The M1 McDonalds Girl and the Most Suitable Bloke (6/7) By Andy Bilton

(1/7), (2/7), (3/7), (4/7), (5/7), (6/7), (7/7),

"Excuse me, but do you realise you're sitting in a no smoking area?" says a voice from behind me. Natasha looks up, over my shoulder and I turn around and there stands Stacey three stars with her hands on her hips. I turn back and look at Natasha, a puzzled expression on my face and notice she wears the same befuddled countenance. We both look around the place at all the empty seats, no one else in the restaurant but me, Natasha and they who wear the stars, and when we look back at each other we burst out laughing. Stacey tuts and walks off whilst we carry on laughing, really laughing like fuck.

Natasha is laughing so much she starts to cry and this only adds to her outstanding beauty as I notice that her mascara doesn't run because she isn't wearing any, isn't wearing any make up at all and yet her skin is so perfect, so natural, so raw.

"Want a lift to Leeds?" I say, just like that and she stops laughing and for an instant I wonder if I've come on too strong, suddenly gone from being suitable to being unsuitable in a sentence, a question, a proposition but then she says, "I thought you were heading back to Hull?" I hurriedly reply, "I know, but a sixty mile detour won't kill me and you might be waiting through the night for another suitable person to come along. And besides which, I'd hate to think of you having to spend any more time than is absolutely necessary in the company of our mutual friend Stacey."

She laughs, wiping a tear from under her eye. "Well if you're sure you don't mind," she says adding, "don't you have to be home for someone?" "No there's no one waiting for me." I say, leaning in towards her, getting in to her, settling down with her. Suddenly the polyphonic sound of the William Tell Overture berates me loudly from the pocket of my fleece and I start and unzip my pocket and pull out the phone and instinctively press the answer call button and get :

"Where the bloody hell are you? You do realise the time?" she continues not waiting for an answer to her first question, "You know we've to be at Humberside Airport in two hours and my mam and dad are here waiting to take us, my dad's got the cases in the car already. When I rang you an hour ago you said you were nearly at Sheffield and that you'd ring me the minute you got off the motorway. I mean where are you Paul? Paul?" I don't answer. Can't answer because a group of people have just walked in to the McDonalds; two guys and two girls and one of the girls has spotted Natasha and instantly I know that she knows her, it is obvious from the look of recognition in her eyes and also by the clothes that she wears that are so similar to those that Natasha is wearing, and the rainbow coloured beads that adorn her hair.

Oh yes, this girl knows Natasha all right, and more than this, she is going to take her away from me. As quickly as she has come she will be gone. I think of just hanging up the phone and taking Natasha by the hand and running out of the restaurant with her, past her friend and away with her and I know she will not resist for I am suitable and she is beautiful and it is meant to be. But then the girl calls to Natasha who smiles and waves and then I catch the voice on the phone again and she's rambling on about who the fuck knows what and who the fuck cares what and as that crushing, defeating heaviness descends upon me again I have to bite my bottom lip to stop myself from crying and I press the terminate call button and then switch the phone off altogether.

Continued...Next Page (7/7)

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