A Change for the Better? by Stephanie Drury Read Free Book Online Page B

she couldn’t get rid of, and at the same time, strangely hoping it might be too. She heard the familiar tones as Cliona announced her arrival.
     
    “Hi Katie love, Dec and I came a bit early. I thought you might need a hand or a bit of moral support at the very least, it’s quite strange having your house full of strangers.” Katie relaxed immediately. Cliona was such a perceptive friend yet she never seemed intrusive. Katie began to wonder how she had done without such a friend before; perhaps things would have worked out differently if she’d had some wise and caring counsel. Katie made a resolution immediately that as soon as she was back in London she would put plenty of effort into finding at least one friend she could rely on half as much as she could on Cliona even in this short space of time.
     
    Katie waved Cliona and Declan into the flat. Declan, Cliona’s partner was a big bear of a man, over six foot four and nearly as wide Katie thought, but he was as gentle as he was big and although he was a man of few words, being with Cliona meant he didn’t get many opportunities to talk anyway. When he did speak it was usually to the point and well observed, served up in a deep and husky voice that had retained a faint Irish burr despite leaving Ireland when he was only eight.
     
    On reaching the kitchen Katie started the introductions,
     
    “Um Ben, this is my friend Cliona and her partner ...”
     
    “Dec” Ben interrupted shaking Declan’s hand warmly and giving Cliona a peck on the cheek. Katie looked at Ben for an explanation and Ben obliged
    “I’ve known Dec a good few years now; we did a renovation job on his restaurant about four years ago.”
     
    “That he did, but even so we managed to stay friends” Declan teased and Ben grinned clearly pleased to have a real friend to talk to.
     
    “So I know how we know Ben” Cliona remarked “but how do you know Ben” she asked Katie.
     
    “Well actually it turns out we used to go to school together but I called his firm to come and fix the uncooperative front door and in an extraordinary display of bad timing he turned up this afternoon.” Katie swept her hair back as she spoke to give the impression she had been put out.
     
    “You forgot to mention knocking me off my bike and driving off without a backward glance” Ben remonstrated and, as Katie tried to but in, added “and waved to me as I headed into the hedge” Cliona and Declan were laughing out loud now and Katie could feel the colour rising from the tips of her toes to the top of her forehead as she recalled her less than gracious behaviour .
     
    “Katie, you never told me about that” Cliona chided her friend “tell me now exactly what happened, as I know Ben has a tendency to exaggerate on occasions.”
     
    Just as Katie was thinking how she could get out of this gaping hole Ben had dropped her in there was a loud rat-tatting on the door and shortly after Poppy came bowling through the kitchen looking as excited as a five year old going to their first party. Without waiting for any introductions she headed straight for the table rubbing her hands with glee and stuffing a whole cheese scone in her mouth at once. It was only then she turned round to see there were people other than Katie in the room.
     
    “Oops sorry” she exclaimed through a mouthful of crumbs “I didn’t see any of you here, but to be fair my attention was focused elsewhere.” Poppy admitted with complete honesty “but I know for sure” she continued “that none of you live here so why are you here?” Poppy’s bluntness although sometimes a bit of a surprise could never be offensive as it was always delivered with such childish naivety everyone just knew she wasn’t been rude. Somehow she had never lost that childlike way of asking whatever was in her head the minute she thought of it.
     
    Katie made the necessary introductions and left them all chatting as simultaneous knocks at the front and back