Snow Blind Read Online Free Page A

flick haircut has been unchanged for decades. At first glance he cuts a boyish non-confrontational figure, but as he marches towards me with hand outstretched he bellows confidence at my shrinking mojo. He usually pulls the strings and presses the buttons to get whatever he wants. Our college friendship was probably only due to him wanting shagging access to the less available female populace I naturally befriended.
    â€œYou skinny twat! Saw you downstairs as I transferred from Barcelona but you disappeared outside after what I assume to be that Sprog of yours. I didn’t think I was going to make it; there was a BA client junket this weekend in Aspen. I thought at least I would get us some serious skiing though. Chamonix will be better anyway, not!” He pretends to punch me in the stomach as proof of our familiarity. The only punch he has ever pulled.
    â€œI’m skiing demon at the moment. I could still hop out to Aspen on Sunday anyway; I will see how things go. Depends on the totty quotient. Can’t think there will be much going on with your track record though, I will have to make the running as usual.” Everyone waits for the tide to go out. Robert just goes; any points of issue are seldom challenged by anyone for fear of a further diatribe.
    â€œGood to see you. Thanks for the plane tickets and hotel.” I strain to lie and find a new conversation away from him. His idea for a ski weekend coupled with free travel was enough to bulldoze Johnny into cancelling the log cabin he had booked in Scotland. I resented him for making a vulgar offer the group lapped up but Johnny couldn’t refuse.
    â€œNo sweat. If the marketing director of BA can’t get some slummy economy flights to Geneva then what’s the point? Anyway I said I would give them some feedback on the state of economy class since I last went on it twenty years ago.” He leaves us in no doubt as to his perception that we are privileged to be in his company.
    â€œAnd you two getting married, I can’t see the point of breaking up a good thing myself. Sophia you still look foxy, maybe business class these days though. Give me a snog.” Chris and Sophia think this is a compliment on how classy she looks. Johnny and I wince knowing that this Swingers reference suggests considerable growth in the size of my fiancées lovely Italianate behind and her inability to fit into an economy seat. She pecks both cheeks after he had tried a full-frontal kiss assault.
    â€œAnd here is the Sprog himself.” He pats Bepe on the head like a grimacing Tory politician touching the unwashed masses. How dare he touch my son like that?
    â€œNeed a java now. I’m off to Cosa Nostra.” Finally we get away from being his audience. Having not acknowledged Johnny or my brother, having insulted my fiancée, disregarded my son and embarrassed me, I judge our initial round with Robert to be a fantastic success.
    The steam frother of the coffee shop sucks us into Cosa Nostra – The Sicilian coffee company. Their strap line reads Y OU KEEPA COMING BACK OR WE BREAKA YOUR LEGS . When did the threat of violence become a customer focused unique selling point? I can see Sophia bristle at the Italian caricature that brings everyone to this vision of underground Italian culture.
    â€œMadonn’,” she whispers and crosses herself.
    As we queue they continue their Mafia-themed assault. O UR B ARISTA ’ S ARE ALL M ADE M EN , SO DON ’ T GIVE THEM LIP WHILE YOU WAIT .
    We take our drinks to a corner that can also accommodate the three stags yet to come. The seats defy the pre-requisite and our expectation of comfort. The sticky grime on the wooden floor and the abandoned coffee mugs, all betray an establishment that thinks it is so successful that it doesn’t need to care anymore. James Gandolfini gives us that menacing stare of threatened action, from a black and white photograph above the sugar collection point.