Better Than Easy Read Free Page A

“It will live outside in a kennel. And I can take it for walks on those footpaths along the ridges.
    I nod and smile at the image. I get it. These things
are
linked for Tom. Just as Sunday mornings are somehow linked to croissants and saxophone for me, gîtes, dogs and rhubarb are part of
his
dream. I shrug. “I guess,” I say. “A dog and rhubarb. Why not? We could call the dog Rhubarb and kill two birds with one stone.”
    Tom runs his lighter along the edge of the lump of dope. “Wasn’t that a cartoon dog? Rhubarb and Custard or something.”
    I wrinkle my nose. “I don’t think Rhubarb was a
dog
…” I shrug. I think for a moment. “No, I can’t remember. Where do you get this stuff from anyway?” I ask pointing at the dope. “I mean, I hope you didn’t bring it back from Brighton?”
    Tom tuts. “Don’t be crazy! I wouldn’t go through customs with it. No, Jenny gets it off that bloke she’s seeing.”
    â€œJenny?” I repeat. “And what do you mean that
bloke she’s seeing?
I don’t know anything about a bloke!”
    Tom sprinkles the dope and glances up at me. “You didn’t know? About Rick?”
    â€œRick?” I say. “This guy has a
name?”
It’s a dumb comment – of
course
he has a name. But I’m shocked, and a little outraged that Tom is on first name terms with a guy Jenny is seeing. Jenny is
my
closest friend after all, and I didn’t even know that Rick existed.
    Tom shrugs. “She hasn’t been seeing him long,” he says. “A couple of weeks tops.”
    â€œWhat’s he like?” I ask wondering if he’s one of the guys I’ve crossed on the stairs. “And he’s what? A drug dealer?”
    Tom shakes his head and runs his tongue alongthe edge of the paper. “I haven’t seen him,” he says. “He sounds nice though. And no, he’s not a dealer at all. He’s a doctor I think.”
    â€œJenny is dating a drug dealing doctor,” I say. “And I didn’t know.”
    Tom shrugs. “The disadvantage of being at work. And he’s
not
a dealer. Don’t say that. You’ll upset her.
And
him! He just had some – for you know, personal use, and she asked him for it and then gave it to me. Said it makes her too lazy.”
    I shake my head. “I just can’t believe that I didn’t know this,” I say. “How can I not know this? Why didn’t
you
tell me?”
    Tom shrugs. “It didn’t come up I suppose. Hey, you know the redecorating thing,” he adds, his voice suddenly velvety.
    I give him a puzzled smirk. “
Yeah?”
I say. I’m guessing he’s going to tell me he doesn’t like decorating.
    â€œWell, I had an idea what we could do with the cellar,” he says, wiggling an eyebrow.
    I roll my eyes. “I was wondering when that would come,” I say.
    Tom winks at me. “So you thought of it too,” he says, lighting and then passing me the joint.
    I take a hit. My head spins instantly. “Wow, this one’s strong,” I say. “This one’s gonna make me
really
lazy. Yeah, I knew you’d want a dungeon down there.”
    Tom wiggles his head sideways. “There’s no reason why we can’t is there?”
    I roll my eyes. “Again Tom, nice idea, but not that high on the list of priorities.”
    â€œOh go on!” he laughs. “We could make it a
gay
hotel. Charge extra for the dungeon key… like those places in Amsterdam,” he says, “with whips and chains in every room.”
    I laugh and shake my head. “You dirty birdie,” I say.
    â€œNice idea though,” Tom says.
    I nod and grin. The dope is working and it all suddenly seems not only a very funny idea but also a very good idea. Except… “You crazy guy,” I say. “We’re not going to