Chapter 2 - Side 1 Track 2 – New Kid in Town (The Eagles)165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7fCaN5nYy
You look in her eyes; the music begins to play, hopeless romantics,165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTxHGwH6Mm
Here we go again. But after a while, you’re looking the other way,165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCE1m74hQI
It’s those restless hearts that never mend, Johnny come lately,165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsAlfUo04E
There’s a new kid in town, will she still love you when you’re not around?165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntfLp10s6x
There’s so many things you should have told her.......165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsdDUwdciy
With different break times squashed either side of the lunchtime surge she was not able to snatch another chance until almost 2 o’clock. In between, Lucy took great delight at avoiding her silent pleas.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGnY017bUV
The cafe finally emptied, and with Stelios nowhere to be seen she approached her friend. ‘OK, you bitch, spill the beans, what do you know that I don’t?’165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOmY1X4uCY
‘What do you mean?’ Lucy replied, grinning innocently.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycziSobD3Y
‘Just tell me, you cow’, laughing as she pinched her friend’s arm.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtVhwKe6ms
‘There was a guy in here asking about you. He was maybe eighteen. Tall with short brown hair, dark shirt, blue jeans, suede jacket. He wanted to know if you were working yesterday’. It was a description that perfectly fitted the image of the boy she’d seen.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrORPNtZu8C
‘Is that all?’ she said, not attempting to hide her disappointment.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiDXMTTMbv
‘Do you think I was going to leave it at that! I asked if I could give you a message of course!’165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZZDYMiD28
165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdUdauoSUs
‘What did he say?’, her heart which had been constricted across her chest had now jumped into her throat.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2WDUJcSsa
‘He said no message but he did ask when you were working next. I said today and he thanked me and left. Who is he Cassie? I think he must be new in town. I saw him a couple of times last week. He was gorgeous! I wouldn’t mind a crack at him myself. You are a dark horse! I thought you were still pining for Josh?’165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrGsagRygZ
‘I don’t know him’, she said dismissively. She must try and act cool and not let on how much she liked him. ‘He’s been in a few times but I haven’t even spoken to him. I don’t think he’s local, I haven’t seen him before this week. And no, I’m not interested. After Josh, I promised my mum I was keeping away from all boys until after my exams’.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg60kmMYO8u
‘Yeah, really!’ said Lucy disdainfully. ‘Pull the other one! I can tell you like him, you should see how you’re blushing, and it’s obvious he has the hot’s for you, so why don’t you just go for it!’165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCVnrBPTGT
From the corner of her eye, Cassie saw Stelios approaching. With a quiet ‘See you later’ she turned and started wiping down the empty tables at her station.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbobutPOdp
Lucy’s shift finished before hers and Cassie was alone with her thoughts as she walked to the bus stop. Who was he? Why did he speak to Lucy?165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNzScywYa1
What did he want from her?165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKGFGrbmKO
------------------------------165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IozTj9qAF
For the next couple of days – situated in the centre of town the cafe didn’t open on a Sunday – Cassie was confused. He was so good looking, a few years older than her and he must have stacks of girlfriend’s. He looked and acted so much more experienced than Josh. What would it be like to be the girlfriend of someone older? 165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCx6D7ZRuX
Bet he’s already with someone beautiful, with a perfect figure, a girl with a proper job. She was so lucky, whoever she was.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhlBZSIg0z
But if that’s true, why did he talk to Lucy about her? And what was it about him that made her heart pound? She tried to dismiss the thought of being his girlfriend, thrilling though it was. It didn’t matter if she liked him or not. She was only fifteen. 165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wUgEA8RzU
There was no way on earth her mum would let her date someone as old as eighteen!165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuRFKUF9hU
As Tuesday approached she was nervous about working in the cafe again. Would he come in? If he did, what would he say? And more important, what would she say to him?165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xkjqfwVZv
The morning rush took her mind off the tightness in her stomach. Just when she was convinced he would not appear, the door opened. And there he was. Expecting to see him a take a seat in a booth at the other end of cafe, he sat at an empty table, one she hadn’t had a chance to clear. Right in the middle of her station!165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXFIEJOBS7
Blushing furiously but trying to act relaxed, she approached. She hoped the spot on the side of her nose was not too obvious under the skin coloured cover up. Why did it have to be the week before her period? ‘Let me clear those things away and I’ll take your order’ she said trying not to catch his eye.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP51AiIuHsz
With clumsy fingers she almost dropped the soiled coffee cup and saucer! It wobbled in her hand but she got a hold of it before quickly wiping down the table. Their eyes connected. The heat rose in her cheeks and neck as his eyes lingered on her face. Cassie shyly looked away, but hoped his gaze continued to follow as she entered the kitchen with the tray of used crockery.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR18PdoWR2
By the time she returned she looked composed, although it seemed her heart was beating so fast it would soon burst clean through her rib cage.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPUEEJbiEo
‘Sorry about that. What can I get you?’ she said brightly. For the first time she studied his face as he concentrated on the menu. He seemed even better looking up close. Not in a masculine way, his features were on the boyish side, but there was something about him that made her pulse quicken and her stomach churn.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwiWu0iLgP
His best feature, his liquid brown eyes, were framed by long, soft eyelashes. His lips were full, his nose not too large, his chin firm. Up closer his hair was not so wavy but brushed back in the style of John Travolta, the latest Hollywood heartthrob and star of ‘Saturday Night Fever’. The movie had not yet been released but she already had a poster of him on her bedroom wall. Given the sides were cut short, it was a unique style she hadn’t seen before. She was not sure if she liked it. 165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYXeE0TinP
