Read Online Two For Joy by Patricia Scanlan - Free Book Online Page B

buried for so long invaded her head until she thought she was going to be sick.
    â€˜I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to think about it,’ she muttered wildly. ‘No! No! Mam, why did you do it? Why did you let me hear you and see you? It’s dirty, dirty, dirty.’ Lorna wept uncontrollably, great wrenching sobs heaving from the depths of her.
    Out in the rumpled double bed, Derek snored on. Oblivious.
    *   *   *
    Heather sipped her glass of tepid white wine and tried not to yawn. People were slow dancing to kd lang, but Neil was deep in conversation with some bloke about cars, and had been for the last half hour. Of Lorna and Derek there was no sign.
    â€˜Hi, Heather, would you like to dance?’ Tony Mallin, one of Oliver’s builders, sat down at the table beside her and eyed her hopefully. Neil never even noticed.
    â€˜Why not?’ Heather said recklessly. She hoped Neil would get good and jealous when he saw her dancing a slow set. The evening had started off extremely promisingly: he’d been very attentive for about an hour but then he’d gone to the bar for more drinks and stayed chatting to some bloke for half an hour, leaving her like a lemon on her own, and now he was talking to another guy and she might as well be on the moon.
    She followed Tony on to the floor and they started to dance. ‘Are you enjoying yourself?’ he asked as his hands slid down to her hips.
    â€˜It’s OK,’ she responded, disconcerted. He was being far too touchy-feely for her taste.
    â€˜If I had a lovely girl like you as my date, I wouldn’t sit gabbing with a bloke,’ he murmured, nuzzling her ear. ‘That top you’re wearing is dead sexy.’ He drew away for a moment and gazed admiringly at her cleavage, before pressing himself close against her. She could feel his erection. Heather had just about had enough.
    â€˜Do you mind, Tony Mallin. What do you think I am?’ she demanded furiously, twisting out of his grasp. ‘Go grope someone else,’ she snapped, marching off the dance floor leaving Tony with his mouth open in surprise.
    Neil had never even noticed that she was gone. He was still engrossed in his conversation. Heather felt volcanic-size resentment engulf her, as she nibbled on a cold cocktail sausage, part of the finger food served to the evening guests. Her boyfriend guffawed at something the other man said. Heather grabbed her bag. ‘I’m going to the Ladies,’ she hissed.
    â€˜Fine, fine.’ Neil didn’t even bother to look in her direction. Heather stalked out of the room to the strains of ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction’. ‘Tell me about it,’ she muttered. The Ladies, mercifully, was empty as she went into a stall, pulled down the loo seat and sat on it, biting her lip furiously. Neil was behaving really badly. He was being so disrespectful, ignoring her while he touted for business. Heather knew and understood that it was important for him to network. He had a client base to build up. But surely, she reasoned, good manners alone dictated that he look after his date for the evening – that was, she thought with sinking heart, if he felt anything for her at all. Maybe it was best to nip it in the bud now, she thought unhappily. There was no point in going through weeks of misery the way she had with Colin.
    A tear trickled down her cheeks. She’d had such hopes of Neil. She’d thought that he was different. When they were alone, he told her all about his dream to open a big garage on North Road and then, when that was up and running, another one in nearby Navan. Eventually his dream was to open one in Dublin. She had helped him with his costings, had typed up his business plan for him and had been delighted to be part of it. It was exciting, exhilarating, and she felt that she’d contributed to and shared the dream. Until tonight. Tonight she felt