Monkey Business by Kathryn Ledson Read Free Book Online Page A

men.’
    â€˜I know. Sorry.’
    We were silent for a while and I considered how this might change things for Jack. The job he was assigned to do. Eventually I asked, ‘Will you cancel the mission?’
    He gave me a long look. I was being too nosy. But I held my breath and waited. I wanted to hear it.
    â€˜No,’ he said.

CHAPTER SIX
    Saturday night had most certainly
not
ended the way I’d hoped. Jack took me home, walked me to my front door and kissed my forehead before driving away. I didn’t think he was going home. I was pretty sure he was going back to JD’s.
    So now it was Tuesday and Lucy was having her Tupperware party. I decided not to tell her about Mick Jansen. She needed to forget about that bastard. Besides, tonight would be girly and fun and we were both looking forward to it. I didn’t know if Jack was playing squash with Steve because I hadn’t heard from him since JD’s party. But when I got to Lucy’s, I asked innocently, ‘Is Steve playing squash tonight?’
    â€˜You just want to know if he’s playing with Jack.’
    â€˜Who?’
    She laughed. ‘Yes, he’s playing squash and I think Jack was going.’
    â€˜Oh. Good for him. Who cares?’
    She shook her head and answered the door to the Tupperware lady, who asked for help with some of her boxes. It was hard to carry boxes with champagne in my hand. So I held the door for them instead.
    Women piled into Lucy’s little apartment. Giggling women who all wanted champagne. That was good. They’d spend more if they were drinking and I knew Lucy would get a nice present from Tupperware if people spent a lot.

    Lucy walked past with a bottle. I held out my glass.
    â€˜More champagne, please! Oh, sorry,
sparkling wine,
’ I said, mimicking Jack’s deep voice. I gulped the drink down. I liked it. It was kind of sweet. I asked for more – how much had I already had? Maybe I shouldn’t drive home.
    The Tupperware presentation rolled on. There were so many things I wanted. I didn’t really need anything because at home I had a cupboard full of cheap plastic containers from the supermarket. But Tupperware is the best, I knew, and lasts a lifetime. Just look at my mother’s collection. It had to be a hundred years old.
Must remember Mum’s order.
I picked up the brochure and flicked through it again. Whoops, knocked over my glass. All over my lap. Probably shouldn’t have tried to balance my glass on my knee. Better get more
sparkling wine
. Lucy came past.
    â€˜More please!’
    â€˜Think you’ve had enough, hon.’
    â€˜Never enough!’
    She laughed and poured me some more. ‘You won’t be driving home.’
    â€˜Bah.’
    The Tupperware colours were so pretty. I liked all the pink things. They’ll match my Ugg boots, I thought. I laughed when I saw some of the funny things in the kids’ section. Monkeys! I love monkeys. I love spider monkeys. I love Axle. I looked closer. Not monkeys. Mickey Mouse. I hate mice.
    I asked Lucy for another drink. She said I’d had enough. I got up to get my own – who did she think she was? I tripped on someone’s something. Who left that there? I poured bubbles. Whoops. Spilled some. I poured more to make up for what I’d spilled. Lucy tried to take my glass. I was trying to get it to my mouth and she was pulling it away. The glass flew across the room. I sat on the floor.
    Jack’s face swam before me. What a nice dream. Not a dream! I think he was really there. Where? I looked around the room. Still at Lucy’s, but everyone had gone. They’d been replaced by boys. Boys wearing singlet tops with nice muscles. The singlet tops didn’t have nice muscles. The boys had nice muscles. How did they get here? Maybe aliens took all the ladies and left Steve and Jack in their place. How funny was that? I laughed and fell off the