Talk to Me Read Free Page A

dicky bows stuffed in pockets, leading the way determined on a full English in the hope it might make a dent in the inevitable hangovers.
    ‘Olivia, do you always have to drag up the ancient history of your time at university?’ Emily’s voice was sharp. ‘For God’s sake, you left years ago! It’s so boring,’ she snapped.
    ‘Sorry, Emily, it’s just that mornings after the nights before always bring back memories of the famous Al’s fried bread,’ replied Kate, unusually trying to diffuse the situation.
    ‘So that’s why you visited Olivia so often.’ With his words he gave Emily a conspiratorial wink to include her. She pouted for a moment and then her face softened with a grateful smile. He must remember that it had to be difficult for her, all this shared history stuff. She was bound to feel a bit left out.
    ‘Why else?’ Kate answered with a smile.
    ‘Thanks.’ Olivia took mock offence. ‘Nothing to do with sisterly love then?’
    He caught her shooting Kate a sharp glance.
    Awkward undercurrents he wasn’t party to swirled and he took the line of least resistance and turned to the football pages, propping them up in front of him against the coffee pot.
    Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kate check her watch and pull a face. ‘I have to head off. I’m going back with the folks. Dad wants to get home for lunch. Goodbye, Emily,’ she said. ‘Bye Daniel. Nice to see you again.’
    He stood to kiss her.
    ‘Good luck with the Old Bodgers cricket match,’ said Kate. ‘I hear Dad’s looking forward to trouncing you!’
    Emily’s eyes tightened.
    Shit, thanks Kate. He’d really hoped to break that one gently. Cricket matches were hell on long distance relationships. Took up far too much of the weekend and Emily wasn’t that keen on coming down to watch. Not that he lived that far from the girls’ flat in London – only the other side of Maidenhead – but Emily didn’t like the idea of coming out and commuting back to work in the morning. She relied on him coming over to her.
    ‘What match?’ Her soft voice sounded hurt already. He’d meant to talk to her about it, explain this wasn’t your ordinary match, but much more of a social occasion and would be a lot more fun for her.
    ‘It’s a bit of an annual event in the village,’ explained Olivia. ‘A couple of years ago Dad’s team was supposed to be playing a fundraising cricket match, but the other side let them down at the last minute. Daniel rounded up a replacement team—’
    ‘A team of young, fit—’ interrupted Daniel.
    Olivia poked her tongue out at him. ‘Yes, and who made the mistake of suggesting to Dad that perhaps you should mix up the teams so that you wouldn’t have the unfair advantage of youth on your side?’
    He laughed and Emily looked even more confused.
    ‘Red rag to a bull casting aspersions on their age,’ he explained.
    Emily looked none the wiser.
    ‘That’s where the name came from,’ said Olivia. ‘Dad decided that his Old Bodgers team had wisdom and experience on their side—’
    ‘And got trounced,’ added Daniel with satisfaction. ‘So, of course, we had to have a rematch the next year … and the next year.’
    ‘It’s a great day. We have a barbecue afterwards and—’
    ‘Cricket,’ said Emily, scrunching her face in dismay. ‘I don’t think so. It’s so boring.’
    He shrugged her comments off, laughing at her expression.
    ‘Oh, that’s all right,’ Olivia said. ‘You don’t actually have to watch the game. You can help me with the teas and there are lots of—’
    ‘Teas? Do you wear a “naice” pinny à la nineteen fifties?’ There was no mistaking her disdain. ‘Olivia, you need to get a life. There’s no way I would be seen dead.’
    He watched Olivia’s mouth snap shut. Oops, he was pretty sure Emily hadn’t meant to be so disparaging about Olivia helping with teas at the club but Emily did begrudge the amount of the weekend his cricket took up. It had become