Slightly Foxed Read Free Page A

you're
    driving—"
    "Nah. Like I said, I'm cool." He looked it, cucumber cool in
    all that black whilst I felt unnaturally hot and oppressed by
    the air in the flat.
    I followed him into the living room where, to my surprise,
    Grainger was submitting to a head scratching. It could only
    be a matter of time before fingers were lost. "How's the new
    car?"
    "Pure kick-ass." Piers left Grainger and whirled to the
    window, all long-limbed animation like a Quentin Blake
    cartoon come to life. "There, see? The yellow Porsche? Hey,
    why don't you come for a drive, Alys? We could shoot through
    to the coast, top down, catch some sea air?" He was talking
    without looking at me, couldn't take his eyes off the car.
    "Oh." I hesitated, a quick Thelma and Louise moment
    flashing before my eyes as I saw myself zipping along a coast
    road next to Piers, top off. Off the car, obviously, not off
    Piers. "Better not. I've got stuff to do. And there's a book I
    want to read." I glanced apologetically towards Theo.
    Grainger was stomping across his cover trying to attract
    22

    Slightly Foxed
    by Jane Lovering
    Piers's attention again by chewing the cushions, mugging like
    Jack Nicholson in a small fur coat.
    "Well, okay. But, look." He'd dropped his gaze again,
    hands in the pockets of his jacket, awkward as a teenager. "I
    really need to talk to you sometime. It's just family stuff, but
    I don't know who else I can go to with this shit."
    "Really? But I don't know anything about your family." I
    felt a bit strange having this conversation. A bit wrong footed.
    My memory had Piers down as a teenager, but here he was,
    very obviously an adult. Making adult conversation.
    "It's Ma and Alasdair. It's getting kinda heavy." Once more
    he met my eyes, and I found myself wondering, not for the
    first time, how blue-eyed, epitome-of-WASPness Tamar had
    managed to produce such a sultry-eyed son. "Please, Alys.
    I've always been able to talk to you."
    "It's—"
    "Please." This time soft, fractured. The faint twang of his
    American parentage crept in around the vowels, made him
    sound vulnerable.
    "Oh, all right." Aware that I'd sounded ungracious, and he
    really did look unsettled, I added, "If there's anything I can
    help with."
    "How about tomorrow? I told Florence I'd bring her back
    here after school."
    "Um. Tomorrow might be tricky. I have my book group on
    a Monday night." Because something about his straight stare
    made me feel like filling in uncalled-for detail I began to
    gabble. "It was my turn to choose, you see, and I gave them
    Dead Air . I really want to know what they think."
    23

    Slightly Foxed
    by Jane Lovering
    "Your book group." Piers gave a tiny grin. "Is that the one
    where everyone's over eighty?"
    "No, Mrs. Treadgold's only seventy-three. And I'm"—well,
    thirty-six actually, but damned if I'd admit it—"not eighty
    either."
    "And you gave them Dead Air ? Shit, Alys, they've probably
    all had coronaries. Do you know how many fucks there are in
    that book?"
    "Never counted. So, anyway, tomorrow would be tricky."
    He gave me an odd sideways smile and pushed pale silver-
    ringed fingers through his unAryan hair. "I'll give you a lift.
    Pick you up at eight."
    And he was gone in a blur of blackness, flinging himself
    out of the front door and down the stairs with an energy
    which almost crackled. Despite myself, I found I was
    watching from the window as the Porsche roared away down
    the street.
    A momentary pang—a drive to the coast would have been
    nice—then I shook my head and settled myself back down
    with Theo.
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    24

    Slightly Foxed
    by Jane Lovering

Chapter Three
    Jacinta was unlocking the door when I arrived at Webbe's
    next morning. "Simon says he is not coming in today. He is
    'busy'." She stooped to pick up the post. I gave a deep sigh.
    "You need new clothe," Jace diagnosed as we went round
    flipping switches. "Several new clothes. Always make me feel
    better when I am depressing. Without