Before he had a chance to catch her staring openly at his face, Cassie glanced away. She stepped back slightly, nervously brushing fingers against the side of her face, returning stray strands of fine blonde hair behind her ears.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6j0YzhiQO
Stelios always made all the waitresses wear their hair off the collar in a pony tail. She was a huge ABBA fan, after seeing them win the 1974 European Song Contest. Josh had been with her, watching together with the rest of her family on the Blackman’s new colour television. She was almost twelve, and days later he had said how much she looked like the blonde blue-eyed female singer.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MaV3AT1vI
Soon everyone at school was talking about the Swedish group, and the blonde was arguably the most popular. She was certainly the most popular with Josh and the other teenage boys she knew. To please him she had grown out and styled her hair. Other than when working in the cafe or doing PE, Cassie kept it long and feminine, loose around her shoulders. What a shame the boy hadn’t seen her first with her hair down.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOkbyEdMiJ
‘I had breakfast early so I’ll just have a cup of coffee thanks’ said the young man politely. It was the first time she’d heard his voice, and its mature sound, without any hint of an accent, sent a shiver down her spine. Trying to collect her racing thoughts Cassie paused as she scribbled on her pad.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqCVJH1Zkv
‘No problem’, she said. ‘I’ll be right back with your order’, before she turned on her heels in the direction of the kitchen.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgmX8DXm0B
Not knowing what to expect she was more than a little disappointed when she returned. After thanking her and giving a smile that caught Cassie’s next breath in her throat, he went back to his crossword. 165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DXgPY0vkM
Backing away in confusion she looked for her next order. Busying herself with other customers Cassie coyly glanced in his direction, but failed to catch his eye. What’s so interesting in his newspaper!165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCHHYSDnQ0
She was tempted to offer help – Lucy would have done it without thinking – as he was reading the New Musical Express. Pop music was one of her passions. Talking about her favourite bands should have been easy. But she wasn’t looking her best and it was never going to happen. Besides, being forward with a boy was something Cassie would never have the confidence to do. Not in a million years.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOZLEKFVlu
Half an hour later he rose to his feet, newspaper in hand. He placed a few coins on the table, before he glanced up in her direction. And abruptly left without so much as a backward glance.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXMC50a8Zo
He’s going again! Genuinely surprised, she grinned sheepishly. Thank God Lucy was not close enough to see her embarrassment. She would’ve taken great delight in teasing her mercilessly. But did Lucy have it right? Did he really like her? Apart from ordering coffee they’d hardly spoken. Lucy must have jumped to the wrong conclusion. She’d better forget about him.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbX1oT3stP
It was a couple of weeks before Christmas and she’d a myriad of things to do to keep her busy.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdQYYeFiXC
-------------------------165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡug2hKcZvou
He came into the cafe again a few days later. He sat and ordered at her station, taking out a paper to read. After she brought his coffee he thanked her and went back to his crossword. She was about to walk away when she heard him speak. ‘Did you know Maidstone gets it’s name from the stones in the river. The were called ‘maeides stana’, or maiden stones, used for rinsing clothes in the cleaner water away from the muddy bank’.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMSJOxGsNv
‘No, I didn’t know’ she said, backing away nervously. Now she was convinced he didn’t like her. Who chatted up a girl talking about stones in the Medway!165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcn0GnaCDvw
After this last appearance, she confided to Lucy about his lack of interest. ‘Luc, I think you must have it wrong’.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2H6gRvkwwg
During their bus journey home Lucy almost convinced her it was Cassie that had picked up the wrong signals. She was soon in fits of giggles as her friend described how the boy had looked – like a love sick puppy dog! – when he’d asked about her and how cute Lucy thought he was.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hDGVV3kJL
Apart from Josh, she’d never been good at picking up signals from boys. He’d been easy to read, and always said what he was thinking, even if sometimes he’d embarrassed or hurt her feelings. The time he’d picked up the condoms in Boots had been excruciating.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFe1EJTfGw9
She’d so wanted to believe her best friend. But the boy had now visited the cafe on at least four occasions and made no attempt to ask her out.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNt0NdI4wo
And she was finally sure Lucy was wrong.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiT6usOatj
-------------------165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4VNCLKtFK
The two green fire engines – affectionately known by their six man military crew’s as ‘George and Mildred’ – came to a stop outside the block of flats. The soldiers exited the vehicle’s so fast to a bystander it must have looked a confusing melee. But their commander knew there was method to the seeming madness.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHj80YSUsJ
The men dressed in green and brown camouflage had been well trained and he looked on proudly as they immediately started to enact the crew drills they’d practised for hour upon hour. It was the seventh non-emergency fire the crews had been despatched to since the start of the strike.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5L3ErTvx1v
Quickly surveying the scene, the officer in charge could see smoke billowing around the 3rd floor and up and across the roof. He walked over to the two police officers standing with a group he took to be the residents of the flats, given their attire of heavy coats and jackets over night wear.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc9HjDnKIU
He was the crew leader of his military ‘Green Goddess’, the colloquial name given to the Bedford four wheel drive Self Propelled Pump. Along with his unit the commander had deployed to Maidstone earlier in the month to support the town in the face of the ongoing fireman’s strike.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQg6lAIjiK
Surveying the scene, Lieutenant Daniel Turner had an instinct in his gut this fire would be different from the others.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0V70DjyDl
165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHIN8NSAtp
