Alison pulled up outside their home and turned off the engine. ‘Right,’ she said, turning round to face them, ‘let’s get this straight. You two will stay here so that I can go in, get your project and leave again. I’m not spending the next two hours stuck in that house while you decide you want this, that and the other. You’ve still got the project to finish, remember? So tell me where I’ll find it and I’ll be out before you know it.’
Ada and Hallie gave her a mutinous look.
‘It’s that or we go straight back to my house, and you can face the wrath of your teacher tomorrow,’ she told them, unmoved.
The twins sighed. ‘All right. It’s on the desk in our bedroom,’ Ada said, sounding resigned. ‘Oh, and our tablets are right next to it.’
‘That,’ Alison said firmly, ‘is irrelevant.’
‘It wouldn’t take you long to get the yoghurts out of the fridge.’ Hallie gave her a pleading look.
‘You’ve just cost me a small fortune at Maister’s. I think there’s plenty for you to choose from for tomorrow’s breakfast,’ Alison said, unclipping her seatbelt. ‘Now stay put or we go straight home, understand?’
The twins nodded and Alison removed her keys from the ignition, left the car and almost ran up the garden path to Jenna’s front door. She hurriedly unlocked it thinking that if she found the project quickly enough, she might still have time to watch an episode ofLewiswhile the twins finished their work. She just hoped they wouldn’t fall asleep in class tomorrow.
She flicked on the landing light and headed straight upstairs to the twins’ room. It was at the back of the house, next to the family bathroom, and was a large, airy room, flooded with sunshine on bright days. She glanced around, noting with approval the bookcase loaded with classic children’s books – she and Jenna were at least on the same page about encouraging the girls to read – and the large desk with two chairs, where the girls could do their homework.
The project! She spotted it almost immediately and grabbed it from the desk, tucking it under her arm and heading, with relief, to the landing.
The bathroom door opened, and Alison let out a yelp of shock as she bumped into?—
‘Jenna!’
Her daughter looked horrified. ‘Mum!’
‘What are you doing here?’ Alison, her nerves steadying, frowned. ‘You’re supposed to be at a meeting and…’ Her voice trailed off as she stared at Jenna in astonishment. ‘What the hell are you wearing?’
Jenna’s face was scarlet and, as she clearly struggled to give her mother an adequate response, Alison suddenly realised what was going on.
‘I don’t believe this!’
She leaned against the banister, almost too stunned to support her own weight. Jenna was dressed like… like…
‘Is Joel here, too?’ Alison didn’t want to imagine howhemight be dressed. The mind boggled. ‘Is this some sort of role play or something? Look, I don’t mind you two wanting to spice up your sex life but at least do me the courtesy of being honest with me. All that meeting at the school rubbish. It’s not fair, Jenna. And couldn’t you have made it another night? What was the sudden urgency?’
Jenna pushed past her and shot into her own bedroom. Alison followed and plonked herself down on the bed while her daughter hastily reached for her dressing gown to throw over the black basque, lacy knickers, stockings and suspenders she was wearing.
‘You’ve got a price label sticking out of that basque,’ Alison said, reaching up to remove it. Her eyes widened. ‘How bloody much?’
‘Do you mind?’ Jenna wrenched away and pulled the dressing gown on, wrapping it around her and fastening the belt tightly. ‘What are you doing here anyway? You’re supposed to be at yours and – oh God! Where are the twins?’
She looked fearfully at the door and Alison tutted impatiently. ‘They needed to finish their school project for tomorrow. They’re outside in the car, luckily for you. Imagine if they’d seen their mum looking like a?—’
‘Like a what?’ Jenna challenged. ‘A slut?’
‘I never said that,’ Alison said indignantly.
‘You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face.’ She glanced at the clock on the bedside cabinet. ‘You’d better take the project and get off, then. I don’t want them up too late tonight.’
Alison gaped at her. ‘You’ve got a nerve! I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t I bring them in? Since you and Joel are clearly going to be at home all eveningyoucan have them. They can finish their project in their own room then go straight to bed.’
‘No!’ Jenna gave her a terrified look. ‘Not tonight, Mum. Please. Just take them back to yours.’
‘Wow, you two really are desperate, aren’t you? Do you pull this trick on me regularly? How many other times have I been conned into babysitting due to some big emergency when really you’ve been planning a bit of sexy time? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m really glad that you two are clearly still having fun, but you could at least tell me the truth. It’s not much to ask, is it?’
‘Mum, can we discuss this tomorrow? You need to go!’
Jenna grabbed Alison’s arm and began to pull her off the bed.
