Chapter 1: Peter Visits the Shop

The following day, Lewis was at the shop at five to ten. Mike arrived a few minutes later to open up, then they went through into the back room for five minutes. They had a long hug and kiss, then Mike said, “Well that was a lovely few days with Danny, thanks to you.” Lewis grinned at him, “I think you played a big part in it too,” he said laughing, “You could say a VERY big part,” he added. They both laughed, then went through and opened the shop.

A busy morning followed as was usual on a Saturday. Dead on quarter to twelve, Peter came in through the shop door. Lewis came over to him, then they waited whilst Mike finished serving a customer. When he finished, he came over to them and Lewis introduced them. Another customer came in, so Lewis went to serve him whilst Mike chatted to Peter. He explained he would only be a backup and actual working days could be few and far between. Peter assured him that he understood that perfectly, he just felt it would be good to have the possibility.

When Lewis came over, Mike told him, “You had better show Peter what he would have to do.” Lewis gave Peter a wink and led him over to his bit of the counter. Sitting Peter in his chair, he showed him how to check the returned videos and how to rewind them, none of which Peter had any difficulty with. As he did a test one, Lewis whispered in his ear, “He likes you, I’ll bet he invites you to stay for lunch.”

Half an hour later, Carol arrived unexpectedly. An unusual lull in customers enabled introductions all round, then Carol had a moan to Mike about having to work on her garden. Mike told her, “I don’t know why you don’t get a lad to do it for you.” “I can’t,” Carol told him, “I’m not usually home on a Saturday and I don’t know anyone I’d trust to work their whist I’m not home.” Lewis heard the conversation and dug Peter in the ribs, do you want a gardening job?” he whispered. “I don’t know anything about gardening,” Peter whispered back. “You can mow a lawn and weed, can’t you?” Lewis hissed. “Of course, I do that at home,” Peter replied.

Lewis went over to Carol, “If you want someone you can trust, I can vouch for Peter, I’ve known him for years. He’d love a Saturday job.” Carol hated gardening and her eyes lit up, “But isn’t he working here?” she asked. “He’s just training to relieve me if I’m off sick or away on holiday,” Lewis explained, so he wouldn’t be needed very often.” Carol took hold of Lewis’s arm and led him away from Peter’s earshot. “Are you sure he’s honest and trustworthy?” she asked in a whisper. “I’d have to give him a key to the house so he could use the kitchen and bathroom.” “Totally,” Lewis told her. “I wouldn’t have suggested him if I wasn’t absolutely sure.” “That’s good enough for me,” Carol told him, what time will he be through here?” “About two o’clock,” Lewis replied. Carol went over to Peter and asked him, “Do you want to come and do my Garden every Saturday?” Peter beamed at her, “I’d love to,” he said, when do you want me to start?” “Come and see me this afternoon after two,” Carol told him, “Mike will give you the address, it’s very close.”

As she was about to leave, she suddenly remembered why she had called in, “Mike,” she asked, there’s a coach trip a week tomorrow to the lake district, will you come with me?”

Mike had nothing arranged and he liked the Lakes, so he agreed right away. “Good,” Carol told him, “I’ll book the tickets.” Then with a wave to them all, off she went.

Peter looked a bit gob smacked, “Did I just get a Saturday job?” he asked Lewis. “You sure did,” Lewis told him, “All this time without one, now you’re getting two on the same day.”

He had no sooner finished speaking when Mike came over and asked Peter if he’d like to stay for lunch. Peter told him he’d love to so as it was ten to one, Mike told him to go to the chippy with Lewis. They returned just as Mike was seeing the last customer out, so they all went through to the back room to eat their lunches.

As they ate, Mike asked Lewis if Peter had picked everything up ok, to which he naturally replied, “Yes.” Mike turned to Peter and told him, “Ok, now If you’re going to work with me, I’d like to give you a fitness test to make sure you are fit and healthy.” Peter told him, “That’s fine with me.” “The problem is,” Mike told him, “I’m not qualified in medicine, so I’m not entitled to examine you, plus you are underage.” Peter said, “That’s still ok with me, I have no problem with it.”

“Ok,” Mike told him, “In that case I’ll pay you for doing it and rely on you to keep quiet about it, ok?” “Anything that earns me some money is fine with me,” Peter told him with a big grin. “What do you want me to do?” Mike smiled at him and said, “I’ll want to examine your joints, sound your chest, measure your heartbeat, check your stomach, in fact give you a thorough going over. I’ll pay you £5 for doing it as you are, an extra £5 if you strip to your waist so that I can do your heart and chest easier, plus another £5 if you strip to your shorts when I’m ready to do your spine and legs.” Peters’ eyes lit up, although he already knew it was likely, to actually be offered the cash was something else. “Wow,” he said, “Yes definitely.”

