Free Cop's Passion by Angela Verdenius

perfect.”
    “You’re not
listening, Belinda, as usual. I don’t fit his friend’s ideals.”
Maddy moved to the edge of the sofa. “No.”
    “Don’t be
ridiculous.”
    “Did you tell
him I’m not a slender model?”
    Belinda’s false
eyelashes lowered slightly over her eyes. “He knows you’re a
nurse.”
    “Did you tell
him I’m not slender?”
    “Really, dear,
what has that to do with it?”
    Pushing up from
the sofa, Maddy groaned. “Everything. Matthew’s friends are
perfect, they want perfect model wives, with perfect features and
perfect figures.”
    “Now, darling,
that’s not always true.”
    “Are you
kidding me?” Maddy crossed her arms. “Peter, Tom, Jackson, Zavier,
Morten, Henry? Remember them? All blind dates set up by you, and
every single one of them took one look at me and almost broke their
necks leaving after the dinners. No, no and no.” Maddy leaned
forward and growled, “Oh, and did I mention no?”
    “Maddy, don’t
be ridiculous.”
    “They weren’t
interested, Belinda, so give up your matchmaking.”
    “Perhaps they
would be interested if…”
    Maddy arched an
eyebrow.
    “Well…” Belinda
waved a hand elegantly in Maddy’s direction.
    Maddy couldn’t
believe it. “You’re not seriously saying what I think you are?”
    “Well…” Her
sister-in-law was clearly trying to find the words, but finally she
simply stood up and said, “If you lost some weight, then maybe
you’d find a man and get married.”
    “Are you
freaking kidding me?”
    “Just a few
pounds. Kilos.”
    “A few kilos?”
Maddy’s eyes felt like they were going to pop right out of her
head.
    “Okay, more
than a few kilos if you want to be blunt about it.”
    “Are you
shitting me?”
    Belinda’s nose
screwed up reprovingly.
    Jeannie held up
one hand, her gold bracelet slipping down her forearm. “Allow me.”
She turned towards Maddy, her lips in a smile, her face full of
sympathetic understanding. “I know it’s not easy being a large
woman in this world, but to fit in you need to take yourself in
hand. I can help you-”
     
    “Are you shitting me?” Maddy couldn’t believe the audacity of the
woman.
    “Maddy!”
Belinda gasped. “Please, Jeannie is a guest and-”
    “No, really.”
Smiling sweetly, Jeannie stood up and laid one hand on Maddy’s
shoulder. “Sweetie, deep underneath every woman wants to have a
lovely figure and fit into lovely clothes. Every woman wants a man
to take care of her. I can help you shed some of that, let’s be
honest, horrid fat, and make you into the kind of woman men will
lust after.” Her smile widened. “We can do it together.”
    Maddy could
practically feel the steam coming out of her ears. “You’re standing
there seriously telling me to lose weight so I can catch a
man?”
    “Now, now.”
Seeing the growing fury on her face, Belinda tried to calm the
situation. “Don’t get upset. We’ve all been worried about your
health and-”
    “All of you?
Who the hell is talking about me? Matthew? You? Mum and Dad? Darren
and Missy?” Incensed, Maddy balled her fists. “Jeannie, your
anorexic and totally obnoxious friend?”
    “Maddy!”
Belinda was horrified.
    Jeannie’s eyes
narrowed. “There’s no need to be nasty, Madeleine.”
    “Get out.”
Maddy pointed at the door. “Both of you, out now!”
    Belinda
obviously realised she’d gone too far. “Now don’t get upset, it’s
not as bad as it sounds.”
    “You freakin’
think so?” Maddy stormed from the room.
    Belinda was hot
on her heels. “Don’t do anything silly, Mads, please. I shouldn’t
have said anything!”
    “Don’t
apologise when you were only trying to help.” Jeannie was right
behind Belinda.
    Belinda bit her
lip. “I’m sorry, Mads, I-”
    “Damn right.”
Maddy flung open the front door. “There’s your perfect car. Now get
your perfect arse and your perfectly obnoxious friend out of my
not-so-perfect presence, and find someone else who fits