Read You, Me and Him for Free Online Page B

couldn’t.’
    ‘But if he loves you?’
    ‘This is our child. I couldn’t.’ I open the fridge and eat another cold potato.
    ‘Sorry, J, all I want is for you to be happy. Your health, your sanity, comes above everything else. I remember you struggling with George in the early days, pretending you were OK and getting little support from anyone. You’ve got to do what
you
think is right.’
    I turn to him. ‘You know me better than anybody, sometimes better than Finn.’
    He smiles. ‘I’ve had years of practice.’
    In that split second I think of Clarky and me as eighteen year olds.
    ‘Josie? What are you thinking?’
    ‘Relationships, they’re not easy.’
    He nods. ‘Look how scared I am to commit to anything. No steady girlfriend, no children. Who the hell am I to talk?’
    I close the fridge and hand him a bottle of beer. ‘I think you’re clever,’ I say with a dry laugh.
    The front door opens. ‘He’s early,’ I whisper. It’s 6.30.
    Finn drops his case on the floor by the sofa and slings his jacket over the banister. ‘Hi, honey, I’m home!’ he calls, like he does every evening. He strides into the kitchen. ‘For once I didn’t have any bleeps, I finished my clinic and … oh, Justin.’ He stops talking momentarily. ‘How are you?’ he adds awkwardly.
    ‘Very well, thank you,’ Clarky replies with a formal nod.
    ‘Good day then?’ I ask on autopilot.
    ‘Yep. I did six angiograms without any major hiccups and a patient even thanked me.’ Finn cocks his head, waiting for a reaction.
    ‘Is that rare, to be thanked?’ Clarky asks.
    ‘Yes. Waiters and cab drivers get tipped, even if the service is lousy. All
we
hear are patients moaning about the NHS. One time, this man came into my office and actually tipped over my desk, can you believe it?’ Finn laughs. ‘He started to say, “In my country, we don’t have these ridiculous waiting times.” So I said to him, “Well, go back to your sodding country then.”’
    I’ve heard this story many times. Eventually Clarky says, ‘Good for you.’
    Finn was hoping for a more responsive audience. ‘Sorry, was I interrupting something? It was
awfully
quiet in here before I turned up.’ He pulls a face. ‘I’m famished! Didn’t even manage a sandwich in the canteen today.’
    Clarky scrapes his chair back. ‘I ought to be going.’
    ‘What about your beer?’
    ‘Another night,’ he says. ‘I have a date.’
    ‘Who’s it this time?’ Finn enquires.
    ‘Miranda.’ Said in a tone that invites no further questions. ‘’Bye, Finn. Good to see you.’ Clarky’s voice has increased in volume and boldness.
    I walk him to the front door. ‘Have a good date,’ Finn calls out. ‘With
Miranda
.’
    I open the front door. Clarky grabs my wrist. ‘Call me tomorrow, promise?’
    ‘Promise.’
    Finn opens the fridge and eats a cold roast potato. ‘God, these are good. How was Justin then?’
    ‘Great.’
    ‘You two were so serious, like little spinsters.’
    ‘Finn, I have something to tell you …’
    ‘Why does Clarky date such shallow, dizzy girls? That last one … Christ, what was her name? Anyway, she was the pits.’ The last time we had all gone out to a new Japanese restaurant round the corner, Clarky had brought his latest date, Samantha, a pretty blonde who did nothing but whisper to him in a baby voice and ask him to feed her because she couldn’t use chopsticks. Finn eventually lost his cool and told her that if she had something to say, why not share it with everyone?
    ‘He’s a bright, good-looking-ish guy. I don’t get it.’
    ‘He hasn’t met “the one” yet. When he does, I reckon he’ll be so bowled over that he won’t know what’s hit him. Anyway, I need to talk to you.’
    ‘You are never going to meet the “perfect” girl.’ Finn opens the beer bottle and takes a swig.
    ‘You’re never going to meet the perfect man either.’
    He raises an eyebrow. ‘But I come close.’
    ‘Ish. Finn,