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‘It’s your wedding,’ she started, her voice shaky. There was another long pause. ‘I’m so sorry Gina, but I can’t come.’
Gina felt as though she’d been punched in the face. ‘But why?’ she whispered desperately, her head spinning. The wedding was a week away!
‘Gina I’m so sorry, but I just can’t afford it. We hadn’t booked our flights or hotel as we were hoping to get a last minute deal, but the prices are through the roof now. Then there’s the spending money. I’ve just had to pay for new tyres for my car and James and I are scrimping and scraping enough as it is. If there was any way I could afford it, I would, but things are so tight for us at the moment and James is even worried he’s going to be made redundant. We’ve thought about it and discussed it for the last few days and unfortunately, I just can’t see any way that we’ll be able to come. James even suggested me going alone, but he needs to go to work and we don’t have anyone to look after Francesca. I’d feel too guilty spending the money too as she needs new school shoes and has a school trip we need to pay for.’
‘But I thought you’d already booked your flight?’ Gina had said, exasperated. How could her best friend and chief bridesmaid be doing this to her a week before her wedding? Gina was fuming.
‘No, we didn’t end up booking them because James kept saying we’d get a good deal last minute. I feel awful.’
Gina swallowed hard, devastated. ‘There’s no way you can come?’ she asked, feeling disappointed and completely let down. How could she get married without her best friend being there? ‘There must be a way,’ she’d told her tetchily.
‘There’s not,’ Lara said sadly. ‘Any close hotels to your wedding venue are fully booked because we’ve left it so late and they’re way too expensive anyway. I’m so sorry. I’ll pay you for my bridesmaid dress of course.’
‘Well thank you very much,’ Gina had retorted, feeling enraged. ‘Sorry Lara, but I’m really annoyed. You’ve known about my wedding for the last year. You’ve had the last year to save for it. You’re my chief bridesmaid, letting me down a week before my wedding!’
‘I understand you’re angry …’
‘Do you?’ Gina interjected. ‘How can you do this to me?’ she said, her voice breaking with emotion.
‘I feel so terrible and you know I’d love more than anything to go, Gina …’
‘Save it,’ Gina said abruptly, ‘and seriously, don’t bother to speak to me again.’
Gina had then hung up the phone and cried her eyes out. Lara had texted Gina a few times afterwards, but Gina was so hurt that she’d ignored them and now two years had flown by without them talking.
‘Life is too short for arguments,’ Iris said wisely, bringing Gina back to the present. ‘Like good men, good friends are also hard to find. Give her another chance,’ Iris said, drumming her fingers for a few moments and looking at Gina with an unreadable expression. She glanced at her watch. ‘That’s all for today I’m afraid,’ she said with a gracious smile. ‘I hope you’ve enjoyed your reading?’
Gina gave a brittle laugh. ‘I’ve thought about things tonight that I haven’t done in a long while. Thank you, Iris,’ she said sincerely, ‘you’ve really opened my eyes to certain things.’ She stood up and shook Iris’s warm hand as she gave her the piece of paper.
‘Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me?’
Gina was about to ask whether it was likely she was going to become partner anytime soon, but something stopped her. Was that really the most important thing in her life? ‘No,’ she answered thoughtfully. ‘No questions.’
Iris nodded. ‘There is a name that kept popping in my mind throughout the reading that I’ve put at the bottom of the page. It’s someone I believe will change your life forever,’ she told her, her eyes sparkling.
Gina nodded, wondering what name it was and eager to get in her car so she could look. ‘Thanks again, Iris. It was lovely to meet you.’
Gina felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders as she left Iris’s house. She even gave Rolo a stroke who jumped up excitedly at her legs as she walked out. She didn’t know what had come over her. As she looked at the piece of paper when she sat in her car, she felt a bit disappointed. The name Rosie was written at the bottom; Gina didn’t know anyone called Rosie. Maybe Iris had made a mistake?
Gina sat in the driver’s seat for a moment thinking about Lara. She wondered what she was up to nowadays and how big Francesca had grown. She missed her dreadfully. Before she had a chance to change her mind, Gina took her phone out and texted her.
