him and then he let slip he was accompanied by a ‘she’, Kate hung up leaving him staring at a dead telephone.
    At which point Jo, who had just visited the ladies’, sidled past and saw the expression of grief on his face.
    She came up close. ‘What’s the matter?’
    â€˜Hung up,’ he said desolately. ‘She hung up.’ He slammed the receiver back onto its cradle and turned to Jo who was standing just inches away, looking up at him, lips slightly parted. She had reapplied her lipstick and her lips looked very red and shiny.
    â€˜You know, what happens in Dover, stays in Dover. Yeah?’ she said.
    â€˜â€™Scuse me.’ A large man pushed his way between them, heading towards the toilets. They stepped apart to allow him through, their eyes staying firmly locked onto one another’s.
    â€˜Let’s get a nightcap,’ Henry suggested.
    â€˜No, no, no,’ she said. ‘Not before this.’ She moved right up to him, slid a hand behind his neck, stood on tiptoe and eased his face towards hers, their lips crushing together, sending a surge of electricity shooting through him as she virtually plastered herself to him. Henry instantly grew hard as his hands cupped her face and he worked his tongue into her mouth.
    They broke apart, gasping.
    â€˜I’ve wanted to kiss you ever since I first saw you, Henry. Been watching you for ages, but you’ve never noticed me, have you?’
    Henry’s response stuck in his throat.
    â€˜And now I want to … you know?’ she said huskily.
    â€˜Yeah, I know … let’s pass on the