The Unexpected Consequences of Love Read Online Free

The Unexpected Consequences of Love
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was being brilliant company. He just didn’t appreciate me.”
    â€œMaybe he was working nights?”
    â€œThat would have been an excellent excuse, wouldn’t it? Except he wasn’t. He just said sorry, he didn’t know why he was so tired, so I said jokingly it was probably because I was so boring.”
    â€œAnd…?”
    â€œAnd he just shrugged and yawned. Like a complete arse. Seriously, such a letdown.” Tula exhaled in frustration. “If anyone was boring, it was him.”
    â€œWhat a pain. Oh well, his loss. How about Danny from work?”
    â€œDanny’s great. I love him. We went for a curry the other night.”
    â€œYou did? Well, that’s good.” Sophie nodded encouragingly.
    â€œGood in one way, not so much in the other,” said Tula. “He told me he was gay.”
    â€œOh.”
    â€œAfter I tried to kiss him.”
    â€œWhoops.”
    â€œSo then I had to pretend I’d known all along and it had only been a jokey kiss. And he pretended to go along with it, but really we both knew it hadn’t been a jokey one. So yet again I ended up making a massive prat of myself.” Tula heaved a dramatic sigh. “But honestly, how are you supposed to tell? There should be a way. He doesn’t act camp or sound camp; there are no clues… He’s just lovely-looking, always so cheerful and friendly, and really easy company; you can chat to him about anything… Oh damn…” Her voice trailed off as the words sank in. “Listen to me, how could I have been so stupid? Of course he’s gay.”
    â€œSo he’s a good friend.” Sophie’s tone was consoling. “That’s not so bad, is it? Those last longer than boyfriends anyway.”
    â€œCertainly longer than my boyfriends.” Tula knew she was her own worst enemy, but she couldn’t help herself; when she found someone she liked, she just got overenthusiastic, like a toddler being offered the latest must-have toy. And it inevitably scared off the man in question. Aloud she said, “How about you? Anyone interesting?”
    â€œNo.” Sophie shook her head, as Tula had known she would.
    â€œAre you going to be like this forever?”
    â€œWho knows?”
    â€œDon’t you get lonely?”
    â€œNo, I really don’t.”
    And the thing was, she knew Sophie genuinely meant it. She’d simply banished the idea of boyfriends from her life and didn’t appear to miss them at all.
    Tula envied her that ability—though not, obviously, the reason behind it.
    It had to be good, though, to be so unneedy. If only she could be a fraction as determined and focused on her own career. Not that you could call her job a career.
    Still, it might only be bar work, but it paid the bills. Speaking of which…
    â€œReady for an ice cream?” Scrambling upright, Tula dusted sand from her legs and pulled her shorts and T-shirt on over her bikini.
    â€œYou don’t have to get dressed,” said Sophie. “They sell them over at the beach café.”
    â€œI know, but I love that shop we went to last year, the one up on the esplanade. Remember the blackberry ice cream?”
    Sophie nodded. “You’re right. They’re the best. I’ll have one of those too. Better get tubs rather than cones, or they’ll be melted by the time you get back.”
    God, there were a lot of steps. Tula finally reached the top and paused for breath; this was her punishment for telling a lie. But Sophie would be shocked and disappointed if she knew about the sickie—she had such a work ethic, it would never occur to her to play hooky.
    Plus, Tula knew if she tried to call her boss from the beach, there was the chance of him overhearing seasidey vacation-type background noises and waves crashing on the sand.
    To the left was the beginning of the esplanade, crowded with people. To the right was a narrow path leading up
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