Off the Record Read Online Free PDF Page A

look better.
    She angled her head to the right, then the left, holding her hair up with one hand, trying to imagine what it would be like. Her face wasn’t too wrinkled, she noticed. Another legacy from Gran – good skin. Nor was her neck too crepey yet. No double chin, although her jaw line was definitely softer than it used to be.
    She stripped to her underwear and headed towards the bathroom for a shower. The trouble was, she’d hardly looked at herself since David’s illness – she’d been too busy looking after him at first, and then she simply hadn’t cared what she looked like. But seeing herself now brought her up short.
    Even if she didn’t get round to making any big changes, like moving house or changing jobs, she could at least manage the small stuff, she decided. She’d ring Maggie and book that haircut.
    By the end of the afternoon she had a new hairstyle and had been talked into booking a day at the local health spa for a top to toe makeover.
    ‘You’ll love it, Alex,’ Maggie had assured her. ‘A whole day of pampering – sauna, massage, facial, manicure, and pedicure. You won’t know yourself. Just the thing to go with your sexy new hairdo!’
    She laughed and ran a self-conscious hand over her short locks. ‘I don’t know about sexy,’ she said wryly, ‘but it certainly makes a difference.’
    ‘About ten years, I’d say. You’ll have toy boys knocking down your door.’
    ‘I hope not! I wanted to look better, not ridiculous! Anyway, no self-respecting young man is going to find white hair sexy.’
    ‘Trust me, you look great. White is the new blonde – I’ve seen quite a few young girls with your colour recently,’ she was assured. ‘It’s good to see you looking so bright. We’ve been worried about you. It’s time for you to get out and live again, Alex. David wouldn’t want you shrivel up and die. You’re still young. Maybe you’ll meet to someone new and get married again.’
    ‘Hey! How did we get from new hairdos to wedding bells so quickly?’ she joked, touched by her friend’s concern. ‘I can’t imagine it. In fact, the thought of the whole dating process frightens the life out of me. Other than David, I only had one serious boyfriend and that was so long ago I’m embarrassed to admit it.’
    ‘Are you trying to tell me you’ve only been with two men in your entire life?’ Maggie asked. ‘I don’t believe it!’
    ‘Believe it, my friend. I fell madly in love during my gap year in the States when I was eighteen. Then I came home to look after my gran until she died. David was the curate in our parish and he was a good friend to me during Gran’s final illness. Our relationship just grew from there.’
    ‘So what about the other guy? Didn’t you keep in touch?’
    Alex shook her head. ‘Oh no. It wouldn’t have been practical.’
    ‘What’s practical about love? Maybe you should look him up – you know, on Facebook or Friends Reunited or something. You hear all sorts of stories of first loves finding each other after years and years. Aren’t you curious to know what he’s doing these days?’
    She couldn’t help laughing. ‘Oh I know exactly what he’s doing. We followed his career for years.’
    Maggie looked confused. ‘Why? Is he famous or something?’
    ‘You could say that.’
    ‘Well come on, don’t keep me in suspense. Who is it?’
    Alex was beginning to feel uncomfortable. ‘Don’t worry about it, Mags, it was so long ago. He was just a kid then and no one had heard of him.’
    ‘Oh no you don’t! You can’t tease me with this and then clam up. Come on, Alex, tell Auntie Maggie.’
    Alex covered her face with her hands, wishing she hadn’t started this. ‘It’s too embarrassing.’
    ‘Hey, you know plenty of embarrassing stuff about me. That’s what friends are for – to keep our secrets and love us anyway. But I promise I won’t spill the beans to anyone. This is just between you and me. Now stop teasing and tell