Babyville by Jane Green Read Free Book Online Page B

too loud a whisper. Julia smooths her hair behind her ears and gives an apologetic smile to the middle-aged woman in front who turns round to glare at her menacingly. “Later,” she mouths to Bella, and they all shuffle up to sing “Jerusalem.”
    “What about you?” Bella whispers when the hymn is finished, ignoring the half-turned head of the woman in front. “Any closer to marriage with the delectable Mark, or is that a no-go area too?”
    “Happy as we are.” Julia leans in so that Mark, on her other side, doesn't hear. “You know us. Happy as we are.”
     
    Mark
is slowly starting to relax, copious amounts of wine helping considerably, added to the fact that he is sitting next to Bella, whom he has always found rather scary, but rather attractive at the same time.
    Bella is not stupid. She can see that Julia and Mark are not happy, and, although her allegiances are undoubtedly with Julia, will always be with Julia, she sees no reason why Mark shouldn't have some attention paid to him as well.
    She has quizzed him about work, showing genuine interest and asking clever, pointed questions, and she has amused him with some anecdotes about the navigation of office politics in America, all the while ensuring his glass is topped up.
    Julia is delighted that someone other than she is watching out for Mark, making sure he is okay, and more delighted to be sitting next to Jason, an extremely attractive friend of Adam's who split up with his most recent girlfriend six months ago, is playing the field, and is still under the mistaken impression that weddings are a good hunting ground (these people are in their thirties and really ought to know better).
    “I'm Jason,” he says, shaking her hand as he sits down next to her. “And I'm on my own today so I'm afraid you might have to look after me.”
    “I'm Julia.” Her eyes light up. For a second she considers introducing Mark, but he's deeply engrossed in conversation with Bella, and anyway, why should she have to explain Mark? They'd never been a MarkandJulia type of couple anyway. “I'm an old friend of Lorna,” she continues, angling her body slightly so it faces Jason, and is away from Mark. “What about you? How do you know them?”
    They sit and talk for a while, the usual small talk, and Julia can't help but notice that every time he shifts in his seat, be it to place a hand on the table, or uncross his arms, or cross his legs, she echoes it. She must have done it for a while unconsciously, but when Jason rests his chin in his hand, with a start Julia realizes she has just done the same thing. She quickly removes her chin from her hand, and makes a conscious note not to keep copying him. She has read
The Naked Ape,
she knows what echoing body language means.
    Suddenly Jason stops, in the middle of an anecdote. “Oh, long and boring story,” he says, “and I can't possibly start off making small talk with you, you're far too attractive.” Julia feels a blush rise, a thrill that she hasn't felt for years. “Tell me instead . . .” He leans forward conspiratorially, and Julia can't help it, her body moves forward too, until his face is merely inches from hers. He speaks intensely. Carefully. Looks deep into her eyes. “Do you . . .”—he pauses—“or do you not”—pauses again—“think the Clangers should be brought back?”
    Such an intimate gesture teamed with such a childlike question, but Jason knows that small talk gets you precisely nowhere, and that nostalgia is a far better emotion with which to pave the way to a woman's heart.
    Julia starts laughing. Relieved. A touch disappointed.
    “I think they very definitely should be brought back,” she laughs.
    “And do you or do you not think the Soup-Dragon ought to be seen far more often?”
    “Oh my God,” Julia's eyes widen in delight. “I haven't thought about the Soup-Dragon for years.”
    “But I bet you haven't forgotten her conversational prowess.”
    Julia relaxes back in her chair,