The Look of Love
and
occasionally asking questions, and Louise answering them as best
she could. Most of the time they sat in silence and Louise just
watched Victoria. She watched the way Victoria seemed to
concentrate so hard as she was writing, and the way she brushed her
hair out of the way every so often, or at the way she swung her
feet as she sat cross-legged, leaning on the table. Louise liked
watching Victoria.
    Then, in the
middle of scribbling away, Victoria suddenly stopped, stood up, and
leaned across Louise to close the window. “It’s freezing in here,”
she muttered.
    For a brief,
few seconds, Victoria was very close, and as she stretched up to
reach the catch on the window, her sweat-shirt rode up, and Louise
found herself staring at her stomach. The sweet smell she had
detected earlier was much stronger, and as Victoria sat down again,
Louise couldn’t help asking, “What’s that smell?”
    “Ice-cream
sundae sort of smell?” Victoria suggested.
    Louise
nodded.
    Victoria made a
face. “I knew it wouldn’t wash out! Chrissy sprayed me with one of
those vanilla body sprays in Boots yesterday. Now I stink like a
kiddie’s sweet shop! I could have bloody killed her!”
    “It’s probably
still on your clothes,” Louise said, and reached out to hesitantly
pull on Victoria’s sweat-shirt. “Anyway, I like vanilla,” she
added.
    “It just makes
me think of eating.” Victoria suddenly stood up again. “That
reminds me,” she said as she quickly climbed on to her chair and
stared across the Library. She began to wobble dangerously as she
tried to stand on the tips of her toes on the chair, and Louise
quickly stood up and grabbed her around the waist.
    “Careful!”
Louise exclaimed in a genuinely worried tone. “What are you
doing?”
    “Just checking
the time!” Victoria said with a cheeky grin as she climbed down
from the chair. “It’s time for lunch!”
    Louise realised
that Victoria had been looking at the clock on the far wall. She
glanced at her watch. They had a lecture in the afternoon, and it
was already after one. Yes, it was time for lunch. “You could have
asked me, you know,” she said pointing at her watch. “It would have
been a lot safer.”
    “Ah! But not as
much fun! Come on! I’ll buy you a burger!”
    Victoria smiled
at Louise again as she began to stuff her things back into her
rucksack. Louise smiled back and began to pack her own books and
files away. She was becoming very fond of that smile. It was the
way Victoria pursed her lips and stared at you, her eyes and whole
face presenting such a cheeky and mischievous expression. Yes, it
was very endearing, that smile, and it made Louise’s heart
ache.
     
    McDonald’s was
only a short walk down Oxford Street, and even though Louise was
sure that they would be late for the afternoon lecture, she went
without hesitation. Victoria chatted all the way, mainly because
Louise kept asking her leading questions.
    “How long have
you known Chrissy and Jo, then?”
    “Oh, I’ve known
Jo since the second year at school,” Victoria replied. “But me and
Chrissy grew up together; we’ve always been close friends. I got to
know Angie a bit later. We were all quite close at school, but it
was always Chrissy who would get me out of trouble whenever I
messed up.”
    “Are you always
getting into trouble?”
    “Yeah!”
Victoria smiled mischievously. “It’s another knack I’ve got!”
    By the time
they reached McDonald’s, Louise had found out that Victoria was
three months younger than her, that her mother still lived in
Stretford where Victoria was born, that her father was dead, and
that she hadn’t been home for eight months.
    “Why ever not?”
Louise asked in surprise.
    “We don’t get
on any more.” Victoria’s expression was sullen as she answered,
very much like when Louise had first seen her. Louise was wise
enough to recognise the warning, and decided not to press her on
the subject any further.
    She was
thinking of

Similar Books

A Promise of Fire

Amanda Bouchet

Kitchen Affairs

Brooke Cumberland

My Control

Lisa Renée Jones

War Path

Kerry Newcomb

Supplice

T. Zachary Cotler

Kill on Command

Slaton Smith

Crooked Heart

Lissa Evans