When Good Friends Go Bad (42 page)

'Shh,' he stopped her with a kiss. 'You're all right now.'

'Anyway,' she said, when she came up for air, 'it made it hard for me to trust people. Even when I was happy I felt deep down inside it wasn't going to last. That it wasn't meant for me, I wasn't worthy somehow. I think with us getting divorced and meeting Aiden again, well it all became complicated, like I was caught up in going back to an earlier time when everything felt simpler. I never meant to be such an awful wife. No wonder your friends thought I was a naggy old drag. Maybe I didn't show it or even appreciate it myself sometimes, but I always really . . .'

He kissed her again. 'You weren't such an awful wife. I bet we had the cleanest house in Huntsleigh.'

'I'm trying to tell you I love you, you jerk.' She broke free and punched him with a cushion. 'I've always loved you and always will.'

'Does that mean we should get married again?' Ollie mused when he'd wrestled it from her. 'For Chloe's sake? Or do you have strong feelings about living in sin?'

'I don't know.' She pretended to ponder. 'I like my freedom.' She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. 'Now I'm divorced, I can shag anyone I want,' she added flirtily, climbing the stairs and sashaying her hips in a way that would have made Anamaria proud.

'Is that a fact?' He grabbed her from behind, whizzing her off her feet and over the threshold into the bedroom. 'And might I ask if you have a victim in mind?'

And this time there was no Helen glaring at her.

'You, Ollie,' she said meekly as he threw her on the bed and kick-closed the door. 'Only you.'

Jen let go of Walter's waistband and collapsed on to her new black leather couch, waving off Enid's request for her to rejoin the conga.

'No, I've had enough,' she laughed, watching the line of people dance around her lounge, shuffling their feet then kicking alternate legs at every third beat as they filed past and into the hall. Enid was leading then Anamaria, followed by her new boyfriend, Nemesio, whom she'd brought back from Madrid to live with her. Squashed between him and Walter, who was at the back now Jen had left the line, was Chloe, her face beaming.

'Come on, Daddy,' she yelled as she spotted her father trying to sneak past with an empty tray. 'Join in.'

'Not again,' groaned Ollie. 'Helen needs a hand in the kitchen.'

'
I'll
help Helen.' Jen stood up and manoeuvred him towards the conga tail. 'You amuse our guests.'

After a short time of being ordered around by Chef Helen and her deputy and chief Brussels-sprout-scorer, Saul, Jen had sneaked off to her bedroom with Anamaria to fill her in on all that had happened since she'd been away. Just in case she put her big Barcelonian foot in it.

'So you will remarry your Ollie, yes?' Anamaria smiled.

'Who knows?' Jen scratched Feo, who immediately turned on his back and stuck his little legs in the air in rapturous delight. 'At the moment, it's just fabulous the way it is. Ollie's moved back in with us and Chloe's thrilled and we're scouring the Internet for a new house to buy, but if we don't find one by our completion date, heigh ho, we'll just rent or whatever.'

'Your face, it is sparkling.'

Jen laughed. 'You know, Anamaria, even though Ollie and I have had to go through all this, I truly think it's all been for the best. It's like we're in the honeymoon phase. The sort of honeymoon we should have had. Now here,' Jen reached under her bed and brought out a large thin wrapped box, 'your present.'

'A present? For me?
Maravilloso!'

'You might not think so when you open it,' Jen said as Anamaria greedily ripped off the paper. 'It's a photo jigsaw of your dog. Custom-made.'

'I love it!' Anamaria squealed. 'All thousand pieces. But,' she frowned, 'he is not
my
dog.'

'It is Feo. Look.' Jen pointed at the picture on the lid. 'Same moustache, same wispy fur, same blood-red tongue. I sent them in a photograph.'

'No, I mean he is
your
dog now. See the way he looks at you?'

'But . . .'

'Besides, my Nemesio, he is allergic, so,' she shrugged, 'it is, how you say, a done deal.'

'Well, thanks.' Now she had to break it to Ollie. But the truth was the three of them had grown fond of the ugly mutt.

The bell rang for the umpteenth time, and seconds later Chloe stepped into the bedroom and sighed dramatically. 'More visitors, Mummy.'

Jen was shocked by the surprise – but most welcome – guest.

'Georgina!' Jen looked behind her quickly. Thankfully on her own.

'Merry Christmas!' They greeted each other with a warm hug as Anamaria ushered Chloe back to the party.

'So you came alone?'

'Yes,' she sighed. 'These past few months – everything that happened – you, Meg, Rowan, well it's finally given me the courage to call it quits. Aiden. England. Even Giordani. A short sabbatical of sorts. Flying out in two days. Heading for Bora Bora, would you believe. Max will . . .'

'I know.' Jen nodded. 'Max will drive you to the airport.'

'No, actually, I was going to say Max will be coming with me. It was his idea.'

'Max? Your chauffeur? Your right-hand man?' She felt her jaw sag, caught completely by surprise by the tell-tale sparkle in Georgina's eyes.

'His left hand's not bad either.' She gave a little chuckle.

'Georgina! You hussy!' Jen laughed, astonished and amused.

