The Driver by Mandasue Heller Read Free Book Online

definitely on and that she hoped Saturday wasn’t too short notice because she really wanted to introduce him to everyone.
    He didn’t see her for the rest of the week and couldn’t ask what time she was planning on kicking things off, so he went down at nine on the night – hoping not to be the last, because there was nothing worse than walking into a room full of people who already knew each other but didn’t know you.
    Cheryl’s face was flushed when she answered the door and Joe could tell that she’d made a real effort with her appearance. She looked much more feminine with her long blonde hair loose of its usual ponytail and she was wearing make-up which showed how pretty she actually was. And the dress and heels looked way better than the baggy jeans, oversized T-shirts and trainers that she usually sported.
    He’d already guessed from the way she covered herself that she was self-conscious about her weight, and if it hadn’t been so taboo to talk to women about that kind of stuff he’d have told her that most men didn’t give a toss about a few extra pounds. But he’d made that mistake with an ex-girlfriend who had been a fair bit slimmer than Cheryl, so he decided not to mention it, sticking instead to a safe, ‘Hey, look at you,’ as he handed over the bottles of wine that he’d bought.
    ‘Aw, thanks.’ She beamed, giving him a quick kiss. ‘Come in, come in.’
    Grimacing when he followed her through and found that nobody else was there yet, Joe said, ‘Aw, crap, I’m early. Do you want me to come back later?’
    ‘Don’t be daft,’ she chided, heading into the kitchen and putting his wine with the beers and spirits already lined up on the ledge. ‘What can I get you?’
    ‘I’m easy,’ he said. ‘Whatever you’re having.’
    ‘BVR,’ Cheryl told him, giving him a teasing smile. ‘Sure you can handle it?’
    Joe shrugged. ‘Might help if I knew what it was.’
    ‘You’ll like it,’ she assured him, twisting the cap off a bottle of brandy and pouring a large shot into a plastic beaker. ‘Sorry about the kiddy cups,’ she apologised, adding a healthy glug of vodka before topping it up with Red Bull. ‘But I know what my mates are like when they get pissed, and I don’t fancy spending all day tomorrow hoovering up broken glass.’
    Saying, ‘I don’t blame you,’ Joe took his drink and sniffed it cautiously. ‘Christ, that’s strong.’
    ‘Don’t be such a wimp,’ she scoffed, topping up her own beaker.
    A knock came at the door. Smoothing her dress down, Cheryl headed out to answer it. She came back a few seconds later with a couple.
    ‘These are my friends, Mel and Carl,’ she told Joe. ‘The ones who live across from you.’
    Joe hadn’t seen Mel since he’d lent her that fiver – which she hadn’t repaid – and he still felt uncomfortable about the way she’d followed him into his flat. But she’d obviously forgotten, or was deliberately making out like she had, because she gave him a polite smile and said, ‘Nice to meet you,’ as if it was the first time.
    Deciding to let it go rather than remind her and embarrass her, Joe said, ‘Yeah, you too.’
    ‘All right, mate.’ Carl extended his hand. ‘Joe, isn’t it?’
    Nodding, Joe shook Carl’s hand and swallowed a mouthful of his drink, shuddering when the bitter heat scorched his throat.
    ‘Got you on the hard stuff, has she?’ Carl chuckled, reaching for a bottle of beer. ‘You wanna stick to the safe stuff, like me. It’ll send you off your head, that shit.’
    ‘You’re such a girl ,’ Cheryl scoffed, pulling a beaker off the stack to pour a drink for his girlfriend. ‘How do you put up with him, Mel?’
    ‘I pretend he doesn’t exist,’ Mel replied, her flat delivery making Joe wonder if she was being serious.
    If she was, Carl didn’t seem to have realised it. Giving her a playful slap on the backside, he took his beer over to the table and sat down. Reaching into his pocket, he