It had been a couple of week since Kevin and Paula had invited Delia Fairfax-Preston back to Kevin's flat for a threesome but in spite of Delia's promise to keep in touch, she had not done so. Paula had tried ringing on a couple of occasions but had only succeeded in getting the answerphone. She didn't leave a message in case Delia's husband Clive intercepted it, although she somehow didn't think that Delia would divulge to him what she had been up to!
It was the Saturday afternoon of the late Spring Bank Holiday when Paula and Kevin instigated their next threesome. Paula had now moved in full time with Kevin and they had been out to lunch together. They got back to the flat about half past two and Paula was at the lounge window overlooking the main street. The sky had darkened considerably and a steady drizzle now fell. The people on the street below were scurrying backwards and forwards, keen to get to shelter as soon as possible. She was looking out towards the phone box in the street where she and her friend had been contacted many months earlier and where they had encountered Delia a few weeks before. A young lady about the same age as herself stood in the shop doorway nearby. She had short, fair hair and wore a blue anorak over a floral skirt. Paula called Kevin over and pointed her out to him.
"How do you fancy a little fun this afternoon?" she said. "I bet she'd like to be in the dry somewhere, instead of out in the rain."
Kevin looked across to where she was pointing.
"I suppose we could," he said. "I've been thinking though, maybe we ought to use another phone box number if we're going to do this thing regularly. You never know if anyone notices these things. Perhaps I'll have to get the number for the one at the other end of the street and use them in turn."
"Yes, you could do," said Paula. "There's one outside the toyshop we could use. There's a bus stop near that too so there should be quite a few people about nearby. Anyway, what are we going to do about this young lady?"
The young lady in question was still there. She had pulled her hood up over her hair and was standing in the doorway of the Co-op department store. Kevin opened the drawer of the telephone desk and took out the old cigarette box with the number written on it. He dialled it carefully and the pair of them watched to see what would happen. The young girl ignored it for a moment or two, as did everyone else in the area. They were either in a hurry to get out of the rain or were stood packed together in one of the nearby bus shelters. Kevin stood with the receiver in his hand watching, listening to the ringing tone on the other end, until the young girl made a move towards it.
What happened next came as a bit of a surprise to both Kevin and Paula. A passing bus momentarily pulled up in traffic in the middle of the road, temporarily obscuring their view. Just after it stopped, the phone was answered and a female voice spoke.
"Hello," it said.
"Oh, hello," said Kevin. "Is that you Sarah?"
"No, sorry," said the voice. "I think you may have the wrong number. This number is a phone box outside the Co-op!"
Kevin was about to launch into his usual banter of surprised indignation when he noticed the bus move away. The young lady who was his intended target was now back on the doorstep of the shop again, this time with a man who looked old enough to be her father. Almost immediately, they began walking down the street past where Kevin and Paula were standing. Kevin looked a little surprised but managed to regain his composure with his mystery respondent.
"Sorry?" he said, acting all surprised as usual. "Did you say a phone box? I don't understand. I was given this number to ring for a friend of mine. She's just moved up to this area from London and this is the number I have been given."
"Are you sure you dialled correctly?" asked the voice. "This is Westwood 271860, and it's a phone box outside the Co-op."
"2-7-1-8-6-0," repeated Kevin slowly. "That's the number I was given. She sent me one of those memos for when you move house and I copied it off of that into my diary."
"Well you must have made a mistake somewhere," said the voice. "Either that, or your friend has. Anyway, I have to go now; I have my work to do."
"Oh, right," said Kevin. "What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I'm a Traffic Warden," said the voice.
"Oh, said Kevin. "So you go around putting tickets on people's cars do you?"
"Sometimes," said the Traffic warden. "But only when they are illegally or inconsiderately parked. I usually work between the Railway Station and the Cathedral, but the road's closed near the Cathedral because of road works so they've brought me into the city instead. There's not much doing though, as my other colleagues who cover this area have got things well in hand. To be honest, now this rain's come, there are not as many people about as usual, plus it's the half term holiday for the schools so things are a lot quieter. I was just thinking about going to get a cup of tea actually, I'm due for a break."
"You could always come round to my flat for one, I live fairly close," said Kevin, looking at Paula. He couldn't see her in the phone box due to a bus shelter which had been erected in his view so did not know what she actually looked like or what age group she was in. "My girlfriend is here, so I'm not alone. You'd be quite safe!"
The Traffic Warden laughed.
"It's a nice thought," she said. "This rain is really coming down fast now and my shoes are letting water in so my feet are wet, but I'm not allowed to fraternise with the public."
"Oh, go on," said Kevin. "Who's going to know? Does anyone keep an eye on you?"
"Sometimes," said the Traffic Warden. "The Inspector might pay a visit, but he's off sick today and there's nobody else doing his job."
"Well there you are then. Who's going to know?" said Kevin. "Think about it, a nice warm flat, a cup of tea, the chance to rest those wet feet of yours for a while. You can't do that in a greasy spoon cafΓ©!" He really was milking it now. "By the way," he added. "What's your name?"
"I'm not allowed to give out my name to the public," said the Traffic Warden. "If anyone wants to complain about us or report us, we just give out our number."
"So what's your number?" asked Kevin.
"Four-seven-two-zero," replied the Traffic Warden.
"Four-seven-two-zero," repeated Kevin. "Well 'Four-seven-two-zero' what's it to be? The cold mean streets of Westwood or a nice warm dry flat and a cup of hot freshly made tea?"
"Alright then, you've twisted my arm, I just need to radio in to the station to let them know I'm taking a break," said the Traffic Warden. "Four-seven-two-zero sounds so formal though. At the station, they call me Warden Preston, but you can call me Tracey!"
"Okay, Tracey, we'll see you soon," he said after he had given her the details of where he lived. He put the phone down and turned to Paula. "I've been speaking with a Traffic Warden called Tracey," he said. "She normally works near the cathedral but she's working in the town centre today."
Paula looked a bit worried when he told her who he had been speaking to.