Sunshine and Spaniels by Cressida McLaughlin Read Free Book Online

concentrate on the film, on someone in dark clothes ducking and diving through a shadowy, dilapidated building while sinister music played. She thought that, whatever the film was, Mark would probably love it. Mark who was going to take her out to dinner – though they didn’t have a firm arrangement yet – who had kissed her in plain view of the whole of Primrose Terrace. Or maybe she had kissed him, but he had definitely started it. She tucked her feet up under her and grinned into her cup of tea.
    Pooch Promenade had given her a lot to be thankful for in the last few months. She was happy, and she wanted to help other people be happy too – what was so wrong with that?
    ‘Why don’t I—’ she started.
    ‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ Joe paused the television and faced her. Polly chewed her long blonde hair, and Cat could see she was trying not to laugh. ‘Why don’t you what?’ he asked.
    ‘Uh, I – I hadn’t quite thought,’ Cat admitted. ‘I just started the sentence, but wasn’t sure where the end was going to go. I want to help Frankie. There must be something we can do?’
    ‘Well, decide quickly, and then I can watch the rest of Blade Runner in peace.’
    ‘Oh, is that what this film is? I’ve always wanted to see Blade Runner .’
    Joe’s mouth dropped open, and Cat could feel the irritation pulsing off him. He folded his arms, levelled Cat with his blue-eyed stare – slightly sinister in the film-watching gloom of the front room – and waited. Cat focused on his tanned forearms, the way his white T-shirt clung to his torso. Since the weather had warmed up, Cat was seeing less of Joe’s hoodies and more reminders of how athletic he was. Occasionally, she found it quite distracting.

    ‘So what are you going to do? How will you interfere with this woman’s life in a way that makes it look like you’re doing it all for her?’
    ‘Joey,’ Polly said, ‘don’t be such a grump. You know Cat’s only trying to help.’
    ‘If she wants to be that helpful, then why doesn’t she move in with Frankie and let me watch my bloody film in peace?’ He pressed play and shifted on the sofa, angling his shoulder towards Cat in a gesture of finality.
    Cat and Polly exchanged a look. Cat tried to concentrate on the film and then Joe’s words replayed in her head.
    ‘Oh my God!’
    ‘For fu—’
    ‘Joe, you’re a total genius. Thank you!’ Cat leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He recoiled in shock, then stared at her as she got up.
    ‘Where are you going?’
    ‘I’m just taking a trip down the road.’
    ‘You’re wearing your pyjamas.’
    Cat glanced down. She had thin tartan pyjama trousers on and a strappy black vest top.
    She shrugged. ‘It’s hot, nobody will mind.’
    ‘You’re not going to see Frankie now, are you?’ Polly asked slowly.
    Cat shook her head. ‘I won’t knock on the door. I just want to have a look at something, then I’ll tell you my – Joe’s – genius idea. Joe, you really have to stop helping me out like this, or I’ll have to employ you full time and you’ll have no time for Magic Mouse designs.’

    ‘Oh, wow,’ Joe said drily, ‘all my dreams come true.’
    Cat laughed and burst out of the front door, into the warm summer’s evening.
    ‘You want me to rent my attic out?’ Frankie asked, handing Polly and Cat cups of milky tea, pushing a pile of magazines onto the floor and gesturing for them to sit down.
    ‘It’s not being used now, is it?’
    Frankie shook her head. ‘It’s a dump. It turned into the junk room as soon as Rick and I moved in, and it’s been collecting all our crap ever since.’
    ‘But it – it’s boarded out?’ Cat asked.
    ‘Oh, yeah, it’s a proper room. I had grand hopes of turning it into a music room once upon a time – Lizzie’s learning the guitar and I play too, but like so many things, it’s never happened.’
    ‘So with a bit of sorting, it could be a room again? In our house it’s Joe’s room, and