When Arnold Tanner had come out of number 9 to find Elsie standing there, he couldn’t believe his luck. After doing battle over non-payment with ‘odd sod Todd’, as he called him, he’d worked himself up into a fair old lather. The sight of a pretty face had lifted his mood in an instant. And she looked familiar too. Wasn’t that the young lass he’d taken to the Milk Bar for a cup of tea the other day? Well, well, well, had she been chasing after him all this time? He had regretted letting her go without finding out where on Back Gas Street she lived, and he certainly hadn’t expected to see her again so soon. Yet here she was, turning up almost at his own front door.
He’d never had a problem attracting young ladies and persuading them to do whatever he wanted. Most of them were afraid of him and he never minded that for when they got to the final post that seemed to help them enjoy it all the more. But this one was different. She didn’t look scared at all. Mind you, he was sure she was far too young for him, no matter what age she had claimed to be. But the fact that she had come to him on his home turf in Coronation Street was now making him think she might be easier pickings than he could have dreamed.
He wasn’t sure he believed all that nonsense about bikes. It was him she was really after. And if that was what she wanted, then that was what she would have. Mind, he would have to be careful in case she wasn’t as streetwise as she might like to think. But with a bit of caution, things could turn out very well indeed. He would even put a bet on it. He would have a wager with his mate Joe tonight about how long it would take him to get her into his bed.
But not looking like she did right now. It was one thing taking her to the pictures where it was dark and it didn’t matter much if he was seen. Besides, the back row of the flicks was always a good barometer of how far a girl was prepared to go. But he would have to do something about her appearance. Living on Back Gas Street, it was easy to understand why she looked the way she did, like a waif and stray, but if he started stepping out with her everyone would laugh at him. She was definitely not the sort of girl he usually had hanging on to his arm. When he’d first met her, that had been enough to make him think maybe she wasn’t worth the effort. Now he’d had a chance to look at her more closely, he was beginning to change his mind. It was the flame-red hair that clinched it. At the moment, it was about as attractive as an untidy doormat. But he’d caught glimpses of the pretty young thing hidden underneath, and she certainly had curves in all of the right places; seemed like she might have a bit of fire in her belly too which was always good when you were in the sack. It would require a bit of work, but he reckoned she might be worth it.
He didn’t know any woman who would object to having her hair done and a bit of make-up slapped on. Girls would do anything for a pair of nylons and some new lippy; they were daft like that. And he did like his women to add a touch to nature on their lips and cheeks – he wanted his girls to make the effort for him. He was sure that, with a little help, Elsie could turn out to be quite something.
Perhaps he should have a word with his mother. See if she had any suggestions. She usually had a good eye for that sort of thing.
On Saturday night they met in front of the cinema by the box office entrance. Elsie knew where it was, though she had never been into the theatre that way before. Arnold was already standing in the queue for tickets. Elsie was amazed how many people were waiting patiently in an orderly line, all prepared to pay for their tickets. She joined him when he reached the till and was handing over the money, and she was thrilled to see he was buying the most expensive seats at the back. It was somewhere she had never sat before. She was walking on a cloud as they were shown into the large cinema. But then she felt too embarrassed to accept Arnold’s offer of orange juice and chocolate as the young usherette held up a small flashlight to point out where they might sit. Arnold wanted the two seats that were right in the middle of the back row and they had to interrupt several young couples as they made their way along.
‘At least we won’t be disturbed,’ Arnold muttered, grinning at Elsie as he held down her seat.
She smiled back as she sank into it, amazed to find she couldn’t feel any springs or stuffing pushing their way through the plush red velvet.
Arnold offered her a cigarette and they both puffed away until the end of the adverts. Then he put his arm round her and she felt his fingers drumming gently on her breast. She didn’t say anything but she settled her head back and turned her body so that she was snuggled up against him. The drumming changed to stroking as the B film began and she felt so warm and cosy she almost fell asleep. But when he began to rub her breast harder and to squeeze her already erect nipple she found it difficult to concentrate. She was barely aware of what was going on as an old detective in a bowler hat slowly unravelled the second-rate murder mystery. When the lights went up at the interval, Elsie hastily straightened her clothes. Arnold removed his arm and smiled at her, though neither said anything.
The usherette wandered up and down the aisles with her tray as Elsie had watched her do many times before, but this time to her delight Arnold bought them a choc ice each. When they settled down again to watch the main feature – The Lady Vanishes, with Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave – Arnold gave her a short but forceful kiss, using his tongue as the lights dimmed. She kissed him back, wondering how much of the film they might actually see. She loved watching the glamorous actresses in these kind of films and daydreaming that one day she might have a nice dress or fancy make-up like they did. The cast list had hardly finished rolling when she felt his hand grasping her knee and switching quickly to caressing the soft flesh of her inner thigh. They both slid down in their seats as his lips covered hers and his hands began to explore between her legs. As his fingers probed so she twisted and turned so many times she was glad there was no one behind them to complain. She wasn’t too upset to miss most of the action of the film, for she had had the pleasure of her own action. And she could always sneak in one evening with Fay to see the rest.
They emerged into the chilly evening and Elsie fastened up her coat as quickly as she could. She had enjoyed herself more than she would have thought possible and she hoped they would be able to do it again soon.
‘I’ll walk you home,’ Arnold offered, ‘or maybe we can get the bus.’
Elsie suddenly felt ashamed. She realized she didn’t want him to see where she lived and admitted truthfully that she didn’t know what buses might go there.
‘Why don’t you walk me as far as the Field,’ she said. ‘You don’t have to come out all the way.’
Elsie stopped when they reached the Field to give him the opportunity to turn back. She looked across the empty waste ground and was surprised to see several mounds had appeared with corrugated sides and proper doors with locks.
‘Blimey,’ Arnold said, for he had seen them too. ‘There really is going to be a war. Those look like the Anderson shelters I was reading about.’
Elsie shook her head. ‘God help us all,’ she muttered. ‘I don’t even want to think about it.’
‘That’s as maybe. But things are really hotting up,’ Arnold said. ‘C’mon, I’d better get you home,’ and he insisted on seeing her to the front door.
As they rounded the corner into Back Gas Street, Elsie stopped, not wanting him to see the actual house.
‘Bit of a step down from Coronation Street, eh?’ She felt she had to make some comment.
Arnold clasped her by the arms and lowered his head so he could look her in the face. ‘Makes no difference to me,’ he said. ‘It’s what you do next that counts.’ Then his tone changed and he laughed as he said, ‘I reckon it’s time you met my mother.’
Elsie crinkled her forehead. ‘Any special reason?’ she asked, taken aback by the change of subject.
Arnold nodded. ‘Yes, there is. But I’m going to keep that a secret. It won’t be owt bad. In fact, I think you’ll like it when you find out what it is. You’ll just have to wait and see …’