Hi Lara, it’s Gina. I know we haven’t spoken in a long time and I just wondered if you’d like to meet up for a coffee any time soon? Hope you’re well X
She sent it and then gasped in shock. Say Lara told her to get lost? Or what if she’d changed her number? Imagine if she no longer cared that they weren’t friends anymore? She probably had a new best friend by now, which is more than Gina could say for herself, unless she could count her job as her best friend.
Gina started the ignition and pulled away from Iris’s house. She wouldn’t look at her phone until she got home, she decided.
As Gina opened her front door, the smell of fish hit her, making her stomach go over. She really couldn’t handle fish tonight, but Neil had clearly made an effort with the dinner she noticed fondly. Neil greeted her with a big smile on his face and Gina hugged him close to her, squeezing him tightly and closing her eyes. As he backed away Gina pulled him tighter, kissing him hard on the lips.
‘I love you,’ she told him for the first time in ages.
Neil grinned looking amused. ‘I love you too. What’s got in to you tonight?’ He asked in surprise, making his way over to the oven and placing their plates on the table.
‘I just …’ Gina trailed off wondering what to say. ‘I don’t say it enough. Thank you for everything you do for me. You’re the best husband I could ask for. I’m a lucky woman,’ she told him, her eyes bright.
Neil gave a little laugh. ‘I’m not going to argue with you there.’ He paused. ‘No seriously, I’m the lucky one.’
Gina smiled. Just when she thought he couldn’t get any more perfect.
As Neil placed the dinner in front of her, Gina felt even more sick. ‘I think I’m going to vomit,’ she gasped, dashing to the toilet.
‘My cooking isn’t that bad, is it?’ Neil joked, calling out after her. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes,’ Gina said, feeling better. ‘I don’t think I can eat that fish though. I really fancy some marmite on toast,’ she said, closing the toilet door behind her. This was the second day she’d felt sick now. ‘Maybe I’m coming down with something.’
‘Or maybe,’ Neil said slowly, looking at her with a serious expression, ‘you’re pregnant?’
Gina’s jaw dropped and somehow she knew, as she stood staring at him in astonishment, that he was right.
Four Months Later
Lara cut a slice of warm Victoria sponge cake and passed it to Gina.
‘Thanks,’ Gina replied with a friendly smile, licking her lips.
‘You’re so lucky you have the excuse of eating for two!’ Lara said as she gave a light-hearted laugh.
‘You would think I was eating for ten the way I carry on!’ Gina giggled. She was ecstatic that they were friends again. After Gina had sent the text, they’d met up a few days later and now they were friends again, it felt as though nothing had ever come between them. Gina had transformed a great deal since finding out she was pregnant though; it may have been an accident, but as soon as it was confirmed and she saw her baby’s heart beating on the monitor, something inside her changed. This was her baby and she felt an overwhelming need to protect him or her and give them all the love they needed. She couldn’t wait to be a mum and hold the baby in her arms. Neil was over the moon too, and it had brought them closer together. Gina was beginning to feel like the old her. She visited her parents more, who were also overjoyed that they were going to be grandparents and even her sister had begged to babysit when Gina needed someone.
‘So what will you do about work?’ Lara asked Gina in between a mouthful of cake. ‘Go back after you’ve had the baby or take time off?’
Gina had thought about this just recently. Having a baby had changed her views on everything. She didn’t want to be working long hours and missing her baby growing up. Work wasn’t the most important thing in her life anymore; Neil and the baby were. She didn’t want to be a stressed mum, too tired to play games and help with homework. Gina wanted to be there for her child whenever they needed her.
‘I’m not going to go back,’ Gina said easily.
‘Oh right,’ Lara replied. ‘What, so you’ll just join another law firm?’
Gina shook her head. ‘I’m thinking of quitting altogether. I just want a nice part-time job so I could look after my family.’
Lara’s mouth hung open in shock. ‘Wow, Gina, good for you. I never thought I’d hear you say that.’ She thought for a moment. ‘My friend owns a florist not too far from here. He’s always looking for part-time staff. I could ask him if you like? I know it’s not what you’re used to, but you might like it.’
The hairs on the back of Gina’s neck stood up as Iris’s words resounded in Gina’s head.
I have a strong sense of flowers surrounding you.
