Wildlife Read Online Free Page B

thought . . . so much time. Such a waste of time.’
    â€˜I imagine “Sledgehammer” gets its fair share of views.’
    â€˜Does it?’
    â€˜Of course.’
    â€˜But time, Janek, you don’t realise. Look at me. We’re short-lived. What’s that?’
    The grandfather clock begins to chime. Outside, a car horn sounds. Peter leaps away from the window. Janek can hear a heavy vehicle pulling onto the gravel car park.
    â€˜They’re here,’ says Peter. ‘It’s been lovely to see you again.’
    â€˜You’re not staying?’
    â€˜No. No, I’m not. I’m going to pick my boy up from school.’
    Peter Gabriel is at the door, but he’s still looking cautiously towards the window. There are footsteps on the gravel.
    â€˜The Wild World has come to Reel World, Janek,’ says Gabriel through a regretful smile. And before Janek can reply the one-time superstar has vanished. He can be heard dashing down the main corridor and making quickly for the manor’s back door.
    â€˜Goodbye,’ mutters Janek to himself, lighting another fag.
    Moments later the door to the dining room is opening and a brunette in scruffy jeans and an Aerosmith T-shirt is walking towards Janek with a straight face.
    â€˜Janek Freeman?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜I’m bossing today.’ They’re shaking hands. ‘I’m going to be making sure we get what we want. I’m sure we will. I’m told you can play anything we put in front of you, right?’
    â€˜Right,’ says Janek, quickly deciding that no amount of cash is worth this. Nothing matters. This is going to beanother pointless and day-shaped occasion. One of many in my life. My life that repeats and repeats. My life, where nothing matters, where nothing really means it. He immediately decides that the bossing woman is a delightful bitch with bored eyes, a bored nose and a bored mouth. Barely alive. A tired heart. A flirty but dry cunt. Janek stops listening.
    â€˜Oh, you smoke,’ the woman is saying. ‘Wow, cool, OK.’
    Over her shoulder the door opens again and Janek watches as a rather grand-looking girl enters slowly, her back slightly bent, peering into the room with enquiring eyes.
    â€˜Come on in,’ says the bossbitch. ‘Come on in, Lie. Meet Janek.’
    The rather grand girl straightens up and approaches Janek with an outstretched hand. Bossbitch watches as the two of them, Janek and this girl, shake hands and swap smiles. ‘Wow, cool, OK,’ she says. ‘Janek, this is Life. Once we’ve set up we’re going to plug you into her brain. Your guitar, I mean. We’ll get your guitar plugged into Life’s brain. OK?’
    â€˜No problem,’ says Janek, pulling out a seat for Life and taking one himself.
    â€˜Wow,’ says Bossbitch, her voice descending on the notes of some predictable major key. ‘Wow. Cool. OK.’ She leaves the room and seconds later Janek can hear her screaming demands across the car park. He and Life sit in silence for five heavy seconds. Janek pulls his beanie hat down so it’s touching his eyebrows.
    â€˜You should know,’ he says, ‘I’ve been waiting twenty-five years for this.’
    â€˜This is my first week.’
    â€˜No, I mean . . .’ Janek checks himself. He offers Life a cigarette and changes the subject clumsily. ‘Your boss seems like a bitch.’
    â€˜She is a bitch,’ Life replies, pulling a fag from the packet. ‘So how long have you been involved with the Wild World?’
    â€˜Oh, I’m not,’ says Janek, admiring the size of Life’s facial features. Do they matter? Her big mouth. Big eyes. Her big beautiful teeth. Do her big tits matter? ‘I’m here for the money,’ he continues, distracted. ‘They just called up, said the Wild World needed bass lines. So here I am. It’s as pointless as