The Summer of '93

Food, glorious food!

Michael and I walked up to Lothian Road. There was a Pizza Hut. We sat and caught up on new developments and I told him about all the work I had been doing.

"So how's Becky getting on?" I asked knowing full well he had a sensitive soft spot for her.

I had an ally in the development team that Michael headed. Becky and I had gone to University together. My friend at the time, Helena, affectionately referred to Becky as 'Becky the Bike', since she had 'stolen' Helena's lowlife of a boyfriend, Dean from her. He was a weasel of an immature boy held up in a 20 something body and reminded me of Kenny Everett (I loved Kenny), the way he chortled to himself and sprung around (probably avoiding Helena's backlash – she was heartbroken that she had been thwarted). I didn't really associate with Becky at University because our subjects were different so we never studied together. However I supported my friend by not getting to know her. Despite that we recognised each other as we were both recruited at the same time and had forged an alliance, since she was doing the development of our trading standards software and I was doing the training delivery. Our friendship was blossoming and I knew she was keen on Michael. Her face lit up when she talked about him. Becky was also tall. She had a long face like a horse and blue eyes. Her jawline was more accentuated by a wavy brown bob and I couldn't understand why she caught such interest from the male population at university. However she was thin. I think she was underweight and men always seem attracted to thin wirey girls. There was not an ounce of fat on her. Employment became her; gone were the casual jeans and her frame carried clothes well. When she talked she fluttered her eyelashes and was quite an animated speaker, smiley and giggly, but I always wondered if this was all a bit of a ruse.

I'd volunteered that I would find out the lay of the land with Michael, who was newly single and on a diet apparently. Not according to the pizza he packed away!

"Yeah, she's fine". He enthused. "She's working on the enquiry screen changes you've submitted and looking at the record locking issue." I made a note every time the trainees highlighted a fault, flaw, or database lock and relayed them back to Michael so we were in regular contact.

"So how are you finding single life?"

"Peaceful!" he exclaimed.

"Where you are you living now?" I asked.

"Well, I managed to find a really nice house to rent in Horsforth." he smiled and continued "It's spacious and it's close to a park so when the kids come to stay (and they can because it's a three bedroom house), it's just great."

"Well," I replied, "It will give them as much stability and continuity, knowing you have a second home. And how's the visitation arrangements working out?" I asked.

"Better" he replied, "but Karen is still quite hostile". He smirked. I could feel his relief at the diffusion of the situation, now he had left his dragon of a wife behind.

"It will get worse I would imagine when you meet someone else..." He caught my gaze and smiled. I could see he had been thinking about his new found freedom. "Interesting times!" I commented.

"Yes!" He responded. The Pizza Hut was empty – it was Tuesday and it was a cold winter evening. Staff were sparse on the ground and the pizza even less so.

Finally his pepperoni pizza arrived. I was just having a salad. The girl awkwardly carried the black heavy iron metal pizza tray and flung it onto the table. She lifted the pizza slice and recut the badly marked slices. After letting go of her burden she turned to us and said "Enjoy your meal!"

Michael said "Thank you – can we get two more Cokes?"

"Certainly" she mumbled and went off again. We were hungry. The hunger was enhanced by the cold walk and long days we had both been struggling through. Michael lifted a slice of pizza onto his plate and cut the cheesy strings holding it back to its source, like golden rope sutures.