Read Online The Men in her Life by Imogen Parker - Free Book Online

you came in. You can’t hear much in there. Promise. Well, well, well, Piers eh?’
    ‘Why didn’t you go into the spare room? What would you have done if one of us had wanted a wee?’ Holly wanted to know.
    ‘I was hiding behind the shower curtain. I just bolted. I didn’t have time to think of the sensible option,’ Colette defended herself.
    ‘But you can see behind the shower curtain from the loo...’
    ‘Only if you’re a girl... think about it... or is he the sort of man who doesn’t mind having a crap in an unfamiliar bathroom?’
    ‘What do you mean?’ Holly couldn’t help asking, even though she knew Colette was deliberately diverting her from her justifiable outrage.
    ‘Well, I never do. Not until I know someone really well. Do you?’
    They had been friends since they were children, but there were still things they didn’t know about each other, Holly thought. Didn’t want to know.
    ‘Anyway. I finished with him,’ Holly said, helping herself to cereal and looking at her watch. The euphoria of the victory, the party, the unusually hot sun outside had made her lose all sense of time. It seemed long ago that she had said goodbye to Piers, almost another life.
    ‘I thought it was over rather rapidly...’ Colette remarked waspishly.
    ‘No, really finished. That’s it. Finito. I really feel as if things have changed. D’you know what I mean?’
    ‘Today is the first day of the rest of your life,’ Colette mocked.
    ‘No, really. Something has changed. I suddenly feel as if life is full of possibilities... the Tories conned us into thinking we had to just accept things as they are. But we don’t. We can do something about it. I’ve got an in-tray this high, but I’ve decided to take today off work and devote it entirely to celebrating.’
    ‘You’re getting a worryingly evangelical look in your eye. Have you taken E or something?’
    ‘No. And another thing...’ impatiently Holly tried to think of another example. ‘I’m not going to spend the rest of my life knocking back Australian chardonnay and moaning about men. I hate chardonnay as a matter of fact.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘That horrible resin taste...’
    ‘I meant men.’
    ‘I’m sick of being negative. I don’t need a man to make me happy. If one comes along, fine. If not, fine too.’
    ‘Have you ever considered dating agencies?’ Colette asked in a confidential tone of voice.
    ‘God no, have you?’
    ‘You say it like it’s taboo. Apparently there are half a million people in the country who belong to them.’
    ‘No. Half a million? Have you then?’
    ‘In a way... I wondered if we should do it together...’
    ‘No way.’ Holly’s response was categorical.
    ‘You just said you were open to anything.’
    ‘I didn’t... I said... well, I can’t remember what I said quite, but I didn’t mean...’
    ‘But it’d be fun. We might meet someone...’
    ‘We might meet some bloody weirdo...’
    ‘Says the woman who’s been fucking a bloke called Piers...’
    ‘Oh piss off...’
    ‘ “Life is suddenly full of possibilities...” ’ Colette quoted her.
    ‘Oh shut up! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going for a swim. I’m going to get fit and follow a regular skincare routine.’
    ‘All in one day?’
    ‘I think you’ll find when you get off your arse, out of my flat and onto the streets, that your attitude is completely out of date. Cynicism is very April 97 and optimism is very May. You heard it here first.’ Holly slung her swimming bag over her shoulder and marched down the stairs.

    The one disadvantage of living where she did was temptation. It was quicker to pop out for a cappuccino than wait for a kettle to boil, spoon in the Gold Blend and then find that she’d got no fresh milk in the fridge. Why waste time cooking when she could go out to dinner, eat better food and leave the washing-up? These were expenses that Holly found easy enough to justify to herself, and even though she did it every day,