The Secret of Happy Ever After Read Online Free PDF Page B

Christmassy glow in the pit of her stomach and it spread through her like a warm flame, burning away the last traces of resentment about Evelyn and the books. The last few years had been like an assault course, but she’d learned and bitten her tongue, and kept her side of the bargain, and now, finally, it was going to be her turn.
    ‘What about you?’ she asked, reaching for Michelle’s notebook. ‘What have you written . . . ? Wow. New shop? Double internet sales.’ She glanced up. ‘Michelle, don’t you think you should be on this list somewhere?’
    ‘I am.’ Michelle pointed to ‘Get elected to traders’ council’, under ‘Personal targets’. ‘And there.’ It read: ‘Run Longhampton Half-Marathon’.
    ‘I don’t mean that. I mean, what about you? What about your life away from work? I hate thinking of you on your own, night after night. This house is far too nice not to share with someone.’
    Michelle’s eyes widened in pretend horror. ‘What? And have to tidy up after someone else? No thanks.’
    ‘Forget the house. You’re too nice not to share yourself with someone.’ Anna reached out and grabbed her hand. She had to rein in her natural impulse to pat and hug when she was with Michelle – Michelle liked her personal space – but sometimes Anna couldn’t stop herself. ‘I know Harvey was a bastard, and Phil’s mates aren’t . . . your types, but that doesn’t mean you should write off all men. There’s someone out there for you, if you’d only look.’
    Michelle squeezed her hand in return, then reached for her glass. ‘I’m sure there is too, but I don’t want to meet him just yet. I want to build up my pot of money, sell this house, then find some nice silver fox, early retired City hedgefunder with a yacht in Monaco.’ She smiled, a quick, tight, red-lipped smile. ‘Then we’ll see how it goes.’
    ‘Don’t move to Monte Carlo,’ said Anna glumly. ‘I’d miss you.’
    ‘You could come with me. You and your Von Trapp brood of little McQueens, all in matching T-shirts from Petit Bateau. Bring your guitar.’
    Under the table, Pongo let out a heavy sigh and a suspicious fart.
    ‘And on that note,’ said Anna,‘I should be leaving. We need to take Evelyn back to the home, and I think I’ve drunk just enough to get out of driving her.’ She pushed her chair back and ran her hands through her curly blond hair, pulling it up into a ponytail.
    The landline rang and Anna automatically looked over to the telephone table, but Michelle ignored it, and poured herself another glass of wine.
    ‘Aren’t you going to get that?’
    ‘Nope. You’re here, so it can only be one of two people. My mother, calling to give me a guilt trip, or Harvey. I don’t want to talk to either of them.’
    ‘What? Haven’t you spoken to your mother today?’
    ‘Of course I have! What do you take me for? I called them this morning, before they all trooped off to church.’ Michelle’s forehead puckered faintly, between the eyes. ‘I thanked them for the sheepskin slippers and car de-icing kit, and my mother moaned about the unsuitable presents I’d sent my brothers’ kids, then dropped a few heavy hints about some lonely old unmarried aunt they’d had to do duty calls to yesterday. And then more or less told me I should get back with Harvey, or that’d be me.’
    ‘But why him? You’ve been separated for over three years. It’s not like he’s the only man left in the world. You could have anyone.’
    ‘Mum loves Harvey. And he’s Dad’s highest-performing salesman since I left. I think secretly they’d rather keep him than me.’ Michelle looked away, and Anna thought she might be hiding a less flippant reaction. ‘And . . . well, it’s complicated. He was there for Christmas. I keep telling Mum she should just adopt him and get it over with.’
    Anna tried to say something, but Michelle stopped her with a look. ‘Anyway, I told them I was doing voluntary work in an