really,’ said Jonas defensively. ‘He could do a lot worse.’
‘He has,’ said Gus with a bitter laugh.
‘Meaning?’
Gus cleared his throat and then looked Jonas in the eye. ‘Ludo is a serial playboy. I don’t think he means to be, but he falls fast and often. Cinda will just be another heartbroken girl in a long line, unless of course she has another agenda.’
Jonas knew exactly what Gus was inferring and didn’t like it at all.
‘You don’t know her, Gus. She’s no gold digger, if that’s what you’re implying. Today she was offered all sorts of free things when people found out she was going out with Ludo. But she doesn’t want free things. She nearly had my head for suggesting it, actually. In the end she only said yes if she could return everything tomorrow.’
‘But she did tell people she was going out with Ludo, so she could borrow things in the first place,’ said Gus, as though his point was proven.
‘No actually, she didn’t,’ said Jonas. ‘I did, and she was cross with me for doing it.’
Gus said nothing and Jonas leant forward. ‘Whatever you think of her, you’re wrong. She is the most decent, gorgeous girl you’ll ever meet. You have no idea what her life is like or who she really is. Don’t judge someone just because of your own issues.’
Gus went to speak, his face angered, and then he stopped himself and looked down. ‘I don’t want Ludo to cause hurt,’ he said. ‘Or ruin his reputation.’
‘And I don’t want Cinda to get hurt or have her name slandered,’ countered Jonas.
They stared unseeingly at the TV for a while before Gus spoke again. ‘How did you two meet?’ he finally asked Jonas.
Jonas smiled. ‘We met at school. I’d been transferred from another school – I was being bullied for being gay. I used to hide in the art room every lunchtime, just hanging out by myself. Cinda and I started to talk, because she was always painting or stretching canvas or some crap. She asked me a lot of questions, introduced me to the textiles teacher who really encouraged me with my sewing.’ He paused, remembering how kind Cinda had been to him. Even now it made him warm with gratitude.
‘She stuck up for me whenever anyone was mean, and since she was one of the most popular girls and also one of the hottest, the guys took notice. And eventually, me being gay wasn’t an issue for anyone, least of all me.’
Gus nodded slowly, taking the story in. ‘What’s her family like?’
‘Her mother’s Italian, an opera singer. She mainly teaches now. She was abandoned by Cinda’s dad when she was preggers, so she raised Cinda by herself. She’s nuts but she’s cool.’
‘Where is the father now?’ asked Gus, his expression intrigued.
‘No idea,’ shrugged Jonas. ‘Besides her mum and her friends, she doesn’t have anyone. That’s probably why she’s so loyal and independent,’ he said, just realising it as he spoke. ‘She’s, like, the best person I know.’
Gus smiled genuinely. ‘She sounds like a good person,’ he said, almost to himself.
‘You’d better believe it,’ said Jonas, and he opened his magazine and kept reading.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Basil walked in with two delicious-smelling pizzas on thick wooden chopping boards.
‘Hey, Baz,’ said Jonas when he saw the man enter the room. ‘I checked out that fabric shop your wife told me about.’
‘Did you like it?’ asked Basil as he set up the pizzas in front of Gus and Jonas on the coffee table. Another servant entered the room with napkins, silverware and plates, and Basil set them out carefully.
‘It was great,’ said Jonas as he helped himself to a slice of pizza. ‘Tell her I agree about the embroidery though.’
Gus was staring at Basil and then at Jonas. ‘Do you two know each other?’
‘We’ve become friends,’ said Jonas. Basil was smiling warmly.
‘How did Adela go with that teething remedy?’ Jonas asked.
Basil
‘He has,’ said Gus with a bitter laugh.
‘Meaning?’
Gus cleared his throat and then looked Jonas in the eye. ‘Ludo is a serial playboy. I don’t think he means to be, but he falls fast and often. Cinda will just be another heartbroken girl in a long line, unless of course she has another agenda.’
Jonas knew exactly what Gus was inferring and didn’t like it at all.
‘You don’t know her, Gus. She’s no gold digger, if that’s what you’re implying. Today she was offered all sorts of free things when people found out she was going out with Ludo. But she doesn’t want free things. She nearly had my head for suggesting it, actually. In the end she only said yes if she could return everything tomorrow.’
‘But she did tell people she was going out with Ludo, so she could borrow things in the first place,’ said Gus, as though his point was proven.
‘No actually, she didn’t,’ said Jonas. ‘I did, and she was cross with me for doing it.’
Gus said nothing and Jonas leant forward. ‘Whatever you think of her, you’re wrong. She is the most decent, gorgeous girl you’ll ever meet. You have no idea what her life is like or who she really is. Don’t judge someone just because of your own issues.’
Gus went to speak, his face angered, and then he stopped himself and looked down. ‘I don’t want Ludo to cause hurt,’ he said. ‘Or ruin his reputation.’
‘And I don’t want Cinda to get hurt or have her name slandered,’ countered Jonas.
They stared unseeingly at the TV for a while before Gus spoke again. ‘How did you two meet?’ he finally asked Jonas.
Jonas smiled. ‘We met at school. I’d been transferred from another school – I was being bullied for being gay. I used to hide in the art room every lunchtime, just hanging out by myself. Cinda and I started to talk, because she was always painting or stretching canvas or some crap. She asked me a lot of questions, introduced me to the textiles teacher who really encouraged me with my sewing.’ He paused, remembering how kind Cinda had been to him. Even now it made him warm with gratitude.
‘She stuck up for me whenever anyone was mean, and since she was one of the most popular girls and also one of the hottest, the guys took notice. And eventually, me being gay wasn’t an issue for anyone, least of all me.’
Gus nodded slowly, taking the story in. ‘What’s her family like?’
‘Her mother’s Italian, an opera singer. She mainly teaches now. She was abandoned by Cinda’s dad when she was preggers, so she raised Cinda by herself. She’s nuts but she’s cool.’
‘Where is the father now?’ asked Gus, his expression intrigued.
‘No idea,’ shrugged Jonas. ‘Besides her mum and her friends, she doesn’t have anyone. That’s probably why she’s so loyal and independent,’ he said, just realising it as he spoke. ‘She’s, like, the best person I know.’
Gus smiled genuinely. ‘She sounds like a good person,’ he said, almost to himself.
‘You’d better believe it,’ said Jonas, and he opened his magazine and kept reading.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Basil walked in with two delicious-smelling pizzas on thick wooden chopping boards.
‘Hey, Baz,’ said Jonas when he saw the man enter the room. ‘I checked out that fabric shop your wife told me about.’
‘Did you like it?’ asked Basil as he set up the pizzas in front of Gus and Jonas on the coffee table. Another servant entered the room with napkins, silverware and plates, and Basil set them out carefully.
‘It was great,’ said Jonas as he helped himself to a slice of pizza. ‘Tell her I agree about the embroidery though.’
Gus was staring at Basil and then at Jonas. ‘Do you two know each other?’
‘We’ve become friends,’ said Jonas. Basil was smiling warmly.
‘How did Adela go with that teething remedy?’ Jonas asked.
Basil
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