Page 74 of All the Right Words
Harper was happy to let it go. This was too far. But Brenda stood too. She raced Gina to the door and blocked it with her arms outstretched. ‘You’re going nowhere, Twitchy!’
Gina’s eyes popped. ‘Brenda, get the fuck out of the way.’ Her entire body was constricted, little twitches breaking out. ‘I’m not messing about.’
Brenda grinned evilly. ‘God, just imagine how good it would feel to scratch right now. Just get those fingernails andreallygo to town.’
Gina clenched her teeth, advancing on Brenda like she was considering murder. ‘You… You… You…’ She gave a guttural cry of rage, and then - in the glass-walled room that people could see into, and in front of Brenda and Harper - Gina ripped open her shirt, buttons popping everywhere, and fell on the floor in her bra, to reveal tiny red spots covering her torso. She began scratching herself all over, wild-eyed and angry, yet clearly getting some relief. ‘Brenda!’ she yelled, lying on her side so that she could rake her fingers across her stomach and back simultaneously. ‘You’re a monster!’
‘And you’re a liar!’ Brenda retorted, stepping away from the door, looking a bit less self-righteous and more nervous about where this had gone.
‘Get me an antihistamine, you heartless bastards!’ Gina screamed.
Harper snapped into action, slipping past the now unblocked door and running out into the main office. ‘Where’s the first aid kit?’ she asked no one in particular. Several people turned to look at her in confusion. Vincent appeared out of nowhere. ‘You need a plaster?’
‘I need something for an allergic reaction.’
Vincent grabbed a first aid box from behind the reception. ‘Is it nuts? Because I knew this boy at school, and if he even got in the sameroomas a macadamia nut, he’d throw up like The Exorcist.’
‘What? No! Just get a cream or something. It’s a skin thing.’
Vincent opened the box and started digging around. ‘There’s no cream in here. But I’ve got a Yoplait in the fridge if that’s any-’
‘Forget it!’ Harper cried and ran off to find the nearest chemist.
Forty-One
Gina was about ready to tear her skin off. She hadn’t touched pineapple in over a decade, and she’d forgotten how banana’s her body went in reaction to it. Gina didn’t think anyone had been this itchy in human history. Plus - and this was low on her priorities but still counted - she was half-naked in public. She’d had a nightmare like this once. Though to be an accurate reconstruction, Abraham Lincoln would have to come in and give her a Pap smear.
‘I hope your new book is a massive success because I’m gonna sue you and take every penny!’ Gina called to Brenda as she tried to fight the prickles all over her body. Probably a lie, but maybe not. ‘And I’m gonna buy a yacht and call itFuck you, Brenda Kildare!’
Brenda looked a lot less smug than she had a few minutes ago. ‘I didn’t force you to eat the pineapple!’
Gina raked her fingers across her stomach, which was fighting for the title of the itchiest part of her body. ‘You forcefully - ooh Christ! - blocked me from receiving medical – hnngg hnnnnnng – treatment!’
Before Brenda could argue, Harper exploded back into the conference room, waving a small paper bag with a pharmacy cross on it. ‘Got pills and cream!’ she announced.
She kneeled next to Gina - now trying to drag her body across the slightly rough carpet to get some all-over relief - and tipped the bag upside down. She fiddled a pill out of the blister pack and said, ‘Brenda, pass me that water.’
Brenda grabbed some water from the table and handed it to Harper, who said to Gina, ‘Sit up and take this.’
Gina paused her scratching and took the pill and the water, necking it quickly while Harper was slathering cream onto her hands. ‘I’m gonna rub you down, OK?’
Gina, the pill in her, nodded. Harper set to work. Gina didn’t look at her as she rapidly spread the cream all over her torso. Gina wanted to scratch, but she willed herself to stop. She was starting to feel a little less manic. Her body was calming down with the application of the cream. It would take a while for the antihistamine to kick in, but she felt less like she was prepared to flay herself alive. Gina took a long deep breath of relief as Harper kept going. It was a very different vibe from the last time Harper had run her hands all over Gina’s body, that was for sure.
Gina was starting to realise how embarrassing this truly was. And that was before she looked up and saw the entire office standing outside the glass wall of the conference room, watching her. ‘I’m fine now, everyone go back to work!’ she yelled.
People dispersed reluctantly. Except for one person who’d slipped in among the chaos. Olivia. She walked into the conference room and took in the scene. It was a lot. Brenda was standing in the corner, biting her nails and googling lawyers. Gina was sitting on the floor, dazed, half-naked, covered in tiny red spots and long red scratches. Harper was slathering her up with Eurax.
‘What the hell is going on?!’ she demanded of everyone, for the moment forgetting that she was addressing the person she’d vowed to avoid at all costs.
‘She had an allergic reaction,’ Brenda said quickly.
‘We induced it,’ Harper added with shame.
Olivia took a long and understandable pause. ‘Can you say that again?’
‘Don’t worry, I deserved it,’ Gina muttered. Harper stopped rubbing and looked at her. Gina did not meet her eye.
Gina grabbed her top and slipped back into it. The buttons were gone. She had to hold it together with her hands. She stood up and looked at Olivia. ‘The short version of this story is that it’s out. It’sallout.’
