Read Online The Birthday Girl by Stephen Leather - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephen Leather
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tell all to Katherine.
Mersiha yawned and stretched. When she opened her eyes Katherine was walking towards the car, brushing her blonde hair behind her ears. 'Okay, kiddo, let's go,' Katherine said 48 STEPHEN LEATHER as she slid into the driver's seat. 'Do you still want icecream?' 'Do birds sing in the woods?'
Katherine looked across at Mersiha and raised an eyebrow. 'I hope that's the only version of that saying you use.'
Mersiha widened her eyes innocently. 'What do you mean?' she asked.
Katherine grinned. 'You know exactly what I mean.' She started the car and eased it forward. 'Chocolate chip?'
Katherine waited until later, as they sat either side of a chocolate sundae and attacked it with long-handled spoons, before raising the subject of Dr Brown with Mersiha. 'How do you think the session went today?' she asked.
Mersiha shrugged and spooned up a maraschino cherry. 'Okay,' she said.
'He said he thinks you're making terrific progress.'
'He does?' Mersiha said, surprised.
'Uh-huh. But he'd like you to open up to him more.'
They ate in silence for a while, each waiting for the other to speak. Eventually it was Katherine who broke the silence. 'He only wants to help you. If you were to open up to him, the nightmares might stop.'
'They have stopped,' Mersiha said. Katherine raised an eyebrow. 'Almost,' Mersiha added.
'He's right, you know. If you suppress things, they have a way of coming out in other ways.'
'I know, I know. There's no need to go on about it. I'm okay. It's not like I'm crazy or anything.'
Katherine smiled. 'No, that's for sure. You're a very clever, very pretty, very lovely girl. And I love you with all my heart.'
Mersiha smiled. She offered her spoon to Katherine, giving her the maraschino cherry. Katherine put her lips to it, carefully, like a cat feeding.
'One day, maybe I'll be able to talk about it. But not just now.' Mersiha was suddenly serious. 'It's as if I've locked all the bad stuff away and if I open the door it'll all come pouring out. I don't think I'll be able to handle it. Sometimes I realise how much bad stuff there is behind the door, and it scares me.'
Katherine nodded. 'Okay, kiddo. That's okay. Just so long as you remember that we're here for you.' Mersiha smiled. 'Do bears ...' Katherine raised her spoon. 'Watch it, young lady!'
Sal Sabatino surveyed the menu and beamed at the grey-haired waitress as she hovered expectantly. 'So what's good tonight, huh?' he asked.
The waitress scratched her ear with the end of her pencil. 'The calamari's going well, Mr Sabatino.'
'Yeah? What, fried?'
'Baked is better. In a white wine and lemon sauce.'
Sabatino nodded thoughtfully and scratched one of his several chins. 'Yeah, but I really feel like fettuccini carbonara, you know? I love the big pieces of bacon. None of that chopped ham they use in some places.'
'Only the best for you, Mr Sabatino.' The waitress stood patiently by the side of his table. She knew better than to rush Sal Sabatino. One of the customers at another table tried to catch her eye but she pretended not to notice.
'And the sauce. Oh, that sauce. My cholesterol level is going up just thinking about it.' He patted his ample waistline which was only half hidden by the tablecloth. 'You know what my blood pressure was at my last medical? One hundred and fifty over a hundred.' The waitress frowned, not sure if that was good or bad. 'I got it. I got it. I'll have the calamari, like you said, and a half-portion of the fettuccini, as an appetiser.'
'Excellent choice, Mr Sabatino.'
Sabatino handed her the menu with a flourish. 'And bring me a bottle of my usual. Well chilled.'
'Of course, Mr Sabatino.' The customer who'd been trying to get the waitress's attention waved frantically as she headed towards the kitchen, but she didn't stop. She knew that Sabatino wouldn't take kindly to his order being delayed for even a few seconds. He wasn't a man who liked to be kept waiting.
