AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Marcie was not her friend. Marcie was quite a bit more than Granny’s friend, but neither of them would ever admit it out loud.
Not when they were sober, at least.
“Lunch? You’ve only just eaten.”
“I didn’t say I was eating now, did I?” Her eyes twinkled. “There’s a great cocktail bar that just opened over on Kinleigh Street.”
“I’ve heard about it,” I replied. “Do you want me to walk you over to the knitting shop?”
“No, dear, you’ve got things to do. Are you going to work on your slavery project?”
That was such a dreadful question out of context.
“Yes,” I replied. “I think I’ll go to the library and see what they’ve got, but I might swing towards the value they bring to society.”
“No wonder you’re struggling. They don’t bring anything, the daft toffs.”
I pressed my lips together. “Granny, I am one of those daft toffs.”
“No, I like you. That means you’re just a toff.”
“You know how to compliment a girl, don’t you?”
She grinned.
I cleared my throat. “You’ve got lipstick on your teeth.”
She ran her tongue across her top teeth enthusiastically before baring them at me again. “Better?”
“All gone,” I replied. “Enjoy your cocktail lunch with yourfriend.”
Granny glared at me. “Maybe you’d be happier if you had afriendof your own, instead of sniping at me.”
I dropped a kiss on her powdered cheek and grinned. “See you later, Granny. Behave yourself.”
“Never. Life is far more interesting when you misbehave.”
“Okay, fine. Just don’t hurt yourself.”
She nodded. “I’ll agree to that.” She winked and turned around with a flourish, wiggling her fingers goodbye over her shoulder. “Bye, Gracie.”
“Bye, Granny.” I hovered outside the restaurant and waited for her to disappear around the corner, then walked in the opposite direction with a little shake of my head.
Thank God.
It was time for some cheap coffee.
I hurried to the nearest coffee shop and ducked inside just as rain started to fall. It was that horrible misty rain that could soak you through deceptively quickly, and I hoped it was just a shower. I didn’t have a hood on my jacketoran umbrella with me, and I didn’t feel like hauling my heavy bag across town in the rain.
Nor did I want to stay in the coffee shop right before the lunch rush.
This was what happened when I didn’t check the weather forecast.
A shiver ran down my spine, and I shuddered it away as I joined the queue.
As far as queues went, it wasn’t a bad one. It was orderly, calm, and moving relatively quickly. I’d been in worse queues.
And, given that I was British, I was somewhat of an authority on queues.
