Chapter 6

Grace thought some more about the cinema trip when she got home. It had been a sweet offer by Terry. She had liked him from the outset when he came for her help during the flu epidemic. The driver training, particularly the chats on the way to and fro from the old airfield, had increased that. The initial shyness had evaporated and they had been at ease with each other. At the same time Terry had never shown any familiarity. This invitation had come as a complete surprise but she thought that she had responded reasonably. All the same, right at the beginning he had said he was steering clear of girlfriends because of their impact on his saving for his degree course.

A thought occurred to her. She could go early to the cinema and get tickets for both of them. She then wondered whether that would offend his pride or that he would think she was being forward. She mulled that over for some while as she cooked herself supper. In the end she decided it would not. He was too level headed.

After supper she looked in the local paper and found that the film started at five. If she got there at half past four that should be quite early enough to buy the tickets before Terry arrived.

Her plan worked but only just. Terry arrived within half a minute of her having bought the tickets.

“Hi,” he said with a huge smile. “What a pleasant surprise! Are you on your own?”

Grace grinned and nodded.

“Would you care to join me?”

“Thank you, Terry, I’d love to.”

“Great! I’ll go and get the tickets.”

Grace held them up. “Beat you to it,” she smiled.

“Two?”

“Yes.”

Terry looked at her and then said quietly, “I thought I was getting the tickets.”

Grace nodded. “I-I was worried about your savings,” she said softly.

“You shouldn’t have. I’d never have offered or asked you to come if I had been.”

“I realised that but, Terry, you are saving for such a worthwhile and important reason I didn’t want to put even the smallest dent in it even if I risked denting your pride a little.”

Terry looked at her and his eyes softened. “Thank you,” he almost whispered. “I thought you were pretty special and now I know ... very special. Shall we go in?”

She nodded and they moved off to the auditorium and found some seats. The trailers and advertisements were showing.

“Now we’re away from work would it be all right if I dropped the ‘Miss’ and just called you Grace?”

“You bet.”

“Thank you ... Grace.”

They relapsed into a slightly shy silence which was broken by Grace.

“Terry, have you set ideas where we should go for our pizzas?”

“Not really. The Pizza Hut’s not far away.”

“Have you ever been to Riccardo?”

“No.”

“I’ve been there a couple of times and was impressed. It’s Italian and their pizzas are entirely home-made. Would you like to give it a try? I think you’d like it.”

“Is it very expensive?”

“Not really but still my treat.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very! I suggested it so I pay.”

“Why don’t we go halves?”

She put her hand gently on his arm. “You showed the initiative for this evening, Terry, and my thoughts on dents still stand.”

“Thanks!”

They fell silent again and Grace took her hand away at which moment the main film started. They were silent throughout.

At the end the silence persisted until they were back in the foyer when Grace turned to Terry and smiled up at him.

“I really enjoyed that,” she said. “Thank you very much for asking me to join you.”

“My pleasure,” he smiled back. “Now, how far away is Riccardo? Do we need to take one of the cars?”

She shook her head. “Couple of hundred yards and there’s nowhere to park between here and there.”

“Oh, OK. How did you find it in the first place?”

“On the internet and then a thorough study of the map.”

Terry chuckled. “We won’t get mugged, will we?”

“Na-a-ah! Big strong chap like you? They’ll run away.”

They both laughed.

There was no queuing when they arrived and they were shown straight to a table for two in a back corner. Terry looked round.

“Nice,” he said. “Soft lights and no intrusive music. Thanks for bringing me here, Grace.”

She smiled. “I thought you’d probably like it.”

The owner appeared with a pair of menus. “Good evening, signorita Grace. Is good to see you again. This is your boyfriend?”

“No, Riccardo. Just a friend who happens to be male. His name’s Terry.”

Riccardo smiled at him and then handed them both menus. Grace did not even bother to open hers.

“What is your mama’s special tonight?”

Riccardo smiled again. “Capricciosa. That is mozzarella cheese, Italian baked ham, mushroom, artichoke and tomato.”

“Sounds good to me. What do you think, Terry?”

“Same here, please.”

Riccardo inclined his head. “Vino tinto, signorita?”

Grace nodded vigorously.

“And you, signor Terry?”

“A glass of lager?”

“Sure.”

He collected the menus and left them.

“He seems a nice guy,” said Terry, “or is it just you?”

Grace smiled shyly. “I’ve only been here on my own before and he and his mama took me under their wing the first time when I’d only been in the area a week. He shoos away the Romeos.”

Terry laughed. “I bet there were lots.”

Grace looked down shyly. “Not really. Riccardo made it pretty clear I was to be left alone.”

“Did any of them accost you when you left?”

She shook her head. “Riccardo accompanied me back to my car.”

“Wow! That’s pretty special treatment.”

“Yes but his mama was very firm with him. I’m sure she’ll come and see us later on.”

“No wonder you wanted to come here.”

Grace nodded. “I like them very much.”

“I can understand that.” He paused then smiled teasingly. “Since I am just a friend who happens to be male have you got a boy friend?”

“Yes. A rather distant one.”

“Distant?”

“He’s in the army and in his present job is all over the place. He’s half way through a four month stint in Poland at the moment.”

“Poland? What on earth’s he doing there?”

“Preparing for a major NATO reinforcement exercise.”

“Is he just? Then what?”