Read Cupid's Way for Free Online Page B

one of those guys who was always first – the first to pass his driving test, the first to buy a car. The first to get into a management training programme and really make it in the world.
    ‘So what is he doing now? Did he retrain or something?’
    Mavis shook her head. ‘When he lost his job the spark went right out of him. It’s been four years now, but he still hasn’t found anything else.’
    ‘Of course. Woolworths closed all its stores, didn’t it? The end of an era.’
    ‘It affected him really badly,’ Mavis said. ‘It was his whole identity.’
    ‘And he never married? No kids?’
    ‘Married to his job, he always said.’
    ‘But Sarah and him – they’re close?’
    ‘Oh, no. Just friends. We all find jobs for Woolly to do. I keep inventing things – the other day I pulled the waste pipe off from under the sink just so I could give him a bit of money. And I’m sure I’m not the only one.’
    Evie wasn’t convinced about the “just friends” part, not after the way she’d seen Sarah Lowry look at Tim earlier. ‘Does he mind being called Woolly? Isn’t it a bit insensitive?’
    Frank put down his knife and fork and pushed back from the table. ‘Can you two eat up, do you think? We need to leave in ten minutes.’ He gave them both a disgusted look, then marched out of the room, through the kitchen, and out of the back door. Evie raised her eyebrows at her gran, who gave her a sad little smile and shook her head.
    ‘Take no notice. He’s stressed, is all. And he hates it when I gossip. But then, he’s a man. Men don’t understand anything, really, do they?’
    Mavis tucked into her food with relish, and Evie couldn’t stop her thoughts turning, like an old record stuck on a loop, to Michael. What had he understood? He must have known she liked him, and he certainly gave enough signals that he liked her. Asking her to dinner, not leaving her side all evening. Saving a seat for her at breakfast. And those moments when he’d looked at her, not with longing exactly, but with more than just idle interest.
    ‘Evie?’ Mavis spoke with her mouth half full and her eyes fixed on her plate. ‘I’m sorry if it seems like I’m giving you a hard time about … well, you know. I just want you to be happy.’
    ‘I am happy. Mainly because I’ve given up on men completely.’
    ‘Completely!’
    Evie nodded and chased a pea around her plate with a fork. ‘Totally and completely.’ She looked up and found her grandma staring at her, her expression unreadable. ‘I honestly don’t think there are any decent men out there, Gran. After James left me, something just broke, you know?’
    Mavis tipped her head and laid down her cutlery. She reached across the tiny table and touched Evie’s hand.
    ‘The worst thing is, I know it’s my own fault. I’m a terrible judge of character, and I always seem to trust the wrong people. And I never meet the right kind of men, anyway. I always seem to attract the ones who need fixing in some way. Who need–’
    ‘Rescuing?’
    Evie shrugged. ‘It’s been said more than once.’
    ‘I blame your mother. If she hadn’t been constantly getting herself into scrapes, dragging you into things, expecting you to pick up the pieces–’
    ‘Gran?’ Evie interrupted. ‘Can we not do this now? Let’s just focus on this afternoon. We can put the world to rights another time. Okay?’
    Mavis pressed her lips together and drew an imaginary zip across them. ‘But I’m not promising to keep my mouth closed for your whole stay, young lady,’ she said.
    Evie laughed. ‘Honestly, Gran? I’d be astonished if you did.’
    *
    Public planning events were held at the council’s HQ in the city centre, but as this was only an initial meeting – Community Involvement was the council’s fancy name for it – it was being held in the local community centre on Fox Avenue. The building doubled up as a church and a play group, and was built from block concrete and topped with a