Читать книгу Mordialloc - James Maclean - Страница 15

It was almost 2 a.m.

Helen had long since left to spend the night at a neighbour’s house. Champ was snugly tucked away there too. Douglas and Eliza had slipped out quietly shortly after all the commotion. Doug’s friends, not looking too happy after the severe dressing down from an angry Helen, had all been quick to follow Doug’s lead. Poor Ox had probably gone directly to the hospital; his girlfriend hadn’t stopped fussing.

Floyd had watched them leave from the corner of his eye; a mixture of envy and distain. Was it the fact they were all at university and had their lives together? Most of them were doing medical degrees or some other high wire act. They breezed around Mordialloc as the pin up boys, the success stories; living proof that it really was possible.

Nothing but cheap veneer, Floyd decided with some satisfaction. He spat a cigarette butt that had somehow found its way into his flat beer. It hadn’t taken much, and the laminate had peeled like the edges of the tables at his favourite Chinese restaurant. Inviting Glen had proved a master stroke.

He caught Glen’s eye and they exchanged a cheeky grin. Big Glen had managed to claw his way out of the garden bed. He was happily settling in to the spoils of war; alcohol abandoned when Dougie’s mates made haste their retreat. Anything was a step up from the champagne punch, and from the sound of his raucous belly laughs, big Glen Harkin seemed to have made a full recovery.