‘Definitely ask him for me,’ Gina nodded with a secret smile.
‘Ask who for what?’ Neil asked as he entered the kitchen where they were sitting. He pecked Gina lightly on her forehead. ‘Hi Lara,’ he smiled, as she in turn smiled back.
‘Stop being so nosy,’ Gina told him playfully with a little laugh.
‘So have you thought of any baby names?’ Lara asked them.
‘I quite like Jonathan for a boy,’ Neil replied, switching the kettle on. ‘But you’re not too keen, are you Gina?’
Gina wrinkled her nose. ‘It’s okay, nothing special. I prefer the other one. What was it we said? Oh yes, Henry.’
‘Nice,’ Lara beamed. ‘And what about if it’s a girl?’
Gina sat there deep in thought.
‘I would love to name her after my great-aunt,’ Neil explained. ‘I was really close to her growing up. She was such a sweet lady and an excellent singer,’ he continued.
Gina’s ears pricked up. ‘Rosie?’ She asked in a daze.
‘Yes,’ Neil replied with a frown. ‘Have I told you about her already? What do you think? Do you like it?’
A huge smile spread across Gina’s face. ‘I think Rosie is perfect.’
I named my short story The Psychic as it wasn’t too long ago that I visited one myself, just for fun. I’m quite fascinated in the spirit world and always watch the psychic, Sally Morgan’s, programme or America’s John Edward, and though I’m not one hundred per cent convinced, I think it’s nice to believe our loved ones are looking down on us. The main character in the story is Gina, a sceptical, thirty-two year old lawyer who does nothing but work, which she believes is making her happy. Gina is always striving to be successful and the best she can possibly be, and it’s only when she gets a surprise gift to see a psychic from a work colleague that she realises how much she has actually changed. Does she really like the person she has become? Is her job the most important thing in her life? I think that today lots of people prioritise their careers, which is fine, but I also think it’s important to switch mobiles and emails off and spend time with loved ones without any interference (though I’m guilty myself of reading work emails before going to sleep!). I really like the saying that you should work to live, not live to work; I think this is very true and something that Gina has forgotten along the way. The psychic makes her question her life, which makes her feel uneasy as she looks back into her past and sees things from a different angle. Without giving too much of the storyline away, I’ll leave it there! I really hope you enjoy it.
Please feel free to let me know what you think, or just say hi via my Twitter @lauraziepe or on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/EssexGirlsBooks. I’d love to hear from you!
Just to let you know (if you really like my short story!) my novel, Essex Girls, is available to buy now and here is a short extract to let you get a feel for it.
Read on for an exclusive extract of Laura Ziepe’s novel, Essex Girls:
CHAPTER ONE
The irritating sound of the alarm was instantly switched off.
Jade stretched lazily in bed and turned to her boyfriend, Tom, who was about to get up.
‘Oh, stay a bit longer,’ she pleaded. ‘Please.’
Tom sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall. ‘I’d love to, but you know I can’t be late.’
As he pulled himself up, she tugged at his arm playfully and he collapsed beside her, laughing. ‘Okay, you win. Just for a minute though.’
Cuddling under the covers, Jade began to kiss his neck.
‘Oh no, not my weak spot,’ he groaned. ‘You know I’ll never leave and I have to.’
Jade held on to him tightly until he pulled away from her warm embrace, reluctantly.
‘I’ll be back before you know it. Keep the bed warm, gorgeous.’ He winked at her and then left.
It was the same every Saturday morning. They would spend Friday nights together, Jade would stay at Tom’s parents’ house and then he’d have to get up early to coach a kids’ football team. He didn’t really need to as he had a full time job in a bank, but he loved it. Jade had always thought it was really sweet. She could picture him running around in the back garden with their own future sons, teaching them how to play. Though of course she didn’t tell Tom that; she didn’t want him to get scared and run a mile.
Jade tried to doze back off to sleep, it was far too early to get up. Besides, she had nothing to do until he returned. Thoughts of Tom were keeping her awake though; she was so happy with him. She’d been worried when she first started university three years ago. It was a massive change in her life – and leaving her best friends Kelly and Lisa in Essex for a life in quiet Bath hadn’t been easy. Embarrassingly, she’d even cried when she waved goodbye to them and saw their sad faces through the window of the car.
