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

fancy him and he didn’t fancy her so what was the big hoo-ha all about?
    ‘By the way,’ she said to him half an hour later as he stood in the doorway, ‘how did you know I wasn’t out with Steve tonight?’
    ‘Oh that was easy,’ Mark grinned, ‘I saw him leaving with some sallow-skinned bird a while ago.’
    He opened the car door for her and she sat in the passenger seat, fuming. ‘Seat belt on?’ He flashed her a gleaming smile. He looked annoyingly good this evening. And smelled even better.
    ‘Yes.’ Anna glanced at her watch absent-mindedly.
    ‘You’re not running late, are you?’ Mark looked concerned.
    ‘No, no I’m meeting Elaine at ten.’
    ‘Elaine . . . have I met her now?’
    ‘No,’ Anna said firmly.
    ‘Is she single?’
    ‘Well . . . yes.’
    ‘Is she good looking?’
    ‘She certainly wouldn’t be interested in you,’ Anna snapped. Immediately she regretted it. Sure wasn’t Mark only trying to do her a favour? It wasn’t his fault that she was leading him a merry dance. She’d have to stop behaving like a pitbull terrier in his company. It was terribly gauche.
    He pulled up outside the Shelbourne Hotel. ‘Are you sure you’ll be okay here?’
    ‘Fine,’ Anna grinned broadly at him, ‘honestly, you go on. I’ll be just fine.’
    ‘Enjoy your night.’ At that moment Mark looked totally stunning. She couldn’t believe she was about to let him drive away because of some silly facade.
    ‘I will,’ she said. ‘Bye.’
    She walked purposefully up the steps of the Shelbourne Hotel, past the crowded reception area and straight to the Ladies. She took a long hard look at herself in the mirror. She hadn’t looked this good in years. What a pity she was all dressed up with nowhere to go. She opened her little black handbag and took out her brush. Well, she had to do something, hadn’t she? She couldn’t exactly turn around and walk straight back out again. She began to brush her hair. The Ladies was full of ARMPITTS all vying for the mirror. Anna felt like she was really in the way. Hair done, she fished out her foundation and needlessly applied it. That lasted about ten minutes. She brushed her hair again and then wondered what to do. Was it safe to go back out again? She stared hard at her image. She now looked like a hooker who’d dumped her face into a bucket of foundation. Excellent.
    Eventually she marched out of the hotel and hopped into a nearby taxi.
    ‘Where to, love?’ the taxi man enquired.
    ‘Er . . .’ God, where was she going? She could hardly go back to Ranelagh. No, that would be ridiculous. First, she didn’t want to bump into Mark again, and secondly she couldn’t bear the thought of sitting alone in her flat knowing that Steve and Claudine were making out underneath.
    ‘Stillorgan,’ she said suddenly, ‘Stillorgan please.’ And before she had time to change her mind, the taxi driver had taken off like a grand prix contestant.
    Ah well, Anna thought, at least her parents would be pleased to see her. She hadn’t seen them since her birthday and life must be so dull for them at the moment, stuck with Grandad rabbiting on about the good old days.
    Anna’s parents were not as pleased as she’d thought they’d be. Mr and Mrs Brown from next door were round playing bridge.
    ‘What are you doing here?’ Her mother frowned.
    ‘Just thought I’d pop in.’ Anna forced a smile.
    ‘On a Friday night?’ She was definitely suspicious. ‘Really, Anna, you should be out mixing with people of your own age. You’ll never meet a man round in your parents’ on a Friday. Grandad is in the kitchen. I suppose you can go in and keep him company.’
    She disappeared into the good room. Anna was left alone in the hallway. God, what was the point in being a dutiful daughter when nobody appreciated it? She wasn’t in the mood for listening to the entire history of County Roscommon. She slumped into one of the kitchen chairs and shut her eyes. Was there any