Somebody to Love: Sigh With Contentment, Scream With Frustration. At Time You Will Weep. Read Online Free Page A

to look cool, as if a rabbit appearing from nowhere to park itself at his feet and make meal of his bootlace was nothing out of the ordinary, Mark glanced at her curiously.
    ‘The book,’ Donna clarified, plucking the rabbit up and peering worriedly through its ears.
    Mark’s mouth twitched into a smile. ‘What, the one you renewed today? What was it?’ He decided on diplomacy, rather than embarrass her further. What was he doing here? Apart from Michelle, his sexual encounters with women amounted to not many lately, but he wasn’t convinced Donna was into casual sex.
    Was it some kind of ego-boosting exercise on her part maybe? In which case he’d be happy to oblige, but couldn’t help thinking it might not boost her ego very much. He’d thought his being here in situ might jog her memory, but she obviously didn’t remember him from the call out they’d had a while back, a domestic reported by the neighbours. He definitely remembered her though. Remembered very well the guy she’d been married to: a posh twat with a temper. A nasty bastard if ever Mark saw one. Nothing but cocky contempt in his eyes, for Donna or the law. For obvious reasons, Mark had taken an instant dislike to him, keeping the pompous prick in the dining room while a WPC waited in the kitchen with Donna for her sister to arrive. She hadn’t sustained physical injury. But she was shaken. And from what Mark had seen of her, her self-esteem had been badly bruised. Still was, obviously. So what was he doing here?
    He glanced at his watch. He probably shouldn’t be. Donna was clearly nervous and, though Karl was being safely looked after, he really ought to get back.
    Mark felt a fresh pang of guilt at the thought of his son. He should have mentioned Karl. But then, whenever he had in the past… Announcing he had a child with autism spectrum disorder tended to ensure there was never a second date. And God knew, Mark really would like a relationship that didn’t end before it started.
    He certainly liked Donna, liked her a lot. He’d been so tempted to kiss her when she’d stood up to face him outside that café. He’d certainly like to try his luck here and now, if only she’d stop kissing the rabbit. She hadn’t just brought him back for that though, surely? She was as shy as a mouse for a start. That was obvious a mile off. And, as well as being obviously fond of her buck-toothed little friend, she had a kid of her own and three-legged dog she would probably die for, which didn’t make her sexual predator material. Did she mean she wanted more when she’d said she didn’t want to rush into anything? Mark was less sure now. Maybe this was what she wanted. A no strings kind of thing. He really couldn’t tell if he was reading the signs right at all.
    ‘So?’ he ventured, as Donna gave her furry puffball another smooch before lowering it gently to the floor.
    ‘So, um…’ Donna straightened up, shrugged and smiled; and looked as if she was about to bolt for the nearest door.
    ‘Coffee,’ Mark reminded her gently, as the rabbit hopped under the table to chew on a carrot, clearly contented. Mark could see why.
    ‘Oh, yes. Sorry. Brain’s not working very well.’ Donna skidded over to the working surface. ‘Not working at all, actually,’ she said, peering into the coffee tin. ‘I’m out, sorry.’
    ‘No problem,’ Mark assured her. ‘Tea’s fine.’
    ‘Right. Good.’ Donna nodded, reaching for the tea caddy.
    ‘Is that where he lives?’ Mark asked in awkward silence that followed, bar the crunching of carrots.
    ‘Who?’ Donna glanced over her shoulder. ‘Oh, Findus. No, he lives in the utility, but his second name is Houdini.’
    ‘He doesn’t like solitary confinement,’ she clarified, in answer to Mark’s puzzled frown. ‘Escapes his cage whenever he can and hops upstairs. I found him in my bed yesterday. Didn’t I, naughty little Findus, hmm?’
    Clever little Findus, thought Mark, wondering whether he