Never Ever Leave Me by Elly Grant Read Free Book Online Page A

other’s choices.  After a couple of hours they’d tried on everything, bought nothing and were tired and ready for home.
    “We must do t his again,” Lisa said as they travelled on the bus back to the refuge.  “We’ve had a whole evening of entertainment and it cost us nothing, apart from what Katy needed of course.”
    “Aye,” Marie agreed, “And now Katy disnae look like a bag lady, carting her belongings about in that terrible duvet cover.  What made you buy that ghastly thing in the first place?”
    “Yes, it is pretty awful,” Pat agreed.  “It’s just so…..”
    “Twee,” Lisa added.
    “I guess my life was twee,” Katy replied.  “I had the nice job, nice home, lived in a nice area just a shame the husband was a lying, thieving bully.”
    “They’re all the same,” Marie said, “ Men are bastards, useless, good for nothing, bastards.”
    But Katy remembered John and the kindness the stranger had shown her .  They’re not all the same, she thought and she wondered if she’d ever see him again.
     
    …
    John didn’t want to offend Patrick.  His colleague had been very kind and accommodating and, up until this point in time, he had welcomed his new found social life.  He’d enjoyed the pub quiz, dinner club and games night, but tonight would be different.  Tonight was more like a date and he wasn’t sure that he was ready to move on.  Particularly as the young lady he was to be paired with was a complete stranger to him.  It was all very well for Patrick to say it was just one dinner, but the amount of effort his friend was putting into getting ready, clearly showed he hoped it would lead to something more.
    John paced the floor, his hands felt clammy with nervous perspiration.  He hated sweaty hands and quickly went to the cloakroom to rinse them under the cold tap.  He was sure Jenny Archer would be a perfectly nice lady.  Patrick had told him she was single, having just ended a two year long relationship with a stockbroker, who in his words, didn’t want anything meaningful just a bit of eye candy on his arm.  Patrick’s ‘date’, Penny Miller had recently been divorced and he was delighted.
    “I’ve fancied Penny for ages,” he said when John joined him for a pre-dinner drink.  “Her ex was twelve years older than her and very set in his ways.  Penny’s just thirty four, she’s a long way off middle-age, yet her husband expected her to be happy, sitting in front of the telly night after night.  I think they’re both relieved it’s finally over.  Do you want a top up?” he asked proffering the whisky bottle.
    John shook his head.  “No thanks, I want to keep a clear head so I don’t say anything stupid.”
    “Calm down, mate.  There’s nothing to be scared of.  The girls won’t bite, I wish they would, maybe just a nibble, but they won’t, trust me,” Patrick said laughing.  “The taxi will be here in about ten minutes and we’ll swing round to Penny’s to pick them up.”
    John shifted nervously from one foot to the other.  “I’m not sure I’ll be very good company tonight,” he said.  “I’m not sure I’m ready to date anyone.  I lost Carol just under a year ago.  I think maybe it’s still too soon.”
    “I keep telling you mate, this isn’t a date, just four people who like dining out, eating together.  Just like the dinner club, but with a smaller group.  We all have to eat tonight and ‘Allessandro’s’ is top rate.  We can come home immediately afterwards.  It’s not as if we’re planning on going on to a club or anything like that.  It’s simply a meal and a bottle or two of good wine.”
    John nodded his mouth was too dry to reply.
    “There’s the cab now,” Patrick said.  “He just pumped the horn.  Drink up and we’ll be on our way.”
    With much trepidation, John walked towards the taxi then got in as Patrick locked the front door.
    “Tudor Grove, number four, and don’t spare the horses,” Patrick