Slow Burning Lies Read Online Free PDF Page A

exactly.’
    ‘But you’ve been happy to serve me all summer.’
    ‘That’s business,’ Maggie said. ‘Anyway. Never mind that. What happened when they met the next day? I take it Patrick recognized Joni?’
    ‘I was just about to tell you.’
    ‘Okay, so carry on.’
    The man coughed, then drew breath.

6
    Yes, Patrick did recognize Joni when they met, then told her how beautiful her hair was, and that he had a soft spot for redheads, before leading her inside and to a table on the far side.
    ‘Well, hello again,’ the waitress said with a welcoming smile as she walked up to the table.
    ‘Hi,’ Patrick said.
    Joni looked to the waitress, then back to Patrick. ‘You some sort of regular here?’
    ‘Sure he is,’ the waitress said, tapping the point of her pen on her notebook. ‘But he’s always on his own. The girls here are really pleased he’s finally found himself a date.’
    ‘You’re kidding,’ Joni said, once more hopping glances between them. ‘You have problems getting dates?’
    ‘I’m shy,’ Patrick said, his twitching lips making it clear a smile was being suppressed.
    He ordered a glass of water, two cappuccinos and two slices of strawberry cheesecake. The waitress scribbled it down and left.
    ‘So would you say we’re boyfriend and girlfriend?’ Joni said.
    Patrick shrugged. ‘I guess we could be whatever you want us to be.’
    ‘But we don’t know anything about one another.’
    ‘Yes we do,’ Patrick said. ‘You like Eminem – I think he’s dated. I like Marlon Brando films – you’ve never heard of him. You’re training to be a nurse. I’m a geeky, nerdy computer programmer that talks funny.’
    ‘And you don’t think Marlon Brando’s dated?’ Joni said.
    ‘Class never goes out of style,’ Patrick said, running his eyes over her face, hair and clothes, lingering to make sure she got the message.
    Joni tilted her head to one side and giggled, her shoulders jumping in time. And Patrick saw her eyes sparkle even more than they had the previous night.
    ‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘that just goes to show how wrong you can be. I have heard of Marlon Brando – I just haven’t seen any of his movies.’ She moved forward, patting her hand on his. ‘And you’re anything but nerdy or geeky. You just don’t look that sort.’ She collapsed into another of those delicious giggling fits as she took a moment to take a closer look at his face. ‘Anyway, this is as good a first date as I’ve—’
    Her smile dropped and she drew her head back. She leaned to one side to see the side of Patrick’s face in a different light.
    He let out a sigh. ‘I’ll say it for you,’ he said. ‘You’ve seen my scars.’
    ‘You don’t mind talking about it?’
    He gently took her hand and brought her fingertips to his temple. She traced the lines down either side of his face, half touching, half pointing, always caressing.
    ‘You probably didn’t notice last night in the club,’ he said. ‘Unnatural light and all that.’
    Joni withdrew her hands as the waitress came and placed their order on the table.
    Patrick took a small brown bottle from his jacket pocket and reached for the glass of water. ‘That means I can take these without you asking what they’re for.’
    ‘Mmm… I could ask,’ Joni said. ‘I know I’m only a student nurse but I can’t see how tablets would help with scars.’
    ‘Me neither,’ he said, tossing two tablets into the back of his throat. ‘But doctor knows best.’
    She nodded to his face. ‘Are you having treatment at the hospital for those? Did they give you the tablets?’
    ‘No. Just my doctor.’
    ‘Did it happen over here?’
    ‘No. The scars were… I’ve had them a long time. Let’s just call it a childhood accident.’
    ‘Oh. I’m sorry.’
    Patrick’s fork sank deep into the light pink cheesecake layer and snapped a piece off the base. He stabbed it with his fork and lifted it to his mouth, then stopped and nodded to Joni’s