Caught in the Act Read Online Free PDF

Wembley in, and it is a lovely house.’
    â€˜Bloody hell. We’ve come a long way from a few school photos and Oldschooltie.’
    â€˜Oh, come on. If we don’t try it we’ll never know, will we?’ Diana said briskly.
    â€˜God, I bet you run a mean jumble sale.’
    Diana refilled her glass. ‘You better believe it.’

TWO
    â€˜Are you sure that you re ally don’t mind doing this?’ Carol stood near the front door. Her suitcase was over by the hall stand, she was just about ready to leave, and was only too aware of what a stupid question it was. What on earth would she do if Raf turned round and said yes?
    â€˜I’ve already told you a dozen times, it’s fine. Besides, you’re always telling me that I’m a Friday-to-Sunday thing. Today’s Friday, I know my place.’ Raf grinned at her grimace and waved her away. ‘Relax, go, have a good time and don’t look so worried. We’ll be all right. I’ve got the list. I know what to water, who to feed and what to turn off. You’re OK about the directions? You know where you’re going? You’ve got everything you need?’
    Carol patted her jacket theatrically. ‘Uh-huh, I think so—let me see: dagger, eyeliner, bad attitude—just about wraps it up. I’m just going to go and say goodbye to the boys and then I’ll be off. Oh, and did I ever mention, don’t fuss?’ she added, acting playfully grumpy, touched that he cared whilst all the while struggling to suppress the feeling that she was sloping off for a dirty weekend.
    She glanced in the hall mirror and tugged her hair into shape. She’d had it cut and coloured. It looked great. She looked great.
    So, OK, Gareth Howard was going to be at the reunion too. So what? So what did that re ally add up to in the great scheme of things? Nothing, not a thing. Anyway, he was probably old and bald and…Carol stopped herself from conjuring up an image of an older worldweary Gareth Howard, aware that Raf was still talking and that she was still smiling and nodding inanely and not listening to a single word he was saying.
    The fantasy Gareth refused to be old and bald; instead he looked more or less exactly the same as when Carol had last seen him, just slightly thicker-set with greying hair, swept back from bold regular features that made himappear distinguished and sexy as hell. Carol sighed; the bastard.
    Tucked into the top of her handbag was a battered copy of Macbeth —stolen from the English and Drama Department twenty years earlier and autographed by all the people who had been there on that last summer tour. Gareth had signed his name with love to her, love and a single kiss. It looked very classy amongst a sea of bad jokes, slushy sentiment and poorly drawn hearts and flowers. Doggedly Carol dragged her attention away from the book and the memories, but it was like trying to take a steak away from a terrier.
    â€˜Have a good drive,’ Raf was saying, ‘and don’t worry about anything or anybody here. We’ll be just fine. I’m considering renting a few of those films you said you don’t ever want in this house, and filling up on fast food, pizzas, beer and take-out burgers.’
    She couldn’t think of a smart reply quickly enough, so Carol plumped for looking at Raf all damp-eyed and feeling guilty instead. She’d done nothing at all and yet she felt guilty, horribly guilty. Ridiculous. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Ridiculous.
    Raf put his arm round her waist and kissedher, and Carol immediately found herself wondering if Gareth would kiss her when they met. Did he still kiss the same as he had all those years ago? She seemed to remember he was a re ally good—and then, suddenly horribly aware of Raf’s lips on hers, Carol hated herself for thinking about Gareth. What a cow she had grown up to be.
    Raf looked her up and down admiringly.