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Defending The Pa

November 17th, 2010 by the_lifer

Spring has reached the irritating point in Wellington.  Everyone is trying to cram in social engagements and important work tasks before the start of the “silly season” . Willow is about to have words with her flatmate, Wazzer, who has started to bring home the pick of this year’s handsome drunk backpackers at 2 AM. Winona and Will are being prickly, Will with spring libido and hay fever, Winona aching more than ever for a baby to dress in cunning summer onesies. Then, something happens to unify them.

Winona flicks her phone onto mute. “Will, can we have brunch with Ulrika and Wayland next weekend? I’m trying to get out of seeing my cousin Angela too much.”

Will freezes. “Angela? Angela from Auckland? Awful Angela? Christ, I can just see her contorting her trout pout to sneer at our car.  Why’s she condescending to leave the Big Smoke?”

“She’s selling pharmaceuticals now. Apparently they hire stunners like her to talk the doctors into them.”

Will, well aware of Angela’s pulchritude, remains unmoved.  To a bloke like him, that polished daughter of Auckland commits the cardinal sin: being high-maintenance. Winona’s tousled hair and chipped nail polish are suddenly dearly beloved. “Yes, let’s do that brunch, take them out to Eastbourne and see Nan on the way back.”

“Brill, Will! Mum can’t say no to that.” Smiling cheekily, she flicks the sound back on. Will strategically heads to the bathroom for a few minutes. When he emerges, Winona looks deflated.

“I got us out of anything over the weekend. But Angela wants to do Courtenay Place with me on Friday night.”

“D’you have to? She’s a grown slapper.”

“Aunt Agatha up there’s been so good to me for years.” Winona sighs, recalling pick-ups from the airport, shopping fun, and long dreamy stays at Agatha’s rambling Matakana bach, marred only by her cousin’s whining and bullying. “Maybe Willow has a salsa dancing thing we can go to?” She picks up her phone again, typing this time.

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