BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (84)
  1. Chapter one
  2. Chapter two
  3. Chapter three
  4. Chapter four
  5. Chapter five
  6. Chapter six
  7. Chapter seven
  8. Chapter eight
  9. Chapter nine
  10. Chapter ten
  11. Chapter eleven
  12. Chapter twelve
  13. Chapter thirteen
  14. Chapter fourteen
  15. Chapter fifteen
  16. Chapter sixteen
  17. Chapter seventeen
  18. Chapter eighteen
  19. Chapter nineteen
  20. Chapter twenty
  21. Chapter twenty-one
  22. Chapter twenty-two
  23. Chapter twenty-three
  24. Chapter twenty-four
  25. Chapter twenty-five
  26. Chapter twenty-six
  27. Chapter twenty-seven
  28. Chapter twenty-eight
  29. Chapter twenty-nine
  30. Chapter thirty
  31. Chapter thirty-one
  32. Chapter thirty-two
  33. Chapter thirty-three
  34. Chapter thirty-four
  35. Chapter thirty-five
  36. Chapter thirty-six
  37. Chapter thirty-seven
  38. Chapter thirty-eight
  39. Chapter thirty-nine
  40. Chapter forty
  41. Chapter forty-one
  42. Chapter forty-two
  43. Chapter forty-three
  44. Chapter forty-four
  45. Chapter forty-five
  46. Chapter forty-six
  47. Chapter forty-seven
  48. Chapter forty-eight
  49. Chapter forty-nine
  50. Chapter fifty
  51. Chapter fifty-one
  52. Chapter fifty-two
  53. Chapter fifty-three
  54. Chapter fifty-four
  55. Chapter fifty-five
  56. Chapter fifty-six
  57. Chapter fifty-seven
  58. Chapter fifty-eight
  59. Chapter fifty-nine
  60. Chapter sixty
  61. Chapter sixty-one
  62. Chapter sixty-two
  63. Chapter sixty-three
  64. Chapter sixty-four
  65. Chapter sixty-five
  66. Chapter sixty-six
  67. Chapter sixty-seven
  68. Chapter sixty-eight
  69. Chapter sixty-nine
  70. Chapter seventy
  71. Chapter seventy-one
  72. Chapter seventy-two
  73. Chapter seventy-three
  74. Chapter seventy-four
  75. Chapter seventy-five
  76. Chapter seventy-six
  77. Chapter seventy-seven
  78. Chapter seventy-eight
  79. Chapter seventy-nine
  80. Chapter eighty
  81. Chapter eighty-one
  82. Chapter eighty-two
  83. Chapter eighty-three
  84. Chapter eighty-four

She heard the flicking of pages, which she presumed was Pip checking his diary. ‘Work’s manic,’ he said. ‘Lunch never involves much more than a quick sandwich on the run. Why don’t we meet up tomorrow?’

‘Tomorrow? Saturday?’

‘I’ve plenty of time then,’ Pip said. ‘I thought that would be better for you with the kids.’

‘Oh yes, right. The kids.’

‘I can jump on the bike and come up to you,’ he offered. ‘It’ll give me an excuse to go for a ride.’

She should be pleased about this. She knew she should. But Edie had envisaged a quiet little lunch far away from her own stamping ground—maybe followed by a blissfully unhindered afternoon of shopping all to herself. ‘I’d rather come to you,’ she said weakly.

‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ Pip insisted. ‘Do you know a good place?’

‘Yes.’ Good grief, when was the last time she’d been out for a bijou little lunch? The only time they ever went out to eat these days was with the kids and that was usually to Pizza Hut or Burger King.

Edie trawled her brain and netted the first name that came to mind. It was a pseudo-French place just off the main high street that was always getting decent reviews in the local paper. ‘Ménage à Trois.’ She almost choked on the words as she said them. Good grief, was there any significance in this? What had her horoscope said this morning? There were a dozen other restaurants in the centre of town that were equally respected. Why had she chosen the only one with a loaded name? Was this a fateful portent that she should take notice of? She repeated it, hoping that it was indeed a good place, and she swallowed hard as she heard Pip scribble the name down.

‘Sounds fun.’

‘Yes.’ Edie chuckled nervously. Was he flirting with her?

‘And rather suitable, don’t you think?’ Pip said with a laugh.

Yes, Edie thought, but not for the same reasons you’re assuming.

‘I’ll see you there at one o’clock.’

‘One o’clock’s fine,’ she said, hoping that it would be.

‘Great,’ Pip said. ‘Until tomorrow.’

‘Yes.’ Edie hung up. At that exact moment Archie screamed his discontent at being awake and lacking entertainment for five minutes. Back to earth. Back to reality. Edie sighed as she went upstairs to get her son, the conversation with Pip replaying in her head. Until tomorrow.

Chapter forty-five

Chapter forty-five