Read Online Drive Me Crazy by Portia MacIntosh - Free Book Online Page A

Will’s arm. She’d spent even more money on her outfit and looked like she’d spent even longer getting ready. She looked perfect. She knew that Will was staying at the hotel so, to keep up appearances as always, she stayed with him. Will and I had a big row that night. It’s the closest we’ve ever come to ending things.
    ‘So what did Craig do?’ the new guy asks, snapping me from my thoughts.
    ‘He thought he’d try and steal a bottle of champagne from the bar, reached over and somehow managed to catch his arm on something sharp. I’ve never seen a cut like it – or so much blood! It was all you could smell; it filled the air. He had to be rushed to hospital for an operation!’
    The new guy shakes his head with despair, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of Cray-Craig’s (that’s what I call him in my head) behaviour.
    ‘Man, I love a drop of champers, but that’s insane.’
    ‘It’s completely insane,’ I agree. ‘Especially considering the fact it was a free bar.’
    The new guy laughs. ‘So who else do I have to blame for enduring this sober?’
    I glance around the room and spot a red-headed fifty-something lady wearing a navy blue twinset. She’s delicately sipping from her plastic cup, occasionally pinching crisps from the plate of the person next to her as she chats away.
    ‘That’s Cindy. See how prim and proper she seems? She turned up to a party with her husband – such a nice man! Very small and bald though, makes him look a bit like a turtle because he wears his suits too big for some reason. Anyway, Cindy had a bit too much to drink, made her way to the dance floor and started trying to grind on the men – then the women. Poor hubby just stood at the side of the room, watching, without a hint of any kind of emotion.’
    ‘That dirty devil.’ New guy laughs. ‘Who’s that twat?’
    I look over in the direction he’s pointing and spot Karl. He’s simultaneously picking his nose and drooling over Charlie as she eats her sausage roll.
    ‘That’s Karl. He’s from Liverpool. He’s one of the drivers, and an office party repeat offender. He’s actually the reason there’s now a “three strikes, you’re out” behavioural policy.’
    ‘This I need to hear. Shall we sit down?’ new guy asks. ‘I’ll grab us a couple of lemonades.’
    I smile and nod.
    I take a seat at one of the canteen booths and shortly after the new guy joins me. He doesn’t take a seat opposite me like I expected him to, he sits next to me and scooches up close so we can continue our conversation without anyone hearing.
    ‘Do you know what this is?’ he asks, flashing me his key ring.
    ‘Of course,’ I reply, almost offended. ‘Just because I didn’t know what the Ocu- Ocul-’
    ‘Oculus,’ he interrupts me, putting me out of my misery. ‘It’s virtual reality gaming – even I’m not nerdy enough for that, don’t sweat it.’
    ‘Oh. Well, I know what that is – it’s a flash drive.’
    New guy wiggles his eyebrows before popping the top off it and pouring its crystal-clear contents out into our drinks, half in each lemonade.
    ‘What is that?’ I squeak.
    ‘Vodka,’ he says coolly. ‘For emergencies.’
    ‘What kind of emergency requires vodka?’
    ‘Dull parties.’ He laughs. ‘Now tell me about Karl and his previous.’
    I’m not much of a big drinker these days, but I sip my drink gratefully.
    ‘His first strike was not long after I started working for the company and the party was at Wi- Mr Starr’s massive house,’ I begin, correcting myself as I go along. ‘It was a Friday night and Karl got so wasted he had to go and throw up in one of the bathrooms. Anyway, he must have passed out. The party ended, everyone went home…’
    ‘But not Karl?’ new guy guesses.
    ‘Not Karl. Karl woke up on the floor the next morning and was too scared to leave. As the story goes he had planned to try and sneak out, but the opportunity never arose. He stayed in the bathroom until