BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

After a silence, he said, ‘Likely. But probably still worth doing.’

‘Have you been talking to Nola? No, never mind, nothing. Okay, where should we go?’

‘How was the fermented hay place?’

That was typical Luke—no clue about how hard it would be to get in there.

‘Forget I said that,’ he added. ‘I don’t want to eat fermented hay.’

‘It was delicious.’ Actually, it hadn’t been bad. ‘You can see pictures of it on Quin’s Insta.’

‘Doesn’t matter.’

That was one of the things I’d forgotten—Luke wasn’t very adventurous.

‘I’ll book a place and text you,’ I said. ‘Any dietary requirements?’

‘None.’

‘You’re not a vegetarian?’

‘Not any more.’ Was there a smirk in his tone?

‘Fine.’ I hung up and yelled, ‘Well, fuck you!’

*

Quin was good at restaurants. ‘Not too cheap but not too showy,’ I told him. ‘No tasting-menu bullshit and plenty of bland food.’

‘ “Bland food”? No way, Rach.’

‘Just do it!’

‘Okay, don’t take my head off. Can I just ask…? How about Peruvian?’

‘No.’

‘Schezwan?’

‘No. Quin, seriously. No! Okay, what about Jake’s Place? They bring extra potatoes and vegetables with the main course, that’s the sort of thing he likes.’

Quin blinked. ‘Wow. That’s—’

‘—I know. But that’s who he is. Or was…’

‘The tables are very close together in Jake’s Place—you sure about this?’

‘Definitely. They’re always quick there, wanting to get you out to ship another crowd in. Quick works for me.’

When the table was booked, Quin began vacillating between angst about Luke’s good looks and strutting around, making muttery threats about ‘putting some hurting’ on him.

‘Should I feed you across the table?’ he asked.

‘Do.’

At least we were able to have a laugh about it.

33

Dennis’s wife Juliet was a surprise—high heels, expensive handbag, alluring perfume, excellent blazer. Her look was modern, very cool. I was wondering who she reminded me of and I realized it was—of all people!—Claire.

Okay, she wasn’t as fashion forward as my eldest sister but she wasn’t the downtrodden woman with red-raw hands I’d expected. The mistake was on me—Dennis was such a charmer it should be no surprise that his wife was a prestige version.

As for their seventeen-year-old daughter Joya, she was fabulous. Long lavender hair with two tight angel horns. Fabulously baggy jeans, a graffitied hoody, a neon-pink neck-purse and car-tyre sandals, worn with stripey socks.

Abigail, the elder daughter, hadn’t come. But getting Juliet and Joya counted as a win. And because there was no way I was chancing a rerun of Patch’s visit, I’d coached them until we were all blue in the face.