Free Take a Chance on Me by Carol Wyer Page A

Me and a few girls from work all went off to the South of France for a long weekend in a plush villa and got completely wasted on vintage Dom Pérignon. Dropped a pile of money on the tables at the casino in Monte Carlo too. Not that Carlton would have missed the money. He was minted. I don’t think he missed me either. Last I heard, he’d gone off with a toy boy. Yes, you heard that correctly. After a few years of marriage, he came out, or whatever the expression is, and headed off into the sunset in his GT Porsche with a bloke called Gary who’s about twenty years younger than him. It sure explained why he wasn’t keen to have children, or sex for that matter.’ She shook her head at the memories.
    Charlie was aghast.
    â€˜You’re kidding,’ exclaimed Jasmine. ‘How did you cope?’
    â€˜I’m harder than I look. I was a real tough cookie in my youth and super confident. I was also a lot slimmer than I am now and boy did I turn heads? I was a golden Aussie goddess with no cares in the world and a thirst for adventure. I met Carlton when I was travelling around the world. I took a job as a waitress at a top golf club in Scotland to earn some money to get me around the rest of Europe. I was planning on going to Italy and finding my own Italian stud. Plans went awry when he turned up one day for a game of golf. He was such a handsome blighter. He had that posh Brit accent that makes my knees go weak and he was a proper gentleman. He asked if I wanted a drink with him and bought me a glass of champagne. That’s the way to a girl’s heart, I can tell you. He must’ve liked my accent or maybe it was because I was talking about touring through Spain. Either that or he was gobsmacked by my outspoken views. Anyways, he didn’t go out and play his round of golf. He sat at the bar and chatted to me about Australia and life and all that sort of stuff. I was quite wild in those days. I drove a Harley Davidson and I was up for anything. I think that’s what he liked best about me. He liked that I was so completely different to him. I think he wanted to shock his family. He’ll have shocked them a bit more now, won’t he? Anyway, I moved to England and after only a few weeks together, we got hitched. The marriage lasted ten years,’ she said and paused. ‘It was good while it lasted,’ Marcia added and stared off at a wall for a minute. Charlie was about to say something when the front door opened again. Susannah came in wearing her red and white woolly hat and coat.
    â€˜Girls today,’ she said with a huff. ‘They don’t care what they look like, do they? Just passed a group of scantily clad women. Honestly, if my daughter went out like that, I’d send her upstairs and lock her in her bedroom. Even if she is twenty-two years old. They have no idea they look like hookers.’ She pulled off her coat, caught sight of everyone looking at her own skimpy tight-fitting belly-dancing outfit and burst into peals of laughter. ‘Oh, what do I sound like? I suppose if I had a body like theirs, I’d want to show it off. Help! I’m turning into a grumpy old woman. Come on Jasmine, sort me out. Make me sexy so I can flaunt my body like that,’ she continued as she pulled her pants up. ‘Mind you, I could hardly move after the last class. My stomach ached like mad. It only stopped yesterday.’
    â€˜Yes, a lot of women say that after the first class. You’ll soon see a big difference, Susannah, not only in your shape but your energy levels. I fully expect to see all of you sashaying across to the pub in your outfits in a few weeks’ time.’
    Marcia sniggered. ‘You’re joking. I’m only letting Felix see me dressed like this.’
    â€˜Is he your new man?’ asked Charlie.
    â€˜No, he’s my cat. He’s a Persian, so that probably explains why he’s been enjoying watching me practise