and
ground himself in normality by re-engaging with his life. When he
had returned home from having coffee with Richard he replied to one
of the many texts Donnie had been pestering him with, and accepted
Donnie and Bea’s invite to their dinner party. He arranged for
their usual babysitter and made Jenny’s month when he told her that
he had arranged for them to go out for the evening that
Saturday.
Martin grabbed
Jenny’s arm and steadied her as she stumbled through the door.
“ Oops. How much wine did I have?”
Martin put a
hand to his forehead. “I have had so much myself I don’t think I
can count.”
“ You do the standing and I will do the Maths.” Jenny propped
herself up on the newel post and balustrade and groaned.
The
babysitter, Sally Jenkins the eldest daughter of a family down the
road, emerged from the family room. Her abnormal height threw him
in his drunken state, then he remembered her bulky boots and the
six inch platform soles. Having been paid at the beginning of the
evening she had her black patent floor length coat on already and
was ready to leave. She tucked her bangs of starkly died black hair
behind her ears and her heavily blacked up eyes sheepishly shifted
from Martin and Jenny and the floor, explained that the boys had
gone to bed without any problems. She appeared to find it awkward
being around their drunkenness and made a hasty exit. Martin closed
the door behind the pale goth and struggled to get the key in the
lock in a pin the tail on the donkey style.
“ I’m sure the last time she babysat she was blonde and pink
and fluffy.” Martin slurred.
“ Shows how often we go out.” Jenny clapped her hands to her
face. “We have turned into hermits.”
“ Should we check that she hasn’t summoned a Demon in the
family room?”
“ Or sacrificed the children.”
“ I think the boys could handle her. They would just kick her
platform boots from under her. The fall would kill her.”
Jenny did a
twirl and brandished her sequin and diamante shoulder wrap in the
air like a scarf at a football match, scattering spots of reflected
light over the gloomy hallway. She looked nice all made-up and
dressed in something other than her slouch clothes, the
transformation had been something of a surprise it had been such a
long-time since he had seen her like that. She hadn’t taken much
pride in her appearance since Finn had been born.
“ Did I out glam Donnie’s beard?”
Martin reached
around Jenny and deposited his keys on the newel post. He spoke
into her neck, could smell the Kenzo Flower perfume he had bought
her for tonight. She smelt good. “That’s impossible.” He kissed her
behind the ear and pulled away. Bea’s vast frame had been draped in
a voluminous dress of aqua blue sequins. “She was a veritable
glitter ball this evening. There must be a shortage of sequins in
the world after making that dress.”
“ I wonder how many little Indian boys went blind sewing them
on.”
“ Three at the least.”
Jenny fingered
her wrap absently and leaned against Martin as they headed towards
the kitchen. “Did you have a nice time?”
It had been a
good evening. Donnie and Bea had invited two couples that were
regulars at their parties Clive and Gillian and Toby and Shirley.
Such a combination always guaranteed intelligent witty conversation
and bawdy and mischievous drunkenness. “It was good. Apart from the
Americans.”
Jenny stopped
in the doorway to the kitchen and patted Martin on the arm as she
scolded him. “They were nice.”
“ Janice, who you spent much of the evening talking with, was
nice. She’s a card-carrying member of the NRA and has more guns
than you have handbags. I heard you asking her about guns for the
majority of the evening.” Martin attempted to tap Jenny playfully
on the nose, but the drink caused him to miss and he poked her in
the eye.
“ Ow!” She blinked against the sting. “She’s the first fellow
female gun fan I have ever
ground himself in normality by re-engaging with his life. When he
had returned home from having coffee with Richard he replied to one
of the many texts Donnie had been pestering him with, and accepted
Donnie and Bea’s invite to their dinner party. He arranged for
their usual babysitter and made Jenny’s month when he told her that
he had arranged for them to go out for the evening that
Saturday.
Martin grabbed
Jenny’s arm and steadied her as she stumbled through the door.
“ Oops. How much wine did I have?”
Martin put a
hand to his forehead. “I have had so much myself I don’t think I
can count.”
“ You do the standing and I will do the Maths.” Jenny propped
herself up on the newel post and balustrade and groaned.
The
babysitter, Sally Jenkins the eldest daughter of a family down the
road, emerged from the family room. Her abnormal height threw him
in his drunken state, then he remembered her bulky boots and the
six inch platform soles. Having been paid at the beginning of the
evening she had her black patent floor length coat on already and
was ready to leave. She tucked her bangs of starkly died black hair
behind her ears and her heavily blacked up eyes sheepishly shifted
from Martin and Jenny and the floor, explained that the boys had
gone to bed without any problems. She appeared to find it awkward
being around their drunkenness and made a hasty exit. Martin closed
the door behind the pale goth and struggled to get the key in the
lock in a pin the tail on the donkey style.
“ I’m sure the last time she babysat she was blonde and pink
and fluffy.” Martin slurred.
“ Shows how often we go out.” Jenny clapped her hands to her
face. “We have turned into hermits.”
“ Should we check that she hasn’t summoned a Demon in the
family room?”
“ Or sacrificed the children.”
“ I think the boys could handle her. They would just kick her
platform boots from under her. The fall would kill her.”
Jenny did a
twirl and brandished her sequin and diamante shoulder wrap in the
air like a scarf at a football match, scattering spots of reflected
light over the gloomy hallway. She looked nice all made-up and
dressed in something other than her slouch clothes, the
transformation had been something of a surprise it had been such a
long-time since he had seen her like that. She hadn’t taken much
pride in her appearance since Finn had been born.
“ Did I out glam Donnie’s beard?”
Martin reached
around Jenny and deposited his keys on the newel post. He spoke
into her neck, could smell the Kenzo Flower perfume he had bought
her for tonight. She smelt good. “That’s impossible.” He kissed her
behind the ear and pulled away. Bea’s vast frame had been draped in
a voluminous dress of aqua blue sequins. “She was a veritable
glitter ball this evening. There must be a shortage of sequins in
the world after making that dress.”
“ I wonder how many little Indian boys went blind sewing them
on.”
“ Three at the least.”
Jenny fingered
her wrap absently and leaned against Martin as they headed towards
the kitchen. “Did you have a nice time?”
It had been a
good evening. Donnie and Bea had invited two couples that were
regulars at their parties Clive and Gillian and Toby and Shirley.
Such a combination always guaranteed intelligent witty conversation
and bawdy and mischievous drunkenness. “It was good. Apart from the
Americans.”
Jenny stopped
in the doorway to the kitchen and patted Martin on the arm as she
scolded him. “They were nice.”
“ Janice, who you spent much of the evening talking with, was
nice. She’s a card-carrying member of the NRA and has more guns
than you have handbags. I heard you asking her about guns for the
majority of the evening.” Martin attempted to tap Jenny playfully
on the nose, but the drink caused him to miss and he poked her in
the eye.
“ Ow!” She blinked against the sting. “She’s the first fellow
female gun fan I have ever
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