Read Online A Spring Affair by Milly Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Milly Johnson
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top of her list of ‘people to treat big time’. She would force her friend on a grand tour of Italy so she could visit all those wonderful things and places she dreamed of: the Sistine Chapel and the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, the Grand Canal of Venice, the Amalfi coastline, the streets of Sorrento, the ruins of Pompeii…Lou’s eyes would light up when they talked of things Italian, and yet the only place she ever seemed to holiday was Benidorm.
Karen had the distinct impression that something wasvery wrong in Lou’s world, despite her jolly exterior. Karen was a very intuitive woman and she would have put money on the fact that at some point or other, Lou’s husband had had an affair, and Lou had never really got over it. Amazing how women could sniff another woman’s knobhead from a mile off, but alas, the gift rarely extended to their own.
‘I’m having my hair done tomorrow,’ said Lou to Phil that night over their customary Friday curry. He grinned.
‘That’s good, because I’ve got a little birthday surprise for you myself.’
‘What?’
‘Nope, not telling!’
‘Oh come on, you can’t not tell me. Tell me!’
‘Nope,’ he teased. ‘It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?’
‘Oh please, please, please, please, please.’
‘Well, all I’m saying is, be ready for half-past seven in your gladrags and don’t have anything to eat before.’
Lou gave a small gasp. ‘Are we going out?’ She wanted to make doubly sure after last year, when she had got all dolled up only for Phil to turn up with a giant pizza.
‘Might be,’ said Phil. Lou’s face lit up like November the fifth.
It takes so little to please her, thought Phil. Half of him smiled at that; half of him thought that sometimes it was like being married to a puppet. Therein lay the irony of having a surrendered wife.
The next morning, Phil gave her a big sloppy card and abig sloppy kiss and tapped his nose on the way out of the door.
‘Remember what I told you. Seven-thirty!’ he said to his wife, who was beaming like a little child who was first in the Santa’s grotto queue.
Lou had a birthday call from her mother, who reminded her of the arranged Sunday lunch as the usual birthday treat.
‘I’ve sent your card–have you got it?’ she said. ‘I didn’t post your present; it’s here waiting for you. It wasn’t cheap so I didn’t want to risk it getting lost.’
‘Oh Mum,’ said Lou. ‘Yes, the card came yesterday and yes, it’s lovely, and you didn’t have to buy me anything.’
There were quite a few cards to open from work colleagues and her old friend Anna and her old Auntie Peggy in Cork who had put ten euros in it. Victorianna sent an ecard, on time for once. It had some American critter she could never remember the name of, getting a picnic out of a hamper. Gentle hint or what? There was a beautiful and expensive ‘best friend’ card from Michelle with a flowing verse and a Sorry I’ve been such a miserable cow, I really will make it up to you , handwritten message. Lou smiled at the intricate little flower cartoons Michelle had drawn on the inside. It must have taken her ages to do! If Lou could have had one birthday wish granted it would be that Mish would sort herself out and once again be that nice, smiley, considerate person she had met in the cookery class. She was still in there somewhere, Lou was convinced of it.
There was nothing from Deb, although Lou didn’t really think there would be. Really.
Lou got dressed and walked down into town. It was a dry day, devoid of April showers and full of the promise of bright sunshine, both outside in the sky and inside in her spirit. The hard physical graft of yesterday had left her tired and she slept a deep healthy restful sleep. This morning she felt energized and raring to go.
The hair salon was very white and very chrome and Lou felt immediately stupid by pushing the pull door, then
Karen had the distinct impression that something wasvery wrong in Lou’s world, despite her jolly exterior. Karen was a very intuitive woman and she would have put money on the fact that at some point or other, Lou’s husband had had an affair, and Lou had never really got over it. Amazing how women could sniff another woman’s knobhead from a mile off, but alas, the gift rarely extended to their own.
‘I’m having my hair done tomorrow,’ said Lou to Phil that night over their customary Friday curry. He grinned.
‘That’s good, because I’ve got a little birthday surprise for you myself.’
‘What?’
‘Nope, not telling!’
‘Oh come on, you can’t not tell me. Tell me!’
‘Nope,’ he teased. ‘It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?’
‘Oh please, please, please, please, please.’
‘Well, all I’m saying is, be ready for half-past seven in your gladrags and don’t have anything to eat before.’
Lou gave a small gasp. ‘Are we going out?’ She wanted to make doubly sure after last year, when she had got all dolled up only for Phil to turn up with a giant pizza.
‘Might be,’ said Phil. Lou’s face lit up like November the fifth.
It takes so little to please her, thought Phil. Half of him smiled at that; half of him thought that sometimes it was like being married to a puppet. Therein lay the irony of having a surrendered wife.
The next morning, Phil gave her a big sloppy card and abig sloppy kiss and tapped his nose on the way out of the door.
‘Remember what I told you. Seven-thirty!’ he said to his wife, who was beaming like a little child who was first in the Santa’s grotto queue.
Lou had a birthday call from her mother, who reminded her of the arranged Sunday lunch as the usual birthday treat.
‘I’ve sent your card–have you got it?’ she said. ‘I didn’t post your present; it’s here waiting for you. It wasn’t cheap so I didn’t want to risk it getting lost.’
‘Oh Mum,’ said Lou. ‘Yes, the card came yesterday and yes, it’s lovely, and you didn’t have to buy me anything.’
There were quite a few cards to open from work colleagues and her old friend Anna and her old Auntie Peggy in Cork who had put ten euros in it. Victorianna sent an ecard, on time for once. It had some American critter she could never remember the name of, getting a picnic out of a hamper. Gentle hint or what? There was a beautiful and expensive ‘best friend’ card from Michelle with a flowing verse and a Sorry I’ve been such a miserable cow, I really will make it up to you , handwritten message. Lou smiled at the intricate little flower cartoons Michelle had drawn on the inside. It must have taken her ages to do! If Lou could have had one birthday wish granted it would be that Mish would sort herself out and once again be that nice, smiley, considerate person she had met in the cookery class. She was still in there somewhere, Lou was convinced of it.
There was nothing from Deb, although Lou didn’t really think there would be. Really.
Lou got dressed and walked down into town. It was a dry day, devoid of April showers and full of the promise of bright sunshine, both outside in the sky and inside in her spirit. The hard physical graft of yesterday had left her tired and she slept a deep healthy restful sleep. This morning she felt energized and raring to go.
The hair salon was very white and very chrome and Lou felt immediately stupid by pushing the pull door, then
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