Chapter 373.
Robyn arrived at the Shillings’ just after nine that Sunday morning. Esther had opened the front door before she had even got to the gate.
“Hi, Robyn. I’m all ready!”
She was wearing a simple black dress and white tights.
“Wait a moment, darling…” Her mother had appeared behind her. “Robyn? Have you time for a quick coffee? It’s made.”
“Of course… It’s been ages, Mabel…”
“I know. You look more gorgeous than ever.”
“Oh, yeah. In my dirty jeans and old T-shirt I must look really glamorous…”
“Don’t be ages, mum…”
They sat down at the kitchen table. Mabel poured the coffee. Esther sat at the counter, playing with her hair, impatient to leave.
“We’ll only be a minute darling. Robyn… How are you? And how’s Connie?”
“We’re both fine. I’m studying part-time. But you know that. Aunt’s still a woman of leisure, but she’s involved with this ESDS business too. That’s why she has this boy working for her at the moment.”
“Oh, yes. We saw him at the wedding. I’ve heard all about him from Esther. Quite…interesting.”
“I hear you have a bit of a crush on him, Esther,” said Robyn, with an enquiring raise of the eyebrows.
“Crush? Are you serious? No, I don’t!”
“Oh? Why are you so keen to meet up with him again then?”
“Oh my god, it’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“Esther!”
“Sorry, mum… I mean… He’s like this big cute guy…”
“Yes, exactly, dear…”
“No, mum. You don’t understand. You saw him, right? I mean he’s this big cute guy who goes around in tight little rubber pants with pink frills and rubber gloves and a little bow-tie and thinks he’s the bee’s knees, right? I was like, totally gobsmacked when I clocked him strolling around the tables at the reception, showing off to all the women. I mean I literally couldn’t believe what I was seeing, yeah? I was like in a daze. It was only at the last minute before we were leaving that I got myself together like and ran over and got a couple of selfies with him, to like, prove he was real. But when I showed them to my friends, they’re like, “yeah, sure... that’s AI, innit?” Even they wouldn’t believe it!”
Robyn laughed. “He’s quite famous over our way, but out here in Fleetford village it’s like a different country.”
“Yeah, Robyn, you’re not joking. Mum, we should move nearer Kennett, like I said…”
“Well one day maybe, dear. But I’m working here at the moment. So you’ll have to wait.”
“Anyway, my friend Lou – she has a birthday party next Saturday – she says to me, “if he’s real you can prove it by bringing him to my party. If you do you can take any outfit of mine from my wardrobe.” She’s got some great stuff. Her parents…”
Her mother, tired of her daughter’s monologue, intervened.
“Darling, if you’re so keen to see him again, I suggest you get going. We’ve finished our coffee.”
“Oh, yeah. Robyn, let’s go. I do hope he’ll be wearing the same outfit today… I really do… Oh my god, I’ve gotta make sure I don’t, like, burst out laughing…”
“Well, I’m not certain,” said Robyn, rising from her chair. “He was wearing a very similar one yesterday, though. If he is, yes, even if you can't stop smiling, just flatter him. He's quite vain. And so proud of those pretty hotpants!”
“No way! Hotpants? Is that what he calls them?”
“Well, auntie and her friends do at least…”
“Great! Look, mum even got me this amazing dress. Do you like it?"
“It looks cute on you...”
“If he’s like I think he is, like seriously kinky, into latex and vinyl and stuff, then his eyes are gonna like fall out, yeah?”
“Is that…?”
“Yes. From that place… His aunt told me about where he gets all his stuff…”
“Fantastex, dear…”
“Yes. Fantastex. We went there. There’s some really weird things… But like really cool…”
Robyn looked surprised.
“Yes, Robyn… Not the sort of shop I would normally visit. But she kept on about it, and finally I gave in. Quite an eye-opener. Not all of it suitable for a teenage girl, of course… But the proprietor… Cynthia, is it? She was very nice, understood perfectly. Came up with that dress… I would never have considered anything like that normally, but she explained it’s quite fashionable these days. And it does look pretty on her, don’t you think?”
“Very nice. Bit of a change from the pink one you wore to the wedding…”
“Yeah. Like, so cool. I’m gonna wear it for Lou’s party, too. My friends will all be super jealous.”
Mabel Shilling came to the front door to see them off.
“I’ll get her back by seven, Mabel,” said Robyn.
“If you would, Robyn. She’s still got an hour’s homework to do. Have a nice day, both of you…”
They climbed into Robyn’s car. Esther was holding her phone on her lap.
“Show me one of the pics you showed your friends.”
“Okay…”
She scrolled through and held her phone for Robyn to see. She craned over.
“That’s Tim. Doesn’t look a bit like AI. That’s the trouble. People start believing everything’s AI, and don’t recognise a normal photo when they see one.”
“Robyn… Do you think there’s any chance your aunt might let me take him to Lou’s party?”
“I don’t know. Depends what her plans are. She may… She’d definitely see the funny side of it…”
“Oh my god, wouldn’t that be great…?”
Topic: His Aunt Nicole (Read 180254 times)
