Mr Right for the Night by Marisa Mackle Read Free Book Online

kitchen chairs and zapped the remote control. ‘Oh, Fair City . Great.’
    ‘You don’t watch Fair City .’ Claire prodded the Black Forest Gateau ice cream to see if it had begun to thaw.
    ‘I do now.’
    ‘God, Anna, you have to make more of an effort. You can be very unsociable at times.’
    ‘I’m sociable when I meet interesting people.’ Anna popped a cherry tomato into her mouth when Claire wasn’t watching. ‘It’s just that those guys in there . . . well, they’d put a bloody insomniac into a coma. I mean, I can’t understand it, they’re ugly men, right? But they’ve good jobs and therefore probably had no difficulty getting two wives for themselves. But i f you took two equivalent women, say, they’d have a much harder time getting two husbands because a lot of men prefer good-looking women to women who have good careers. Do you see what I mean? Women get a pretty raw deal when you think about it.’
    ‘Listen,’ Claire moved the bowl of cherry tomatoes out of Anna’s reach, ‘I don’t have time to be contemplating life and all its faults. I’ve Simon and Andrew to keep my mind full.’
    ‘Ah Claire, you’re becoming one of those women we always swore we’d never become – you know, babies, husbands, nappies, Volvos, bills and washing machines.’
    Claire feigned sudden shock. She peeled off her apron, threw it on the table and placed her fists defiantly on her slim hips. ‘I should throw you out,’ she threatened playfully.
    ‘I’ll only leave if you absolutely promise to come on a girls’ night out tomorrow.’
    ‘It’s just that . . .’
    ‘I’m serious, now or never.’
    ‘Right, if it will shut you up.’
    Anna stood up. ‘I’d stay and help you clean up and that . . . but it’s been a long day and I don’t want to get in anyone’s way . . .’
    ‘Go,’ Claire ordered and opened the kitchen door into the hall.
    ‘Goodnight.’ She kissed her friend’s cheek. ‘Should I go in and say goodnight to the lads?’
    ‘Better not,’ Claire said wisely. ‘I’ll give them your regards. And eh . . . don’t worry about the student. He didn’t sound that great to begin with.’
    Anna closed the door behind her and the icy January air immediately bit her uncovered skin. She delved deep into her coat pockets to retrieve her gloves. It was true. Steve wasn’t any great shakes. And had never realistically been a contender for Ideal Date of the Year award. But still she wasn’t looking forward to going back to the empty flat knowing that the man who’d just rejected her was living under the same roof. She began the walk home.
    As she neared the house she noticed the lights in the downstairs flat were on and the curtains hadn’t been drawn. She wondered if the beautiful Claudine had already flown in from the French capital and whether she was now murmuring sweet nothings into smitten Steve’s ear.
    As she neared the front door, keys dangling in her right hand, she heard loud voices. The door opened slightly. Anna’s blood ran cold. Oh God, what was she going to do?
    She could always dive into the long grass that was supposed to be a garden, but that would look pretty pathetic. Desperate even. She took a deep breath and a bold step forward.
    Steve’s face appeared. He caught Anna’s eye like a rabbit caught in unexpected headlights. They both froze.
    ‘Er . . . Anna. How are you?’
    ‘Fine.’ Anna’s voice was stilted. She craned her neck for a view of the buxom Brigitte Bardot. Instead she was greeted by the sight of a slight, mousy-haired girl of about five foot, dwarfed in an unflattering dun-coloured coat. The girl smiled awkwardly, revealing Bugs Bunny teeth.
    ‘Anna, this is Claudine,’ Steve introduced the two girls without emotion.
    ‘ Enchantée .’ Claudine held out a bony, ice-cold hand.
    Anna was flabbergasted. Surely . . . surely this wasn’t her? She shook the French girl’s hand automatically.
    ‘I live upstairs,’ she said.
    ‘Superb.’ The