‘Sugar Hut won’t be the same without you,’ they’d shouted. ‘Don’t forget about us!’
Of course she hadn’t, and at first she went home to Essex every other weekend. But when she met Tom the visits home decreased. She still managed to rack up an eighty pound phone bill from time to time, often going over her free minutes allowance because she was talking to her best friends for too long. Her friends were happy she’d met Tom; Jade had never had a serious boyfriend until she’d met him, and now to her delight they were planning on renting a flat together in Bath. As much as Jade loved her home town Chigwell, she also loved how different Bath was. The people were friendly, a lot more down to earth and low maintenance, and though it had taken her a long time to get used to it, she had to face the fact that fake tan just wasn’t an option here. When she’d first arrived on campus, the other girls had looked at her like she was from another planet. She’d had her nails done and a spray tan for her first day; after all, she’d been single and on the look out to meet some new hot men, and surely there was no better place than university, swarming with gorgeous guys in football and rugby shorts? To this day, she could have sworn the girls singing the Oompa Loompa song were aiming it at her. Okay, so she did look a few shades darker than everyone else, but she most certainly was not orange. She’d only had one spray, not her usual two, and the colour was called ‘Bronze Beyond’. She’d made friends quickly enough and realised it was probably better to fit in with the pasty crowd, despite the fact she preferred her sunkissed look. It took some getting used to, and she always de-tagged every photo put up by her university friends on her Facebook page, just in case someone from Essex saw her looking as white as a ghost, but Jade had grown to love the carefree nature of the city. She didn’t have to make as much effort when she went out, just a light layer of make-up and a brush of the hair like everyone else. Simple, quick and a nice change from the two hour preparations she would have gone through back in Essex. Tom was always saying he loved the natural look and fancied her most when she was bare-faced, though deep down Jade just assumed he wanted her to believe this so she wouldn’t go out dressed to the nines and catch the eye of another bloke. In her opinion she looked like Worzel Gummidge first thing, especially after a night out.
Yes, Bath was a lovely place to live and Jade had fallen in love with it. Before she moved in with Tom though, she needed a job, and for the past two weeks she’d done nothing but send her CV off to agencies and various companies. So far, she hadn’t heard a thing, so she guessed what she’d been told was true; getting a job after university wasn’t always easy. It was likely she was going to get a 2:1 grade in Psychology, as her results from her second year had only been a few marks away from a First and she felt she’d done just as well on this year’s exams; the main problem was that she didn’t actually know what she wanted to do with her degree. If she was honest with herself, she was worried that she’d cave in and end up getting a job as a teacher, which everyone else she knew seemed to do. But deep in her heart she knew she didn’t want to do that. The thought of trying to teach a class of pubescent teens terrified her – she’d had a bad enough time at school herself, and there was no way she could go back there. Her senior school in Essex had been so bitchy; it was all about what shoes, bag and coat you had, with girls constantly bragging and showing off. If it hadn’t been for Kelly and Lisa, she would have hated it. When the three of them were together they felt invincible and it helped that everyone had loved Kelly, because she was so ditzy. She often had the class in stitches with her ridiculous answers to the teacher’s questions. Jade had always enjoyed her school work, not that she’d admitted it; saying you liked writing essays on Pride and Prejudice would have been social suicide. She could always teach younger kids, but the thought of snotty noses was enough to make her gag.
At first, she’d loved having the free time to think about what she wanted to do with her life, whilst waitressing part time in Cafe Rouge. With no alarm to wake her up after late nights and no coursework it seemed perfect, but only a few weeks later Jade was starting to get bored of doing nothing. Sitting in her pyjamas until three in the afternoon searching for jobs online had definitely lost its appeal.
