Holding Hands

The Library Officer has lived most of his life in a small market town and walking around it together feels like being accompanied by a minor celebrity: he seems to know everyone. People call out his name and he stops and chats. I plucked up the courage to say that I wanted to stop holding hands as we walked around town, that it felt too much of a public display of affection. I said it because I'm conscious of of how we look together: an older man with a much younger woman.

We were in a pub and The Library Officer was stroking my leg and a woman walked past our table and gave us such a disgusted look that it really shocked me. I'd never been so openly judged by someone before and mentioned it to The Library Officer. He bent his head closer to mine as his fingers touched the back of my knee.

"When we leave I'm going to tell her that I'm taking you home for a good shagging."
"And I'll say "Okay, Dad."

We laughed and held hands under the table.