The School Gates by Nicola May Page A

are.’
    ‘Oh, come on, Tone. She’s well fit. I know you would if you had the chance.’
    ‘She’s married, Bruno, and she has a kid – now just leave it, will you. Anyway, I thought you were shagging that pretty little Welshy from the doctors’ surgery?’
    ‘Yeah, but you know me, bruv, I’m a lurve machine. For some reason I want to fuck everything at the moment.’
    Tony had to laugh. ‘You’re so wrong.’
    ‘Why, what’s he done now?’ Dana appeared tying her apron.
    ‘It would hurt your ears, Dana. I’m not even going there.’
    As he spoke, the LWL brigade arrived. One of them clicked her fingers to get Dana’s attention. Dana chose to ignore her and went over to two decorators in their white splattered overalls instead.
    ‘I say!’ the plummy voice called out. ‘I do believe we were here first.’
    ‘Terribly sorry, I’ll be with you shortly.’ Dana smiled sweetly over. ‘Stuck-up cows,’ she mouthed to the decorators, who laughed out loud whilst taking in Dana’s pert breasts under her crisp black shirt.
    ‘Where are you from?’ asked the blonde leader of the LWL brigade, trying to make out Dana’s accent.
    ‘Lymington Avenue, up at the top of Bramwell Hill,’ Dana said innocently, knowing that would shut her up.
    ‘Oh, you live with a family up there, do you, dear?’
    ‘Yes, my husband and my son.’
    She took their order and laughed to herself as they all tried to work out why on earth, if she owned a house in Lymington Avenue, she needed to be working in a café.
    Between elevenses and lunch, there was a slight lull in service. Dana and Tony took their customary break in the back kitchen, whilst Bruno held the fort.
    ‘So, how are you enjoying working with us?’ Tony asked.
    ‘I simply love it. Just having the independence and more importantly my own money. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.’
    ‘So are you going to tell your husband you are working here now?’
    ‘Not yet. It’s actually quite a thrill having this little secret.’
    ‘Do you have any other “little secrets” from him?’ Tony flirted.
    ‘No I don’t, you cheeky one.’ Dana took a mock swipe at his cheek. ‘As much as I go on about independence, I do love Mark very much; in fact, we are going to try for another baby.’
    ‘That’s lovely,’ Tony genuinely replied, although the
    thought of trying for a baby with Dana caused his loins to stir.
    ‘I meant to ask you actually,’ Dana added. ‘I need to take the school holidays off. It will be too obvious to Mark and Tommy if I come in here.’
    ‘That’s fine. I expected that anyway,’ Tony said kindly, still trying to control his amour. ‘We may get a temp in, just so you know.’
    The handsome Italian jumped up quickly, before he physically couldn’t.
    ‘Right, cara mia, let’s down these espressos and get back to it.’
    ‘Come on, Inga, let’s send Daddy a video of it from your phone.’ Lily pushed her red-framed glasses up her nose and ran round the flat excitedly.
    Lola had already had to rush to the toilet as she had nearly wet herself laughing so hard.
    ‘I’m not sure your daddy will be too happy,’ the pretty Polish girl warned.
    ‘Go on, Inga, do it again. He’ll love it, I know he will,’ Lily urged.
    ‘Just one more time,’ Lola pleaded.
    ‘Oh all right then, you little monkeys.’
    Inga lifted up her jumper, expertly placed the straw under her armpit, turned her head, put the other end in her mouth and blew hard. A gigantic fart noise blasted out from behind her shoulder. Minutes later, Gordon walked into the lounge to find both his daughters and Inga rolling around the floor of his flat laughing fit to burst.
    ‘Pray do share.’ Gordon put his rucksack down on to the armchair. It had been a tiring shift today as there had been a delay in Paris. It was such a relief for him to know that even if he was stuck somewhere, Inga would be at home and caring for the girls. His weariness waned with the elation of