Read Online Don't Ask Alice by Judi Curtin - Free Book Online Page B

didn’t see me.
    â€˜Er… em… it’s a surprise,’ I muttered.
    Linda laughed.
    â€˜Good. I just love surprises.’
    I smiled weakly. After tonight Linda might not love surprises quite so much.
    Then Alice grabbed me by the arm and dragged me next door to her house. I was starting to worry that by the end of the weekend, one of my arms was going to be a few centimetres longer than the other.
    Peter was in the family room watching TV.
    Alice went and sat on the edge of his chair.
    â€˜Great news, Dad,’ she said. ‘Linda has invited you to dinner.’
    Peter looked up at her.
    â€˜Linda who?’
    Alice poked him in the shoulder.
    â€˜You know – Linda, Megan’s aunt. She’d like you to come to dinner in their house tonight.’
    Now Peter looked puzzled.
    â€˜Why would she want that?’
    It was time for my line.
    â€˜She just wants to thank you for helping herwith the lights last night.’
    Peter laughed.
    â€˜I only flicked a switch. That hardly deserves a dinner invitation.’
    â€˜Well,’ said Alice. ‘Linda’s very… she’s very… what is she Megan?’
    â€˜Er, she’s … very… she’s very spontaneous.’
    Peter still didn’t look convinced.
    â€˜Who else is going?’
    â€˜Well, Megan, and me and Rosie,’ said Alice.
    Peter shook his head.
    â€˜I don’t know really. I…’
    Alice smiled at him.
    â€˜I thought you’d be glad not to be eating pizza again, so I’ve already said you’ll go. Eight o’clock. OK?’
    Peter put his hands up in surrender.
    â€˜OK. OK. I give up. A nice dinner would be a pleasant change. I’ll be there. Now be quiet and let me watch this match.’
    * * *
    Half an hour later Alice and I were on the wayto the shop with the money Linda had given us.
    â€˜What are we going to cook?’ I asked. ‘I only know how to make stew, and that’s not very romantic, is it?’
    Alice shook her head.
    â€˜No way. No stew.’
    â€˜What about those noodle things you ate when you were hiding in my room?’ I suggested. ‘We’d only have to boil the kettle and they’d be ready.’
    Alice shook her head even more quickly.
    â€˜Absolutely no way. Those noodles were totally gross.’
    I was getting a bit fed up.
    â€˜What do you suggest then?’ I asked. ‘Since you’re so clever.’
    Alice stopped walking and looked at me.
    â€˜There’s loads of lettuce in your garden isn’t there?’
    I nodded.
    â€˜Our garden has more lettuce than grass.’
    â€˜OK. So, salad to start, then lasagne for maincourse – we can buy it ready made, so no cooking. And then ice cream for dessert. And if we’ve enough money left, a nice bottle of champagne to finish it all off. Easy-peasy.’
    I still wasn’t happy.
    â€˜OK,’ I said. ‘So the food is sorted, but we still have one very big problem. What’s Linda going to say when Peter shows up for dinner, and she hasn’t even invited him?’
    Alice grinned at me.
    â€˜Nothing,’ she said.
    I was sorry I was too mature to stamp my foot.
    â€˜What do you mean “nothing”? Do you think Linda is going to somehow forget that she hasn’t invited him?’
    Alice laughed.
    â€˜Of course not. She’ll know perfectly well that she hasn’t invited him. But she’s an adult. She’s got to be polite. Can you really imagine her saying – “What are you doing here? – Go home – You’re not invited”?’
    I giggled.
    â€˜I can’t see Linda saying that.’
    â€˜Well then, we’re sorted. Aren’t we? Later she can ask you what’s going on, but she can’t say anything to Dad tonight – not while he’s still here. She’ll just have to play along. And we only need this to work for one night. Mum will find out that Dad