Read Online Solace & Grief by Foz Meadows - Free Book Online Page B

large and ancient tree. Calling a quick hello, she made a beeline for the tree trunk, and with a sigh, slumped heavily down against it. With pleased relief, she surveyed the spread. As advertised, there were picnic rugs (helpfully weighed down against the breeze by several wine casks, and to one side, a portable stereo playing the Dandy Warhols), several barbecue chickens, a bowl of potato salad, plastic cups and people, all of whom, Solace was delighted to realise, she knew. Helping herself to a drumstick, she took a bite and waved the remainder at Tryst, catching his attention rather successfully.
    ‘So. Caught the ibis yet?’
    Tryst laughed. He was a sociable type: tall, brown-haired and brown-eyed, with an infectious sense of humour. From where he was crouched, he tucked his fists against his chest and made his elbows flap, all the while making a disconsolate ibis-honk.
    ‘That means no,’ he called out. Solace giggled.
    Once she'd recovered from her time in the sun, the afternoon proved exceptionally pleasant. For the first time since seeing her at the Gadfly, she managed a proper chat with Laine, who, it turned out, was both softly wry and fiercely intelligent – or at least, that was the impression she made on Solace. Jess, Electra, a blonde called Claire and a brunette called Phoebe plaited long blades of grass into one another's hair, then fell, shrieking with laughter, into a short-lived game that consisted of trying to wipe as much sap and chlorophyll residue as possible onto each others’ faces. Tryst almost caught an ibis, but was thwarted at the last moment by a flying tackle from Evan. In an almost preternatural display of nimbleness and dexterity, Paige stole Harper's wine, clamped the edge of the plastic cup between her teeth and shimmied up the ancient tree without spilling so much as a drop, whereupon she clambered out onto a prominent branch and downed the lot. It was, in short, a glorious, silly, wonderful afternoon, and as the setting sun threw bright gold ribbons glancing through the foliage, Solace felt something in her heart twist. She'd done nothing more spectacular than play tag, climb trees, roll down the grassy slope with Jess and Paige, laze in the sun, drink alcohol, laugh, talk, eat; and yet it was beautiful, the best day she'd ever had. No matter what happened, the memory of it would be hers, forever. She felt her throat tighten.
    ‘More wine?’
    It was Manx. Obligingly, Solace made room for him to sit – which he did – but shook her head at the cask, which dangled loosely from an outstretched hand.
    ‘Maybe later.’
    Shrugging amiably in the manner of your loss, my gain, Manx poured himself a generous cupful and took a long draught, studying Solace's face sidelong as she, oblivious, watched the city. Her fingers twitched on the picnic blanket. Hesitantly, Manx reached over and squeezed her hand. Startled at the sudden contact, Solace jerked her head around before meeting Manx's mismatched eyes. He smiled crookedly and winked at her. Solace laughed and squeezed back self-consciously. For a while, the two of them sat like that, content on the edge of a tartan rug as Sydney moved around them. Eventually, however, Manx broke the contact, leaning back on his arms to speak.
    ‘Those surveys we did today,’ he said, carefully. ‘We both took a while to finish.’
    ‘Yeah. They were pretty crazy. Fun, though.’
    ‘Mm.’ He seemed to be considering something, mulling it over. Solace waited. Since moving into the warehouse, she'd spent most nights in Manx's bed, mostly because his was the most comfortable mattress. They weren't lovers, or partners, or people who technically were one or the other but claimed to be just friends – they genuinely were friends, and slept side by side as innocently as kittens, with only marginally less kicking, biting and affectionate swiping at around 4 am. Even without a sexual aspect, being so close to another person was a new experience for Solace,