Slow Burning Lies Read Online Free PDF Page B

blue supergods passing judgement. ‘Honestly,’ he said. ‘I’ve got over it. It’s not a problem anymore.’
    In those shadows the last of the day’s lumbering ferry ships rode into view, looking like a little boy lost, searching the lake for its mother.
    Joni gave her nose a final wipe and sighed. ‘You wanna watch TV or something? I’m only five blocks away.’
    Patrick gave her a slow and tender kiss on the forehead.
    ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘That would be lovely.’ He clasped her head and gently brought her in, this time a little more confidently, enveloping her body in his arms, with his chin resting on top of her head.
    On top of his chin rested a pair of lips holding the broadest of smiles.

7
    Later that evening Patrick turned his head on the pillow to see Joni’s bedside clock. A Homer Simpson job. Homer’s small hand was pointing somewhere between the figures ten and eleven.
    ‘I’d better get home,’ he said.
    Joni eased herself up and leaned her elbow on her pillow. ‘What? Now you got what you wanted?’
    A scowl took a short-term tenancy on Patrick’s face.
    ‘I was only kidding,’ Joni said, snapping the words out. She stretched her arm over and stroked the side of his chest, her fingers almost playing his ribcage like a harp. ‘If you need to go, then go.’ Then there was singing to accompany the harp: ‘ But you might miss out .’
    Patrick tried his best to smile.
    Joni’s apartment – or what little he’d seen of it as he got swept into her bedroom – was older than his own, less clinical, with posters of rock bands covering every spare inch of wall-space, and books and magazines littering the top of the small desk in the corner.
    ‘You not hungry?’ Joni said.
    Patrick nodded. ‘Actually, now you mention it…’
    Joni jumped up onto her knees, bouncing with excitement. ‘Hey, why don’t you do us some of that cheese on toast stuff you talked about earlier?’
    Patrick snorted a laugh. ‘That “cheese on toast stuff” ? It’s not like it’s a recipe or anything; it just does what it says on the tin.’
    Joni frowned. ‘What tin?’
    ‘Never mind,’ Patrick said giving her a sideways stare. ‘Okay. So have you got any bread?’
    ‘Check.’
    ‘Cool. And cheese?’
    ‘Nope. But I’m sure Deedee does.’
    Patrick nodded. ‘Cool. Worcestershire Sauce?’
    ‘Like, yeah. Duh! Like, doesn’t every kitchen in America got a packet of… What do you think?’
    ‘Never mind,’ Patrick said. ‘Worcestershire Sauce is optional.’
    Joni’s eyes widened. ‘You’ll show me how to cook it?’
    ‘ Cook it? ’ Patrick tweaked her nose. ‘Sure. I’ll show you how to slice cheese onto bread and put it under the grill.’
    He turned to check the time again, then had a split second to shut his eyes before he felt the full blow of a pillow hitting him square in the face.
    ‘Hey!’ he shouted, laughing. ‘You could have blinded me with that.’
    He heard more of those girly giggles before the pillow hit him again. He stumbled out of bed and over to his clothes. The pillow followed, slugging his head another three times before he grabbed it and pulled both it and Joni to his chest. Her giggling stopped with a shriek.
    ‘Okay,’ Patrick said. ‘You win – we’ll eat.’ He wrenched the pillow from her and threw it on the bed. ‘Just one thing. Who’s Deedee?’
    ‘Deedee’s my roommate. I’m a student nurse. You think I can afford a place like this on my own?’
    Half an hour later they were back in bed, their teeth tugging on slices of toast, strands of molten cheese stretching into wires before them.
    ‘So what was all that about?’ Joni said.
    ‘What?’
    ‘I said about microwaving it. You got, sort of, upset?’
    ‘No.’ Patrick lowered his voice. ‘Well, okay.’
    ‘You don’t use microwaves?’
    ‘They… they give me headaches.’
    Joni collapsed in laughter, then gave a series of high-pitched squeals like an alarm gone wrong.
    ‘I’m