The Amorous Jacket

 

 

Hugo had frequently to go down to the front office with papers for the girls to process.

     At twenty six, his hair was dark, with strong thick side burns and eyebrows; he gave off an energy that came, not from his sedentary legal work, but from his gym training and sports.

     His life was full of activity; karate, rugby and kayaking.  He had little time for girls.

     He plonked down a pile of legal papers on the front office desk - unaware of the appreciative smile from Maria Fiorini.

Ever since he had joined the firm some two weeks ago she had tried to get his attention, to no avail.

     The glass door closed behind Hugo as he turned to take the stairs past the coat rack.

A black outdoor jacket, an anorak, hung in such a way that the Velcro was turned out.

It gripped his woollen jersey as he went by.

His speed of movement freed him, just like you did when you were tackled on the rugby field.

     Each day as he delivered a subpoena, or a will, the jacket grabbed him as he sought the stairs.

At last after a week, he asked, to the whole front office,                       

     “Whose is the black jacket in the hall?”

There was a stunned silence,

     “The one at the end?” Asked Maria.

     “Yes,” said Hugo.

More silence.

Then Estella, a small mousy girl nearest the radiator, spoke up.

     “The one with the Velcro?”

     “Yes,” said Hugo.

     “That’s Noor’s.”

     “Is she here?”

Again the silence.

     “She’s off work at the moment,” said Maria.

Hugo went out but as he turned to go up the stairs the Velcro caught him again.

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: alastair macleod
Bildmaterialien: alastair macleod : "girl in jacket," purchased from Dreamstime royalty free photos
Lektorat: alastair macleod
Übersetzung: title typeset in effloresce
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 28.02.2013
ISBN: 978-3-7309-1329-1

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