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An Excerpt from ‘PAPER ROUND’

‘Almost time to go folks.‘

Folks, where did he get that from? The Goons? Spike Milligan?

‘What about a nice slow smooch to finish off. Never mind the last waltz, let’s smooch. Take your partners for…’

He made the start sign just as he saw Alison whispering to Gillian.

‘A certain smile…’ he could hear himself echo-ing around the slowly quieting room…’A certain face…’ he resisted the urge to look over towards the anteroom…’Can lead an unsuspecting heart on a merry chase…’ part him, part Johnny Mathis…’A fleeting glance…’ the sax deep and mellow behind him, the tss,tss tss, on the cymbal, the insistent thrum of Georgie’s guitar…’Can say so many lovely things…’ the couples turning slowly, heads on shoulders, adrift in a dream…’Suddenly you know why my heart sings.‘

If he shut his eyes, he could be there on the floor, moving gently on the slow tide of music with Gillian in his arms, but he drifted into the song instead, listening to the sense of the lyrics and putting all the emphasis he could imbue them with so that they meant something to the listener, or someone listening for the message in it all.

‘But in the hush of night, exactly like a bitter-sweet refrain, comes-that-certain-smile, to haunt your heart, a-gain.‘

There was silence for long seconds, and then the lights came on bringing a very rude awakening as the couples broke apart in embarrassed, but dreamy splinters.

Then they clapped and a few cheered loudly, until the boom-grating voice of the doorman began his parade-ground bullying. There was no way he was going to allow a bunch of kids to enjoy themselves without he did his best to take the edge off it.

‘Leave those balloons alone,’ he warned, which was immediately accompanied by a series of sharp explosions and shrill squeals.