Sabatino sat alone in his corner,
Mersiha yawned and stretched. When she opened her eyes Katherine was walking towards the car, brushing her blonde hair behind her ears. 'Okay, kiddo, let's go,' Katherine said 48 STEPHEN LEATHER as she slid into the driver's seat. 'Do you still want icecream?' 'Do birds sing in the woods?'
Katherine looked across at Mersiha and raised an eyebrow. 'I hope that's the only version of that saying you use.'
Mersiha widened her eyes innocently. 'What do you mean?' she asked.
Katherine grinned. 'You know exactly what I mean.' She started the car and eased it forward. 'Chocolate chip?'
Katherine waited until later, as they sat either side of a chocolate sundae and attacked it with long-handled spoons, before raising the subject of Dr Brown with Mersiha. 'How do you think the session went today?' she asked.
Mersiha shrugged and spooned up a maraschino cherry. 'Okay,' she said.
'He said he thinks you're making terrific progress.'
'He does?' Mersiha said, surprised.
'Uh-huh. But he'd like you to open up to him more.'
They ate in silence for a while, each waiting for the other to speak. Eventually it was Katherine who broke the silence. 'He only wants to help you. If you were to open up to him, the nightmares might stop.'
'They have stopped,' Mersiha said. Katherine raised an eyebrow. 'Almost,' Mersiha added.
'He's right, you know. If you suppress things, they have a way of coming out in other ways.'
'I know, I know. There's no need to go on about it. I'm okay. It's not like I'm crazy or anything.'
Katherine smiled. 'No, that's for sure. You're a very clever, very pretty, very lovely girl. And I love you with all my heart.'
Mersiha smiled. She offered her spoon to Katherine, giving her the maraschino cherry. Katherine put her lips to it, carefully, like a cat feeding.
'One day, maybe I'll be able to talk about it. But not just now.' Mersiha was suddenly serious. 'It's as if I've locked all the bad stuff away and if I open the door it'll all come pouring out. I don't think I'll be able to handle it. Sometimes I realise how much bad stuff there is behind the door, and it scares me.'
Katherine nodded. 'Okay, kiddo. That's okay. Just so long as you remember that we're here for you.' Mersiha smiled. 'Do bears ...' Katherine raised her spoon. 'Watch it, young lady!'
Sal Sabatino surveyed the menu and beamed at the grey-haired waitress as she hovered expectantly. 'So what's good tonight, huh?' he asked.
The waitress scratched her ear with the end of her pencil. 'The calamari's going well, Mr Sabatino.'
'Yeah? What, fried?'
'Baked is better. In a white wine and lemon sauce.'
Sabatino nodded thoughtfully and scratched one of his several chins. 'Yeah, but I really feel like fettuccini carbonara, you know? I love the big pieces of bacon. None of that chopped ham they use in some places.'
'Only the best for you, Mr Sabatino.' The waitress stood patiently by the side of his table. She knew better than to rush Sal Sabatino. One of the customers at another table tried to catch her eye but she pretended not to notice.
'And the sauce. Oh, that sauce. My cholesterol level is going up just thinking about it.' He patted his ample waistline which was only half hidden by the tablecloth. 'You know what my blood pressure was at my last medical? One hundred and fifty over a hundred.' The waitress frowned, not sure if that was good or bad. 'I got it. I got it. I'll have the calamari, like you said, and a half-portion of the fettuccini, as an appetiser.'
'Excellent choice, Mr Sabatino.'
Sabatino handed her the menu with a flourish. 'And bring me a bottle of my usual. Well chilled.'
'Of course, Mr Sabatino.' The customer who'd been trying to get the waitress's attention waved frantically as she headed towards the kitchen, but she didn't stop. She knew that Sabatino wouldn't take kindly to his order being delayed for even a few seconds. He wasn't a man who liked to be kept waiting.
Sabatino sat alone in his corner,
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