Free The Desperate Bride’s Diet Club by Alison Sherlock Page B

what we want? WhatI want?
    But Violet stayed quiet.

Chapter Ten
    TRUDIE STARED AT the fat freaks before forcing a smile onto her face.
    Right!’ she said. ‘Who wants to be weighed first?’
    Nothing. Not a smile, not a whisper. That was a bit bizarre. The first weigh-in after her victims began their diets normally bought a brief joy at the very least.
    She pursed her lips and then pointed. ‘You! Edward! You can be first.’
    Start with the fat boy. He’llhave lost quite a bit already. That might spread a bit of excitement.
    She strode over to the scales and waited as he lumbered his way over to her. Trudie tried not to shudder. Thank God, her husband Trevor was nice and slim. Not like this elephant. Imagine sleeping with that? Trudie gulped down her nausea.
    ‘So? How was your first week? It’s always exciting when you get your first results, isn’tit?’
    Edward nodded. Whatever, mate. Save your breath. You’re going to need it to blow up your next date.
    ‘Step up on the scales for me.’
    Edward took a deep breath and stepped up.
    There was a moment whilst the machine registered the weight and then beeped its final results.
    Trudie frowned at the screen and then up at Edward.
    ‘You’ve only lost two pounds,’ she told him.
    She waited for himto tell her that the computer must be wrong but his face was filled with guilt. He obviously hadn’t bothered at all.
    ‘I would have expected you to lose far more than that in your first week,’ she told him. ‘Especially at your significant weight.’
    Edward coloured a deep shade of pink. ‘It was a friend’s stag weekend,’ he said, sounding a little hoarse. ‘Maybe I had a few too many beers.’
    ‘Followedby twenty kebabs?’ Trudie pursed her lips together. ‘I expect better from you next week. Unless you have another social gathering you want to tell us about?’
    Edward shook his head and lumbered away.
    What a loser. Thank God for the Trevors of the world. Men like Edward should never make it past the sperm count.
    Lord, here was the menopausal mother. Hopefully she’d had a better week.
    ‘Hello,Maggie. How was your week?’
    ‘A bit difficult, if I’m honest.’
    Couldn’t prise your hands off the sherry bottle, could you?
    The woman looked even more wretched than usual in tracksuit bottoms and an aerobics T-shirt that was far too tight on her.
    ‘Dieting is meant to be difficult,’ Trudie replied. ‘Otherwise everyone would be thin, wouldn’t they? Hop on the scales for me.’
    Maggie stepped upand they waited for the beep.
    Trudie looked at the screen and then back up at Maggie.
    ‘Not another one,’ she snapped. ‘You’ve only lost a pound. What happened?’
    ‘It was Lucy’s birthday,’ said Maggie quickly.
    When in doubt, blame the fat daughter.
    ‘Did you eat the whole cake yourself?’ said Trudie, not waiting for a reply. ‘Try harder next week.’
    I see that you were so impressed with yourfirst couple of chins that you’ve added another one in the past week. What was wrong with these people? Couldn’t they see how disgusting they looked?
    Maggie stepped aside to make way for her daughter. Oh good, it’s the birthday girl.
    ‘I hope you didn’t have too good a birthday,’ said Trudie.
    The teenager scowled back in reply. Stroppy mare. At least when I do a handstand, my stomach doesn’thit me in the face.
    ‘Step up on the scales for me, please.’
    Just as expected. Another loser but not in the most important way.
    ‘You haven’t lost anything,’ Trudie said to Lucy. ‘Not a single pound.’
    Lucy shrugged and then walked away.
    Not my fault you can’t handle life without McDonald’s, is it? Honestly, thought Trudie. They’ve spent all this money and not bothered. Makes me wonder why Ishould.
    The next fatty wandered up. At least Violet was a bride-to-be and had a real goal to aim for.
    Or not, Trudie realised, as the scales beeped their results.
    ‘You’ve lost one pound,’ Trudie finally said into the