Chapter 29: Chores and Sunday Lunch.

After breakfast and seeing Matt off to work on the Friday morning, Tina asked “So what do you want to do today, Chloe?”

“Well, I don’t exactly want to, but I promised to do some washing and clean the house. I guess you don’t have to.”

“Well we do have a cleaner, but I do have to do my bedroom and check the pool chemicals. We’re still behind with the washing after the holiday, so I’ll do some.”

After cleaning up the kitchen, both girls left to go home, Chloe just around the corner and Tina across the other side of the High Road.

Chloe started by getting a load of clothes going in the washing machine, some of which she had brought from Matt’s. While it was running, she went upstairs, to change the bed linen and tidy the rooms, ready for cleaning. She then started with the bathroom, followed by her mum’s room until the buzzer sounded to indicate that the washer had completed it’s cycle.

She had just finished cleaning upstairs and putting the second load of washing outside to dry on the line, when her mum arrived home from work. After greeting each other, Jan noticed the vacuum cleaner in the hall and all the washing on the line.

“Thanks for all your hard work, Chloe!”

“I’ve finished upstairs, so I’ll leave downstairs until the morning and I think there are a couple of loads of washing still to do.”

“Wonderful, but I can help with the washing tomorrow.”

“Thanks, but that’s my job. I’ve been lazing around Tina’s pool the last few days, so it’s my fault I got behind.”

“OK, but I think you’ve done enough for today, so have a rest and get us drinks while I change. Then you can tell me how you managed to persuade Fiona to come for lunch on Sunday.”

Chloe grinned and asked “Water or Cava?”

“Both, please!”

Chloe got their drinks and tidied the cleaning stuff away. She was sitting in the lounge with their drinks when her mum came down. After she had sat opposite her in the armchair, Chloe started the story.

“I bumped into her at my birthday party. Jeff in my year must have invited her as his girlfriend. She was making out with him outside the back door which had been opened to let in some cool air. They were getting quite passionate and when she saw me, she looked upset and begged me not to tell her dad, which of course I wouldn’t anyway. But I did let it slip to Rob while we were on holiday that she was at my party, but not that she was with Jeff.”

“I did wonder who had invited her, but Rob assumed it was you.”

“Anyway, I texted her to apologise for my slip, so she could be prepared if Rob asked her. Then she said perhaps we could get together, so we met in the park on Tuesday, but we had to go to Matt’s when it started raining. Wednesday night was a pizza and movie night so we asked Fiona to come and bring Jeff too. Matt asked Fiona if she wanted to join us for our swim session the next morning and afterwards, Tina invited her to join us to hang out at her pool. I told her all about my relationships and she told me about her mum and the lies she had told her about you stealing Rob away from her.”