Page 13 of Kicks
His brother stood in the doorway with a toddler in his arms. As two siblings, Billy and Harry couldn’t have been more different. Harry’s muscles seemed to have their own muscle group. Billy had always been more on the lean side. Mainly thanks to an obsession with long-distance running at school.
Yet, their faces gave away the family resemblance. The toddler in Harry’s arms appeared to be taking it to the next generation.
It felt strange to see him here. Billy didn’t think Harry had set foot in the shop since their mother died.
Billy got up and walked to his brother. They shook hands.
“Hello, Lennox.”
The little one snuggled into his father’s neck.
“Bit shy,” Harry said.
He went to put Lennox down, who squealed and wrapped his legs around Harry’s torso.
“And the boss by the looks of things. Come through.”
“What about the shop?”
“It’ll be fine for a second. We’re only in here.”
Billy led them into the storeroom that doubled up as an office. Boxes of fudge with Brighton Pier on the front jostled for position with ones filled with pencil sharpeners, notebooks, T-shirts and basically any old crap that had the seaside town they lived in emblazoned on it.
Harry looked around.
“Shit. Nothing’s changed.”
The tone of his voice sent a shiver down Billy’s spine. If he’d come to criticise, this was going to be a very short meeting.
With great difficulty, Billy swallowed down the urge to respond and gestured. Harry sat in the old armchair. He settled Lennox in his lap.
“Can he have a sweetie?” Billy asked.
“Sure.”
Billy unwrapped a lolly and handed it to the little boy. Tentatively, he took it. Billy perched on a stool.
“That’s good?” Billy asked to the little boy who was silent.
Lennox nodded.
“Right then,” Harry said. “What’s the big emergency?”
This wasn’t going to be easy. Billy had been awake most of the night practicing his speech.
“This place is dying, Harry.”
“What do you mean?”
Billy sighed. “I had to let Jack go.”
Harry’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“I’ve been doing the books and it’s bad.”
Harry looked around. “What am I supposed to do about it?”
“Put some effort in? It’s not just mine, is it? There’s no way I can cover all his shifts.”
