Chapter 81

Several streets over was the supermarket. They’d got lots of second looks, but mainly because of one laughing woman, and the five snickering men surrounding her.

The way they were laughing and joking made the people watching them smile at their antics. At one point Al found herself over David’s shoulder squealing with shock; it was retribution for making a smartass comment about his taste in stage clothes. She asked for help from the others they just laughed and watched her swinging from side to side.

‘Well Teek the only one whose not thrown her over his shoulder is Hughie here.’ Richie slapped Hugh on the shoulder.

‘Give me a chance, you guys don’t let go of her long enough! But don’t worry I’ll get her.’ He grinned as Al flicked him the bird.

David finally called uncle as they hit the front doors of the supermarket, ‘Damn Teek she’s heavy for a lil bit!’ That earned him a sharp slap on his butt from Al, and he quickly put her down, rubbing the smarting cheek. ‘Hey that hurt!’ He pouted.

‘Good! I was getting motion sickness from your crappy gait!’ She squeaked as he lunged for her again. ‘You do CD and I’m not baking any more cookies for anyone!’ He came to a grinding halt as Richie grabbed one arm and Jon the other.

‘Sorry Davey can’t let you do it, we love her cookies.’ Jon tried to look serious, and nearly succeeded.

‘Me either bro! Can’t have no cookies, and shop brought just won’t do it any more.’ Richie slapped him hard on shoulder and nearly sent him flying.

While the three stooges carried on Ally, Tico and Hugh each grabbed a trolley. Al looked at the two men, ‘You can’t seriously think we’ll fill all three?’

‘Nah miel, those idiots gotta bring one each too, then we just might have enough to keep us going for a couple of days.’ Tico laughed as Al’s jaw nearly hit the pavement.

She shook her head and started into the store, noticing that the others did get a trolley each too. Well fuck, she wasn’t paying for their shit!

Ok, picture going shopping with five hyperactive children, all saying ‘can we have this, why not?’ and that’s nearly what she had to put up with, except these were grown bloody men!

At one point she looked behind her to see Dave, Rich and Jon lining up for a trolley race. Al’s face flamed, handed her half full trolley to Hugh and legged it back to the others, walking up to them she told them if they dared show her up they’d never have any cookies or any food cooked by her in the next month, dead arming each of them as she spoke low enough for it not to carry. Then she walked calmly back and retrieved her trolley. Fucking hell they were on the first bloody aisle and she wanted to kill them, it was going to take every ounce of her patience not to kill them, or send them out the store to cool off!

She loaded up with fresh fruit and veg, Tico and Hugh nearly filling Hugh’s trolley with just the produce, yup looong shopping trip! ‘Seriously, you think you’ll get through that much?’

Tico nodded yes, he’d put in all the fruits the kids were used to. They needed to shop for the kids tastes, but seeing as Jonny hadn’t told her, Teek figured he’d wing it and blame Rich and David, ‘The boys like to make smoothies a lot!’ He’d force them to drink some just so he wasn’t made out a liar! God help him when they started to fill up on nuggets, fries and other teenager friendly crap that Jon’s eldest love to graze on.

Al looked about, and realised why it had gone too damn quite, the stooges had disappeared, crap! They needed bloody harnesses on them, or a cattle prod might help! ‘Teek, where’d they go?’

‘I’d probably go for the alcohol section.’ He grinned at her eye roll and the way she walked off muttering dire threats to them and their anatomy in Spanish, damn he loved that!

They were in deed in the booze section of the store. Even though Richie wasn’t drinking, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t help to load the trolleys up. Two of the three were half full. Jon’s had all the wines in it and David’s the beer and other assorted goodies!

‘Bro I’ve got a question, how the fuck are we getting this all back to Ally’s?’ Richie asked. Six carts weren’t going to be enough!

‘Shit, I forgot we walked, hold on.’ Flipping his phone open he hit speed dial, ‘Hey there Mike, need some help, we’re in Sainsbury’s not far from Ally’s and we’re shopping, what, crap I forgot the kids! No, I haven’t told her yet! Shut up, look, stop laughing, we need help to get this stuff to Ally’s …… we walked asshole. Yes, walked! Look stop laughing and get one of the buses to come pick us up. No don’t come with, just get us help.’ Muttering he closed his phone.

‘So take it Mikey wondered if you’d told Ally yet.’ David chuckled, Jon flipped him off and started to the next aisle for the coke etc the kids would need. Crap, he really needed to tell her!