The Royal Hotel
Chapter One
two
Jean stretched where she lay, her knees cracking as she straightened them. The alarm clock on Kevin's table flashed the time in lurid green, and she groaned. Two minutes until it went off. It was always the same, and on her morning off as well. She was supposed to be having a lie in.
Staring at the ceiling, she let her eyes make shapes out of the Artex for a while. At least she didn't have to be at the hotel until lunch. Not like the rest of the week - breakfasts twice already, and Thursday had been a ten o'clock start besides. She'd soon have the house to herself, though. Kevin'd be off to work, Lesley off to school. Not before the usual chaos, mind. Mum, where's my school skirt? Jean, have you seen my car keys? Can I have some money for lunch?
The alarm buzzed. Beside her, Kevin twitched without waking. Jean could hardly make him out under the mound of covers, and of course he had the pillow over his head as usual. 'Kev,' she said, poking him in the shoulder.
'Mph.'
'Kevin!'
'Mph.'
'Gonny turn that off?'
'Mmph.'
Jean tutted, and reached over him to press the snooze button. 'Least you could do is turn it off, seein's it's you that's going to work.' So much for getting a lie-in. She'd be better getting up and getting them out, otherwise she'd have no peace at all. Shaking her head, Jean hauled herself to the edge of the bed and swung her legs out. 'Don't sleep too long. It's seven o'clock already,' she told him as she pulled her dressing gown on and crossed the hall to the loo. Better to get in before Lesley started her morning ritual.
When she was done, she headed for the kitchen, straightening the picture above the phone as she went. It was always squint that one. Couldn't seem to settle on its peg, as if it couldn't get comfy where it was.
She looked out of the kitchen window while she waited for the kettle. It reminded her of the day they first saw the house, how big that window had seemed then. Especially when the sun broke through the clouds, and the daffies in the windowbox burst into light. This early, the sun hadn't climbed high enough yet to shine into the back yard. Not that it looked remotely like being sunny. The sky boiled with black and purple clouds.
Mind, the daffies hadn't lasted. By the time they moved in, there was nothing left in the windowbox but shrivelled stalks and dead flowers. Probably bought specially, just to help sell the house. Window dressing, literally, and all the more disposable for it.
The kettle reached its climax and clicked off. 'Better make Lesley some,' she murmured to herself. 'Aye, time she was up anyway.' Another mug lined up alongside the other two, another teabag in. Jean fluffed them up with a hiss, each dancing its way to the top of its cup in turn. Steam had condensed on the window, a drop shaped breath mark, and she thought about wiping it off. No. It would dry fine on its own. It was sweltering in the kitchen. The steam from the kettle. That must be it. Must be what was making her feel so hot.
She did the necessary - milk and sugar, milk no sugar, milk and 'only half a spoon, I'm trying to watch my weight.' Though goodness only knew if that girl ever ate enough to make her worry about her weight. If it wasn't for the tea, she'd be off to school without anything inside her at all.
As she went to lift the tea, a draught caught the back of her neck, and she shuddered. It was so breath-like that she whirled around to see if Kevin was playing silly buggers, creeping up behind her to give her a fright again. But there was nobody else there.
She picked up the teas and hurried out.
Jean chapped on Lesley's door and stuck her head around. The radio alarm played softly, hissing a little.
'Lesley?'
'Mph.'
'Got a cup of tea for you, love.'
'Mph…'
'Are you going to sit up or do you want me to leave it on the floor?'
'M-hmph.'
Jean put the cup down, shoving a pile of revision out of the way. At least it looked like she was studying, although it was hard to tell. Any time she'd asked how it was going there'd been a row, or at the very least a slammed door. 'Mind and no fall ower your tea.'
'Mn-nmph.'
'Are you goin to your study class the day?'
'Aye, maybe.'
'When is it?'
'Mm… Nine o'clock. I think.'
'Do you want me to gie you a shout?'
'Mn-nmph.'
She half-closed the door, stuck her head back around. 'Mind, you've no got long. It's past seven, and Kevin'll be needin in the shower.'
'Aye, okay Mum. I'm movin!'
'Aye, well…'
Kevin had woken up enough to sit up and take his tea with a croaky 'Cheers'. Jean stopped in the doorway on her way back out and looked at him, half naked in the bed, slurping his tea. It wasn't often he made her feel old, but sometimes. The sleepy eyes, the wee boy hair. He caught her looking and winked. She stuck the fingers up at him, laughing her way childishly down the corridor, straightening the picture as she went.
She pulled her fags out of the pocket of her dressing gown and undid the bolt on the back door. The tea went on the window ledge, in beside the shrivelled remains of the daffies. It was maybe time they got binned, she thought as she looked at them, fishing the lighter out of her pocket. They were like something out of the Addams Family. The lighter didn't catch right, so she had to flick it twice. Then she giggled.
Dadadadum, flick flick. Dadadadum, flick flick. Jean cackled hard, half at herself for being so foolish. God help her if anyone was looking.
She was still laughing as she took the first drag. Her lungs rebelled, and she coughed until tears ran down her cheeks. The next drag made her dizzy, the combination of coughing and first-fag buzz going straight to her head. She leant against the wall and let the rest of her tab work its magic.
When she was done, she stubbed it out in the dead daffies, poured the cold dregs of tea away, and stepped back inside. She could hear the hum of the shower. Good. At least somebody had made a move.
Without thinking about it, she put her hand out to straighten the picture above the phone. The one that wouldn't sit still. The old black and white photo of the high street.
