Free Lovers and Gamblers by Jackie Collins

went back to his seat. Casual sex had never appealed to him, it gave him bad vibes. It always reminded him of the way animals went at it. Sniff sniff – I fancy you. He preferred to get into a woman’s head first, her body second.
    He thought about Linda. She was all the woman he had ever wanted. Intelligent, attractive, independent. If he wasn’t married to Melanie… But he was and somewhere along the way, she had changed. She had become one of life’s grabbers. Gimme… Gimme… Gimme. Bigger house, bigger pool, bigger car. She demanded the best of everything and nagged the hell out of him if she didn’t get it. If it wasn’t for the children… married man’s lament, and he knew it. But they were both so young and vulnerable, and they needed him.
    Al returned to his seat, strapped himself in, and resumed gazing out of the window.
    ‘Only another two hours,’ remarked Paul.
    Al nodded. He had become completely uncommunicative ever since Paul had been unable to arrange lunch with Dallas. It was his way of showing disapproval.
    He was a star, for Chrissakes. If he wanted something, he should have it
immediately
.
    * * *
    Melanie King went to the airport in Al’s white Rolls Royce to meet them. She enjoyed being the centre of attention, and some of the airport photographers took her photo.
    Al and Paul came walking through from customs, and the photographers sprang into action.
    Melanie darted forward and kissed Al. She followed this up with a quick peck for Paul, then hanging firmly onto Al’s arm she walked with them both to the car.
    ‘Edna’s cooking dinner,’ she volunteered, ‘steak and kidney pud. She slung the cook out and she’s having a ball.’
    ‘She hasn’t fired the cook, has she?’ asked Al, alarmed.
    ‘Oh no, just got rid of her for the night. The maid too. I don’t know how she manages.’
    ‘She enjoys it,’ sighed Al. ‘My wife the worker!’
    Melanie squeezed his arm. ‘Tell me about the trip, I want to hear all about it. I hope you two didn’t get up to anything naughty.’ She giggled. ‘Bet you did, Al. It’s all right, I won’t tell Edna.’
    * * *
    Edna opened the oven and prodded the sizzling potatoes with a fork. They were just the way Al liked them, cut into thin slices and covered with onions and herbs. The steak and kidney pudding simmered on the cooker, and all she had left to do was to whip the cream that would accompany the baked jam roll dessert.
    All Al’s favourite things, and yet she couldn’t remember the last time they had eaten such delicious food. Al usually instructed the cook on what they would have for dinner, and it varied between steak, plain chicken or fish, always with a salad. Al insisted that he had to watch his diet. ‘Cholesterol,’ he would mention ominously if Edna suggested so much as a cottage pie. In the old days they had lived on cottage pie, sausages, mashed potatoes, and chips. In the old days Al had loved his food, and for once Edna wanted to be sure that he got something he enjoyed.
    She hummed softly as she busied herself in the kitchen. It seemed such a long time since Al had been home, although in point of fact it was only a couple of weeks. New York, and before that the health farm.
    Everything in the kitchen seemed in order, so Edna went upstairs and changed out of her pinafore dress into a long plum-coloured shirtwaister. She powdered her face, added lipstick, too much rouge, and blue eyeshadow which immediately streaked. She had never been much good with make-up, but Al liked her to try. She dabbed on some perfume, and brushed her short mousey brown hair. As she was surveying herself in the mirror Evan slouched in.
    ‘What are
you
all dressed up for?’ he asked sneeringly.
    ‘I want to look nice for your father.’
    ‘Well, you look awful. All that stuff on your face doesn’t suit you. It looks stupid. I don’t know why you bother, he
knows
what you look like.’
    Edna frowned. Perhaps he was right, perhaps she did look