Read Online Behind Every Cloud by Pauline Lawless - Free Book Online Page B

hadn ’ t been shopping. On Wednesday he went to the doctor who prescribed some medication for him and warned him to chill out. When Conor rang and asked him to meet him that night for a pint he jumped at the chance to escape another night of silence. At the least a few pints would help him relax.

    Louise was relieved to hear Ronan say he was going out for a few pints as it meant she could at last retrieve the stuff she ’ d bought in Kildare the previous Sunday from Melissa ’ s house. The moment he ’ d left the house she rang her friend.
    “ Hi , Mel, it ’ s me . Ronan ’ s gone out for a few hours and I ’ d like to come around and collect my stuff straight away .”
    “ Hi , Lou. I ’ m sorry , but I ’ m just about to go out actually. I ’ m meeting my sister in Wong ’ s for a Chinese. ”
    “ Oh Mel, I have to have it now. Couldn ’ t you drop if off on your way? I ’ m dying to have it and I may not be alone again another evening this week. Puhleease? ” she be gged. “ It won ’ t take that long. Can ’ t you ring your sister a nd explain you ’ ll be ten minutes late? ”

Melissa sighed. Louise had been bossing her around ever since they ’ d been at national school together and she was still at it. “ Okay, I ’ ll be around in ten. ”
    She dropped the bags off shortly after and was greeted by an excited Louise.
    “ You ’ re an angel! I can ’ t wait to see everything again. I ’ ve almost forgotten what I bought .” Her eyes were sparkling and her face aglow.
    “ Did that guy Alan ring you? ” Melissa asked her.
    “ No, not yet, ” Louise replied as she took the bags into her bedroom, “ but he will. I know he will .”
    How great to be so sure of yourself, Melissa thought enviously, as she drove away.

    Louise emptied all the bags on the bed and looked with excitement at the mound of clothes. She had to work quickly. First she cut off all the labels and price - tags and then burned them, along with all the bags, in the incinerator in the garden . Ronan would not be out there till the weekend at least. She had already burnt all the receipts the previous Monday when Ronan had left for work. She couldn ’ t risk him finding any trace of this latest spree. She had been quite shocked to see that she had spent just over €900, and that was without the leather jacket and trousers that Alan had paid for. God, it was amazing how quickly it all added up!
    Caressing the beautiful clothes she carefully stored them all away. She couldn ’ t resist changing into her new lingerie, a DKNY top and the 7 For All Mankind jeans. Wow! The jeans fitted her like a glove. She felt fantastic!
    When all the evidence had been secreted away she was in such a good mood that she opened the last bottle of wine that they had in the house. By the time Ronan came wearily in, she was in great form and ready to forgive him.
    “ How was Conor? ” she asked him, taking him by surprise . “ Did you have a nice evening? ”
    His shoulders visibly relaxed. The cold war was obviousl y over! She looked very attractive, curled up as she was on the sofa.
    “ Great. Conor says hello. ” He ’ d said no such thing but a little lie wouldn ’ t hurt.
    “ Would you like a glass of wine? ” she asked, getting up to get him a glass.
    He didn ’ t really want one but he wasn ’ t going to upset the apple-cart now. “ Yes, just a small one, ” he replied , noticing that there wasn ’ t much more than that left in the bottle.
    “ You look very nice, ” he remarked. “ Are they new jeans ?”
    “ Course not! I ’ ve had them for years. I just haven ’ t worn them in yonks, ” she said, taking him at his word and handing him a miniscule glass of wine. She poured the remainder of the bottle into her own.
    Ronan didn ’ t think he ’ d ever seen the jeans before but then she had so many pairs that he could have been mistaken. He wasn ’ t very observant of what women wore at any time. So he let it