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been so focused on putting together everyone else’s skiwear, her own was still in the airing cupboard
     at home.

Chapter 8

    H ow could you?”
    Ella clapped her hands together on a bag of salt-and-vinegar chips, bursting it open with a pop and a puff of tangy shards,
     and offered them to Frankie, who shook his head in anger. “I don’t know why you’re being so sulky about this. It’s not like
     you’d got the job anyway.”
    “That’s not the point—you were underhand. You also have the most disgusting eating habits in the world.” Frankie glared at
     Ella as she continued with her eclectic breakfast. So far she’d had a chocolate mousse, a slice of cold pizza, toast and peanut
     butter and several glasses of milk. The chips were, Frankie fervently hoped, the dessert.
    “But why do you care? You didn’t want the job in the first place, you know you didn’t. You moaned like crazy when I set you
     up for the interview. You said you didn’t even like Alex anyway. What’s the problem? At least I’m earning some decent money
     for a change. Which is more than you are, I might add!” Ella gesticulated at Frankie with her chip packet, sending a shower
     of salty crumbs onto the tablecloth. “I think you’re—
jealous
!”
    Frankie winced. She might be right. He felt incensed that she’d landed the job as “wife” for Alex, looking after her and her
     mother, and he couldn’t even conceal the fact. With her usual ability to cut through the crap, Ella had gotten right to the
     heart of the matter. “All right, so maybe I am a bit jealous.” He knew his voice was raised. “But look at it from my point
     of view. Okay, so I
didn’t
want the job but I would have been perfect for it—we both know that. Much better than you, no offense.”
    Ella looked superior. “Yeah, but I
got
the job, brother dear. You didn’t! Anyway, I gave a great interview.”
    “Only because you shamelessly picked my brains about what they asked me—without admitting why. I should have smelled a rat
     there and then. It’s not like you to be that interested in what I do.”
    “Sticks and stones, sticks and stones!” Ella jumped up and brushed her hands together purposefully, leaving her sticky plate
     and cup behind her. “Right, what’s the time? I told the old bat I’d be back once I’d grabbed some clean clothes, and I’ll
     have to get some shopping in on my way—my way to
work
—you remember that, Frankie, don’t you? Work? It’s a thing people do to get money. So basically that means I can take it easy
     for a bit. The old bag’ll be so grateful for her cup of Lapsang doo dah by the time I get back, she won’t complain like she
     did yesterday. Alex’s bed is fantastically comfy. Now, where’s the remote? Oh good,
Pingu
hasn’t started yet.” She flung herself down on the sofa.
    Frankie stared at her incredulously as he cleared the table. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to be looking after Alex’s
     mother. You can’t waste time watching cartoons! Alex is paying you good money to do this job. Don’t you think you might at
     least make an effort?”
    “La la la! I’m not listening!” Ella sang loudly, jamming her fingers in her ears, until Frankie walked over to the TV and
     switched it off. “Oh, you slimy toad! That’s the one when Pingu and Robbie play fish tennis.”
    “Come on. What’s going on? Really?” Frankie positioned himself in front of the sofa, arms crossed in what he hoped was an
     authoritative way. “You don’t want to go, do you?”
    Ella crumbled at once. “Aw, it’s so boring,” she groaned. “I had to do
ironing
yesterday. Can you imagine? What’s the point of ironing, anyway? The stuff just gets wrinkled again when you put it on. And
     the old lady is sooooo bad-tempered. Nothing I did was right! She has this really loud voice, and I couldn’t even pretend
     I couldn’t hear her. She wants tea all the time. And she hated my sandwiches. And Alex must be a