naturally. Hey. Let’s ask at the pub if there’s anywhere we can get some kilts from for tonight. That would be a right laugh.’
‘If you think I’m wearing a skirt and no knickers,’ Pete said, ‘you can think again mate.’
The tense moment was past.
‘What? Trying to pretend you’re not that sort of girl,’ Jeff put his arm around Pete’s shoulders and laughed.
‘At least I’ve got the legs to wear a skirt,’ Pete said, playfully pushing Jeff away.
‘I wouldn’t boast about that in the pub,’ Steve said, ‘people might get the wrong idea.’
‘I’m not sure the locals would approve of us ridiculing their national dress,’ Phil said. He started walking again and the others all fell into step.
‘We wouldn’t be ridiculing it,’ Steve said, ‘we’d be trying to blend in.’
‘Yeah well. I’m not so sure they’d see it like that,’ Phil said.
‘Why would they sell them then, if they didn’t want people to wear them? I’m going to ask in the pub. Come on. Stop dawdling. We’re wasting good drinking time,’ Jeff said, quickening his step.
Neither Ross nor Jack spoke until they reached the pub.
‘I hope they haven’t spent all day in the pub,’ Lizzie said, ‘the thought of trying to keep six drunken men under control doesn’t appeal to me.’
Jane smiled; she was back to her usual cheerful self. ‘It appeals to me. Well, the thought of six men, that is.’
Lizzie giggled. ‘Yeah right. Neither of us can cope with one let alone six.’
‘Actually, you’ve got two. Max and Jack – and that’s the real reason you’re worried. You want Jack to be sober so he’ll kiss you as he promised to.’
Lizzie blushed. ‘I think it was more of a threat from where I was standing.’
‘Ooh! Getting all of a flutter are we?’
Lizzie put the finishing touches to a lemon drizzle cake she was making for afternoon tea, sighing as she did so. ‘He’s a really good kisser, if yesterday was anything to go by, so yes, I am getting a bit flustered just thinking about it to be honest.’
‘Wow! If that’s the effect the guy has on you when he’s miles away in a pub I don’t know how you managed to say no this morning when he tried to kiss you.’
‘Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear.’ Lizzie inspected the lines she’d made in the lemon icing on the top of the cake and was satisfied.
‘Of what?’
Lizzie took a deep breath and shook her head. ‘Of not being able to stop.’
Jane grinned and nodded. ‘Yeah, but now you know he’s not engaged anymore things are different.’ Jane piled the scones they’d made that morning on to cake plates.
‘He’s still engaged Jane. Unless he’s told her over the phone and that would be a really shitty thing to do. So it would still be cheating – technically and even though we’re separated, I would still somehow feel I was cheating on Max – but we’re not getting into all that again. What’s the time? They should be back soon.’
Jane thought she could hear singing and she strolled over to the window. ‘As if on cue,’ she said, ‘and it looks like you were right to worry. Ross and Jack look as though they’re holding each other up and the rest of them don’t exactly look sober.’
Lizzie closed her eyes but didn’t say a word.
‘Honey, we’re home,’ Steve yelled from the hall, nudging Jack.
‘Sssshh!’ Pete hissed so loudly it made his head hurt.
Jane and Lizzie went into the hall.
‘Any chance of coffee?’ Phil asked, surprisingly sober.
‘Yes, of course,’ Lizzie said. ‘Can you get them into the sitting room? We’ll bring it in there.’
‘Come on guys,’ Phil said, grabbing Ross by the arm and steering him and Jack forward.
Pete, Jeff and Steve all grabbed one another and Pete grabbed Ross’s jacket so that they formed a sort of wavy line, all following Phil to the comfort of the luxuriously plump armchairs and sofas.
Lizzie noticed Phil was carrying four large shopping bags bearing Flora
‘If you think I’m wearing a skirt and no knickers,’ Pete said, ‘you can think again mate.’
The tense moment was past.
‘What? Trying to pretend you’re not that sort of girl,’ Jeff put his arm around Pete’s shoulders and laughed.
‘At least I’ve got the legs to wear a skirt,’ Pete said, playfully pushing Jeff away.
‘I wouldn’t boast about that in the pub,’ Steve said, ‘people might get the wrong idea.’
‘I’m not sure the locals would approve of us ridiculing their national dress,’ Phil said. He started walking again and the others all fell into step.
‘We wouldn’t be ridiculing it,’ Steve said, ‘we’d be trying to blend in.’
‘Yeah well. I’m not so sure they’d see it like that,’ Phil said.
‘Why would they sell them then, if they didn’t want people to wear them? I’m going to ask in the pub. Come on. Stop dawdling. We’re wasting good drinking time,’ Jeff said, quickening his step.
Neither Ross nor Jack spoke until they reached the pub.
‘I hope they haven’t spent all day in the pub,’ Lizzie said, ‘the thought of trying to keep six drunken men under control doesn’t appeal to me.’
Jane smiled; she was back to her usual cheerful self. ‘It appeals to me. Well, the thought of six men, that is.’
Lizzie giggled. ‘Yeah right. Neither of us can cope with one let alone six.’
‘Actually, you’ve got two. Max and Jack – and that’s the real reason you’re worried. You want Jack to be sober so he’ll kiss you as he promised to.’
Lizzie blushed. ‘I think it was more of a threat from where I was standing.’
‘Ooh! Getting all of a flutter are we?’
Lizzie put the finishing touches to a lemon drizzle cake she was making for afternoon tea, sighing as she did so. ‘He’s a really good kisser, if yesterday was anything to go by, so yes, I am getting a bit flustered just thinking about it to be honest.’
‘Wow! If that’s the effect the guy has on you when he’s miles away in a pub I don’t know how you managed to say no this morning when he tried to kiss you.’
‘Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear.’ Lizzie inspected the lines she’d made in the lemon icing on the top of the cake and was satisfied.
‘Of what?’
Lizzie took a deep breath and shook her head. ‘Of not being able to stop.’
Jane grinned and nodded. ‘Yeah, but now you know he’s not engaged anymore things are different.’ Jane piled the scones they’d made that morning on to cake plates.
‘He’s still engaged Jane. Unless he’s told her over the phone and that would be a really shitty thing to do. So it would still be cheating – technically and even though we’re separated, I would still somehow feel I was cheating on Max – but we’re not getting into all that again. What’s the time? They should be back soon.’
Jane thought she could hear singing and she strolled over to the window. ‘As if on cue,’ she said, ‘and it looks like you were right to worry. Ross and Jack look as though they’re holding each other up and the rest of them don’t exactly look sober.’
Lizzie closed her eyes but didn’t say a word.
‘Honey, we’re home,’ Steve yelled from the hall, nudging Jack.
‘Sssshh!’ Pete hissed so loudly it made his head hurt.
Jane and Lizzie went into the hall.
‘Any chance of coffee?’ Phil asked, surprisingly sober.
‘Yes, of course,’ Lizzie said. ‘Can you get them into the sitting room? We’ll bring it in there.’
‘Come on guys,’ Phil said, grabbing Ross by the arm and steering him and Jack forward.
Pete, Jeff and Steve all grabbed one another and Pete grabbed Ross’s jacket so that they formed a sort of wavy line, all following Phil to the comfort of the luxuriously plump armchairs and sofas.
Lizzie noticed Phil was carrying four large shopping bags bearing Flora
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