The Taming of the Bastard by Lindy Dale

stared back
at her, mute. How did one respond to that?
    A dark haired
girl pushed Kirby aside. She rolled her eyes at me and smiled. “Oh
for fuck’s sake… just ignore her. She’s a complete idiot about
makeup—”
    Sounded like
she knew what she was talking about to me. I think.
    “—Kirby works
at David Jones cosmetic department. She’s always analysing
people’s makeup. And honestly, I’d be a good deal richer if I
hadn’t let her talk me into the latest indelible fucking foundation
by Lancôme.”
    “You have to
admit, it’s totally changed your makeup routine,” Kirby said.
    “Absolutely
beside the point. Now leave poor—what’s your name by the way?”
    “I’m Millie.
Millie McIntyre.”
    “Good. Now
leave poor Millie alone, Kirbs. She looks like she’s about to faint
as it is…I’m Melanie Samson, anyway.”
    Melanie was
tall, dark and slim, with the kind of lush pink lips and peaches
and cream complexion that didn’t need lip plumping gloss. Her
clothes hugged her figure in all the right ways and her amber eyes
were highlighted with the exact right amount of shadow. She was
incredible looking. And it’s not often I call another girl
incredible.
    She was also
slightly intimidating.
    “Sam’s always
last out of the rooms,” Melanie said, her voice low and smooth like
coffee. “I don’t know what he does in there. There was speculation
at one stage he had a harem to satisfy before he made an
appearance. I wouldn’t put it past him. He thinks he’s God’s gift.”
She laughed at her own humour.
    “Really?”
    “Oh, yes. Sam’s
trés popular with the girls.”
    “So, what do
you do, Millie?” asked another girl who’d introduced herself as
Sasha. Curious, she cocked her head and gazed at me, taking a deep
drag on her cigarette and blowing smoke rings towards the ceiling.
I didn’t think smoking was even allowed in public places anymore.
These girls were a law unto themselves.
    “I’m a
nanny.”
    “Oh, that’s
like so, totally, sweet,” gushed Kirby. “I adore children. Ryan and
I .... He’s like, a teacher you know .... Well, we want to have at
least six.”
    “Can’t
understand why anyone would choose nannying as a profession,”
Melanie remarked to on one in particular. “Fucking crap wages.
People flinging shit on you all the time. Literally.”
    I shrugged. The
wages were crap but I got a whopping bonus every Christmas and
tonnes of holidays on the slopes of Italy. Even if I did have to
look after the kids at the same time. “It’s not my only job. I’m
also a waitress at The Lederhosen . That’s where Sam and I
met.”
    I explained my
plan-slash-dream, the one where I was no longer ironing school
uniforms and going to playgroup but running a boutique B & B
for rich people who wanted loads of privacy.
    “Wow, you must
be knackered by the end of the week,” said Sasha. “Dragging myself
to the hospital every day is enough for me. And looking after Simmo
is a full time job. The guy still can’t work the coffee
machine.”
    The other girls
laughed.
    “I do get
tired, but I have a goal so I concentrate on that,” I answered,
pleased with myself that I was having such a deep conversation with
women I didn’t even know.
    “You know,
Millie, I can’t believe you’re going out with Sam,” Melanie
said.
    “Why?”
    Was I not
pretty enough? Not sophisticated enough for a man like Sam?
    “He’s an
absolute man-whore. I think he’s slept with most of the single
girls in the club, not that he’s one to kiss and tell. He doesn’t
do dates and girlfriends. He’s not the commitment type.”
    “How long have
you known him?”
    “This season
and last. We sussed him out pretty quick. It happens when you spend
entire weekends in people’s company.”
    “Yeah,” Kirby
agreed. “You must be like totally special. Sam never bring
girls to the club.”
    “He’s too busy
flirting with the girls who are already here.”
    “And he, like,
takes the piss so much I