Read Online Malcolm and Juliet by Bernard Beckett - Free Book Online
Authors: Bernard Beckett
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crossing one of those boundaries which you can never cross back.
Then again, this was not a time of normal rules. Malcolm’s proposal had hardly been normal. So maybe he was the one who’d crossed the boundary, and taken them both into a world where new rules applied. Or maybe it was just fate, finding a way of apologising for all the treading on toes it had been doing lately. Yes, that was exactly it, she told herself as she picked up the phone. Fate had been taking dancing lessons.
Malcolm answered straight away which Juliet took to be a good sign. She hoped his mother wasn’t hovering in the background, the way she often did. This transaction was strictly between her and Malcolm, and whoever it was who kept record of the stains upon her soul.
‘You’ve changed your mind haven’t you?’ Malcolm said, as soon as he heard her voice. ‘It’s all right, I knew you would. It was really an entirely unreasonable thing to ask. I hope this isn’t going to damage our friendship.’
‘No, no of course I haven’t changed my mind,’ Juliet assured him. ‘It’s just there’s something I forgot to mention, which needs to be discussed.’
‘Oh, what’s that?’
‘Well,’ Juliet said, wondering if just uttering the words wouldn’t change her life forever. ‘We need to discuss the price.’
There was a pause, a very long pause. Long enough for Malcolm to have fled the scene, or called up the police on the other line. Technically it was illegal, wasn’t it?
‘Malcolm? Malcolm? Are you still there?’
‘Yes. I was just thinking. I find it’s not a good idea to trust your first instincts, in times of great surprise.’
‘I’m sorry. I’ve really offended you, haven’t I?’
‘No,’ came the reply, his voice slow and considered. ‘In fact, now that I think about it, it’s something of a relief. I think, if I didn’t pay you, it might feel sort of dirty, like I was using you. No, upon reflection, this will be much better. I will feel happier all round. Um, how much were you thinking?’
Good old Malcolm. If he hadn’t been 2.6 km away just then she would have hugged him, for free.
‘Well I don’t suppose it would be a good idea to charge by the minute. How about one hundred dollars, all up?’
‘Um, one second,’ and another pause. ‘Yeah, that sounds fine. Mum says she’ll pay half.’
Spent
Malcolm’s excited half had been at war with his terrified half ever since he’d put down the phone and, by the time Juliet arrived, a truce of sorts had been achieved. He had settled on being terrified of his excitement and letting the terror excite him all the more.
He didn’t know where to look when she walked into the room. By then he had been holding his greeting pose for exactly three minutes (cruel of her to be late like that) and the smile he managed was partly due to cramp. The camera was set up, further back than usual so as to capture the whole bed, and he had draped a towel over the mirror. The curtains were pulled shut.
On the clothing front he had gone for a casual look, T-shirt and jeans, and his favourite boxer shorts, fresh on. He lay across the bed, feet dangling off the end, head up and supported by his arm. Next to his elbow sat five $20 notes.
‘Hi,’ he said. The word rushed out of his mouth, only to be tripped by his tongue and fall awkwardly to the floor. He was relieved to see Juliet had also decided against dressing up. No kickboxing whites or Pretty Woman red for her. Just jeans, because Juliet was a jeans girl, and a large loose jacket type thing which she always wore. ‘Ah, here’s the money.’ He sat up and handed her the notes and as their fingers touched a small electric charge stood the hairs on the back of his neck on end. He’d decided against shaving them.
‘Oh, right, thanks.’ It was easy to see the money made Juliet feel uncomfortable. That was good, it made things more even.
‘You’re a little bit late,’ Malcolm said, because it was all he
Then again, this was not a time of normal rules. Malcolm’s proposal had hardly been normal. So maybe he was the one who’d crossed the boundary, and taken them both into a world where new rules applied. Or maybe it was just fate, finding a way of apologising for all the treading on toes it had been doing lately. Yes, that was exactly it, she told herself as she picked up the phone. Fate had been taking dancing lessons.
Malcolm answered straight away which Juliet took to be a good sign. She hoped his mother wasn’t hovering in the background, the way she often did. This transaction was strictly between her and Malcolm, and whoever it was who kept record of the stains upon her soul.
‘You’ve changed your mind haven’t you?’ Malcolm said, as soon as he heard her voice. ‘It’s all right, I knew you would. It was really an entirely unreasonable thing to ask. I hope this isn’t going to damage our friendship.’
‘No, no of course I haven’t changed my mind,’ Juliet assured him. ‘It’s just there’s something I forgot to mention, which needs to be discussed.’
‘Oh, what’s that?’
‘Well,’ Juliet said, wondering if just uttering the words wouldn’t change her life forever. ‘We need to discuss the price.’
There was a pause, a very long pause. Long enough for Malcolm to have fled the scene, or called up the police on the other line. Technically it was illegal, wasn’t it?
‘Malcolm? Malcolm? Are you still there?’
‘Yes. I was just thinking. I find it’s not a good idea to trust your first instincts, in times of great surprise.’
‘I’m sorry. I’ve really offended you, haven’t I?’
‘No,’ came the reply, his voice slow and considered. ‘In fact, now that I think about it, it’s something of a relief. I think, if I didn’t pay you, it might feel sort of dirty, like I was using you. No, upon reflection, this will be much better. I will feel happier all round. Um, how much were you thinking?’
Good old Malcolm. If he hadn’t been 2.6 km away just then she would have hugged him, for free.
‘Well I don’t suppose it would be a good idea to charge by the minute. How about one hundred dollars, all up?’
‘Um, one second,’ and another pause. ‘Yeah, that sounds fine. Mum says she’ll pay half.’
Spent
Malcolm’s excited half had been at war with his terrified half ever since he’d put down the phone and, by the time Juliet arrived, a truce of sorts had been achieved. He had settled on being terrified of his excitement and letting the terror excite him all the more.
He didn’t know where to look when she walked into the room. By then he had been holding his greeting pose for exactly three minutes (cruel of her to be late like that) and the smile he managed was partly due to cramp. The camera was set up, further back than usual so as to capture the whole bed, and he had draped a towel over the mirror. The curtains were pulled shut.
On the clothing front he had gone for a casual look, T-shirt and jeans, and his favourite boxer shorts, fresh on. He lay across the bed, feet dangling off the end, head up and supported by his arm. Next to his elbow sat five $20 notes.
‘Hi,’ he said. The word rushed out of his mouth, only to be tripped by his tongue and fall awkwardly to the floor. He was relieved to see Juliet had also decided against dressing up. No kickboxing whites or Pretty Woman red for her. Just jeans, because Juliet was a jeans girl, and a large loose jacket type thing which she always wore. ‘Ah, here’s the money.’ He sat up and handed her the notes and as their fingers touched a small electric charge stood the hairs on the back of his neck on end. He’d decided against shaving them.
‘Oh, right, thanks.’ It was easy to see the money made Juliet feel uncomfortable. That was good, it made things more even.
‘You’re a little bit late,’ Malcolm said, because it was all he
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