Upside Down Inside Out by Monica McInerney Read Free Book Online Page A

finally and laughed out loud at the expression on Joseph’s face. ‘All right, all right, I know. Enough of that stuff. Back to business.’ He handed his friend a big plastic bag. ‘Here are those Tshirts. A month’s supply at least. Just what you need to impress the Aussies.’
    ‘Thanks, George.’ Joseph flicked through the pile of Tshirts. Since George had started his own printing company, he’d kept Joseph supplied with Tshirts promoting every new band that had come onto the London scene in the past few years. ‘You couldn’t give me a crash course on who the bands are as well, could you?’
    ‘There’s no point. Half of them will have split up by the time you get back from Australia anyway. Two weeks in the sun, you jammy thing, I’m very jealous, you know. Flying business class, I suppose?’
    ‘No, economy class actually.’ ‘Economy? Those cheapskates.’ Joseph smiled. ‘No, it’s voluntary. I’ve been asked to submit a design for a new economy-class seat. You know, to combat all this DVT business. This is part of the research.’ ‘You’re not just overworked, you’re seriously ill. No-one in their right mind swaps a business-class ticket for an economy one. Not on a 22-hour flight.’ ‘It can’t be that bad, surely.’ George had first-hand experience of a long-haul flight. He gave a strange, enigmatic smile then took another sip of his pint. ‘You’ll find out, Joseph my lad. You’ll find out.’ He held up his glass. ‘So. To your trip.’ ‘To my trip.’ Their glasses clinked.

Chapter five
    In Dublin, Eva Kennedy had just climbed out of a taxi and was letting herself into the small mid-terrace cottage she rented in Stoneybatter. She was in a very bad mood. She’d had to wait nearly an hour in the taxi queue down from the wine bar. Her umbrella had become more and more bedraggled by the wind, while she got angrier and angrier about Dermot. As she opened the front door, she half hoped Meg would be there to distract her and half hoped she wouldn’t be, so she could lick her wounds in peace. Meg wasn’t home. The living room was quiet and warm, a small fire burning in the grate. Meg had left a note letting Eva know she’d gone out to see a film with some old schoolfriends. ‘Back late I hope!’ she’d written. Eva prowled the house, a shaken-up mixture of anger and hurt. That creep. The foul, stinking creep.
    Sneaky, conniving, dishonest bag of But you weren’t honest with hint either, a small voice inside her piped up. You were only going out with hint because you were flattered and because there was no-one else on the scene. That’s different, she snapped back. Why? the voice said. Because I wasn’t going out with him for financial gain. He paid for your dinners. He took you out. Money was involved then, wasn’t it? That is not the same thing. He was just using me. And you weren’t using him? To break a boyfriend drought? He hardly kidnapped you and dragged you out on dates at gunpoint, did he? No, but In actual fact, you’re feeling relieved it’s all over between you and Dermot, aren’t you? You knew in your heart he wasn’t right for you. And now he’s even saved you the bother of making the break-up happen. You didn’t even have to make that decision for yourself. And it’s not his deceit you’re most upset about. You’re just cranky because he hit the nail on the head. He was right. You aren’t creative any more. You are only a shop assistant these days. Eva stopped the conversation right there. There was nothing else for it. She’d drown that small voice. In a gin and tonic.
    With the drink made - not so much a gin and tonic as a gin-gin-gin and tonic - she wandered into the living room. She needed to do something, quickly, before she started remembering again what Dermot had said about her. It was much more satisfying to just feel outraged. The last thing she wanted was to find any truth in his words. She set eyes on a pile of books under the computer