Lisa and Co by Jilly Cooper

Author:Jilly Cooper
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Transworld
Published: 2010-12-23T00:00:00+00:00

Johnnie Casanova

Richard scowled at his reflection in the mirror. Maybe Johnnie could get away with unbuttoned Lacoste T-shirts worn next to the skin – but he couldn’t. His neck was too long and thin – he looked like a faggotty giraffe. Sighing, he peeled off the Lacoste, put on a dark blue shirt and tie and a pale blue linen jacket, and doused himself in Johnnie’s aftershave.

He went down the passage and banged on the door of the other bedroom. ‘It’s after nine,’ he said. ‘I’m off.’

There was a scuffling inside, then a voice shouted, ‘Hang on a minute!’

Johnnie came out wrapped in a towel, his black hair tousled, and shut the door behind him. ‘Stick around,’ he said. ‘I’ll be through in a quarter of an hour.’

‘Like hell you will,’ said Richard. He pointed to the bedroom door. ‘You’re not bringing her, are you?’

Johnnie grinned and shook his head. ‘The invitation didn’t say bring an enemy. Look, tell Miranda I’m working late. I’ll be along before the pubs close.’

Richard picked up his car keys. ‘I’ll tell her to keep someone hot for you,’ he said, and slammed the front door behind him.

Richard noticed the girl as soon as he arrived at the party. She looked entirely out of place, hovering on the edge of a group who were ignoring her, bewildered as a puppy put out on the motorway.

‘Who’s the girl in the purple dress?’ he asked, taking a drink from Miranda, his hostess.

‘My little cousin Gemma, just out of school and completely out of her depth.’

Gemma. Richard kicked the name around and decided he liked it. ‘Shall I go and chat her up?’ he said.

‘Oh, darling, would you? I’d be awfully grateful. It looks so bad at a party, people standing around looking spare. Johnnie is coming, isn’t he?’ she added, fluttering her long sooty eyelashes.

‘Sure,’ said Richard. ‘He was working. He said he might be late.’

He tasted his drink, which was revolting, and wondered where the whisky was hidden. Girls always kept a bottle tucked away for Johnnie. By the time he’d battled his way across the room to the girl in the purple dress, the group around her had dispersed. She was clutching her drink, looking terrified.

‘Hello,’ he said.

She turned to him gratefully. ‘Oh, hello.’

‘It’s too noisy here, and I’m not very good at lip-reading,’ he said. She followed him over to the window.

‘That’s a nice dress,’ he said.

‘Isn’t it lovely? I borrowed it from Miranda.’

She had big blue eyes and a pink skin, and her innocent, anxious face looked quite out of keeping with her full voluptuous body. Rather as though she’d borrowed that for the party as well.

‘And Gemma’s a nice name,’ he said. ‘It suits you.’

‘How did you know I was called Gemma?’

‘Miranda told me.’

She looked disappointed. ‘And sent you over to rescue me?’

‘Not at all. I asked who you were, and sent myself over.’

She was just seventeen, he learnt, starting her first job, living in a bedsitter quite near him. This was her first big London party, and she’d been worrying about it for days.

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