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‘You go,’ said her ht work hi about while he had to lie quietly in the corner ‘I’ll see hi,’ said Ben ‘Or I could just go like this’

‘You can’t just go hot and cold on me all the time And I have other options, you know!’

‘I know,’ said Ben ‘Put that red dress on The one that makes your hips sway’

‘I will not,’ said Pearl The last time she’d worn that dress out with Ben … well, she already had one extra mouth to feed

He offered her his arm when they left the little flat Pearl’svery loudly and clearly why he didn’t think his parents should be going out without him Pearl didn’t take any notice

‘What’s up, princess?’ said Graeirl stuff,’ she said

‘Oh,’ said Graeirl stuff, and didn’t really care either ‘Don’t worry about it Come to bed for some boy stuff’

‘OK,’ said Issy, although she hated to think of her friend going back to her house and the two of the fallen out Graeme stroked her dark curly hair

‘Co up and everything … want to come and hts before she fell asleep: he did love her He did care for her She lived with hi about hier He had ht – he’d pitched it in the office and they’d gone mad for it A keen landlord with an eye for a sound deal, apparently, and no proble to be perfect Too easy

This is too easy, thought Pearl, as Ben’s hand brushed hers on the short walk back froot her into too ly

‘No,’ said Pearl ‘We’ve only got one bedrooht’

‘Well, coet a hotel’

Pearl looked at hiht of the streetlamp, he was even handsomer than she remembered His broad shoulders, his beautiful curly hair, his handso to be so like him He was the father of her child; he should be the centre of their fahts, and kissed her, and she closed her eyes and let hie at the same time; it had been a while since she’d been touched by a , confusedly pulling clothes out of bags

‘What’s the rush, babes?’ said Grae to work,’ she said ‘Those cupcakes don’t bake theive me a cuddle anyway’

Issy nestled into his hairless chest co do et to the café

‘Why don’t you skip work today?’ said Graeme ‘You work too hard’

Issy s that!’

‘Yes, but wouldn’t you like to slon a bit? Work a bit less? Go back to a nice cosy office with sick pay and lunch breaks and office parties and so all the paperwork?’

Issy rolled on to her stomach and clasped her hands under her chin