Behind Every Cloud Read Online Free PDF Page A

short, too revealing or just too trendy for the evening ahead. She did a last - minute check. Her teeth were a dazzling white thanks to the whitening treatment they ’ d undergone the previous Monday. She hoped her fake tan was not too much. Her friend and colleague, Chloe, had stayed back late last night to do it, and had been given dire warnings not to make it too bronze. Chloe was great and had understood exactly how important this night was for Ellie. She ’ d also applied fabulous gel nails with tiny diamond stars painted on them. They complemented her engagement ring which she now waved in front of her for the umpteenth time, admiring the way the large diamond caught the light. David had really chosen well. He had such good taste. The ring was perfection and she loved it.
    Ready at last, she exited the messy room, her sleek dark hair swinging behind her. It had been carefully blow-dried to look like silk, during her lunch-hour , by her friend Keisha who worked two doors up from the beauty salon. Keisha wasn ’ t her real name – it was Marian – but she ’ d decided that Keisha sounded so much more glamorous and Ellie agreed with her absolutely.
    “ Do I look okay? ” she asked her mother nervously as she came into the kitchen.
    “ You look lovely, dear. That dress really suits you .”
    “ You don ’ t think it ’ s too short? ” Ellie asked, tugging it down at the hem.
    “ No, it ’ s fine, ” her mother replied, thinking that it was longer than what her daughter usually wore.
    Her father whistled in appreciation as he came into the kitchen to say that David had arrived to pick her up. “ You look gorgeous, sweetheart. I ’ m sure you ’ ll be the prettiest girl there. ”
    “ Thanks, Dad, ” she said, giving him a hug and feeling a bit more confident.
    “ Just relax and be yourself ,” her mother advised as she kissed her goodnight.
    “ I ’ ll try. Thanks, Mum, ” she replied, throwing her cream leather jacket over her shoulders as she sashayed out the door on her five-inch nude - patent platform pumps.

    “ Hey, you look great !” were David ’ s confidence-boosting words as Ellie slid into the passenger seat of the BMW. “ You look different. ”
    Poor David! He hadn ’ t a clue how women ticked and she wasn ’ t about to enlighten him about all the effort she ’ d put into looking ‘ different ’ . She was even surprised that he ’ d noticed. Honestly, for a man of thirty-three he was very naïve about the female species.
    “ Thank you, ” she smiled, reaching over and pecking him on the cheek, as the luxurious car purred into action.
    As they drove across the Liffey on their way to Killiney, David was warning her yet again that she had to be on her best behaviour tonight. He ’ d already told her this about ten times. She wasn ’ t stupid!
    “ What exactly are you trying to say, darling? ”
    “ Just that this is a very important dinner for me, ” he stressed yet again, “ so please go easy on the wine. ”
    She was about to make an angry retort but changed her mind. She could see from the way he was clenching the steering wheel, his knuckles white, that he was even more nervous than she was. He would be starting his new job the following Monday and this dinner party was being hosted by his new boss so that David could meet the other directors and some of his new colleagues. She reached over and patted his knee, feeling sorry for him all of a sudden.
    “ I promise, ” she relented.
    She could see where he was coming from. She did get awfully tipsy on wine, although strangely she could drink beer and cider all night without falling down. However, she doubted there would be either of those on offer tonight as David had said it would be a very up-market do. More likely it would be fancy cocktails or champagne – both of which were lethal for her – and no doubt there would be fabulous wine on offer too. She liked wine but she normally slugged it back like it was orange