Read Online Second Hand Jane by Michelle Vernal - Free Book Online Page A

then?”
    “It’s actually
after eight but never mind that. I will show you what it’s all
about when I get there.”
    “I thought you
had your Save our Playgroup meeting this morning?”
    “I did but I
cancelled. See you in an hour.”
    She’d hung up
before Jess had a chance to quiz her further and wide awake now,
she padded through to the kitchen, puzzling over what it was she
wanted to show her. Whatever it was, it had sounded like something
worthy of an extra strong caffeine fix, especially if Brianna was
missing one of her meetings in order to pop over.
     
    ***
     
    It was
something worthy of a triple shot of vodka but Jess didn’t drink in
the morning. “Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus!” After nigh on ten years
living in Ireland, she had at last grasped the lingo. She
screeched, staring in horror at the open newspaper Brianna was
holding up under her nose. All the while, Harry puff-puff-puffed
his Thomas train up and down her kitchen tiles.
    “You’re not
allowed to say that!” His five-year-old voice was outraged.
    “You’re
entitled to sweets under the circumstances. Don’t mind Harry; he’s
just begun religious instruction at school. Ignore him. I do.”
Brianna shot her son a look that would silence the most evangelical
of preachers.
    Jess’s own face loomed back at her from
the Dublin
Central newspaper’s
weekend colour celebrity supplement.
    “It’s not that
bad, really,” Brianna lied. “And your dress is gorgeous. It’s a
lovely one of Nora, though, don’t you think?” she finished rather
lamely.
    “ I don’t care what bloody Nora looks like
and it is that bad.
Nobody will give a rat’s arse about my dress either because they’ll
be too busy laughing at my teeth—God! How will I ever show my face
in public again?”
    There were more
shocked noises emanating from the kitchen but Harry wisely kept his
thoughts on blasphemy and swearing to himself this time round.
    “Ah, nobody
will notice except your nearest and dearest like me and Nora. The
general public will be far too busy wondering who it is Ewan Reid’s
dating now to wonder who your woman with the bad teeth is. I mean,
look at the heading—‘Ewan’s Reid’s Mystery Blonde.’ There’s no
mention of you or your man—Nick, was it? He looks tasty, by the
way.”
    “He was and
there weren’t a pair of handcuffs lurking in his back seat nor did
he have a nervous disposition due to some trauma or other—not that
he’ll ever want to see me again, not after this.” Jess stabbed at
the photo depicting the foursome leaving Juan’s the night before.
The photographer had caught her with her gob hanging open
gormlessly as she laughed in what she had thought was a coquettish
way at Nick’s little joke. Nora and Ewan, looking glamorously
furtive, were bringing up the rear. Ordinarily, she’d have been
quite chuffed to have made the celebrity pages but not with the
dodgy set of gnashers she was flashing in the photo.
    From over her
shoulder, a little voice chirruped, “Aunty Jess, you are supposed
to brush your teeth in the morning and before you go to bed. Mummy
sings the ‘Happy Birthday’ song and I am not allowed to stop until
she’s finished.”
    This time it
was Jess who shot him a look. Enough was enough and grabbing her
phone, she punched out Nora’s number. “Oi, have you seen it? I am
holding you responsible, you know.”
    “ Morning, hun,” she sang cheerily down the
line. “I take it you’re talking about the Dublin Central pic?”
    “Why didn’t you
tell me my teeth were black from all the red wine?”
    “You were
rather knocking it back, now that I think about it. Mind you, can’t
say I blame you. It was a nice little drop, I thought—quite
cheeky…”
    “Shut up,
Nora!”
    “Alright,
alright. If you must know, I was too busy staring at Ewan to notice
your teeth—so sue me. I’m seeing him again tonight, by the
way.”
    “Humph. It’s
alright for some.”
    “ Listen, I’m sorry, Jess, I