‘What would you like to drink?’
‘Gin and orange,’ I said.
‘Coming up.’
Harry went over to where he’d left a bag – I’d not noticed it when I first came in – and pulled out two glasses. They were the glasses patients had next to their beds. Then he also produced a glass bottle half-filled with water.
‘Where on earth did you get that?’
‘Pilfered it off the nurse’s desk in my ward,’ he said with a wink. ‘Gin and orange, was it? I’ll have a pint.’
He poured some water into our glasses, handed me one, then sat down next to me.
‘Cheers,’ he said. We clinked our glasses together. I was having more fun than I’d had for ages. I felt a sudden wave of guilt for being happy when poor Nelly was suffering upstairs but I pushed it aside. Nelly was the biggest lover of fun I’d ever met. She’d adore all this.
‘I’m having a very nice time,’ I said.
Harry was sitting close to me and I could feel the warmth of his body through my jumper. ‘I’m glad. I wanted it to be special, in case …’
‘I know,’ I said. Surprising myself I took his hand in mine. His fingers were soft and curled round mine like they were meant to fit together. ‘What are we doing next?’
‘I thought we’d go to the pictures.’
‘How …’
‘What was the last film you saw?’
I thought about it. ‘Nelly and I went to see some terrifying thing in the summer. Now what was it called?Gaslight, that was it. It gave us the proper shivers.’
Harry arranged himself more comfortably on the pile of blankets and put his arm round my shoulder. ‘Tell me about it,’ he said.
‘I remember it started with a robbery,’ I began.
‘No, wait,’ Harry said. ‘Newsreel first.’ Adopting the clipped tones of a Pathé presenter, he said: ‘A wounded airman from Biggin Hill is returning to base after being cared for at the South London District Hospital. He says his injuries were worth it because he met a beautiful nurse.’
‘Oh, stop it,’ I said, giggling.
‘Time for the film, then. Tell me the story.’
A lot had happened since Nelly and I were last at the pictures, but I found that sitting there in the snug boiler room, Harry’s arm around me, I could remember all the details of the thrilling film we’d watched.
Harry listened carefully, asking clever questions, and pointing out things I’d not thought of. By the time I’d finished I really felt like I’d seen it again.
‘Did I explain it well enough?’ I asked. ‘I’m afraid I’ve spoiled it for you now.’
Harry grinned. ‘I’d seen it anyway.’
I gave him a good-natured shove. ‘And you asked all those questions?’
‘I liked hearing you talk.’
‘What’s next?’ I said.
‘Now we go dancing.’ He stood up and pulled me to my feet. ‘Come on.’
‘There’s no music.’
Harry cleared his throat. ‘You are my sunshine,’ he began to sing. He took me in his arms and we swayed together, our bodies pressing into one another as he hummed in my ear.
