Free A Summer Fling by Milly Johnson

‘And do you still play the guitar?’
    ‘Not as often these days,’ said Dawn.
    ‘You must be good though if you’ve been playing it all this time. Didn’t you ever join a band or anything?’ asked Grace.
    ‘No, I’m no way near good enough to join a band,’ said Dawn with a smile. A rather sad little smile, thought Christie.
    ‘And thirdly, oh crikey, can’t think of anything. Oh yes I can: up until two years ago I was a hairdresser.’
    That seemed to surprise them all, judging by the sharp raise in eyebrows.
    ‘What made you change career then?’ asked Christie.
    ‘I always wanted to work in an office. I never thought I’d be any good though. I was getting bored with hairdressing and went on a computer course and I really, really enjoyed it. So when I found a vacancy for this place in the newspaper, I applied and got it. Couldn’t believe it. Didn’t think I had a chance.’
    The girl doesn’t have a lot of self-confidence , deduced Christie. Funny how it was always the pretty, capable ones who didn’t.
    All eyes turned to Raychel, who had very pink cheeks as a result. Her co-workers smiled encouragingly.
    ‘Three things quickly, Raychel, then you can escape the spotlight,’ said Christie, patting her hand.
    ‘I must be the most boring person on the planet,’ said Raychel, taking a deep breath. ‘OK, here goes. I’m married to Ben who is a builder.’
    ‘Is he a Barnsley lad?’ asked Dawn.
    ‘No, he’s a Geordie.’
    ‘Oh, I wondered if you’d moved here to be with him? You’re from Newcastle as well, presumably, with that accent, aren’t you?’ Dawn popped the last bit of scone in her mouth and chewed.
    ‘He moved here for work. We used to live in London and he met a bloke down there that was looking for workers up here,’ Raychel explained.
    ‘Funny. Most people are moving down south for work and there’s you moving the other way!’ Dawn commented. ‘Been married long?’
    ‘Ten years.’
    ‘Blimey!’ said Anna, her first contribution of the morning.
    ‘How many children do you have then?’ asked Dawn, who drew the conclusion that anyone who got married so young had to be pregnant. But Raychel surprised her.
    ‘No children and no plans for them. Right, number two.’ She tapped with her fingertips on the table as she thought. ‘I like to paint pictures. I’ve always been into art. I’d have liked to have been an artist.’
    ‘Are you any good?’ asked Dawn.
    ‘I don’t know,’ said Raychel. ‘I just enjoy doing it. It relaxes me. Bit like your yoga does for you, Grace. And thirdly, I’m moving into a new flat next month and I can’t wait. We’ve been renting but we’ve got one of the new apartments in Milk Street, where the old dairy used to be. Right at the top.’
    ‘A penthouse then,’ winked Christie.
    ‘It’s lovely,’ said Raychel with a contented sigh. ‘I’m going to measure up for curtains at the weekend and I can’t wait, how sad is that?’
    ‘I think it’s lovely,’ said Dawn, who wished she and Calum could move into a new place. She shuddered when she thought of the state of his windows. A team of Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens couldn’t have made those tatty monstrosities pretty.
    ‘Anna?’ Christie tilted her head at the quiet woman with the sad eyes.
    ‘Happily engaged to and living with Tony who’s a barber, owner of the moodiest cat in the world and aficionado of Hammer Horror films. That’s me in a nutshell!’ said Anna, nodding her head as if that constituted a full stop.
    Christie wasn’t going to let her get away with that brief résumé though.
    ‘What sort of cat?’
    ‘Chocolate point Siamese. Male, obviously. You’d think he was Prince Edward the way he looks down his nose at everyone.’
    ‘And free haircuts for you presumably?’
    Anna thought of Tony’s fingers in her hair and gulped. ‘Oh yes,’ she said over-brightly.
    ‘I used to love the old Hammer Horrors,’ said Grace. ‘I had a bit of a thing for