Mike smiled and told him, “Usually I would spread the test over a couple of days, but it might be ages before you’re needed, so I’ll make you another offer as well.” Peter looked even happier, so Mike continued, “To speed things up, I’ll throw in another £5 if you strip to your shorts at the beginning so we can sail through it, plus if you complete all the tests, you’re offered in the way you’re asked, I’ll give you another £5”.

“Does that mean I’ll get £25,” Peter asked, clearly delighted at the prospect. “Only if you do everything you’re asked to,” Mike reminded him, “But you should have no problem at least getting the £20.” “When do we start?” Peter asked, clearly eager to go. Mike smiled, “Finish your lunch first, then we’ll do it. Do you mind if Lewis sits in?”

Peter told him he didn’t mind at all, then they finished the rest of their lunch in silence. When they had done eating, Lewis collected the waste whilst Mike told Peter to get ready and sit in the chair. Peter started to strip off, then as Lewis returned from the bin, he took Peters clothes as he removed them, folding them and stacking them on the table. Peter was soon stripped to his shorts and sitting on the chair. Mike stood beside him and examined his head, looked into his eyes and mouth and checked his neck.

Then coming round in front, he took Peters left arm and moved it around whilst he felt his shoulder joint. Then he did the same with the other arm. Next Mike told him to stand up and put his hands behind his head. When he was in position, Mike told him to take a deep breath and hold it. Then Mike put his hand on his chest, then tapped the back of his hand with his other fingers. The echo could be heard by the three of them. Mike told him to breath out, then he went round behind him and told him to take a deep breath again.

Sounding his chest at the back produced the same sound. Lewis called out, “Nice clean lungs.” “Quite right,” Mike said, telling Peter to breath normally once more.

“Now lie on your back on the settee,” Mike said. He told Peter to just relax whilst his heartbeat slowed down, then after a while, Mike rested his fingers over Peter’s heart, counting the heartbeats. Then he told Peter to get up, do five press ups and then lie back on the settee. Peter struggled with the fifth press up, it not being something he ever did, but he managed. Lying back on the settee, gasping a bit, Mike measured his heartbeat again. It had been sixty per minute when he was relaxed beforehand, now it was eighty-five after his exercise and struggle.

Mike then examined his ribs from top to bottom, whilst he waited for Peter’s heartbeat to settle down. Measuring it again, it was down to sixty-eight. “That’s good,” Mike told him, “Your heart is healthy.” Now roll over onto your front,” Mike told him, “So I can examine your spine.” Peter turned over, then Mike put his fingertips on the back of his neck, feeling each vertebra as he worked his way down his back. Reaching his waist, Mike said, “Can you lift your hips up so I can pull your shorts down a little to get at the rest of your spine.” Peter lifted up and Mike pulled the shorts down about three inches all round and down to the bottom of his cheeks at the back. Mike finished off examining his spine, right to its very base in between Peter’s cheeks.

After that, Mike got hold of Peters left ankle and lifted it up, bending his knee. Then whilst he felt the back of the knee with one hand, he had Peter pull and push against his other hand which was still holding his ankle. Then he did exactly the same with his other leg.

Telling him to turn onto his back, Mike nodded to Lewis who came over. When Peter was flat on his back, Lewis told him to sit up. Then he took the cushion away, sat down and pulled Peter back down so his head was in his lap. Lewis smiled at him and massaged his head.

Mike told Peter he was going to check his stomach and abdomen now, so to just to relax whilst he pressed his fingers in. Starting just below his rib cage, Mike pressed gently working all the way down to the top of his shorts. As he approached the waistband, he noticed a slight movement in the middle of Peters shorts, immediately realising that his touch had made him start to erect. Lewis had spotted it too, along with a look of concern on Peter’s face. He tapped him om his head making him look up, “It’s ok,” Lewis whispered to him, “Don’t worry, just let it happen.” He smiled and nodded at him as he spoke.

Mike asked him to draw his knees up, which he did, then Mike did the same area, this time pressing in deeper. By now Peter knew he’d have to be blind not to have seen the bulge in his shorts that had doubled in size. Mike didn’t seem concerned, just kept pressing. Peter knew Lewis would see it and know how he was feeling, but he clearly wasn’t concerned, so he relaxed a bit.

Mike finished his pressing, then looked at Peter, smiled and told him, “You’re doing excellently, I’m going to check the rest of your abdomen in a moment, then I’ll get you to stand up and do some squats, then lie down again for a final check of your heartbeat.”

“Now,” he said, “To do the check on your abdomen I’ll need to put my hand inside the front of your shorts. Then when you do the squats, I’ll also have my hand in your shorts. So, to make it easier for both of us, the final five pounds I promised you, is to do the final bit without your shorts.”