Love, Rosie (270 page)

them.
Besides
if
you’re
not
there
to
drag
me
away
they’ll
never
let

me
leave.

Rosie:

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

Rosie:

I
don’t
want
to
get
stuck
talking
to
Teddy’s
brother
though.
The
last

time
I
met
him
he
tried
to
put
his
hand
up
my
skirt.

He
had
only
been
out
of
prison
a
few
days
though
Rosie,
you
can

understand
how
he
was
feeling.

Whatever.
When
I
turn
up,
we’re
gone.
Out
of
there.

Absolutely,
like
a
flash.

So
what
time
should
I
pick
you
up?

8p.m.

8p.m.
are
you
joking?!
What
time
does
it
start?

7:30p.m.

Ruby!
You’ll
have
to
stay
a
lot
longer
than
that!
I’m
not
arriving
to

take
you
away
after
only
a
half
an
hour;
everyone
will
think
I’m
so

rude!
I’ll
come
at
9:30p.m.
At
least
that
way
you’ll
have
two
hours.

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

No!
You
have
to
come
at
8p.m.!

Why?

Well,
for
one
thing
the
party
is
in
the
penthouse
suite
of
the
Berke-

ley
Court
Hotel.

Oh
my
god
why
didn’t
you
just
say
so?
I’ll
be
there
at
7:30p.m.

No!
You
can’t!

What
is
wrong
with
you,
why
can’t
I?

Because
you’re
not
invited
and
they’ll
think
you’ve
a
cheek
just

396

Cecelia
Ahern

turning
up
like
that.
If
you
come
at
8p.m.
you
can
quickly
see
the

place
and
then
leave.

Rosie:

Ruby:

But
I
want
to
stay
at
the
penthouse.
Have
you
any
idea
how
much

that
would
mean
to
me?

Yes
I
do
.
.
.
but
I’m
sorry
you
can’t
stay.
Anyway
once
you
meet
the

rest
of
Teddy’s
family
you’ll
want
to
leave
straight
away.

Rosie:
OK
fine
but
I
hope
you
know
that
you’re
breaking
my
heart
and
I

don’t
care
what
you
say,
anything
in
the
bathrooms
that
isn’t
stuck

to
the
floor
is
going
in
my
handbag.
Actually
I
think
I’ll
bring
my

camera!

Ruby:

Rosie,
it’s
a
birthday
party.
I’m
sure
lots
of
people
will
have
cameras.

what
it
looks
like.
I
was
hoping
she
would
be
able
to
come
over
but

she
can’t.
Bless
her
she
works
so
hard.
It’s
her
21st
birthday
a
few

weeks
after
me
and
I
was
hoping
we
could
celebrate
it
together
but

unfortunately
it’s
not
to
be.
Mum
is
going
over
to
stay
with

Stephanie
again
so
she’ll
miss
it
as
well.
I
was
a
bit
upset
about
that

but
she’s
been
so
ill
lately
I
didn’t
want
to
cause
a
fuss.
I
was
just