You, Me and Him by Alice Peterson Read Free Book Online Page A

a challenge.’
    ‘This is great news. We are going to have another baby.’ He talks as if he can hardly believe it. ‘How did it happen? I thought you were taking precautions?’
    ‘I missed a couple of days. We were at my parents’,’ I tell him. ‘Come on, Finn, am I that forgettable?’ I hit his arm playfully and stand up.
    He slides off the stool and grabs me by my waist, pulling me towards him. ‘Come here. I remember.’
    We hear George slide down the banisters. I squeeze my eyes shut. He’s going to hurt himself one of these days. ‘We’re going to have another one of those,’ I whisper to Finn, prodding him helplessly on the shoulder. The phone rings and George snatches it up.
    ‘It’ll be great,’ Finn assures me with a kiss. ‘We’re going to be just fine. One day at a time.’
    ‘Dad’s sexing Mum right now.’
    I bite my lip hard and look at Finn. We both burst out laughing. ‘Who is it?’ we call out to George.
    ‘All right, Granny Greenwood.’
    I press my face against Finn’s shoulder. ‘Why did it have to be Granny, of all people?’
    ‘Can Daddy fix your tea trolley? OK, Granny. I’ll ask him. ’Bye.’

CHAPTER FIVE
    It was a rainy afternoon. The restaurant was quiet except for Finn who was sitting at one of the corner tables. He appeared at ease in his own company. I had been to the cinema only once on my own, when I was seventeen. Three people were in the auditorium, one of which was an old lady with wispy grey hair eating a banana from a mouldy brown paper bag. I’d looked around me uncomfortably and then fast-forwarded my life in a panicked second. Would that be me in years to come?
    Back to Finn. He hadn’t shaved and he looked tired, as if sleep were his enemy. ‘We’re calling the club Mirror Ball,’ he said when I asked for his order.
    ‘That’s quite catchy.’ I was drumming a biro against my pad; he was tapping the menu against the table.
    He raised an eyebrow. ‘Look at that. You and me are making sweet music together.’
    I continued to stare at him, pen poised. Tiana had advised me to play it ice cool.
    ‘Sorry. I’ll have a pepperoni and cheese pizza and a black coffee, please.’ When I walked back to the bar I could have sworn he was watching me.
    I gave the order to Mikey and then sat down at the bar, picked up a paper napkin and pulled free the pen that was holding my hair in a ponytail. I started to sketch a picture of two figures dancing. I gave the girl an exotic feather in her hair and fantastic legs, long and slim. I loosely drew an open-collared shirt for the man with one of his arms around the woman’s tiny waist; I arched her back seductively. I sketched a mirror ball above them.
    ‘Josie!’ Mikey called from the kitchen. Finn looked over at me. I heard plates smashing against the floor. ‘Momo’s going to take this off my wages,’ Mikey said with a frown as we both picked up the broken china. We heard the door open and shut and a group of students piling in. ‘You go.’ He winked. ‘Thanks for your help.’
    Finn was standing at the bar. ‘Can I have another black coffee, two sugars? By the way, who did this?’ He was holding up the napkin.
    ‘I did.’
    ‘Quite the artist, aren’t you, waitress girl?’
    Arrogant shit. I tried to retrieve it. He sat back down in his chair. ‘Give it to me!’ I snatched air. Finally I managed to grab his hand and attempted to pull the napkin free but he wouldn’t let go. He leant back and waved it in front of me. When I tried to reach it again he was too quick, swapping the napkin to the other hand and then back again. I gave up. He placed it inside the top of his jeans.
    ‘Cut it out, you two,’ Mikey ordered, walking past us. ‘Momo will be back in a minute. Finn, your pizza’s ready.’ He plonked it on the table.
    Finn and I exchanged looks, bonded by being told off.
    He sat with his hands behind his head and looked down at the napkin. ‘I promise you my hands will stay here. Come and