Read Thicker Than Soup for Free Online

illuminating winter gloom dulled further by dirt smeared windows. Buzzing chatter subsided. The auction was about to begin.
    The first lot, a fryer, went quickly, too quickly for John to spot who was bidding against the auctioneer’s rat-a-tat patter. More lots went quickly too and before long lot fifteen, his first item, was called.
    â€œLot number fifteen. A countertop boiler in stainless steel. As seen. What are we bid?” The auctioneer’s eyes scanned the room. “Forty? Who’ll start us off? Forty pounds. Thank you sir, we have forty pounds. Forty pounds, we have forty. Forty five? Thank you. Fifty? Fifty. We have fifty five? All done then at fifty?”
    He’d marked eighty pounds in his catalogue and discreetly nodded his head in the direction of the auctioneer but to his dismay the auctioneer raised the gavel and was calling, Going…going… John’s hand shot up before the gavel descended. “Yes!” he waved frantically.
    The auctioneer acknowledged him. “We have Fifty-five. Sixty?”
    The previous bidder shook his head and John congratulated himself; he was off to a good start.
    *
    By mid-afternoon he had many of the items he’d wanted. “Good day, eh?”
    â€œYou did well, once you got the hang of it.” Diane chuckled.
    â€œI did ok!” he protested. “I only went over my limit on the sideboard – which is fabulous – and the outdoor stuff, but I got everything else for less. On balance I’m up. I stopped bidding when the drop lights went over my head.”
    Diane groaned at the pun. “Like I said, you did well. But what about those lights? They’d have been perfect. You need something like that or the place will be dingy.”
    â€œI’ll find something.” He should have bid more, he knew it.
    *
    Along the road, silhouetted trees and stratum of blue-grey clouds backlit slashes of golden winter sun and as they neared Bath, Diane invited him to eat with her and Malik. “It’s only spaghetti bolognaise, but if you’re on your own….?”
    It was tempting, but he had much to tell Sally and was eager to call her. “Thanks, but better not. I need to offload this lot into my parents’ garage and get the van back by seven. And go home, have a shower. All that stuff.” John gave his attention to the roundabout he was negotiating before he spoke again. “Y’know, Sally will be really chuffed to hear that you’re taking on The Kitchen. You don’t mind if I tell her about it, do you?”
    Diane turned away and looked out of the side window. “If you want.”
    â€œRight. I’ll tell her then.” They stopped at traffic lights and watched whilst a girl crossed in front of the van, her breath misting like speech bubbles on the evening air. “I just wondered if you wanted to tell her yourself.”
    â€œJohn, it’s none of your business.”
    â€œWell, actually Diane, I disagree with you. Sally is more upset about losing you as a friend than you know, and friendship is important. And it is my business because not only do I care about Sally but I value you as a friend too. So in my book that gives me the right to say I think it’s gone on for too long. You two were great friends, how can you ignore that?”
    â€œYes, we were good friends. And as good friends I’d have thought Sally would have let me know I was about to be kicked out of my job. She must have known about it for months. But no, not a word!”
    â€œWell, I hope that I never upset you.” The lights glowed green. “So you’re going to stay angry forever are you? Have you any idea how much Sally fought that closure? She agonised over it. Do you think it was easy for her? And, then, after making what was, in her eyes, a difficult but ethically correct decision, she lost her best friend!”
    â€œAs a so called ‘best’ friend I’d