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ACCUSED!

"So. Mrs Williams!"
Kelly Anderton's shopping trolley slid sideways into the freezer cabinet. Her hands went to her hips and her emphasis was definitely on the "Mrs" part of my name.
"I hear you have a thing going with my son."
There was a rattle of tins and an "Owya!" as a distracted shopper crashed into her husband.
"Mrs Anderton." I desperately tried to get those two polite words to convey, "Hello," "What on earth are you talking about? and, "Please! Not in public, whatever it is!"

"He's nineteen, Mrs Williams. Don't you feel the slightest embarrassment at leading a child astray? Taking him away from his mother?"
I'd know her son, Gerry, for years, all through secondary school in fact, but he lived out of town and his mother and I had only ever exchanged friendly hellos. I had no way of knowing how she would be in any awkward situation.
Nervously I placed a hand on her arm, trying to lead her away from our growing audience.
"Can we walk and talk?"
"Ohhh! Ohhhh!" She nodded at the one, incredulous, little lady who had given into curiosity and just stopped and stared. "Doesn't want anyone to hear how she seduced a young boy!"
This was getting out of control. Despite my nervousness I tightened my grip on her rather powerful arm and led her away from the frozen produce.
Okay, so Gerry had been visiting my house late at night and, yes, I did have a soft spot for him, but why did that have to be a dirty thing? Did it really need to be shouted aloud in a supermarket.
And, worse! Was I really old enough to be a seducer of young boys? There was no point in denying my son was the same age as Gerry, but I'd never thought of myself as an "older woman!"
"Is this some kind of joke?" I hissed through smiling lips.
"Might be, might be, might be," she dodged my stare, looking instead at the halogen lamps on the ceiling. "Depends on what you have to say for yourself?"
"And, please, can we keep it down a bit?"
"Hmmm, hmm, hmmm." She was almost singing now. What WAS this all about? "Maybe," she blurted out. There was a twinkle in her eye now. Did she think she had something over me? Was she going to try and ruin my reputation? I knew it could so easily be done. I'd seen rumours spread like wildfire through the mum's community before. Often the truth didn't matter if the story was juicy enough.
Gerry was the same age as my son, Steven. They'd been mates for years. When they were younger it didn't matter, but know they were out of school, they weren't boys any longer. Now they were young

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