A Routine Infidelity by Elizabeth Coleman

Author:Elizabeth Coleman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pantera Press
Published: 2023-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Bob

Teddy streaked inside Bob’s front door and closed it before Bob could even say hello. It seemed like slightly odd behaviour, even for Teddy.

‘Teddy, come in. Oh, you already are.’

Teddy grinned, but she seemed on edge. ‘Just couldn’t wait to see my big sister.’

Bob smiled, but she saw Teddy’s eyes flit to the small window near the front door before she quickly strode further into the hall.

‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah, I’m good.’ Teddy stepped back to take in the sight of Bob. ‘Is that an actual Japanese kimono?’

‘Yeah, from the eighties. I found it at Vinnies, would you believe. And I made the culottes myself.’

‘Looking good.’

‘Thanks. So are you.’

Teddy performed a mocking pirouette in her brightly coloured floral dress cinched in at the waist. She reminded Bob of a tiny rotating ballerina in a childhood jewellery box – until she spoiled the image with one of her porcine snorts.

‘I got this for Kym and Faizah’s wedding, remember? She wears all those beautiful Sudanese fabrics, so I thought I should get into the spirit. But I haven’t worn it since.’

‘You should. It looks fabulous.’

Teddy snorted again – she’d never known how to take a compliment. She handed Bob a bottle of pinot noir.

‘Here, your favourite.’

‘Thanks.’

Bob led Teddy down the narrow hall and into the living room. She put the pinot noir on the dresser and turned back to find Teddy surveying the dining table, set for two with Bob’s Shelley Harmony crockery and enhanced by a centrepiece she’d fashioned from natives. She felt defensive. What did Teddy expect? Paper plates from the picnic aisle?

‘Table looks awesome.’ Teddy smiled. ‘What time’s he coming?’

Was that a trick question?

‘In about twenty minutes. If he comes,’ Bob said, adding the qualification for Teddy’s benefit.

‘Cool, I’m looking forward to meeting him.’

Had aliens kidnapped her sister?

‘Really? You’re looking forward to meeting William? So you believe in him now?’

Teddy looked up at Bob earnestly. ‘I believe in you, and if you can give him one final chance, then so can I.’

Bob felt her eyes well. ‘Thank you, Teddy.’

She gave her little sister a hug, and Teddy suffered the embrace for almost twice as long as usual.

‘Okay, now get off me.’

Bob laughed. ‘That was a record. But you’re only staying ten minutes, remember? Just to say hello and then you go.’

Teddy saluted. ‘I have my instructions. And Miss Marple sends her best.’

‘I’m sorry she couldn’t come.’

‘That’s cool, you don’t know if William’s a dog person yet. And anyway, Miss Marple’s stoked, she’s got Netflix all to herself for an hour.’

Bob laughed, but Miss Marple had such high status in Teddy’s household that Bob half-wondered if Teddy had indeed left her miniature schnauzer in charge of the remote control.

‘Want to help me with the salad?’

‘Sure.’

They went to the kitchen, and Bob poured them both a glass of bubbles and put Teddy to work extracting pomegranate seeds for the cauliflower, pomegranate and pistachio salad. Teddy did a pretty haphazard job, but cooking had never been her thing. She thought of food as fuel rather than a sensory experience to be savoured, and Bob had always found that a shame.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.