Read Online No offence Intended - Barbara Seranella by Barbara Seranella - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Seranella
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asked as she leaned over the seat of her
Datsun to open the passenger door. Her large lips were painted a
bright shade of red. "You wouldn't believe the afternoon I had."
Munch almost smiled. "We'll make it in time."
Danielle was always late and she was always sorry.
"You should let me fix this door," Munch
said.
"I still owe you for all the other work you've
done."
"Don't worry about it," Munch said, meaning
it. She'd much rather people be in debt to her than the other way
around.
When they arrived at the clubhouse, they found Ruby
already inside arranging literature on the table next to the coffee
urn.
'We have a little time left before the meeting
starts," Ruby said, reaching for a doughnut. "If you wanted
to talk."
"I saw an old friend today" Munch began,
rubbing the ball of her foot into the parquet floor of the meeting
hall.
"Is this someone you used with? You know how I
feel about that."
"Right, end of story." The matter was an
ongoing battle between the two of them. She had tried to explain to
Ruby once that not all her old friends had been terrible. Deb, for
instance, had always been a good influence. Deb didn't use a needle.
When Munch partied with Deb, they usually only drank. Another lower
companion, Ruby had said, with a finality that got Munch's back up.
Her sponsor didn't know everything about everything. Munch had even
said as much. Ruby agreed that she didn't know everything, but about
some things she was pretty damn sure. Munch decided not to tell her
sponsor about the Snakepit.
"Why do I get the sense that this isn't the end
of it?" Ruby asked.
'Well, it's not like the guy is the Antichrist. Maybe
I should have tried to carry the message to him or something. Isn't
that what we're supposed to be doing?"
"Honey he's not your responsibility He's in the
hands of that Old Boy upstairs," Ruby said.
Munch didn't want to say anything, but there were
many times when she suspected that that same old boy had gone
fishing. Like try the decade of her own teen years.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said,
stubbing out her cigarette as she exhaled the last of the smoke from
her lungs. " better go grab a seat."
"Call me."
"Sure."
"You say that and then I don't hear from you."
"I'll call you. Promise."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Munch cracked her little lopsided grin. "There
are no big deals, remember?"
Ruby pushed her shoulder. "Get out of here."
Munch feinted left and raised her fists into a
pugilistic pose. She left Ruby laughing and shaking her head. As she
crossed the room, she kept her eyes averted from the crowds by
pretending concern over spilling her coffee. Once upon a time, she
had been bold—not afraid of going head to head with anyone,
anytime. Sobriety had mined that—another of the side effects of
getting well.
Danielle, as usual, was surrounded by a group of
admiring men. She was wearing a hooded navy blue sweatshirt and
somehow managed to look sexy in it. Perhaps it was the skin-tight
jeans and four-inch heels, Munch thought. Or maybe it was the way her
curly dark hair fell playfully down her back and shoulders all the
way to her belt. Danielle also had a way of looking at a guy like
together they had a secret. Munch had tried to imitate that coy smile
once with a tow truck driver she thought she might like to get to
know better. He had asked if he had food on his nose or something.
"You want me to get us some seats?" she
said. Danielle turned at the sound of Munch's voice.
"Just a sec," she said, grabbing Munch's
hand and holding it as she wound up her conversation with the guy she
was talking to. "Monday then. Pick me up at seven-thirty"
The guy leaned over and kissed Danielle's cheek.
She graced him with one of her secret smiles.
Munch felt her palm begin to sweat. Danielle's
fingers were securely laced within hers. As much as part of her
enjoyed the expression of friendship, the rest of her recoiled at
holding hands with another woman. She pulled loose.
She cast a covert
Datsun to open the passenger door. Her large lips were painted a
bright shade of red. "You wouldn't believe the afternoon I had."
Munch almost smiled. "We'll make it in time."
Danielle was always late and she was always sorry.
"You should let me fix this door," Munch
said.
"I still owe you for all the other work you've
done."
"Don't worry about it," Munch said, meaning
it. She'd much rather people be in debt to her than the other way
around.
When they arrived at the clubhouse, they found Ruby
already inside arranging literature on the table next to the coffee
urn.
'We have a little time left before the meeting
starts," Ruby said, reaching for a doughnut. "If you wanted
to talk."
"I saw an old friend today" Munch began,
rubbing the ball of her foot into the parquet floor of the meeting
hall.
"Is this someone you used with? You know how I
feel about that."
"Right, end of story." The matter was an
ongoing battle between the two of them. She had tried to explain to
Ruby once that not all her old friends had been terrible. Deb, for
instance, had always been a good influence. Deb didn't use a needle.
When Munch partied with Deb, they usually only drank. Another lower
companion, Ruby had said, with a finality that got Munch's back up.
Her sponsor didn't know everything about everything. Munch had even
said as much. Ruby agreed that she didn't know everything, but about
some things she was pretty damn sure. Munch decided not to tell her
sponsor about the Snakepit.
"Why do I get the sense that this isn't the end
of it?" Ruby asked.
'Well, it's not like the guy is the Antichrist. Maybe
I should have tried to carry the message to him or something. Isn't
that what we're supposed to be doing?"
"Honey he's not your responsibility He's in the
hands of that Old Boy upstairs," Ruby said.
Munch didn't want to say anything, but there were
many times when she suspected that that same old boy had gone
fishing. Like try the decade of her own teen years.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said,
stubbing out her cigarette as she exhaled the last of the smoke from
her lungs. " better go grab a seat."
"Call me."
"Sure."
"You say that and then I don't hear from you."
"I'll call you. Promise."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Munch cracked her little lopsided grin. "There
are no big deals, remember?"
Ruby pushed her shoulder. "Get out of here."
Munch feinted left and raised her fists into a
pugilistic pose. She left Ruby laughing and shaking her head. As she
crossed the room, she kept her eyes averted from the crowds by
pretending concern over spilling her coffee. Once upon a time, she
had been bold—not afraid of going head to head with anyone,
anytime. Sobriety had mined that—another of the side effects of
getting well.
Danielle, as usual, was surrounded by a group of
admiring men. She was wearing a hooded navy blue sweatshirt and
somehow managed to look sexy in it. Perhaps it was the skin-tight
jeans and four-inch heels, Munch thought. Or maybe it was the way her
curly dark hair fell playfully down her back and shoulders all the
way to her belt. Danielle also had a way of looking at a guy like
together they had a secret. Munch had tried to imitate that coy smile
once with a tow truck driver she thought she might like to get to
know better. He had asked if he had food on his nose or something.
"You want me to get us some seats?" she
said. Danielle turned at the sound of Munch's voice.
"Just a sec," she said, grabbing Munch's
hand and holding it as she wound up her conversation with the guy she
was talking to. "Monday then. Pick me up at seven-thirty"
The guy leaned over and kissed Danielle's cheek.
She graced him with one of her secret smiles.
Munch felt her palm begin to sweat. Danielle's
fingers were securely laced within hers. As much as part of her
enjoyed the expression of friendship, the rest of her recoiled at
holding hands with another woman. She pulled loose.
She cast a covert
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