Slur: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 1 Read Online Free Page A

drinks and you’ll find out what she’s really like.’
    ‘I can’t
wait!’ said Rita.
    They
ordered the drinks and made their way back to the table occupied by Jacqueline
and Amanda. As they approached, Julie noticed Amanda look up with a smile aimed
at Rita. Noting the soft drinks that the girls were carrying Amanda asked, ‘Are
you lot not bothering having a drink then?’
    ‘Give over,
course we are!’ replied Rita, as she took a seat at the table with her back to
the bar. Then she pulled a small bottle of whisky from her handbag, and surreptitiously
poured a good measure into her glass of lemonade, adding, ‘but I serve bigger
measures than they do in here and a bloody sight cheaper as well!’
    Julie,
Debby and Amanda laughed while Jacqueline displayed a half-hearted smirk.
    As the
girls started to make conversation, both Rita and Jacqueline found that,
despite their initial reservations, they agreed on many topics. In spite of
Rita’s exaggerated use of the word ‘Jacqueline’, and Jacqueline’s overzealous
observation of Rita and Debby’s dress and behaviour, they got along quite well.
They shared a lot of the same views and opinions, especially relating to
Amanda’s boyfriend. However, the manner in which they each expressed their opinions
differed.
    Amanda had
opened up the conversation by stating that she would have to be home at 1
o’clock otherwise all hell would be let loose.
    Rita, at a
loss to understand the reason for this, asked, ‘Why, what’s the problem?’
    Jacqueline
was quick to point out, ‘It’s her boyfriend; he’s the jealous and possessive
type.’
    Jacqueline
and Julie were used to hearing Amanda’s constant complaints about her boyfriend,
Les. They were also resigned to the way in which, when challenged as to why she
stayed with him, she replied, ‘He’s not so bad really,’ or ‘He does have his
good points.’
    However,
Rita, on learning all this afresh, commented in typical Rita style. ‘Look,
you’re not tied to him by a ball and chain. You can do whatever you want, so
tell him to piss off!’
    ‘I can’t do
that,’ Amanda replied. ‘I live with him.’
    ‘Well he must
have something going for him then to make you go home so early. Is he loaded or
just good between the sheets?’ asked Rita.
    Amanda
appeared embarrassed. ‘He has his own business, well a few actually, but I’m
not with him just for that.’
    ‘Must be
good in bed then,’ Rita nodded and Julie laughed at her effrontery.
    ‘All men
are a bit demanding though, aren’t they?’ replied Amanda.
    ‘Yes,
they’re all the same,’ said Jacqueline.
    Jacqueline didn’t
have much experience with men. She had been brought up in a sheltered
environment by a domineering father. He had terrorised her mother for years,
and Jacqueline had witnessed his use of mental cruelty. According to him, any
liaison with the opposite sex outside of marriage was a sin. So Jacqueline had been
unable to have intimate relationships with men until she was old enough to
leave home.
    By that
time she found it difficult to relate to them on both a social and a physical
level. Consequently, her relationships usually lasted a matter of weeks. This
didn’t stop her from trying though, and she hid her lack of experience behind a
façade. 
    ‘They’re
all bastards!’ chipped in Debby, and Jacqueline was forced to agree.
    ‘Well, we
all seem pretty much in agreement there,’ announced Julie, laughing.
    ‘Yes, all
after one thing and if they don’t get it they’re soon off,’ stated Jacqueline,
to which Rita replied, ‘Yes, and even when they do get it, they soon bugger off
when they’ve had their fill,’ which brought uproarious laughter from the other
girls except Jacqueline who displayed a subconscious look of disapproval.
    As they
were celebrating Amanda’s birthday, the girls decided to make the most of it by
going on a pub-crawl, followed by a nightclub.
    When they
reached the second pub, which was situated