Jemima J. by Jane Green Read Free Book Online

day Ben and Ben alone was the reporter to land the stories that everyone wanted. His future had started. Ben was on his way.
    And now, in this large rented flat in a wide, tree-lined street in Kilburn, Ben puts aside the piece of paper and gets up off the bed. A cursory glance in the mirror tells him he looks fine, not that it matters tonight, it’s only the boys at the local pub, but you never know. You just never know.

Chapter 5

     
    p. 38 It may be lunchtime, but Jemima Jones is sitting at her desk wondering how she can find out what to do with terra-cotta pots filled with candles once the candles have burned down. She could, quite easily, telephone a candle shop and ask them, and it would, of course, be easier, not to mention quicker, than logging on to the Internet, but she wants to test the Internet, to find out whether she can do it on her own.
    She double-clicks on the sign on her computer and then clicks on CONNECT, listening to the computer dial up the modem and put her through. And here she is, the World Wide Web at her fingertips.
    Where should she go first? What should she do?
     
    “Hey, quick work.” I turn round and of course it’s Ben, jacket
    off, shirtsleeves rolled up, dimples at the ready.
    “Just thought I’d see if I could work it by myself.”
    “I keep meaning to try it too, but I haven’t had the time. Do you mind if I join you?”
    Mind? Mind? Is he mad? I would move heaven and earth p. 39 for you to join me, Ben. I would cut off my right arm if it meant you would join me.
    “Sure, why don’t you pull up a chair.”
    Ben pulls up a swivel chair and sits close to me, and I never thought I’d say this but it’s almost too close for comfort, certainly too close to breathe comfortably. I can feel my breath coming out in short, sharp bursts, but Ben doesn’t notice a thing. He doesn’t even notice how I involuntarily catch my breath as he puts his hand on top of mine on the mouse, and clicks on the Internet.
    “What are you looking for?” he says to me, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen.
    “Nothing special,” I lie. “Just exploring, really.”
    “Is everyone at lunch?”
    I look around at the empty desks, listen to the phones ringing out with no one to answer them, and turn back to Ben. “I think so, it seems pretty dead in here.”
    “Good.” He turns to me with a wink. “Let’s explore the sex sites.”
    I smile broadly to hide my embarrassment. It’s not that I don’t want to see them, although I’d never dare admit it, I just don’t want to see them sitting with Ben, but it will keep him here for a while, so what the hell.
    “I just did a story about kids downloading porn from the Internet on to disk, then selling it at St. Ursula’s. Let’s see what all the fuss is about,” Ben says nonchalantly, but I’m sure that’s just an excuse to see what it’s all about. St. Ursula’s is the local public high school with a reputation so bad that on the rare occasions I have to walk past at the time when the children are coming out, I cross the road or, better yet, find an alternative route. It’s not quite as bad as the construction sites but nearly. Nearly.
    Ben’s concentrating hard on the screen, and I have to smile. St. Ursula’s indeed! You must think I’m stupid, Ben, but good excuse, though. I have to admit I wouldn’t have thought of that one.
    p. 40 “How do you find them?” I ask, ever the innocent.
    “God knows, let’s try and find out.”
    Ben clicks until there’s a box on his screen saying SEARCH . “Right,” he says. “Here goes. What do you think, sex or porn?”
    “Try sex first,” and Ben leans across me, without realizing that as he does so his right arm brushes my left breast and I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. There is no expression on his face other than intense concentration as he types in the letters SEX, then presses SEARCH.
    Nothing happens for a few seconds and Ben looks at me and grins. “Wouldn’t it be a