Read Online The Birds and the Bees by Milly Johnson - Free Book Online
Authors: Milly Johnson
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not wait long to carry on at home where he and Jo would leave off in Majorca. It had been so good to wake up with her after a long night instead of skulking about, snatching moments when Stevie’s back was turned. He didn’t know at what point he was going to tell Stevie the wedding was off. He was sort of hoping she would draw that conclusion for herself and save him the hassle. It was a cliché all right, but all was fair in love and war. He had to keep thinking that or he would never be able to look at himself in a mirror again.
Obviously, Adam MacLean might not quite see it in those black and white terms. Jo was going to tell him thatshe wanted some space too, and then join Matt at the Queens Hotel in town, when she had packed up a few essentials. She hadn’t been quite so keen on his first suggestion of the B&B on Lunn Street, but what the hell–it wouldn’t be for long, then any money worries would be over. No doubt Jo would go for a quickie divorce on the grounds of MacLean being a violent git, and the latter would have to pay her out once their house was sold. Matthew presumed then that she would buy half his house in Blossom Lane and all money pressure would be right off him. Then they could really start to enjoy themselves from a steady financial platform. Plenty of holidays in the sun like this one, plenty of cosy romantic meals for two at home and cuddle-ups on the sofa, plenty of tiny little Agent Provocateur red G-strings to pull off with his teeth. His perfect life was just around the corner.
‘So, what do you want to do on your last night?’ he asked.
She sidled suggestively over to him, reaching behind her to unzip her dress. It fell to the floor and she stepped out of it, wearing nothing but some very small black see-through briefs.
‘What do you think?’ she said. ‘I bet Stevie never wore anything like these for you, did she?’
Matthew groaned.
Stevie who? was his last coherent thought of the day.
Stevie tucked Danny up with his teddy and read him a story about a Useless Troll with a very grisly ending, which he listened to with little-boy rapture, sucking his pyjamacollar, until she extricated it from his mouth. She kissed him good night and thought, The next time I see you will be the day I see Matthew too. Then the phone went and it was Catherine doing her mother hen impression.
‘You all set for tomorrow? How are you going to play it? Are you going to let him know you know?’
‘No. I’m just going to be really nice. Not shout or bawl, just be calm and collected and cool.’
All of which she knew was going to be pretty difficult, since she had discovered that Matthew had taken out most of the money in their joint savings account, money that he hadn’t actually put in. They had planned to take Danny to Euro-Disney with it that summer. He had probably spent it on her , but Stevie would try her best not to mention that.
‘Don’t let him get away with it entirely, he’ll think you’re a soft touch,’ said Catherine, who was amazed at her friend’s self-control. She had been witness to the crazy state she had been in when she found out that Mick was playing about. She half-expected Matthew to cop for that as well as his own misdemeanours because people did that sometimes, carry a load forward if they couldn’t get emotional satisfaction the first time–and Stevie had a lot of unfinished business in that past relationship.
‘Yes, I take your point,’ said Stevie, ‘but I want to listen to what he has to say. If he carries on pretending he went to Aberdeen and that’s obviously the end of the matter, then I’m just going to try and forget this ever happened.’
‘And will you really be able to do that?’ asked Catherine with a gasp.
‘I’m going to have to,’ said Stevie, with steely resolve.
Chapter 11
After a night of fractured sleep, Stevie rang the airport and found that Matthew’s plane had left on time, which meant that it was due into Leeds/Bradford
Obviously, Adam MacLean might not quite see it in those black and white terms. Jo was going to tell him thatshe wanted some space too, and then join Matt at the Queens Hotel in town, when she had packed up a few essentials. She hadn’t been quite so keen on his first suggestion of the B&B on Lunn Street, but what the hell–it wouldn’t be for long, then any money worries would be over. No doubt Jo would go for a quickie divorce on the grounds of MacLean being a violent git, and the latter would have to pay her out once their house was sold. Matthew presumed then that she would buy half his house in Blossom Lane and all money pressure would be right off him. Then they could really start to enjoy themselves from a steady financial platform. Plenty of holidays in the sun like this one, plenty of cosy romantic meals for two at home and cuddle-ups on the sofa, plenty of tiny little Agent Provocateur red G-strings to pull off with his teeth. His perfect life was just around the corner.
‘So, what do you want to do on your last night?’ he asked.
She sidled suggestively over to him, reaching behind her to unzip her dress. It fell to the floor and she stepped out of it, wearing nothing but some very small black see-through briefs.
‘What do you think?’ she said. ‘I bet Stevie never wore anything like these for you, did she?’
Matthew groaned.
Stevie who? was his last coherent thought of the day.
Stevie tucked Danny up with his teddy and read him a story about a Useless Troll with a very grisly ending, which he listened to with little-boy rapture, sucking his pyjamacollar, until she extricated it from his mouth. She kissed him good night and thought, The next time I see you will be the day I see Matthew too. Then the phone went and it was Catherine doing her mother hen impression.
‘You all set for tomorrow? How are you going to play it? Are you going to let him know you know?’
‘No. I’m just going to be really nice. Not shout or bawl, just be calm and collected and cool.’
All of which she knew was going to be pretty difficult, since she had discovered that Matthew had taken out most of the money in their joint savings account, money that he hadn’t actually put in. They had planned to take Danny to Euro-Disney with it that summer. He had probably spent it on her , but Stevie would try her best not to mention that.
‘Don’t let him get away with it entirely, he’ll think you’re a soft touch,’ said Catherine, who was amazed at her friend’s self-control. She had been witness to the crazy state she had been in when she found out that Mick was playing about. She half-expected Matthew to cop for that as well as his own misdemeanours because people did that sometimes, carry a load forward if they couldn’t get emotional satisfaction the first time–and Stevie had a lot of unfinished business in that past relationship.
‘Yes, I take your point,’ said Stevie, ‘but I want to listen to what he has to say. If he carries on pretending he went to Aberdeen and that’s obviously the end of the matter, then I’m just going to try and forget this ever happened.’
‘And will you really be able to do that?’ asked Catherine with a gasp.
‘I’m going to have to,’ said Stevie, with steely resolve.
Chapter 11
After a night of fractured sleep, Stevie rang the airport and found that Matthew’s plane had left on time, which meant that it was due into Leeds/Bradford
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