Never Ever Leave Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

life.”
    “ Perhaps,” Patrick pondered.  “Or we could say we want to do research somewhere else like the Munich Beer Festival or the Cannes Film Festival or how about the Valencia Grand Prix.  As long as we stick to Europe they might just say yes.”
    John chuckled, “You believe in pushing your luck, don’t you mate.”
    “If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” Patrick replied.  “And on that subject, Penny Miller has recently divorced her deadbeat husband.  Why don’t we invite her and Jenny Archer out for dinner?  After all, they’re two single girls, we’re two single guys.  For the price of some pub grub and a bottle of wine we might just get lucky.”
    “You’re incorrigible,” John replied.  “You know that don’t you?”
    He didn’t want to let his friend down by refusing, but he felt rather uncomfortable about going on what might be perceived as a date, even if it was just dinner at the local pub.
    ...
     
    Katy was excited when she received the call about her interview and she quickly ran downstairs to tell Marie.
    “I have a smart suit to wear, but I left my black court shoes behind when I ran and my hair’s a total mess,” she said.
    “I’ll cut your hair,” Pat , one of the other girls, offered.  “Sorry for listening in, but everyone in this place craves good news.  I’m a trained hairdresser so don’t worry, I won’t butcher it.  If I cut it in long layers it will look fuller.”
    “You can try on my black funeral shoes,” another girl, called Lisa, said.  “I’ve only worn them twice and your feet look about the same size as mine.  I take a size five and a half.”
    Katy got a lump in her throat.  How kind these women were.  They had virtually nothing except breaks and bruises and yet here they were offering the little they did have to a virtual stranger.  How unfair she’d been by judging them as if she was superior.  She felt ashamed.
    “Your handbag looks a bit tatty ,” Kelly said.  Katy’s eyes were downcast.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.  You can borrow my ‘Prada’.  It’s not the real thing of course, but it’s plain and black and it’ll go with Lisa’s shoes.”
    Katy found herself weeping.
    “Oh stop crying you silly cow,” Marie scolded.  “Do you think we don’t know what you’re going through?  You’ve got a real chance of getting your life back, a chance to escape from this dump.  Every single one of us would jump through hoops for that opportunity.  Right you lot,” she said to the group, “Get your stuff and we’ll meet in the kitchen.  We’ll make a start on that bird’s nest Katy calls a hairstyle.”  She turned to Katy and said, “You’d better get the damned job because after we sort you out you’ll owe us a drink and we won’t let you forget it in a hurry.”
    For the next two hours her hair was trimmed and tweaked, Pat even gave her highlights.  There was a real party atmosphere in the kitchen, more so after Katy gave Lisa money to run to the off-licence for a litre of white wine.  By the time she’d been made up and tried on her outfit, with the borrowed shoes and handbag, she felt like a million dollars.  With mugs of wine in their hands the women stepped back from her to admire their work.
    “Oh, Hen, you look gorgeous.  I could fancy you myself,” Marie said mouthing a kiss.
    “Our experience with men is enough to turn anyone gay,” Lisa added and they all hooted with laughter.
    “I havnae laughed this much for ages, Hen,” Marie said.  “You’re a breath of fresh air.  What time’s your interview tomorrow?”
    “Ten o’clock at a place called Queenspark.  Is that far from here?  I haven’t a clue where I’m going.”
    “What’s the address?” Pat asked.  “I know that area, I grew up there.”
    “Victoria Road, the company’s called McLay and Bell.”
    “Right, that’s easy peasy, Victoria Road is the main road and it’s only one stop on the train.  If Marie