Phil and Kathy

There is one Estate Agency in the village, and one Postman. Kathy works as the Receptionist in the Estate Agency, Phil is the Postman.
+++++Phil passes the Estate Agency window four times each day. As he passes he makes rude gestures towards Kathy.
+++++It is a small village: picturesque, quaint and boring.
+++++Kathy makes rude gestures back at Phil. Sometimes she lifts two fingers and prods them in his direction with venom. More often it will be a one fingered gesture, subtly delivered from behind her desk. Kathy is building up to delivering a full arm thrust, when nobody is looking. She cannot be as creative with her gesturing as Phil can. Phil can see who is coming up and down the road; Kathy never knows whether a passing tourist might be on his or her way in to the Agency.
+++++During the summer months, Phil once pulled down his trousers and mooned Kathy. Kathy, distracted, stapled her thumb to the particulars of a small detached cottage and ended up rooting through the first aid box for thirty minutes in search of a suitable dressing.
+++++Most of the time though, Phil’s gestures are small, and discreet.
+++++This is what keeps Kathy and Phil going every day, what bonds them together in this dull, tiny village. Phil’s wife and Kathy’s mother have no idea that this goes on but one day they will be caught at it and their bond will be destroyed.
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Emma Hardy grew up in Liverpool, lived in various northern towns and has settled in Glasgow.  Emma teaches creative writing, mainly in universities. She writes short fiction and writes for the stage. Emma is somewhere between doing and not doing a PhD in Creative Writing.