Read Online The Day Before Tomorrow by Nicola Rhodes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nicola Rhodes
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been nineteen, at college together. She remembered the night they had finally got together. Caught up in her incipient nostalgia, the world started to go wibbly round the edges. ‘Uh oh,’ she thought with that tiny unchangeable part of her that would always be sarcastic. ‘Flashback time.’
She had been dating a medical student at the time, wealthy and handsome of course. Although she still hung around with Denny. When they had walked into the swanky restaurant, she had been shocked to spot Denny sat forlornly alone at a table for six. What was he doing here?
She had thought quickly. When her date had gone to check her coat she made a swift phone call from the lobby the result of which was that, as a medical student, he was paged by the hospital, to assist the house doctor.
He apologised profusely and hurried away leaving her with her taxi fare and a promise to call her later. She was very understanding about it.
As soon as he had gone, she made her way over to the table where Denny was sitting and sat beside him without waiting to be asked. ‘Stood up?’ she asked. ‘Where’s your Indian friend?’
Denny’s brow furrowed. ‘Who?’
‘You know, Jon somebody. The one they call “Dances with trousers down”.’
Denny managed a weak smile. ‘Oh, him. He’s probably dancing – with his trousers down, at the “Slug and Lettuce”,’ he said. ‘I’m waiting for my parents and Miles. They visit once in a while. They’re always late. Well, it’s just me after all.’
Tamar pursed her lips. She had never met Denny’s family – he tended to keep people away from them, if he wanted to keep them as friends – but she had heard enough about them.
‘So, why do you bother to turn up on time?’ she asked.
‘Hah, well you just know that the one time I turn up late, they’ll be on time, and I’d never hear the end of it,’ he said. ‘It’s just not worth it.’
‘Why a table for six?’ asked Tamar puzzled.
‘Five really,’ said Denny. ‘Miles always brings his latest girlfriend with him. To rub my nose in it, I suppose. I always feel a bit sorry for them. My mother always disapproves of them, you see. She always manages to make sure I know that I could never get a girl half as nice, while at the same time indicating that she still isn’t nearly good enough for him. I’m used to it, but I always think it’s a bit rough on them.’
Tamar’s lips pursed again. Then her eyes twinkled. She called the waiter over and ordered a drink.
‘What about Mr. Perfect?’ asked Denny, as he always called the medical student boyfriend, although Tamar never knew whether he was being sarcastic or not.
‘Oh, he got paged,’ she said airily. Then she stood up to greet a couple who were headed for their table. The woman could not have been anyone but Denny’s mother. Not with that expression on her face.
‘I’m sorry …’ the woman began to express her doubt at Tamar’s presence.
Tamar cut her off. ‘It’s quite all right,’ she said sweetly. ‘We haven’t been waiting long.’
The woman’s mouth fell open. She had been put at an immediate disadvantage. Tamar had contrived to indicate that she had been rude and had then forgiven her. Denny gave her a look of pure gratitude.
Wrong footed, Denny’s mother sat down without another word, and now she seemed uncouth, as it was left to Denny’s father to begin the introductions.
Miles, a younger edition of his bluff and brawny father had brought a fluffy blonde who introduced herself as ‘Lindi – with an i.’
‘Of course you are,’ said Tamar, saccharine sweet. She took Denny’s hand and squeezed it, then laid her head briefly on his shoulder, so that there would be no lingering doubts in anyone’s mind about their relationship.
Tamar, beautiful and intelligent, and witty to the point of being scathing, dominated the evening. As she had
She had been dating a medical student at the time, wealthy and handsome of course. Although she still hung around with Denny. When they had walked into the swanky restaurant, she had been shocked to spot Denny sat forlornly alone at a table for six. What was he doing here?
She had thought quickly. When her date had gone to check her coat she made a swift phone call from the lobby the result of which was that, as a medical student, he was paged by the hospital, to assist the house doctor.
He apologised profusely and hurried away leaving her with her taxi fare and a promise to call her later. She was very understanding about it.
As soon as he had gone, she made her way over to the table where Denny was sitting and sat beside him without waiting to be asked. ‘Stood up?’ she asked. ‘Where’s your Indian friend?’
Denny’s brow furrowed. ‘Who?’
‘You know, Jon somebody. The one they call “Dances with trousers down”.’
Denny managed a weak smile. ‘Oh, him. He’s probably dancing – with his trousers down, at the “Slug and Lettuce”,’ he said. ‘I’m waiting for my parents and Miles. They visit once in a while. They’re always late. Well, it’s just me after all.’
Tamar pursed her lips. She had never met Denny’s family – he tended to keep people away from them, if he wanted to keep them as friends – but she had heard enough about them.
‘So, why do you bother to turn up on time?’ she asked.
‘Hah, well you just know that the one time I turn up late, they’ll be on time, and I’d never hear the end of it,’ he said. ‘It’s just not worth it.’
‘Why a table for six?’ asked Tamar puzzled.
‘Five really,’ said Denny. ‘Miles always brings his latest girlfriend with him. To rub my nose in it, I suppose. I always feel a bit sorry for them. My mother always disapproves of them, you see. She always manages to make sure I know that I could never get a girl half as nice, while at the same time indicating that she still isn’t nearly good enough for him. I’m used to it, but I always think it’s a bit rough on them.’
Tamar’s lips pursed again. Then her eyes twinkled. She called the waiter over and ordered a drink.
‘What about Mr. Perfect?’ asked Denny, as he always called the medical student boyfriend, although Tamar never knew whether he was being sarcastic or not.
‘Oh, he got paged,’ she said airily. Then she stood up to greet a couple who were headed for their table. The woman could not have been anyone but Denny’s mother. Not with that expression on her face.
‘I’m sorry …’ the woman began to express her doubt at Tamar’s presence.
Tamar cut her off. ‘It’s quite all right,’ she said sweetly. ‘We haven’t been waiting long.’
The woman’s mouth fell open. She had been put at an immediate disadvantage. Tamar had contrived to indicate that she had been rude and had then forgiven her. Denny gave her a look of pure gratitude.
Wrong footed, Denny’s mother sat down without another word, and now she seemed uncouth, as it was left to Denny’s father to begin the introductions.
Miles, a younger edition of his bluff and brawny father had brought a fluffy blonde who introduced herself as ‘Lindi – with an i.’
‘Of course you are,’ said Tamar, saccharine sweet. She took Denny’s hand and squeezed it, then laid her head briefly on his shoulder, so that there would be no lingering doubts in anyone’s mind about their relationship.
Tamar, beautiful and intelligent, and witty to the point of being scathing, dominated the evening. As she had
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