No Sex in the City Read Online Free PDF Page A

Greek youth organisations. Throughout university, she made sure she was on every executive committee and generally bossed everybody around, whether it came to organising the annual Greek Ball (which we all went along to) or running youth camps. She’s since relinquished control to the younger crowd but still helps out with the occasional community event. Ruby comes from a very educated and successful family. Her dad is an aeronautical research scientist, her mother is a psychologist, one brother is a doctor and the other is a pharmacist. Lisa, Nirvana and I refer to Ruby’s family as ‘the Nobel Laureates’.
    Ruby has wild curly hair that refuses to be styled and looks different every time I see her. One day her curls are loose and bouncy, the next they’re tight and frizzy. She’s got an unforgettable face: strong jawline, thick, beautifully arched eyebrows, and massive dark eyes framed by funky glasses which aren’t prescription but which she insists on wearing a couple of days a week because she’s a Gemini and gets bored with her look every five seconds.
    Ruby is an astrology fanatic. In her own words: ‘I’d rather die single than fall for a Taurus, Cancer or Pisces.’ So Ruby’s Mr Right checklist is therefore just as unviable (some might say screwed-up) as mine. Despite being into astrology, Ruby is exceptionally bright (she was made an associate at her law firm within a year of starting there) and pretty much fits the profile of the ‘CC’ lawyer (confident and cocky – again her words, not mine). She was in a relationship with another law student throughout university and a couple of years afterwards broke it off. She’s now also ready to fall in love again, but has experienced absolutely zero success so far. Thankfully Ruby, like Nirvana and me, thinks that finding Mr Right adds to your life rather than defines it.
    Lisa, on the other hand, takes a completely different view.
    Lisa has sky-blue eyes, freckles and a mop of long dark hair. She’s intolerant of anybody she views as politically conservative, and when it comes to issues such as climate change, asylum seekers, women’s rights and the Israel-Palestine conflict, her convictions are absolute and nonnegotiable.
    Although Lisa’s Jewish and identifies herself as such, she’s not religious. In fact, she’s agnostic. That’s not for lack of effort on her mother’s part. Ever since Lisa was little, her mum has been dragging her to Hebrew classes and Jewish functions. Her parents keep kosher and observe the high holy days, although they’re not so religious as to observe Shabbat. When Lisa finished high school, her mum took her to Israel. She thought it would help Lisa embrace her Jewish identity, but the plan backfired. Lisa got involved with a human rights group and ended up spending her time in front of bulldozers in the West Bank.
    So Lisa’s the odd one out in her family, disagreeing with them on Israel, religion and, most importantly for her mother, marrying a Jewish guy. Lisa has no interest whatsoever in finding Mr Right, Jewish (as her mother so desperately hopes) or otherwise. She thinks marriage is stifling.
    While Nirvana and I are definitely not having sex in the city, Lisa and Ruby are no longer virgins. However, they’re still quite conservative by today’s standards and have only been with one guy each. I know this because this is the stuff best friends know, up there with menstrual cycles, embarrassing fantasies and family problems (well, okay, maybe not all problems, given the skeleton in Dad’s closet).
    ‘So are you going to call this meeting to order?’ Lisa asks.
    ‘The No Sex in the City Club idea was really just an excuse to catch up,’ I say, smiling. ‘I needed something to entice us out of our crazy work schedules.’
    ‘Speaking of crazy work schedules, how’s work going for you?’ Nirvana asks Lisa.
    Lisa scrunches up her face and lets out a sigh. ‘You know what it’s like. See a kid you’ve known