Daniel saw Queenie out. ‘Who is he then, this bloke?’

‘Nobody you’d know.’

‘If he’s worth knowing I will.’

‘My love life has nothing to do with you, Daniel.’

Daniel grabbed Queenie’s arm and teasingly stared her in the eyes. ‘I still care about you, ya know.’

Queenie snatched her arm away. ‘Go back inside to your wife and child. They’re your responsibility, not me.’

CHAPTER NINE

Queenie went back to work on the Monday with a spring in her step. She’d thought a lot about Albie over the weekend, but had thought even more about Daniel. It broke her heart to see him play happy families with a woman he clearly didn’t love, but it was definitely time to move on.

Her mum had warned her not to get too carried away. ‘You barely know anything about the man, love. Wait and see if he asks you out on a date first. I rushed into things with your father and look where that got me.’

Doreen was very sheepish on her arrival. ‘Whatever did I do and say? It’s all a bit blurry. I wish you’d stopped me drinking gin.’

‘I tried to,’ laughed Eliza.

‘You weren’t that bad, mate, honest,’ Queenie lied. ‘Albie and his mates liked you, they thought you were funny, didn’t they, Eliza?’

Eliza nodded.

‘Do you remember Albie inviting us to go back there next Friday to watch him sing?’ asked Queenie.

‘Yes. But I’m not going. I feel far too embarrassed.’

Queenie’s heart sank. Apart from Daniel, she’d thought of nothing else but seeing Albie again. ‘Oh don’t be so daft, Dor. Half the bloody pub were paralytic. It was New Year’s Eve, for Christ’s sake.’

‘Why you so keen to go back there? You got your eye on someone an’ all?’

Feeling herself blush, Queenie gabbled her words. ‘There were lots of handsome men and I had such a great time, I just want to go there again. Never going to meet a man if I don’t go out, am I?’

Doreen raised her eyebrows. ‘I’ve been telling you that for ages.’

Over the next month, unbeknown to Doreen, Queenie made up with Aggie Brown, her next-door neighbour. The reason being, she needed someone to drag up the Beehive on a Friday night. A plain girl with freckles and a nose slightly too big for her face, Aggie had developed an enormous crush on Terry, the lad in the cap and braces who’d asked Queenie out on New Year’s Eve.

Queenie found out a bit more about Albie. He was twenty-four and even though he was always surrounded by females, he didn’t seem to be courting anyone in particular. He definitely liked blondes though. Queenie would study him to see who he was singing to or eyeing up. He always spoke to herself and Aggie. Albie was a very polite and an extremely popular chap. Queenie could not help but feel frustrated though. She was getting nowhere fast.

Because she worked Saturdays, Tuesday was Queenie’s day off and when she arrived at work on the Wednesday, she was in for an unwelcome surprise.