Do it just for me..

"Go on," Frank whispered, his breath hot on Nicky's ear. "You said
you would today."

"Yes.." Nicky hesitated and fell silent.

"Do it just for me."

"Yes." The reply was barely audible.

"We talked about it for long enough!" Frank grumbled. In his
none-too-humble opinion, they'd talked about it for far too long and he
was beginning to wonder whether Nicky was going to come up trumps after
all.

"I know that'" Nicky whispered. "But, well, it feels sort of different
now. It doesn't seem right somehow." She turned her back on the
glittering display and plunged into the throng of gawping shoppers.
Pushing her way out onto the pavement, she waited for her insistent
fiance to catch up.

"God," Frank snorted derisively as he strolled out to join her.

"I want a ring, Frank. You promised."

"You'll get one. Two, and good ones. Nothing but the best for my girl.
That's if you.. you know. I mean, you've got to do something for me,
right?"

Tugging a near-empty pack of cigarettes from his pocket, he lit up
without offering Nicky one.

"Thanks!" Nicky mumbled, but the subdued irony in her tone was lost on
her companion. "Look, this isn't easy for me."

"Get away," Frank scoffed, making no attempt to conceal his frustration
and disappointment. "It's easy enough."

"It's easier for blokes," Nicky sniffed. "Well known fact,
right?"

"I dunno why you think that," Frank shrugged.

"You done it before, I know that. Tracey told me."

"I been doin' it for years, girl"

"I don't want to know all the details, thanks," Nicky retorted as a
sudden flash of righteous anger illuminated her thin features. Frank,
regretting his crass admission, turned back to change tack and slip a
reassuring hand round her shoulders.

"No, it was stupid talking like that. You're special to me, you know
that. Forgive me?" Frank flashed the toothy Jack-the-lad grin that
seldom failed to enchant his less experienced fiance. "Here."

Taking a precious cigarette from his packet, Frank lit it with
surprising delicacy before passing it across.

"Thanks." When Frank treated her well - which was most of the time -
Nicky swelled with an inner glow of pride and satisfaction. All the
girls on the Mandela Estate had fancied Frank, hadn't they? At school
he'd been the number one cool guy, three classes above her, the one the
teachers didn't mess with if they had any sense. In part, that was down
to the fact that his family were well known locally; well respected in
the tight ranks of the criminal fraternity. A family who could turn
their hands to most category of crime and get away with it, that was
the commonly-held view.

Nobody crossed the Purdys, not if they valued their kneecaps: a slight
- real or imaginary - on one was considered a deadly insult to all, and
as such it never went unavenged. If the Purdy family took against
someone, the unlucky victim would be well advised to disappear. One way
or the other, several local chancers already had. Nicky's own
bewildered father had tried everything to prevent the blossoming
relationship from going too far (short of the risky option of speaking
out in public) but his wilful daughter had known better.

Nicky knew that she'd done well to attract young Frank's attention, but
she was fully aware that there would be a price to pay sooner or later:
such illustrious company didn't come cheap. There had never been any
attempt to conceal the fact that the Purdy women - a robust, clannish
breed - were only accepted into the trusted inner circle if they obeyed
without question and kept their mouths shut afterwards.

"Bernie didn't have no problems like this," Frank began in a clumsy
attempt to bring his reluctant companion into line, though it wasn't
necessarily the most persuasive approach. "Tracey never argued, did
she? She's a good girl, she did what she was told."

"You mean Tracey.."

"Sure," Frank laughed aloud. "Straight away. Why not?"

"You talk about things like that with your brother?"

"Yeah! We always been close, Bernie and me. It ain't no big deal."
Nicky didn't agree: in her immature yet firmly-entrenched opinion, this
was something best kept totally private.

"Let's go," Nicky whispered. "All these people, I keep thinking they're
looking at me."

"They are," Frank chuckled. "Fancy you, don't they? Like I do. You're a
very pretty girl, Nicky."

"Do you think so? Really?"

"'Course I do!"

"You don't often tell me," Nicky complained shyly, running her
fingertips down Frank's collar. "Not often enough."

"I will when we're hitched, won't I? I want that as much as you do.
Church 'an all. Me mom won't settle for anything less than the full
works for us."

"Oh, Frank," Nicky whispered, throwing her arms round his neck and
pulling him down to her level. How could she deny him when he promised
her this life together? It wouldn't matter.. despite her inexperience,
it was something she'd get used to sooner or later, and it might as
well be sooner if it meant so much to him.

"I'm not asking you to do nothing with anybody watching, am I?" Frank
explained. "What you think I am, some sort of nutter?"

"Of course not.. let's do it now," Nicky said firmly as Frank clutched
her even closer.

"You've got to be certain," Frank explained in an unexpected burst of
consideration. "I don't want you going round afterwards saying I forced
you. I ain't never done that."

"Of course not!" Nicky whispered breathlessly. "I wouldn't feel like
this about you if you were the sort of bloke who could.. you
know."

"I know, girl." Frank pulled her close, out of sight, into the deserted
passage behind the shops. Alone at last, they kissed greedily and Frank
moved closer to press himself against her.

"Here?" Nicky asked as Frank buried his face in her neck.

"Back here," Frank nodded. "It shouldn't take you much more than five
minutes. Go on, then.. what are you waiting for?"

"You okay?" Frank asked, grinding his recently-lit cigarette underfoot
as Nicky flicked her own away and strolled down the passageway towards
him.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Nicky looked up shyly. She was still
excited, breathing heavily, but exhilarated at how easy, how natural,
it had all seemed.

"I knew you'd be all right," Frank said, kissing her cheek.

"I think you were a bit worried at first," Nicky whispered. "It took
longer than I thought it would. I mean, it was my first time."

"Don't matter, does it? Nobody ever comes down here to disturb us. Go
on, then, show me."

"There." Nicky proudly produced the expensive watch, with its price tag
still attached, from her inside pocket. "Dead easy. I did it just like
you showed me and the silly old bugger behind the counter never saw a
thing. I did it just for you."