radius who didn’t have two heads.
There were a few messages waiting for her in her ‘contact centre’. The first was succinct: Life is to short, so let’s do it alnight . And accompanying this was the
topless profile pic of a grubby-looking man with a face like a pickled, deformed walnut. Juliet grimaced and blocked him from contacting her again. She felt as if she needed a shower simply from
looking at his photo. The second was from the sci-fi fan who liked romantic walks and sofa-snogging.
So, did you liked what you saw when you checked me out then I have a supreme package (Juliet doubted that) so I can see whose viewed me, so I can return the favuor and say hello to
them and if I like what I see I can say would you like to come out for a coffee with me we can meet somewere pubic (she hoped he meant public) and see were we go from there what about it
then hon?
Apart from the fact that he had never heard of a full-stop, she said to the screen: ‘Thanks but no thanks.’ She had no intention of dignifying it with a written reply.
The third email was from Ralph.
Hi, just wondered if you were around for a natter. If so, I’ll probably be on my computer working this evening so let’s hook up on MSN? Here’s my email . . .
It was either a crime documentary about the Great Train Robbers on the TV or an evening forging a link with a potential lover. Juliet typed in her request to hook up with Ralph on the net. Two
hours later, after a very pleasant virtual chat, she found herself looking forward to dinner with him the following evening.
Chapter 17
Floz awoke late the next morning and could tell she must have been crying in her sleep because her cheek and the pillow beneath it were wet. It was a bitter-sweet experience
for the lines of communication between Nick and herself to be open again. As she typed her next email to him, her mind tried to fill in the blanks of the last eighteen months: what he had suffered.
The timing was so tragic. Floz thought that if she had been so poorly, she would have wanted to reach out instead, not pull back. But wouldn’t that have been selfish and grasping of her
– to take a relationship one step further when it had no future? She didn’t know. To do what Nick had done required strength that she obviously didn’t have. All she did know was
that she was grateful Nick had come back into her life and that she doubted she would get any rest until he left it again – for the final time.
Juliet was so excited about the prospect of a real live date that she almost forgot to swoon when Piers Winstanley-Black sauntered into the office. Coco rang from his Perfume
Palace just before the clock touched 9 a.m., as was his usual habit.
‘Well, how did it go? I’ve been dying for you to ring me. You must have at least five missed calls from me,’ said Juliet excitedly.
‘I’ve only just got in!’ said Coco. ‘I’ve been up all night talking!’
‘Only talking?’
‘Well, and snogging a bit,’ said Coco with a blush in his voice.
‘Yuk, two men snogging – I’m going to be sick.’
‘Oy, cheeky. And he paid for me.’
‘What – you charged him to snog you?’ teased Juliet.
‘Silly. I mean he paid for everything. Wouldn’t let me put my hand in my wallet at all. There’s a first, I can tell you,’ tutted Coco.
‘Ooh, that’s impressive,’ said Juliet, who had never been out on a date with anyone as generous.
‘He. Is. Gorgeous. I’m in love.’
‘Oh God, here we go again,’ said Juliet. ‘Anyway, you’re not the only one with a date. I’ve got one as well. Tonight. I’m going shopping at lunchtime if you
want to meet me and help me pick a new frock.’
‘I can’t,’ said Coco. ‘I’ve got a delivery coming from the warehouse. I just hope they remember to put that new Beckham perfume in the consignment. I’ll go
spare if they don’t. Anyway, I digress – who’s your date with then?’
‘Ralph, forty, own house, own printing
There were a few messages waiting for her in her ‘contact centre’. The first was succinct: Life is to short, so let’s do it alnight . And accompanying this was the
topless profile pic of a grubby-looking man with a face like a pickled, deformed walnut. Juliet grimaced and blocked him from contacting her again. She felt as if she needed a shower simply from
looking at his photo. The second was from the sci-fi fan who liked romantic walks and sofa-snogging.
So, did you liked what you saw when you checked me out then I have a supreme package (Juliet doubted that) so I can see whose viewed me, so I can return the favuor and say hello to
them and if I like what I see I can say would you like to come out for a coffee with me we can meet somewere pubic (she hoped he meant public) and see were we go from there what about it
then hon?
Apart from the fact that he had never heard of a full-stop, she said to the screen: ‘Thanks but no thanks.’ She had no intention of dignifying it with a written reply.
The third email was from Ralph.
Hi, just wondered if you were around for a natter. If so, I’ll probably be on my computer working this evening so let’s hook up on MSN? Here’s my email . . .
It was either a crime documentary about the Great Train Robbers on the TV or an evening forging a link with a potential lover. Juliet typed in her request to hook up with Ralph on the net. Two
hours later, after a very pleasant virtual chat, she found herself looking forward to dinner with him the following evening.
Chapter 17
Floz awoke late the next morning and could tell she must have been crying in her sleep because her cheek and the pillow beneath it were wet. It was a bitter-sweet experience
for the lines of communication between Nick and herself to be open again. As she typed her next email to him, her mind tried to fill in the blanks of the last eighteen months: what he had suffered.
The timing was so tragic. Floz thought that if she had been so poorly, she would have wanted to reach out instead, not pull back. But wouldn’t that have been selfish and grasping of her
– to take a relationship one step further when it had no future? She didn’t know. To do what Nick had done required strength that she obviously didn’t have. All she did know was
that she was grateful Nick had come back into her life and that she doubted she would get any rest until he left it again – for the final time.
Juliet was so excited about the prospect of a real live date that she almost forgot to swoon when Piers Winstanley-Black sauntered into the office. Coco rang from his Perfume
Palace just before the clock touched 9 a.m., as was his usual habit.
‘Well, how did it go? I’ve been dying for you to ring me. You must have at least five missed calls from me,’ said Juliet excitedly.
‘I’ve only just got in!’ said Coco. ‘I’ve been up all night talking!’
‘Only talking?’
‘Well, and snogging a bit,’ said Coco with a blush in his voice.
‘Yuk, two men snogging – I’m going to be sick.’
‘Oy, cheeky. And he paid for me.’
‘What – you charged him to snog you?’ teased Juliet.
‘Silly. I mean he paid for everything. Wouldn’t let me put my hand in my wallet at all. There’s a first, I can tell you,’ tutted Coco.
‘Ooh, that’s impressive,’ said Juliet, who had never been out on a date with anyone as generous.
‘He. Is. Gorgeous. I’m in love.’
‘Oh God, here we go again,’ said Juliet. ‘Anyway, you’re not the only one with a date. I’ve got one as well. Tonight. I’m going shopping at lunchtime if you
want to meet me and help me pick a new frock.’
‘I can’t,’ said Coco. ‘I’ve got a delivery coming from the warehouse. I just hope they remember to put that new Beckham perfume in the consignment. I’ll go
spare if they don’t. Anyway, I digress – who’s your date with then?’
‘Ralph, forty, own house, own printing
Similar Books
