Peggy wants to party with Bill
Bill slinks into the room and collapses into a chair.
Peggy – ‘Ah, you’ve come back to see me, Bill. It is Bill, isn’t it?’
Bill – looks furtively over his shoulder. ‘Don’t tell Chris I’m here, I’m in hiding, and as I thought we kind of clicked the last time we met, well . . .’ He shuffles his feet and looks embarrassed, ‘. . . you see I was looking for a friendly ear.’ He looks at her expectantly.
Peggy – ‘I’ve never been called an ear before,’ she leans over and pats his knee, ‘but I’m certainly friendly. What’s troubling you, Bill?’
Bill – ‘Well, it’s like this – Chris and that Love a Happy Ending crew have arranged a shindig. They’re calling it a book launch, and then everyone’s going over to Chris’s blog for a party at Donovan’s pub’.
Peggy – ‘What’s wrong with that? I thought you liked a party?’
Bill – Squirms. ‘I like a good party along with the next guy, but come on, when was I into happy endings, smacks too much of love if you ask me.’
Peggy – ‘There’s nothing wrong with a bit of love.’ She looks at Bill over the rim of her glass.
Bill – ‘Besides that, Chris keeps feeding me whisky at these shindigs.’
Peggy – ‘Whisky’s not so bad.’
Bill – ‘I hate whisky, gives me hangovers like you wouldn’t believe. I’d rather have a rum and coke, but will Chris give me one, no way. I’ve told her and told her, but she just won’t listen.’
Peggy – ‘But you’re Scottish. I thought all Scots liked whisky.’
Bill – glares at her. ‘Not you as well.’
Peggy – smiles apologetically. ‘So tell me about this book launch.’
Bill – ‘I wouldn’t mind so much, but it’s Night Watcher, and he’s one creepy sod, I don’t really want to get mixed up with him again.’
Peggy – ‘The last time we met Chris was writing a new book. I had assumed the launch was for that one.’
Bill – ‘I wish it was but she’s still writing that, and she’s not very nice to me in it. In fact, I’m hovering between life and death at the moment, so you can see why I’m not really in the party mood.’
Peggy – ‘Oh, my! I do hope you survive. I do so enjoy our little tête-a-têtes. But tell me, why is she launching this other book.’
Bill – sounding disgusted, ‘Yes, it’s Night Watcher. I thought I was finished with him, he’s a pretty nasty piece of work, you know. But Chris says, because she’s just given him a paperback, he needs to be launched. As if he didn’t create enough mayhem in his eBook, she’s got to put him into a paperback. She’ll want to crack a bottle of champagne over him next. Mind you, if she cracked it over his head, I wouldn’t object.’
Peggy – ‘Tut, tut. However, I think I agree with you, he doesn’t deserve a paperback. But look on the bright side, you’ll get to meet Julie again.’
Bill – ‘You’re right. I did like Julie, and it’ll be nice to catch up with her again.’
Peggy – ‘Catching up, is that what you call it nowadays? In my day we just called it sex.’
Bill – blushes, ‘Well, that as well, I suppose.’
Peggy – ‘I’d like to meet this Julie, so I think I’ll pop over to the launch, and then, if you don’t mind, I’ll look in at the party.’
Bill – ‘Hmm, the launch might be OK, but you’ll have to be careful at the party.’
Peggy – ‘Why is that?’
Bill – ‘You’re such a nice lady and I wouldn’t want you to fall foul of the Night Watcher.’
Peggy – ‘D’you mean I’d get to meet him?’
Bill – groans, ‘I did say to Chris, ‘Why did you invite Night Watcher to the party?’ But she denied it was her.’
So, Who Invited Night Watcher to the Party – that’s what everyone wants to know, so why not pop over to Chris’s blog, and maybe you’ll find out, or maybe you won’t!
Book Launch - http://loveahappyending.com/
Who invited Night Watcher to the Party - http://chrislongmuir.blogspot.co.uk/
Chris’s website - http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/
