the suburbs as long as the buses still said London Transport on the side – which let South Norwood off the hook.
Kenneth had already started scribbling down bus numbers when Jane got to the stop. A couple of his buddies were there with him and they were all laughing at some joke Kenneth had just told them. She didn’t know he knew any jokes. He looked different suddenly: smiling, relaxed, almost handsome – apart from the spots. Like a younger, skinnier version of Uncle George. He seemed to shrink when he saw Jane, when he saw his mates looking at her legs in their Bear Brand 15-denier. He didn’t say hello and nor did any of the long line of familiar faces in the tidy little queue. She tried it once but they all looked at you like you were trying to sell them something. The buses weren’t too full at that time on a Saturday and she managed to get a seat downstairs. She decided she’d better change into her old black pumps on the bus. You weren’t allowed to wear stilettos in the shop anyway – it knackered the parquet. Customers did enough damage. The whole floor was pockmarked with the traces of their spiky heels. ‘A woman in stiletto heels,’ as Mr Philip kept on saying, ‘exerts the same pressure as an elephant standing on one leg.’ He’d read it in the Daily Express.
It was a bit tricky getting the shoes on and off but the man next to her was very nice about it. Skinny dark-haired bloke. She’d seen him somewhere before. He worked in a shoe shop in Bond Street. Jane had a funny feeling he was a poof but she didn’t mind that particularly as long as they kept themselves to themselves. Doreen minded very much although Norbury didn’t give her much chance to show it except on Sundays when the News of the World sometimes served up a nice scoutmaster.
The shoe-shop man was speaking.
‘Lovely courts. Nice low vamp.’ Definitely queer.
‘Aren’t they? They’re yours, aren’t they? I didn’t buy them myself, to be honest. A customer left them in the shop and never came back for them. I was the only one with feet small enough: three and a half double A.’
‘Sample size. Tell you what, we’re having a sample sale next Monday after the shop shuts. You’re welcome to come if you like. Only ten bob a pair. There won’t be many of you. A few really, really special customers and friends with small feet.’
‘Ooh. Yes please. That would be super.’ Super. Doreen should hear her.
New shoes. And no annoying little thank-you drinks to pay him back.
‘My name’s Jane, by the way. I work at Drayke’s. Jane James.’ She had been Jane Deeks at school to make life easier for everybody but Uncle George had never got round to adopting her so it still said Jane James on her cards. It sounded better anyway.
Chapter 5
Don’t, whatever you do, forget that the
girl behind the counter is a human being
too. She has feelings just as you have.
The Arcade still had the gates up but they were pulled open a foot or so at the Bond Street end to let the sales staff sidle in. Jane had hoped to be first into the shop so that she could sneak out of her coat and jacket without anyone noticing but Bennett was in early. Bennett’s real name was Brenda but she’d been ten years in Young Separates at Derry and Toms where the manageress had been a Brenda. Something had to give and it was Bennett.
Bennett had a choice of two trains from Catford and she liked to play safe with the early one and then do her face in the mirror of the basement showroom in the belief that the unflattering light was helpful. Have a powerful, shadeless light over your glass. Fool your audience, but never fool yourself. In fact, it just meant that she put on far too much make-up and the distorting colours of the fluorescent striplight meant that she never noticed the tide mark where the Honey Velvet of the foundation met the Dove Grey of her neck.
‘Let’s have a look. You’re a bit done up, aren’t you, for a Saturday morning? You after that job at Hillson’s?’
There was an ‘Experienced Saleslady Required’ notice in the window of a rival knitwear shop in Bond Street. Not such a bad idea, actually.
‘I’m going out for lunch.’
‘Ooh! Get her! Out for lunch in her