Free Changing Places by Colette Caddle

now that there was a baby inside. With her high black shoes and plenty of make-up she should look reasonably presentable.
    Rachel sank on to the bed with a sigh. Being presentable was all very well but she’d prefer to look like a babe. She’d prefer to make men’s heads turn, to get chatted up when
she went to the bar, maybe even be asked to dance. It would be so nice to feel sexy and fanciable. Gary sometimes told her she was sexy but that didn’t count because it was usually said after
a few drinks and accompanied by a hand on her leg. Men would say anything at a time like that.
    Rachel quite enjoyed sex with Gary. He knew her body well and for a short time she could close her eyes and imagine she was sexy and beautiful. But even their adequate love-life would come to a
halt once Gary found out about the baby. He’d been terrified to come near her when she was pregnant with Alex for fear of hurting the baby – as if! But, on the other hand, he had looked
after her, cosseted her and been so tender and thoughtful that Rachel would gladly trade her predictable sex-life for some more of that.
    Rachel decided to tell him about the baby tonight when she got home. She had to do it soon, now that Jill and Anna knew. All she needed was for Anna to tell Liam and Liam to say something to
Gary and then she’d be in real trouble. He would be disgusted that she had confided in her sister before telling him. Rightly so, as she knew her mother would say. God, how she missed her
mother! It was lovely getting her postcards every couple of weeks but it wasn’t the same as sitting down over a cuppa and having a really good chat.
    Rachel would have loved to tell her mam about the baby and confide her fears about having a second child but there was no way you could have a conversation like that on the phone. Perhaps when
the school term finished she’d take Alex to visit her parents somewhere for a few days. It would be nice to have a break and Alex would be thrilled to see his granny and grandad. Rachel took
the black trousers and went downstairs to press them, feeling slightly happier. The thought of seeing her mam suddenly made all of her problems seem manageable.

Chapter 7
    ‘So where are we going?’ Anna asked when they were in the taxi and heading for the city centre.
    ‘I thought Renards – we could have something to eat there,’ Jill replied as she checked her lipstick in a small compact mirror. ‘And if it’s too quiet we could head
round to the Viperoom.’
    ‘Where?’ Rachel frowned, not having heard of either of these clubs. ‘What’s wrong with Club M?’
    Anna giggled and rolled her eyes at Jill. ‘Oh Rachel, you’re
so
out of touch.’
    ‘Well, I’m sorry but I’m a little bit busy being a full-time mother to keep up with all the trendy nightspots that I never get to visit.’
    ‘Lord, you’d think you had a dozen children, to listen to you.’
    ‘Ladies, ladies, please,’ Jill cut in. ‘We’re going out to enjoy ourselves and let our hair down, remember?’ She didn’t think she could cope if the two of
them started tonight. After having to sit smiling as that little shit Vinny presented his sponsorship plans to the ecstatic senior management of Cauldwell’s, Jill felt exhausted and would
have much preferred to curl up on her sofa with a large glass of wine and a box of chocolates.
    The taxi pulled up outside Renards and she pushed 25 Euros into the driver’s hand. ‘Keep the change. Right, girls, let’s go.’
    ‘Let me give you something towards the taxi fare.’ Rachel started to rummage in her bag.
    ‘You can buy the first round.’ Jill propelled her towards the door. ‘Mine’s a double.’
    After they all had a drink in front of them, Jill did what she usually did when she wanted to relax the sisters; she steered the conversation around to their escapades when they were
children.
    ‘You were always causing trouble,’ Rachel told her big sister, ‘but Mum always blamed