The Cost of Living by Rachel Ward

Author:Rachel Ward
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

In the locker room, Bea looked in the mirror. She hadn’t worn the megalashes for a few days now, had hardly put any make-up on. It had seemed disrespectful somehow, to be tarting yourself up when one of your friends had died. Like they didn’t matter. She had to admit, though, that she looked pretty rank this morning. Without make-up, her eyes almost disappeared – they became piggy little things sitting above big pouchy cheeks.

Beside her, Dot drew on a cupid’s bow in bright, red lippy, while further along Eileen dragged a comb through her hair

‘You look fab, Dot,’ Bea said. ‘Love that colour on you.’

‘Thanks, babe. Got to look good for my public. You can borrow it if you like. You look tired, darlin’. Not sleeping?’

Bea groaned. ‘God, when anyone tells me I look tired, I feel ten times worse.’

‘Sorry, babe. I didn’t mean—’

‘No, it’s all right. I do look tired. I gotta fix this.’ She started rummaging in her bag and took out her make-up basics; foundation, concealer, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, blusher. Then she set to work. A couple of minutes later she looked more like herself again.

She was zipping up her make-up bag when the dark vertical slit of Ginny’s open locker caught her eye.

‘I’m sorry, girls, I’m going to have to do it.’

Bea took a couple of steps towards the locker and pushed the metal door. It stuck in the frame. She pushed harder. The top of the door went into place, but the door bent in the middle, as the bottom failed to move.

‘What the—?’

Bea opened the door again and looked down. There was something there, a bit of card or paper. She leaned over and picked it up. It was a business card. ‘Kevin McKey – photographer.’ His contact details were there, not the ones for the Evening Post. These were his personal email and a mobile phone number.

‘What is it?’ asked Eileen.

‘A card. From that press photographer. He gave it to her at the spinathon.’

Dot shrugged. ‘She was stunningly pretty. You can’t blame him.’

‘Blame him for what?’

‘I dunno. Chatting her up?’

‘Kevin? He’s old, no offence.’

‘None taken, but it doesn’t mean he wasn’t interested.’

‘True. Or maybe it was professional. He wanted to take more pictures of her?’

They looked at each other, each reading the other’s mind.

‘Throw it in the bin,’ said Eileen. ‘She doesn’t need it now, does she? Here, I’ll do it.’ She made to take the card from Bea’s hand, but Bea closed her fingers around it.

‘No, it’s okay,’ she said. ‘I’ll keep hold of it.’

‘What for?’ said Eileen. ‘Do you fancy yourself as a model?’ There was a sneer in her voice that Bea didn’t like one little bit.

She slipped the card into her pocket. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘Why not?’

Dot joined in. ‘Yeah, why not, Eileen? Bea could easily be a model. She’s gorgeous.’ She came up behind Bea and ran her hands down her sides, emphasising her curves and tickling her as she did it. Bea buckled forward, squirming and giggling.

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