'It was while I was driving on that dashed awful motorway, Meg told me to think of something calming. Well, the only person that keeps me calm, sane, even – is Max. We've spent hours talking on all those car trips, and I started to see that the man outside the chauffeur's cap is even more than I ever imagined. He's had a fascinating life. Stunt driver. Bodyguard. Lived in Japan. And so smart. You wouldn't believe his bookshelf. Don't worry, Aiden will do all right. He has his Giordani shares and he'll get a decent divorce settlement. More than he deserves anyhow.'

They walked arm in arm down the hall as Georgina babbled on with her plans. 'Aiden was right in one respect. I've hired all those very talented employees, so let them run the show for a change. Call it recharging the creative batteries.'

'Call it recharging the old love juices more like, you cheeky minx,' Jen teased gently as she opened the kitchen door. 'Come on through and meet everybody.'

Georgina seemed amazed at the number of people crowding round Helen, who was showing everyone how to make the perfect stuffing, giving them all the benefit of her worldly advice.

'This is Helen, my dearest friend, and Saul, Ollie's ex-landlord and best mate. And Anamaria . . .' She went through the introductions.

'Hola. Feliz Navidad.
Happy Christmas, Georgina.' Anamaria swapped double kisses with her before Georgina spotted Ollie and ran towards him, flinging her arms around his neck. 'Oliver. So brilliant to see you again.'

'Oy, oy, hands off the head, please.' Ollie backed away laughing, pretending to be scared. 'I'd like to keep my hair as long as possible, thank you.'

The bell rang once more, which set Feo barking again. Enid went to answer it and came back with a chubby-cheeked rosy-faced woman, multicoloured poncho around her large shoulders, and a pair of what Enid considered might be chopsticks in her piled-up greying hair.

'Someone to see you.'

'Rowan, you made it!' Jen's eyes lit up when she saw her. 'Everyone, I'd like you to meet my old friend Rowan.'

'Quick.' Georgina came over, mobile in hand, and pulled Rowan to one side. 'Guess who I'm on the phone to – here, I'll put her on loudspeaker.'

'Merry Christmas!' Meg's voiced boomed out.

'Merry Christmas!' they all yelled back.

Walter turned to Jen and whispered, 'To think we were worried about you. Enid and me and Anamaria. We thought you were unhappy, hated Huntsleigh and had no friends.'

'Did you now?' Jen looked across at Helen, chatting animatedly to Anamaria, and Enid beside them, who'd stooped down to baste the turkey while being licked to death by Feo. Saul and Ollie discussing football scores. Rowan with her arm around Georgina, two heads stuck together as they tried to chat to Meg over the noise of music and laughter. New friends, old friends, even bad relationships turned good.

'I thought so too at one time.' She smiled and kissed Walter's cheek. 'But I was wrong. I might not deserve it but I have the best friends in the world.'

First of all, thanks to our terrific editor, Emma Rose, whose insights dramatically improved this book and all the Arrow team, especially Laura Mell, our publicist, who survived working with us on
Sisters.
Thanks too to our terrific agent, Caroline Hardman at the Marsh Agency, and to Camilla and Annina for our foreign rights sales.

Many people including Jeni (LBC), Phil (BBC Radio Wales),
Times
Online Alpha-Mummy, Laura (
Daily Express)
and other journalists and radio interviewers, made the launch of our first novel special. Carol Smith threw us a great party and she and Fiona Walker took time from writing their own fabulous novels to review ours. Teri at Bookworms and Dawn organised the Pavilion do along with Sheila, Paul, Eleanor, Lesley and Kay. Waterstone's, Redhill gave us our first book signing where terrified shoppers fled from our pink 'champagne'. Thanks to you all.

Special thanks to our husbands (and BFs), Ian and Gary, and our ever-supportive families. Also to Pam's New Year friends for everything (we must meet more often!), fellow badminton partners (especially Angela for the photo), Sue and John (I told you I was rubbish at netball), Kim and the co-bike riding challengers (see you in Paris), Chris and Mike (for endless cuppas), Ana and Amanda for their worldly advice, friends who live afar but who I know are always there when needed – Irv, Mary, Ced, Deanna, Ginny, Tim and, as ever, Ness.

Hooray for Koni, Debbie and Christine, Lorraine's surrogate sisters; Kaitlyn who always brushes her hair nicely; Xanthe and Michelle, partners-in-hilarity, and their partners, Dana and Scott; also the fun-loving crew of the
It'll Do:
Tommy, Liz, Cheri, George, Mary Kay, Guy, Rod, Christina, Barb, Evan; all our great Boulder buddies including Charlotte, Firuzeh, Navid, Kate, John, Jean, David, Bonnie, Kat, etc. Thanks to the "horsey" pals, Lyn, Joan, Jodi, Julie and all Sue's gang; also Bob, Sophie, Aunt Pat and neglected London friends like Clare, John, Rose, Gaynor, Richard, Megan and Nancy – I think of you even if we've lost touch.

We fondly remember the old friends in Bognor (especially Guv) who helped us survive our school years. And send everlasting gratitude to all neighbours, friends and colleagues at East Surrey College, the Y, and in the UK and the US who bought
Sisters,
came to the Pavilion or otherwise encouraged us. You're all the best!

And please feel free to contact us at
www.elliecampbellbooks.com