It was gone.
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_
two
Jean stretched where she lay, her knees cracking as she straightened them. The alarm clock on Kevin's table flashed the time in lurid green, and she groaned. Two minutes until it went off. It was always the same, and on her morning off as well. She was supposed to be having a lie in.
Staring at the ceiling, she let her eyes make shapes out of the Artex for a while. At least she didn't have to be at the hotel until lunch. Not like the rest of the week - breakfasts twice already, and Thursday had been a ten o'clock start besides. She'd soon have the house to herself, though. Kevin'd be off to work, Lesley off to school. Not before the usual chaos, mind. Mum, where's my school skirt? Jean, have you seen my car keys? Can I have some money for lunch?
The alarm buzzed. Beside her, Kevin twitched without waking. Jean could hardly make him out under the mound of covers, and of course he had the pillow over his head as usual. 'Kev,' she said, poking him in the shoulder.
'Mph.'
'Kevin!'
'Mph.'
'Gonny turn that off?'
'Mmph.'
Jean tutted, and reached over him to press the snooze button. 'Least you could do is turn it off, seein's it's you that's going to work.' So much for getting a lie-in. She'd be better getting up and getting them out, otherwise she'd have no peace at all. Shaking her head, Jean hauled herself to the edge of the bed and swung her legs out. 'Don't sleep too long. It's seven o'clock already,' she told him as she pulled her dressing gown on and crossed the hall to the loo. Better to get in before Lesley started her morning ritual.
When she was done, she headed for the kitchen, straightening the picture above the phone as she went. It was always squint that one. Couldn't seem to settle on its peg, as if it couldn't get comfy where it was.
She looked out of the kitchen window while she waited for the kettle. It reminded her of the day they first saw the house, how big that window had seemed then. Especially when the sun broke through the clouds, and the daffies in the windowbox burst into light. This early, the sun hadn't climbed high enough yet to shine into the back yard. Not that it looked remotely like being sunny. The sky boiled with black and purple clouds.
Mind, the daffies hadn't lasted. By the time they moved in, there was nothing left in the windowbox but shrivelled stalks and dead flowers. Probably bought specially, just to help sell the house. Window dressing, literally, and all the more disposable for it.
The kettle reached its climax and clicked off. 'Better make Lesley some,' she murmured to herself. 'Aye, time she was up anyway.' Another mug lined up alongside the other two, another teabag in. Jean fluffed them up with a hiss, each dancing its way to the top of its cup in turn. Steam had condensed on the window, a drop shaped breath mark, and she thought about wiping it off. No. It would dry fine on its own. It was sweltering in the kitchen. The steam from the kettle. That must be it. Must be what was making her feel so hot.
She did the necessary - milk and sugar, milk no sugar, milk and 'only half a spoon, I'm trying to watch my weight.' Though goodness only knew if that girl ever ate enough to make her worry about her weight. If it wasn't for the tea, she'd be off to school without anything inside her at all.
As she went to lift the tea, a draught caught the back of her neck, and she shuddered. It was so breath-like that she whirled around to see if Kevin was playing silly buggers, creeping up behind her to give her a fright again. But there was nobody else there.
She picked up the teas and hurried out.
Jean chapped on Lesley's door and stuck her head around. The radio alarm played softly, hissing a little.
'Lesley?'
'Mph.'
'Got a cup of tea for you, love.'
'Mph…'
'Are you going to sit up or do you want me to leave it on the floor?'
'M-hmph.'
Jean put the cup down, shoving a pile of revision out of the way. At least it looked like she was studying, although it was hard to tell. Any time she'd asked how it was going there'd been a row, or at the very least a slammed door. 'Mind and no fall ower your tea.'
'Mn-nmph.'
'Are you goin to your study class the day?'
'Aye, maybe.'
'When is it?'
'Mm… Nine o'clock. I think.'
'Do you want me to gie you a shout?'
'Mn-nmph.'
She half-closed the door, stuck her head back around. 'Mind, you've no got long. It's past seven, and Kevin'll be needin in the shower.'
'Aye, okay Mum. I'm movin!'
'Aye, well…'
Kevin had woken up enough to sit up and take his tea with a croaky 'Cheers'. Jean stopped in the doorway on her way back out and looked at him, half naked in the bed, slurping his tea. It wasn't often he made her feel old, but sometimes. The sleepy eyes, the wee boy hair. He caught her looking and winked. She stuck the fingers up at him, laughing her way childishly down the corridor, straightening the picture as she went.
She pulled her fags out of the pocket of her dressing gown and undid the bolt on the back door. The tea went on the window ledge, in beside the shrivelled remains of the daffies. It was maybe time they got binned, she thought as she looked at them, fishing the lighter out of her pocket. They were like something out of the Addams Family. The lighter didn't catch right, so she had to flick it twice. Then she giggled.
Dadadadum, flick flick. Dadadadum, flick flick. Jean cackled hard, half at herself for being so foolish. God help her if anyone was looking.
She was still laughing as she took the first drag. Her lungs rebelled, and she coughed until tears ran down her cheeks. The next drag made her dizzy, the combination of coughing and first-fag buzz going straight to her head. She leant against the wall and let the rest of her tab work its magic.
When she was done, she stubbed it out in the dead daffies, poured the cold dregs of tea away, and stepped back inside. She could hear the hum of the shower. Good. At least somebody had made a move.
Without thinking about it, she put her hand out to straighten the picture above the phone. The one that wouldn't sit still. The old black and white photo of the high street.
It was gone.
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