Chapter Five
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been to the pub with a colleague. The whole thing seemed bizarre and I couldn’t work out why Cleo could possibly have any desire to have a drink with me, but I didn’t understand most people, so there was really nothing new there.
I arrived at eight p.m. and found a small table to sit at in the corner.
It was no great surprise that Cleo was twenty minutes late. She was relaxed, easygoing, which invariably corresponded to lateness.
‘Hey! Sorry – saw a friend on the way in!’ She was wearing her scrubs, all set for her night shift, and carried an orange juice in one hand and a small glass with a wedge of lemon in the other, which she placed in front of me. ‘G and T? I took a punt.’
‘Thank you.’ I had absolutely no idea what to say next.
Fortunately, Cleo didn’t seem to have the awkward genes, nor any difficulties finding conversation topics. She launched straight into telling me all about the friend she’d just bumped into, how they’d met two years ago when Cleo was performing in Mamma Mia! The Musical and had bonded over a shared love of Patrick Swayze. She went on to talk about Dirty Dancing and how hot it was when men could move and how she and the friend had taken up ballroom dancing last year only to come to the disappointing realisation that all the men participating in the Hobart ballroom dancing scene were slimy, middle-aged sleazebags. She didn’t even…
I loved this book. It kept me up late every night.
Reading this extract from Flowers in July was such a breath of fresh air. Mary’s journey of self-discovery in the Tasmanian wilderness feels so authentic. It reminds me of the peaceful focus I find when creating designs on Perler Beads. There’s something incredibly healing about both a good story and a hands-on craft!
granny 1 delivers a tense first-person horror experience where every sound can attract danger. search through drawers, unlock doors, and stay hidden as you piece together your escape plan.