Read Online Alice Brown's Lessons in the Curious Art of Dating by Eleanor Prescott - Free Book Online

the moment it had been set. It had been the lone entry in her diary for months, and she’d spent every moment between turning out her bedroom light and slipping into sleep savouring the very thought of it. It was, after all, a guaranteed evening with John.
    ‘As you know,’ Sheryl continued, ‘I was nominated as this year’s event organizer. Such an honour! A real compliment to the standing of Love Birds, don’t you think?’
    ‘Well, I don’t think the two are totally—’
    ‘. . . So, as the ball organizer, I was taking a look through the RSVP list and noticed that I haven’t received your cheque yet. And I thought to myself, oh, that’s strange! Audrey’snormally such a prompt payer! I do hope Table For Two hasn’t got a cash-flow problem?’
    ‘No, of course not! What a funny idea! Ha ha ha.’ Audrey forced a fluttery laugh. ‘It slipped my mind, that’s all. I’ll get the cheque off right away.’ The cheek! But what a mistake! She couldn’t imagine how she’d forgotten. It was unthinkable.
    ‘So, I’ll put a little question mark by your name for now.’
    ‘You’ll have the cheque first post tomorrow,’ said Audrey firmly.
    ‘And I do hope you’ll be bringing along that dishy husband of yours?’ Sheryl cooed stickily.
    Audrey’s senses sharpened instinctively as though detecting imminent danger. Her chest went tight and her neck began to flush.
    ‘Such a charming man: so attentive. I’d keep a close eye on him, if I were you,’ Sheryl continued. ‘Pay him some proper attention. As I tell my clients, you’ve got to work at keeping your man. Wow him every now and again. If you don’t, there are plenty of others who will. If I had a man like John I’d keep him on a very’ – her voice became thick with suggestion – ‘. . . short . . . leash.’
    She laughed crudely.
    Audrey felt sick.
    ‘Yes, well . . .’ She felt Cassandra and Bianca’s eyes boring through the glass at her. Really, could she get no privacy in this office at all? And what was Sheryl getting at exactly? Why was she talking about John getting away, and what did she mean by a leash? Was there something that sheknew? ‘I really don’t think I have any cause for concern,’ she snapped defensively.
    ‘I’m sure you’re all the woman John needs,’ Sheryl gushed unconvincingly.
    ‘Right, well, if that’s it . . . Because I’m really rather busy.’
    ‘Yes, I think that about wraps things up,’ Sheryl replied lightly. ‘So I’ll keep an eye out for your little cheque.’
    ‘I’ll attend to it immediately. Right, well, goodb—’
    ‘. . . Just
one
more thing, Audrey,’ Sheryl interrupted slowly. ‘You haven’t let me know which one of your girls you’ll be bringing. You do have that complimentary ticket, you know, for a “matchmaker in the making”.’
    ‘Oh, golly. I’d forgotten.’
    ‘You’d forgotten that too? I need names by close of play. Just pop me over an email and I’ll make sure Sienna sends her an invitation. Such a treasure, Sienna! I don’t know how I ever got by without a PA. You still don’t have one, do you? Anyway, must dash, Aud. Ciao.’
    Audrey put down the phone and took several deep breaths. She could feel her neck burning. Sheryl was a nasty black cloud in the perfect blue sky of the Dating Practitioners’ Society ball. She was bad enough on the phone, but even worse in the flesh. And what a lot of flesh. Not that Sheryl was large – far from it. It was just that she never wore enough clothing. Her bosom was always on display, thrust into a too-small top that was invariably hothouse pink. And she’d teeter around on stilettos – sometimes without tights! And she was a terror around men. Always tossing her bottle-blonde hair at them, or leaningclose to whisper some crude indiscretion. And what was all that stuff about John? Was he the latest man Sheryl wanted to get her talons into?
Her
John? But John was far too refined to go for a trollop like Sheryl. Wasn’t he?