BooksBarbecue
Back The Bad Place
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. THE BAD PLACE
  3. Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the author
  72. An Invitation from the Publisher

Arriving at the speed-dating, Sasha Dawson took off her wedding ring and dropped it in her pocket – leaving it on would send all the wrong signals.

She parked her Spider in the car park behind the pub, applied lippy in the rear-view mirror, tugged a brush through her silver hair and climbed out to a chorus of squawks from the noisy gulls gliding on the thermals high above the seafront.

‘Lovely evening!’ Sasha gave a big smile to the doorman who let her inside.

The interior was dark and shabby, and a smell of vinegar and ketchup lingered. Among the round tables arranged in a loose semicircle, a scattering of men and women waited for the event to begin.

At the bar, Sasha ordered a Coke with ice and lemon, pointedly ignoring the attentions of two men to her left. Lips pursed in an arrogant pout, a faint smile playing across his rugged face, the taller of the two was a handsome black guy. He nudged his friend and said, loud enough for Sasha to hear, ‘There’s plenty of talent here tonight, some right crackers.’

The shorter Asian man smiled, embarrassed. Sasha turned her back on them just as a figure, face hidden beneath a hoodie, slipped in a side exit at the back of the room.

‘Hello, madam!’ A small, curvy woman, with a head full of white-blonde hair, perfectly straight white teeth sparkling in her fake-tanned face, and wearing a dress shimmering with a million sequins, came over. ‘I’m Lolly!’

‘Hi, Lolly, I’m Sasha. You look nice.’

Lolly beamed with pleasure at the compliment. She spoke with a bubbly estuary accent. ‘And you’re totally stunning for an older lady, you don’t mind me saying, I bet you’re going to be very popular tonight! Ready, Sasha?’

‘As I’ll ever be.’ Sasha’s thumb rubbed guiltily against her naked ring finger. ‘I’m a bit nervous. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything like this.’

‘Just be your fabulous self.’

‘That one…’ – Sasha nodded at the man who had spoken at the bar – ‘is too cocky by half.’

Lolly followed her gaze. ‘Craig, you mean? Don’t worry about him, he fancies himself something rotten. Anyway, chin chin!’

She raised a glass of tonic water and Sasha clinked her Coke against it. A bell dinged.