Richard joins me in the kitchen, peering over my work surface and hob, where onions and mince sizzle with the spices. “What are we having?”
“Chilli con Carne.”
“Sounds good. Want some help?”
“No, I’m fine. I enjoy cooking.”
“I’ll rephrase that. Do you mind if I join you? It’s getting a little heated in there.”
“Join me by all means.” I nod across to the bottle. “Help yourself to a drink. Problem?”
Richard examines the label, Hmmms, then pours himself a glass of wine. “Um, not a problem exactly. But I think when Michael accepted my investment in his spa hotel, he thought I’d be a sleeping partner.”
“And…?”
“If you recall, I had the investment made in Elizabeth’s name, and she definitely wants to have an input.”
I pause from chopping chillies as the humour creeps over me.
Of course, he’s used to running everything himself….
in Michael’s business, I was a silent
wants to
at the side of my nose, then immediately
Ahhh… Shit!
Chillies….
towel. Eyes watering, I dab at
“Sure you don’t want any
sure. I’m
pan with the meat and onions, I glug in tomato puree and the rest of the wine, then clap the lid on tight. “That’ll be
how Michael’s bearing
*****
voice, sitting over a table-top of rosters and timetables, “We’ve never done anything like that before,
reason for not doing it now?” The normally placid
a sub,
“What do you think,
a great idea to me.” Charlotte’s eyes sparkle. “The boxing I used to do gives you a really good workout. And at the end of it, you
through his hair. “It doesn’t sound like the
least have a shot
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!