Read Online Second Opinion by Claire Rayner - Free Book Online Page A

piece of fish and put it in her mouth, afraid she’d want to spit it out, but determined to show Gus how wrong he was about her. And to her surprise found the taste delectable. She winked at Kitty and ate another piece with genuine relish.
    ‘Watch out for bones,’ Kitty said. ‘They’re bleedin’ sharp. You can spit ‘em out — it’s all right. Everyone does. Enjoy the rest. I’ll go an’ get the ‘alibut and, yeah, your turbot.’ And she laughed at Gus and went.
    The rest of their meal went by contentedly as Gus protested at her willingness to please Kitty by trying the eels after refusing him and they both enjoyed their fried fish and the chips, which arrived in a great pile of whisperingcrispness. By the time they’d reached the bread-and-butter pudding (which Gus insisted on ordering even though George knew she couldn’t manage another mouthful and then ate half a bowlful) they were as contented with each other as if they had been friends for years, instead of only sometimes edgy colleagues for barely — she stopped to work it out — eleven months.
    Almost to her own surprise, she said as much. ‘I feel as though I’ve been here in Shadwell a hell of a long time,’ she said. ‘But it’s not even a year yet.’
    ‘Good,’ he said. ‘That must mean you like it here. And like us.’
    ‘Not necessarily.’ She couldn’t help being combative. Not with him. ‘It could mean that the days drag like eternity and the people drive me bananas.’
    ‘Do they? And do we?’
    She relaxed and accepted the Irish coffee he’d ordered for her. It tasted remarkably good, if far too rich. ‘I suppose not.’
    ‘So, like I said. Good.’
    They settled into a silence for a while, until he stirred and leaned forward. His voice dropped and he seemed unusually uncomfortable. ‘Dr B. ….’ he said, and then stopped.
    ‘Mmm?’ The coffee, following the drinks she’d had in the pub and the Sancerre that had accompanied the fish, was making her agreeably sleepy.
    ‘I wanted to ask you …’ Again his voice drifted away and she roused herself and peered at him.
    ‘What’s up, Gus? Something bugging you?’
    ‘You could say that. I was just wondering …’
    ‘Well? Spit it out.’
    ‘I like you,’ he said baldly. ‘You know what I mean?’
    ‘As long as you’re not bullshitting, yes. I imagined you didn’t find my company totally repellent. Seeing you asked me out tonight.’
    ‘Oh, I mean more than that! You don’t have to come the silly miss with me, do you? I mean, it’s one of the things I like about you. Saying what you think, and all that. Even if you do sometimes go too far.’
    ‘Oh?’ She began to bristle. ‘How too far?’
    ‘Well, you know — well-brought-up ladies here in England don’t talk the way you do sometimes. Like saying bullshit, just now, and —’
    ‘Like hell they don’t!’ She was quite awake now. ‘I don’t think you listen to the way ladies — Christ, what a word! Ladies! — I don’t think you listen to the way ordinary women talk in this country. You ought to try, instead of just jumping to conclusions about women. You might get a bit of a surprise if you do.’
    ‘Wouldn’t you just know it!’ He sounded disgusted. ‘Here’s me trying to talk sensible and serious to you and what do I get? Another of your naggings about women and the way men like me treat them. Well, I’m here to tell you there’s no one who respects women more than I do! And don’t you go thinking otherwise!’
    ‘Oh, Gus, you’re such a — such —’ She was so incensed that her voice caught in her throat and she started to cough. He pushed a glass of water closer to her, leaned over so that his head was very close to hers and banged her back.
    ‘Yeah, I know, MCP. I swear to you, George, that half the time I don’t know what you women are on about. I try to talk sense to you about something important and before I can get more than a handful of words out, there you are