Some Girls Do Read Free Page B

ball in Toronto. Claire enjoyed reading about her friend’s adventures. If things had been different, they would have gone to Canada together. Instead, she was in the same old rut, and when she tried to dredge up some news to put in a reply, she couldn’t think of a single thing.
    She put the email aside to reply to later, and settled down to finish the blog post she had started at work. When she had published it, she logged onto Twitter as @NiceGirl and posted the link to it with the message:
    In which I talk about shitty break-ups … literally.
    Scrolling down her timeline, reading through recent tweets, she saw that Mark Bell was around. A well-known London publisher, he was young, handsome and hugely influential, and Claire knew she wasn’t alone in having a massive crush on him. He was the pin-up of London publishing, and had caused quite a flurry of excitement among the female members of her class when he had given a seminar on her MA course. As @NiceGirl, she had struck up an online friendship with him, and she loved their flirty, sparky relationship. He was a big fan of her blog, which was enormously flattering given his stature in the publishing world. She rated his opinion highly. She flicked back and forth between her blog and Twitter as the comments started rolling in on both, and it wasn’t long before Mark tweeted her.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Hello you! So, what are you wearing?
    This had been a running joke between them since she had done a couple of posts on phone sex.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Isn’t this a bit public for that sort of thing?
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Thought we could combine phone sex & exhibitionism by doing it in public on Twitter.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Two of my favourite things! What are *you* wearing?
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Necktie
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Nothing else?
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl It’s dress-down Tuesday here.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark I bet your staff appreciate that.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl My rod and staff are delighted. They enjoy the freedom.
    Claire giggled and took a sip of her wine.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Actually, I was working at home today. But the cat likes it.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark How is the cat?
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl She’s great. Very feline.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Huh! Typical cat.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl You never told me what you’re wearing.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark A big smile.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Did you wear that for me?
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Of course. I know it’s your favourite.
    Locksie @PublisherMark @NiceGirl Oh, get a room, you two!
    @Locksie was Emma Locke, a colleague of Mark’s and a mutual Twitter friend.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl @Locksie Don’t pay any attention to her. Just jealous because we’re burning up Twitter with our smokin’ hot chemistry.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark We’ll have to get a smoking room, then.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Or we could get steamy in a steam room. Sorry about Mr Handy, by the way.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Oh, well, better to be the dumper than the dumped on.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl I never thought he was right for you anyway. Seemed like a bit of a shit.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark He was full of it all right. Very anal.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl So, about that room …
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark I don’t know. How would your cat feel about that?
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl She’s not the jealous type. We have a very open relationship.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Really?
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Yeah. I suspect she already has someone else on the go.
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Comes home smelling of another cat?
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Doesn’t come home at all some nights. Always out catting around. *Sniff*
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark She doesn’t deserve you.
    PublisherMark @NiceGirl Well, I’m open to offers. You sound like a nice girl …
    NiceGirl @PublisherMark Hey, ‘nice’ is my middle name. Actually, it’s my first name.
    Claire had another sip of wine and relaxed back