Cathy Hopkins - [Mates, Dates 05] by Dates Mates, Sole Survivors (Html) Read Free Book Online Page B

months.
    ‘Oh, you know what
Mum’s like,’ said Izzie. ‘Has to have the right outfit for every occasion.’
    ‘I don’t think she’ll
be expected to dress for dinner in a place like this. More like tracksuits and
T-shirts. And high heels in country lanes?’
    ‘Try telling Mum
that,’ sighed Izzie, who like me, was wearing jeans and trainers. ‘Anyone would
think we’re going to meet the Queen with the clothes she’s brought down.’
    Chris showed us around
the farmhouse and where we were to sleep, and I could see at once that Mrs
Foster didn’t approve.
    ‘I assumed that we all
had our own private room,’ she said, frowning as Chris showed us a whitewashed
dormitory at the back of the house with bunk beds. ‘I mean this
is
supposed to be a weekend of rest and relaxation.’
    ‘We think it makes for
a better atmosphere.’ Chris smiled. ‘Everyone gets to know each other really
fast on a course like this. Soon you’ll all be getting along like old friends.’
    ‘And there’s a yeti
living in my fridge,’ I whispered to Izzie as I glanced over at the other
ladies who were busy unpacking their weekend cases. There were five of them:
two old ladies with glasses and long grey hair who looked like sisters and were
dressed in the sort of clothes my mum wears, i.e., charity shop cardigans and
long hippie skirts; a younger woman with short spiky hair with pink streaks
through it and a nose ring; a slim, blonde lady who was sitting on the end of
her bed in a meditation pose with her eyes closed; and finally, a very plump
lady with big teeth who was helping herself to a sandwich and a flask of
tea.They glanced up at us when we walked in and the plump one gave us a wave.
    ‘Hi, I’m Moira,’ she
said, then indicated the beds with a sweep of her hand. ‘You got any
preferences about where you want to sleep?’
    ‘As far away from here
as possible,’ whispered Mrs Foster, turning away. ‘Izzie, I don’t think I can
do this.’
    ‘Oh, come on, Mum,
it’ll be fun. Like a sleepover for adults.’
    ‘Yes… fun,’ said Mrs
Foster, unconvinced.
    Izzie and I bagged the
bunk bed in the corner, leaving Mrs Foster to take the bunk above Moira. It was
hysterical. Everyone stared at her as she unpacked and took over the whole
wardrobe with her clothes. When that was full, she hung even more on the board
at the end of her bed
and
the one at the end of our beds.
    After half an hour,
Chris popped her head round the door. ‘When you’ve finished, we’ll be serving
herbal teas in the dining room, then we’ll all get together for introductions
and to go through the schedule.’
    ‘Herbal tea?’ said Mrs
Foster, wrinkling her nose up. I’d kill for a decent cup of coffee after that
drive.‘
    ‘Caffeine,’ spat the
slim, blonde lady. ‘It raises the heart rate and
we’ve
come to relax.’
    Moira winked at Mrs
Foster. ‘Hence the flask,’ she whispered. ‘Sometimes I have to have a proper
cuppa. Anyone want an egg and cress sarnie?’
    Poor Mrs Foster looked
as though she’d landed in a prison camp.
    ‘Come on, Mum, let’s
go and meet the others,’ said Izzie, leading her out the door.
     
    In the dining room,
the men had already gathered and were sitting about sipping mugs of tea.
    ‘Bit bare,’ said Mrs
Foster, glancing round at the brick walls, long pine tables and benches. ‘When the
ad said get back to basics, it really did mean it.’
    ‘Oh… my… god…’
whispered Izzie, looking round at the men. ‘Which one do you want?’
    There were five men
including Dad, who was chatting to Chris by a hatch to the kitchen. One of them
was bald and very fat, and was sweating profusely in a lime green shell suit.
Another had grey grizzly hair, trousers that were too short and open-toed
sandals. The third man was wearing a T-shirt and a sarong, and had blond
dreadlocks down his back. And the fourth was about six-foot-six, very skinny,
and was dressed in Lycra cycling shorts to show off his very knobbly