Free Trust Me (Beggar's Choice #2) by Lily Morton

and I crane my neck to see that he’s wearing half laced, battered old
biker boots. I’ve noticed that he tends to favour a battered preppy look that
really suits him, and I run my eyes appreciatively over him until I suddenly
become aware that the blonde woman has noticed what I’m doing. Caught out I
offer her a humorous mock grimace, but she just gives me a poker face and turns
back to the men.  The way my luck is running I just know that she must be
Vanessa, and I’m going to be spending the day with someone who looks very much
like a snotty bitch.
    Charlie wanders back in slapping
his brother on the back in greeting. “Is she okay?” I mouth and he smiles and
gives me the thumbs up.
    “She’s asleep already. Has that
prick answered yet?” I hush him frantically and he grins.
    At this point Mabe’s boss comes
back onto the phone abruptly. “So Mrs Hudson, what can I do for you?” he asks
somewhat snidely. “What appears to be the problem?”
    “I’m so sorry,” I say quickly and
trying hard to find my inner, poorly voice. “I won’t be in to work today. I’ve
been very sick and I feel absolutely terrible.”
    “Well, I rather gathered that you
weren’t coming in seeing as you should be at your desk right at this moment.” I
open my mouth to apologise but he cuts me off. “Hold please,” he says again and
I sigh long sufferingly and then look up to find Bram laughing at me.
    “What?” I ask.
    “You do know that in order to
actually play hooky and pull a sicky properly you can’t ring in sick when we,
your employers, are actually in the same room Nell.”
    “Oh fuck right off you bloody
twat,” I say but as he breaks into laughter I become horribly aware that the
music has stopped again and I can hear agitated breathing on the line now.
    “ What did you say Mrs
Hudson?” comes the scandalised voice.
     “Oh my God. No Mr Mason, I
wasn’t telling you to fuck off,” I say horror struck. “I was just …” and here I
flounder badly. “I was just telling …” Inspiration strikes. “I was just telling
the doctor to fuck off.” Sid spits out a mouthful of coffee over the table, and
Bram actually slides underneath it clutching his side while Charlie bites his
knuckles. I’m slightly at a loss now but I rally and finish brightly. “Yes, I’m
telling him to do that Mr Mason because he’s ordering me not to go to work and
you know me, I really, really love my work.” I trail off slightly at the end
and finish faintly. Sid is now bright red in the face and Bram is making a
noise like a donkey. I somehow manage to bring the conversation to a close and
then sink into my chair. “I’m knackered,” I say feebly to a fresh wave of
hysterical laughter from the men.
    “Nell from the bottom of my heart
I thank you.” Charlie grabs my cheeks and smooches me.
    “Ugh Charlie!” I protest, wiping
my face and catching Sid’s smile. “Why are you thanking me?” I ask suspiciously
because even I know that that was the cock up to end all cock ups.
    He shrugs. “I’ve been on at her
to quit for years. I think you’ve just managed it in five minutes.”
    “Oh no don’t!” I cover my face
with my hands while Bram who had been climbing back onto his chair subsides
under the table again.
    Ten minutes later order is
resumed and the men are heaping their plates with food. “Nell, this is
Vanessa,” Sid says gesturing to the sourpuss with his knife.
    She smiles at me faintly and
gives me a limp hand to shake. “Pleased to meet you.”
    “And you,” I say and a slightly
awkward silence is broken by her turning back to the boys and involving them in
a conversation about tour clothes.
    “Vanessa, you know this. We have
the same conversation every time. Jeans and fucking t-shirts. As long as
they’re clean and ironed we really don’t give a shit sweetheart. We’re not
fucking Madonna!” Charlie is polite but obviously getting exasperated and I
detect a distinct coolness towards her which is