‘A bit too much fun at the weekend, I’m afraid.’
There was a smile in his voice as he said, ‘Ah, one can never have too much fun, little lady, and do you know what the best cure for a hangover is?’
‘Go on. I’ll take anything today.’
‘Being under twenty-five.’
Vic burst out laughing, and she suddenly felt a little better. He was a lot, but a good lot, and she had forgotten how hilarious he was.
‘So, the new one is calledMr Pigeons and the Waterloo Clock.’ He paused for a second. ‘I said clock, Victoria. Don’t be smutty, now.’
Vic shook her head at the craziness of the effervescent man at the end of the phone. ‘So I was thinking along the lines – illustration-wise for the cover ofMr Pigeons, that is – and he looks like me, as you know – actually, you don’t know that, asyou’ve never seen me,’ Jerico enthused without taking a breath. ‘So, anyway, he could don a different-coloured trilby from last time, and he could be running for a train, and we could feature the Waterloo clock face, somehow, maybe just a huge softer image behind. Oh, I don’t know. You’re the drawing brains of this outfit.’
‘Well, that saves me having to think too hard, I guess.’ Vic’s lips pursed in thought. ‘But I’ll do some preliminary sketches for you with some different options.’
‘Good stuff! Same price as before, please. I’ll pay you on the dot once you deliver the goods,’ Jerico replied firmly.
‘Of course. I’ll send over a quote for approval. When do you need the finished drawing?’
‘I’m publishing the book myself again and want to get it out there whilst the few who bought it still remember his Glasgow adventure so, yesterday, darling, yesterday. We really must try and meet in person. Always good to put a face to a name, don’t you think? You were at lunch last time I came in to approve the illustration. Oh, shit, that’s the doorbell. Can we say Friday for preliminary sketches? Thank you, wonderful girl. Toodlepip.’
And he was gone.
The golden arches, twelve thirty, and Vic and Mandy found a table, sat down, and got ready to tuck into their Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with cheese meals, respectively.
‘Why on earth did we decide yesterday that hair-of-the-dog at lunchtime after literally no sleep was the right thing to do?’ Mandy stuffed in five of her thin, salty chips in one go. ‘I’m so happy it’s half-term and Steve is working away. I’m having this, going straight back to bed, and staying there until Wednesday. I’m supposed to be searching for wedding favours. My mother-in-law’s on about having sugared almonds. I mean, has anybody even eaten a sugared almond since the eighties?’
Vic smiled. ‘A chocolate lolly embossed with both your smug faces on will do me. I’m so jealous. I want my bed so bad. Although I don’t want to see Nate. I won’t be able to look him in the eye.’
‘I take it you said nothing last night?’
‘Thankfully, he was sparko when I got in and he’d gone out for a run when I woke up. Which is so out of character for him. He just left me a note by the kettle, saying he loved me and he’d see me later.’
‘What are you going to do, Vic? Are you going to tell him?’
‘I really don’t think I can. How do people cheat and just get on with their lives as if all is OK?’ Vic took a huge bite of burger, and a blob of cheese oozed down her chin.
‘Maybe they just pretend it didn’t happen. Could you do that? I mean, you aren’t intending to see Blondie again, are you?’
‘God, no. Don’t get me wrong. He was a really nice bloke, but he’s got his own relationship issues, and it was just what it was. A one-nighter. Sex. Nothing more, nothing less.’ Vic reached for a serviette. ‘I haven’t smoked gear for so long and it turned me into a raging nymphomaniac. Maybe open relationshipsarethe answer – it would be easier in one sense.’
‘Where has that come from?’ Mandy was wide-eyed.
‘Oh, just Danny’s partner – that’s Blondie’s name, by the way – or maybe now ex-partner – I forget – had suggested it.’
‘I am so vanilla. Steve thinks it’s his birthday if I get on all fours.’ Mandy was now attempting to open her ketchup packet. On the third pull she got it. ‘I take it you used a condom?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Well, that’s something.’ Mandy proceeded to pull out her gherkins and put them on top of Vic’s chips. ‘And you did say you were shit-faced.’
‘Thankfully, he insisted. He and his flat were exceptionally clean, whichwas a bonus.’
‘Hark at Monica,’ Mandy laughed.
‘There was a reason we called Chandler “Chandler” you know. If the little munchkin had been a girl she would most certainly have taken Monica as her moniker.’
Mandy’s face lit up. ‘Very good.’
