‘Excuse me?’ They were having to speak in raised voices to be heard over the sound of the jazz.
He smiled pleasantly. ‘I’m Howard Quaintance…Now you’re supposed to tell me your name.’
‘Sorry. Maxine Kite…How do you do?’ She felt that, for the sake of good manners, him being so polite, she ought to offer to shake his hand.
He stood there holding a glass, his other hand in his pocket, casual, unassuming. ‘Delighted to meet you…er…Miss?…Kite.’
‘Miss, yes,’ she affirmed strenuously, amused by his unsubtle way of checking her marital status. ‘Call me Maxine. I’m quite happy to dispense with formality.’
He took a swig of beer. ‘Well, Maxine, what is such an attractive girl doing, standing all on her own in a den of inequity like this?’
‘Actually, I’m with one of the band.’
‘You don’t say? Might I ask which one?’
‘The trombonist.’
‘You don’t say…’ Maxine thought he sounded inordinately surprised. ‘A good musician. Not bad band, either, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Not bad,’ she concurred unconvincingly. ‘Between you and me, though, I’m not so sure about the pianist.’
‘Interesting you should say that,’ he remarked, focusing on the piano player.
‘I’ve been watching him and listening. If only he would syncopate they would really swing.’
‘Mmm…Interesting you should say that.’ He took a thoughtful slurp from his pint. ‘It doesn’t surprise me, though. I’m certainly no musician, but what you say doesn’t surprise me at all. You’re not a musician, are you, by any chance?’
‘I am a pianist,’ she confessed, to justify her comments. ‘But I play cello in the CBO.’
‘The CBO? Hey! You’re a classical musician. That explains your being hauled here by Brent.’
‘You know Brent?’
‘Nodding terms only, I’m afraid. Friend of a friend. Look, can I get you a drink?’
She looked at the barely touched glass of beer with distaste. ‘Would you mind?’ she replied. ‘This beer is too awful. I’d love a glass of lemonade…If it’s no trouble?’
‘Absolutely no trouble at all.’ He quaffed what remained of his pint and turned for the bar.
Great! She had a friend to talk to while Brent was busy. And he was easy to talk to. He seemed nice. She smiled cheerfully, uplifted now. It was pleasant to make new friends. What had he said his name was?…Howard? Yes. Howard Quaintance. Difficult to forget a name like that. In no time he returned and handed her the glass of lemonade. She took a mouthful eagerly to destroy the lingering, bitter taste of the beer.
‘So, how come you and Brent are on nodding terms?’ she asked.
‘Through one of the other members of the band, actually.’
Maxine felt herself go hot. Of course, this Howard was going to tell her it was the piano player, she could feel it coming with the certainty of an express train hurtling down a track to which she was tied and unable to escape. She put her hand over her eyes, and cringed.
‘Don’t tell me it’s the pianist, Howard. Please don’t tell me it’s the pianist!’
He guffawed aloud, his eyes sparkling behind his spectacles with unconcealed delight at Maxine’s gaff. ‘Oh, I’m afraid it is.’
‘Oh, God!’ She wanted the ground at her feet to open up and consume her. ‘Me and my big mouth.’
Still howling with laughter, he touched her forearm and she felt his hand, warm, reassuring as he squeezed it.
‘Don’t concern yourself, Maxine,’ he said gently. ‘Old Randolf would be the first to admit he’s no jazz musician. Actually, he’s a church organist, you know. Jolly good he is too, as choirmaster, at playing Wesley and Stainer. Does an intoxicating “All things bright and beautiful”. Took this on as a challenge. For a hoot. A tad out of his depth I think.’
She breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank God for that. I’ve gone all hot.’ Then she chuckled at her faux pas. ‘Maybe I’m too honest.’
‘Never ever say that, Maxine. Make thine honesty a vice…Shakespeare…Othello, you know.’
She shrieked with laughter. ‘Really? Shouldn’t I make it a virtue?’
He laughed with her at his own gaff.
‘So what do you do for a living, Howard, that makes you quote Shakespeare out of context? Are you an English teacher, by any chance?’
He chortled again and took a mouthful of beer, all the time looking straight into her eyes. She held the glance and recognised an untainted, well-brought-up look.
‘I’d rather not say. I don’t want to sound presumptuous, Maxine, but I rather like you and if I tell you what I do for a living you might not wish to be as affable as you are.’
‘Affable, am I?’
‘Definitely. I find you easy to talk to and hugely amusing. I also find you very direct. I like that. It’s refreshing in a girl…’ He hesitated. ‘On the other hand, we may never meet again, so there’d be no harm in telling you anyway. But, I won’t.’
She laughed at his indecision or his teasing; she wasn’t sure which it was. ‘God! You’re infuriating. Why won’t you tell me what you do?’
‘It’s of no consequence – really…But hey, I am thirsty.’ He took a long quaff from his beer, finishing it off.
‘Well, you’re drinking that rather quickly,’ she commented.
‘Good God! You’re not in the Band of Hope, are you?’
‘Certainly not. More like the band of no hope, me.’ Her tone, she was aware, must have sounded melancholy.
‘How can you possibly say that?’ he asked. ‘With all the musical talent you must possess?’
‘I wasn’t thinking about musical talent particularly.’
‘Oh? What, then?’
It was her turn to shrug, unsure as to how much she should tell him. ‘Oh…Men. I find men are a pain in the neck…Oh, I don’t mean you, Howard – I don’t know you – but some at any rate. I mean it’s either all or nothing with them. At least that’s my experience – which is a bit limited, I hasten to add – just in case I’ve given you the wrong impression.’
‘Is that an engagement ring you’re wearing, Maxine? You must have captured somebody’s heart. But that’s hardly surprising.’
She brought her hand up so he could inspect the ring in the dimness. He took off his glasses to better see close to and slipped them into the top pocket of his jacket.
‘Very impressive,’ he remarked.
‘But it’s not an engagement ring, Howard.’
‘No? Well that’s a blessing.’
She explained in some detail about her relationship with Stephen. How he wanted more than she was prepared to give, how she did not enjoy his caresses, even though she liked him as a person; how he’d tried to trap her into saying she would marry him. She was surprised at the consummate ease with which she was pouring out her doubts and fears to Howard, as if they’d been bosom pals always.
‘But