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Back The Ringmaster Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. The Ringmaster
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. Epilogue
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  73. Copyright

A simultaneous ‘No’ was accompanied by conspiratorial grins.

‘Oh, for God’s sake. What’s the point in arguing? Okay, whatever.’

46

This wasn’t so bad, after all. My left hand held a superb Central Otago Pinot Noir, while my right attended to the selection of breads and dips. I would never have imagined the humble beetroot could manage such an amazing transformation – my mother being from the just-pickle-those-suckers school of thought, I’d only ever encountered them sliced and diced.

Speaking of my mother, my only stipulation to agreeing to dinner was a stop at the hospital to catch up with Dad and check in with Mum. That was me doing the catch-up. Paul waited in the car.

The old boy had seemed in good form, although he was still complaining about the food. Mum was Mum and ensured I was warmly wrapped in guilt to go out.

I took another slug of wine.

‘You’d better pace yourself, Sam.’ Paul said, having observed my slightly generous quaff. ‘It’s a bit early for sliding under the table.’

‘Sorry, shitty week, I needed to drown that thought.’

‘If that was the case, I’d have brought you the cheap one.’

‘Apologies again, what can I say?’ I attempted diversionary tactics. ‘Is it really your birthday, or were you just having me on?’

He gave a melty smile and took a sip from his glass. ‘It’s really my birthday, so I appreciate you coming out and saving me the indignity of a lonely night in with delivery pizza and pay-per-view porn at the motel.’

‘Too much information, Paul.’ I hoped he was joking about the porn. ‘I wouldn’t think of me as your rescuer either because, as I recall, I didn’t get much choice in the matter.’

‘Oh, and it’s such a hardship for you, then?’

‘Not really, it was your company or my mother’s.’

‘Ouch. In that case, I’m glad to be of service, I think. Maggie can be fairly persuasive when she wants to be.’

‘You should try living with her. So, what grand age have you reached?’ I couldn’t quite pick it. His face was quite youthful with only a few lines marching to the corners of his eyes, but there was a peppering of grey through his close-cropped hair that, I had to admit, suited him very well. I’d have guessed thirty-two or -three.

‘I thought it was impolite to ask a person’s age?’

‘It’s impolite to ask a lady’s age. Men don’t count.’

‘That’s a bit of a double standard.’

‘Life’s full of them, I thought you’d be used to that by now. So ’fess up, how old?’

‘Guess.’

‘Forty-five?’ I put on my best wide-eyed look.

He laughed at my transparency. ‘Funny, but not that far off. I’m thirty-eight.’

‘Really?’ I’d have never guessed. ‘You don’t act it.’