Page 93 of Special Delivery
‘Good,’ said Kate. ‘Because you know I don’t have sex anymore. Three times for four kids was plenty enough for me. Happy to be celibate for the next few decades.’
‘I’m sure Dereck is thrilled with that.’
‘He loves me for my intellect,’ Kate retorted.
April snickered. ‘Back to my original question. Poppy, what happened after the Royal?’
A shaky movie montage flashed through Poppy’s mind. Dancing, drinking, more drinking, Henry, James, him yelling, her yelling, her crying. Thinking about it still lanced her with pain.
‘Nothing,’ she lied.
‘Nothing?’ repeated April sceptically. ‘From my vantage point on the dance floor, I absolutely thought you were on there. James was definitely keen.’
‘He was?!’ Kate exclaimed.
‘He was totally keen,’ said April.
‘This is massive news!’ cried Kate.
April grinned. ‘Poppy, you need to tell useverythingthat happened between you and James.’
‘Not everything!’ yelped Kate. ‘Remember I am his blood relation. Please keep it PG.’
‘Nothing happened, I swear,’ said Poppy. It wasn’t entirely the truth but it was pretty darn close. If he hadn’t told anyone, she sure as hell wouldn’t.
‘Damn it.’ Kate banged her fist on the table. ‘You would be so good for him. He should definitely have tapped that.’
Poppy coughed on her champagne. ‘I thought we were keeping it PG.’
April laughed. ‘Her definition of PG is—how should I put it?—loose.’
‘Anyhow,’ said Poppy, ‘I’m a single mum. I have too much baggage. I’m sure he isn’t interested.’
‘Children, schmildren,’ said Kate, waving her glass. ‘He’s obsessed with kids. He would not be turned off by you being a single mum and I definitely thought you’d be his type.’
April looked at Kate meaningfully. ‘Especially given she’s the opposite of …’
‘Exactly,’ nodded Kate.
Poppy was missing something.
‘I’m the opposite of who?’ she demanded.
‘Adelaide,’ said Kate, her voice dripping with revulsion.
‘He’s moving to Adelaide?’ cried Poppy. ‘But I thought he got into Melbourne Uni.’ Adelaide was even worse than Melbourne. He might as well move to Moscow.
‘He got into CSU Orange, too,’ Kate said, ‘but we’re not talking about cities; Adelaide is his ex.’ She scowled. ‘They were engaged but they ended it last October. She had an affair with the drummer of the band that used to play at the Ex-Services’ Club. No loss, really. We all hated her.’
‘Oh my gosh,’ whispered Poppy. This was critical new information. ‘Did she break his heart?’
‘Nah,’ Kate said. ‘That was what bummed him out the most. When it happened he realised he didn’t even care that much. Like, he’d just got used to her being around and, being the good guy he is, he proposed because he thought he should, but when the shit hit the fan he realised he didn’t actuallylove her. He’d wasted four years with a peroxide princess who thought Garth Brooks was a homewares shop.’
‘Ouch.’ Poppy winced.
‘Precisely,’ said April.
‘So when you guys hit it off at the dam, our radars went completely haywire because we all knew Adelaide would never have come to the dam, let alone enjoyed it.’
