Two for One

Two for One

The pale blue hatchback pulled up outside the terraced house. Gayle got out of the passenger side after making sure there was no traffic coming down the road, an excited expression on her face. Her long, black hair ruffled by the breeze and the collar of her grey coat turned up against the chill in the air, she opened the back door and started taking bags from the rear seat.
Sam climbed out of the driver's seat wearing black trousers and a wheat coloured polo-neck. She shook her head as she saw her friend's eagerness to unpack the shopping, a rye grin on her dark face. 'They're not going to run away, you know,' she commented as she opened the other back door and reached in for a couple of bags.
'I think I've been quite restrained today,' said Gayle.
'I don't think your credit cards would agree,' replied Sam as she took the last bag from the seat and then shut the door on her side. 'They're definitely feeling the strain.'
Gayle chuckled. 'They can take it,' she said as she walked round the back of the car to the pavement.
Sam raised her right eyebrow as Gayle walked up the short path to the front door. Gayle struggled to get her keys out of the front right pocket of her blue jeans, bulging bags making the manoeuvre awkward even though she'd had lots of practice.
Finally the front door was opened and they bustled into the short hallway, through the lounge, and into the kitchen at the rear of the house. The bags were put on the black and white chequered lino and Gayle smiled at Sam. 'Now for the boot.'
The two friends went back out to the hatchback and Sam opened the boot. It was packed with more shopping bags and they began to unload the results of yet another spending spree.
'That one's yours,' said Gayle, leaving a small, solitary bag in the car. 'I really don't know how you can resist buying more.'
'It's not hard,' replied Sam, 'especially when I haven't got any spare money.' She shut the boot and lifted the heavy bags, the handles digging into her hands.
'That's what credit cards are for,' responded Gayle as she paced towards the house, desperate to look through the things she'd bought.
Sam shook her head, black ringlets swaying slightly, and followed Gayle back into the house. Shutting the front door, she went through to the kitchen and gratefully placed the bags on the floor next to the ones they'd already taken in.
'Coffee?' asked Gayle, clicking on the white kettle before Sam had the chance to reply. She bent down and rifled through a couple of the bags before producing a lilac blouse and holding it up against herself. 'What do you think?' Gayle enquired as she stroked the soft cotton.
'It's nice,' replied Sam as she leant on the pale food preparation counter to her left and the kettle started to rumble as it neared boiling point.
'It's not just nice, it's gorgeous,' insisted Gayle as she turned to the large window above the sink and looked at her reflection, a large smile on her face as she continued to run the fingers of her left hand over the material. 'And it was two for one,' she added
The kettle clicked and steam rose from its spout as Gayle turned back to her friend. 'I tell you what, why don't you come with me on Friday?'
'Friday?' Sam looked at Gayle with a quizzical expression. 'What's happening on Friday?'
'I'm camping out on Bank Street. The department store's spring sale starts on Saturday morning and I want to be one of the first in for the bargains,' replied Gayle excitedly as she carefully laid the blouse over the extensive collection of shopping bags on the floor.
'You just can't resist an offer of any kind, can you?' frowned Sam.
'It'll be fun,' encouraged Gayle as she took a couple of brown mugs down from the shelves to her right.
Sam raised her right eyebrow again. 'That's not my idea of fun, I'm afraid.'
'Oh well, it's your loss,' said Gayle as she spooned coffee and sugar into both mugs.
'I don't take sugar,' Sam reminded her friend.
'Sorry, I was thinking about the sale.' Gayle turned to the porcelain sink and began to rinse out one of the mugs.
'Have you thought about what we discussed last week?' Sam's tone was serious, as was her expression. 'They don't charge much per meeting.'
Gayle looked at her friend and smiled weakly. 'I didn't think I needed too, after all, I didn't buy as much as usual today.'
Sam looked down at the bags strewn on the lino and then back at Gayle. 'There's a meeting of the local Shoppaholics Anonymous tonight and I really think you should give it a try.'
There was a moment's silence as Gayle turned her back on her friend and put another spoon of coffee in the rinsed mug, remembering not to add sugar this time.
'Just try it,' reiterated Sam, her voice softening. 'What harm can it do?'
Gayle poured the steaming water into the mugs and added milk from the white fridge to her left. 'Okay, I'll go tonight,' she said as she handed one of the mugs to Sam.
'Really?' asked Sam in mild surprise as she took the hot drink. 'You seemed adamant you'd never go when we spoke about it last week.'
'I was,' responded Gayle as she blew on the surface of her coffee and then took a tentative sip.
'So what changed your mind?' asked Sam curiously.
'They've got an offer on at the moment,' she replied with a large grin. 'It's two meetings for the price of one.'
The two friends looked at each other for a moment and then burst into fits of laughter.