Read Online The Candidate by Juliet Francis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Juliet Francis
Ads: Link
— you used to have terrible taste in men. The worse they treated you, the better, right?’
‘Yeah, well … not anymore,’ Ginny grumbled lightly.
‘Exactly! You’re well and truly hitting your straps these days, Ginn. So, good riddance to Telco-man tosser!’ Madeleine paused. ‘Heard from Mac?’
‘No — but I don’t really expect to. Andrew and Jen haven’t heard from him so I — we — guess he must be off doing the real deal or … whatever.’ Ginny shifted in her seat. She was always a little uncomfortable when the subject of Mac came up. She didn’t often volunteer information about him, but Mads asked about him every few months.
‘Don’t you get a bit over the whole stepmother passing on info thing? Isn’t that a bit weird?’
‘Well, yeah, I guess. But, you know, that’s just how it works with Mac.’
‘Do you think he’ll come back? Eventually?’
‘Of course he will,’ Ginny said abruptly. ‘I mean, his dad and Jen are here. He’d have to come back for them, don’t you think?’
‘I guess so.’ Mads took a sip and studied Ginny as she did.
Needing to change the subject, Ginny got to her feet. ‘I’d better head off. I’ve got a pile of CVs to go through tonight.’
‘Oh, mate, you shouldn’t have bothered coming over if you had work to do!’
Ginny embraced her friend. ‘You lot are far more important.’ She collected her bag and jacket, and headed for the door. ‘Give me a call, okay? If you need anything.’
‘Sure, Ginny — thanks,’ Mads waved her off.
Chapter 5
As she drove the short distance back to the carpark and home, Ginny replayed her conversation with Madeleine. She thought back, tried to work out when she had last seen Mac. Was it last winter? No, it couldn’t be. But then that made it the year before! Nearly eighteen months ago. Where had that gone?
Ginny had been down at Ohakune with a new … acquaintance, taking advantage of a decent late-winter dump of snow and hoping to combine it with a bit of romance. Although time on the slopes had been great, and the company pleasant, Ginny had worked out pretty quickly that even fresh powder and brilliant blue skies weren’t going to infuse enough magic to get the sparks flying with the very polite, very tidy, but not very interesting, Stephen.
Thankfully, the relationship was new enough for her to insist on separate rooms, and he was far too much of a gentleman to make a play for more. They’d been out for a meal and a few drinks and, after a particularly long lull in the conversation, Ginny suggested another round. Insisting it was her shout, she left Stephen at the table.
As she moved toward the rowdy bar, she noticed a table of guys off to one side. They were loud, laughing and shouting good-naturedly. It was clear they’d been there for some time, and appeared to be a tight crew who were oblivious to the rest of the room. Including two women at the next table who were blatantly checking them out. And who wouldn’t? Ginny thought. There was a high incidence of very well-put-together male bodies. That lot wouldn’t stand for single rooms, gentlemen or not, she laughed to herself, realising that she wouldn’t either given half the chance. Ginny sighed. It had been a while, quite a while, since she’d had to contemplate room configuration.
Casting one more look at the group, momentarily wishing she wasn’t already on a date and no longer game enough to rock up to a group of strange men, she walked straight into someone, spilling drinks all over both of them.
‘Oh, shit — I’m so sorry. I should’ve been looking where I was going …’ She looked up. ‘Mac! What the hell are you doing here?’
He looked flabbergasted and, she quickly realised, quite hammered. She laughed at him and he squinted back.
‘Don’t tell me you don’t recognise me. It’s me, Ginny.’
‘Shit, Ginn, of course it’s you.’ Putting what was left of the drinks on the floor, he engulfed her in
‘Yeah, well … not anymore,’ Ginny grumbled lightly.
‘Exactly! You’re well and truly hitting your straps these days, Ginn. So, good riddance to Telco-man tosser!’ Madeleine paused. ‘Heard from Mac?’
‘No — but I don’t really expect to. Andrew and Jen haven’t heard from him so I — we — guess he must be off doing the real deal or … whatever.’ Ginny shifted in her seat. She was always a little uncomfortable when the subject of Mac came up. She didn’t often volunteer information about him, but Mads asked about him every few months.
‘Don’t you get a bit over the whole stepmother passing on info thing? Isn’t that a bit weird?’
‘Well, yeah, I guess. But, you know, that’s just how it works with Mac.’
‘Do you think he’ll come back? Eventually?’
‘Of course he will,’ Ginny said abruptly. ‘I mean, his dad and Jen are here. He’d have to come back for them, don’t you think?’
‘I guess so.’ Mads took a sip and studied Ginny as she did.
Needing to change the subject, Ginny got to her feet. ‘I’d better head off. I’ve got a pile of CVs to go through tonight.’
‘Oh, mate, you shouldn’t have bothered coming over if you had work to do!’
Ginny embraced her friend. ‘You lot are far more important.’ She collected her bag and jacket, and headed for the door. ‘Give me a call, okay? If you need anything.’
‘Sure, Ginny — thanks,’ Mads waved her off.
Chapter 5
As she drove the short distance back to the carpark and home, Ginny replayed her conversation with Madeleine. She thought back, tried to work out when she had last seen Mac. Was it last winter? No, it couldn’t be. But then that made it the year before! Nearly eighteen months ago. Where had that gone?
Ginny had been down at Ohakune with a new … acquaintance, taking advantage of a decent late-winter dump of snow and hoping to combine it with a bit of romance. Although time on the slopes had been great, and the company pleasant, Ginny had worked out pretty quickly that even fresh powder and brilliant blue skies weren’t going to infuse enough magic to get the sparks flying with the very polite, very tidy, but not very interesting, Stephen.
Thankfully, the relationship was new enough for her to insist on separate rooms, and he was far too much of a gentleman to make a play for more. They’d been out for a meal and a few drinks and, after a particularly long lull in the conversation, Ginny suggested another round. Insisting it was her shout, she left Stephen at the table.
As she moved toward the rowdy bar, she noticed a table of guys off to one side. They were loud, laughing and shouting good-naturedly. It was clear they’d been there for some time, and appeared to be a tight crew who were oblivious to the rest of the room. Including two women at the next table who were blatantly checking them out. And who wouldn’t? Ginny thought. There was a high incidence of very well-put-together male bodies. That lot wouldn’t stand for single rooms, gentlemen or not, she laughed to herself, realising that she wouldn’t either given half the chance. Ginny sighed. It had been a while, quite a while, since she’d had to contemplate room configuration.
Casting one more look at the group, momentarily wishing she wasn’t already on a date and no longer game enough to rock up to a group of strange men, she walked straight into someone, spilling drinks all over both of them.
‘Oh, shit — I’m so sorry. I should’ve been looking where I was going …’ She looked up. ‘Mac! What the hell are you doing here?’
He looked flabbergasted and, she quickly realised, quite hammered. She laughed at him and he squinted back.
‘Don’t tell me you don’t recognise me. It’s me, Ginny.’
‘Shit, Ginn, of course it’s you.’ Putting what was left of the drinks on the floor, he engulfed her in
Similar Books
