Page 9 of Forever, Maybe
Daniel’s step faltered, but the red light gave him a temporary reprieve. They crossed the streets that led to Woodlands Road in silence, the hum of engines momentarily subdued as traffic came to a halt. On the other side, Joe picked up where he’d left off.
“Ah’ve got a bit of money saved up. And there’s Nicky’s inheritance.”
Daniel nodded. Nicky’s mum had died last year, leaving her only child the car, her savings, jewellery and the former council house she’d bought in the ’90s. Thanks to Glasgow’s property boom in the early noughties, it was now worth a small fortune.
“Six months is an awfy long time,” Daniel said carefully, glancing sideways at Joe. “Especially wi’ Christmas smack bang in the middle.”
Joe stopped abruptly, turning to face him. His expression was sharp, almost accusatory. “C’mon, pal. When the first three were born, I only took a few days off. And you ken fine I’ve missed more holidays than I care tae count. Nell’s no’ the only yin who bitches about being married to a workaholic. Liza could take over my job while I’m off.”
“But she wouldn’t—” Daniel forced a smile, reluctant to spark an argument. “Ach, why not?”
They walked on in silence, but Daniel couldn’t shake the growing knot of trepidation pounding against his skull. Six months without Joe. Even with Liza stepping in, the thought made his pulse quicken, and not in a positive way.
But what could he possibly say? Joe had worked his socks off forStuffed!. It was fair enough. He did love children, and he seemed to revel in the chaos of his and Nicky’s household.
Christ, I’m jealous…
Whoa. The emotion intensified the more he prodded it. The image of a tiny, red-faced baby squirming in his arms loomed before him, and his eyes prickled with unexpected tears.
They carried on along Woodlands Road, passing the Sainsbury’s garage on one side and the steep turn leading up to Park Gardens. There, grand Victorian townhouses perched above Kelvingrove Park, their elegant facades surveying the greenery below. Just two months ago, one of the flats had changed hands for a staggering £800,000—a reminder of the neighbourhood’s quiet exclusivity.
By the time he and Joe reached the Hyndland shop on Clarence Street, he’d pulled himself together. A red-and-black tarpaulin stretched across the window, while a blackboard outside made its case to passing customers:Life’s too short for boring sandwiches. Come in and grab a great one.
Inside, he conducted a quick inventory. As usual, the shop was clean and inviting. Signs on the walls advertised weekly deals and offers, and a handful of customers browsed the shelves.
The air was rich with the aromas of olives, pickled peppers, a whole Brie, fresh salads,Stuffed!'sown recipe hummus and an array of sliced meats. Anyone entering the shop with even a hint of hunger would find their appetite sharpened, their senses tantalised by the visual and olfactory feast laid out before them.
Liza, the shop’s manager, emerged in her wheelchair from behind the counter. Her face lit up as she grinned at the two of them. She was what you got if you typed ‘Glaswegian lassie’ into a computer and asked it to generate something. Thick, curly red hair and blue-green eyes matched an accent that most visitors to the city struggled with and a right hook that made any guy she dated envious.
“Alright, gaffer? Joe? Can I get youse summat tae eat?”
Daniel shook his head, but Joe nodded enthusiastically, rattling off an order for a wrap smeared with jalapeño hummus and stuffed with pickled carrots and roast chicken.
Liza, well used to Joe’s perpetual hunger and eccentric food choices, merely raised an eyebrow before assembling the wrap. She handed it over without a word, watching as Joe tore into it like a man starved.
Daniel waited until Joe was halfway through chewing. “Joe and I have some news for you,” he said, keeping his tone casual. “A couple of things, actually. We’re thinking about taking the business in a new direction… and Joe here’s planning a wee sabbatical.”
Liza’s eyebrows shot up, her mouth falling open in exaggerated disbelief. Joe was practically a fixture ofStuffed!, known and loved by every staff member. Unlike Daniel, he didn’t have a short fuse, and his approachable nature had made him a favourite among the team.
“What do you think about a wee step up for a few months?” Daniel asked.
Liza’s shock evaporated instantly, replaced by a broad grin. “Absolutely, gaffer! Tell me everything!”
He laid out the plan. Joe took his six months off, and Liza did his job. It would mean working in the city centre office, which had a lift and was therefore accessible, and a lot of tedious managerial work, but it would also mean a pay rise.
The old-fashioned bell above the door rang as a teenage boy entered the shop. Dressed in jeans that hung so low on his hips the top of his boxer shorts were visible and a faded blue sweatshirt, he shuffled to and fro. His attention seemed focused on Daniel rather than the tempting arrays around him.
“Can I help you?” Daniel asked, the instinctive patter of his shop days kicking in. “We’ve got a meal deal. A wrap, a can o’ ginger and a packet of crisps for three quid.”
The boy shook his head, but Daniel took a moment to study him. The widow’s peak in his dark hair, sharp cheekbones and slightly too-close-together eyes gave him a striking, almost fox-like appearance. His teeth, large and blindingly white, hinted at more than a few trips to the orthodontist. Something about them tugged at a memory… but whatever it was faded as quickly as it came.
“Are you… are you Daniel Murray?” the boy blurted out, his voice breaking the momentary silence.
“Aye. Who’s asking?”
“Naebody!”
And with that, he was gone, dashing out of the shop so fast that the door slammed behind him, rattling the tins on the shelves nearby.