Jade got out of bed and grabbed Tom’s cosy dressing gown. Now would be a good time to really think about different job roles she could take on. She searched his bedside drawers for some paper and a pen. There was no time like the present and she was adamant to work out what she wanted to do with her life today. She had no luck finding any paper in the drawers on her side of the bed, so she moved across to the other side where Tom slept. In the second drawer she found a large notepad and some pens and lifted them out. She froze. Underneath the notepad was a mobile phone she had never seen before. Jade couldn’t describe why, but she had a sudden feeling of dread. Why did Tom have another phone? Telling herself it must be an old handset, she tried to calm her suddenly fast heartbeat. She picked it up, hoping with all her might that it would have a flat battery and wouldn’t switch on. When it did, her hands began to shake and her heart began to hammer so hard that she felt the blood rush through her ears. It’s nothing, she told herself when the welcome message appeared; an old phone that she shouldn’t even be looking at. Breathe. She opened the messages folder and felt physically sick when she saw countless texts from a girl called Louisa. Hands shaking, she clicked to read the latest one. Please be a really old message, she thought, please.
So nice being with you last night baby. Miss you xx
She clicked down, shocked at what she was reading. When was this? Please say it was way before he met me? All her happiness, hopes and dreams with Tom came crashing down when she saw the date: June 16th 2011. That was a month ago! How dare he? Her heart raced even faster, and she had to force herself to breathe slowly and deeply. Tears formed in her eyes. She wanted to stop herself from reading the texts, but it felt like someone else had taken over her body and she simply had to see more.
Glad you like the pic of my boobs, loved your one too! Makes me want you again, badly. When will I get to see you again Tom?;) Love your kisses. I’m at uni on Tuesday for my theatre class, so any day apart from then is good for me.
June 15th 2011
Hey sexy, thanks for the flowers. Got them this morning. You’re so cute xx
June 11th 2011
Baby, one afternoon with you isn’t enough! My bed is too big and cold without you :(Wish you were still here
June 11th 2011
Jade couldn’t read them all; it was far too painful. She’d seen enough. She sat with her head in her hands and tried to breathe. Her heart was still pounding and she realised her happy life as she knew it was now going to change forever. Why? Why was this happening to her? She hadn’t so much as looked at another man since she’d been with Tom. They were happy. She wasn’t deluded; it wasn’t one-sided, she knew he was happy too. She started to pace up and down his room, thinking about what she should do next. All of a sudden, anger rushed through her veins and out through every pore of her skin. The two-timing, lying scumbag! How long had he been seeing this other stupid bitch for? What an arsehole! Just who the hell did he think he was? How could she have been such a fool? But she had been. She sat down on the bed and began to sob. She’d believed everything he’d said, no questions asked. She loved him. He was her first boyfriend; her first true love. She’d understood what love truly meant when she met Tom. Now though, he had broken her heart. Jade put her hand to her heart and collapsed back on the bed, her heart honestly feeling as though it had been torn in two. It was a physical, deep aching pain inside. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she picked up her own phone and called Kelly.
‘Hello?’ Kelly answered after the fourth ring, in a sleepy voice.
‘Hi Kel,’ Jade sniffed. ‘Sorry to wake you. It’s only me.’
‘What’s wrong babe? Are you crying?’
‘Mmm …’ The huge lump in Jade’s throat prevented her from being able to talk.
‘Oh no. What’s up hun?’
‘I’m at Tom’s. He’s gone football coaching, like he does every Saturday and I went to get something from his drawer and found another phone.’
‘I don’t like the sound of this,’ Kelly said concerned. ‘Go on.’
‘There are all these messages from another girl called Louisa, who I think goes to my uni because she mentioned something about theatre class,’ she sniffed again. ‘They’re really bad; he’s been seeing her behind my back.’
‘Oh my God, shut up! You’re joking?’
‘I wish I was,’ Jade answered sadly.
Never afraid to speak her mind, Kelly answered, ‘What a fucking bastard!’
‘I know. I’m still at his flat now. What shall I do? I’m so upset and shocked. I feel sick.’
‘He’s an arsehole, babe. What did the messages say?’
‘There were loads. I couldn’t even face reading all of them. She was texting him things like “my bed is cold without you”, so clearly he’s been sleeping with her. This was only a month ago. She texted him on the 11th June about the bed thing and now I keep racking my brains, wondering what I was doing at that time.’
‘Wasn’t that when you had your last exam, hun? I asked you to come home a few times, but you were always studying.’
‘Yes, you’re right. I kept apologising because I couldn’t spend as much time with him as normal. He was probably glad, so he could see her. I bet he was with that bitch when he was off work and supposedly ill; she said something about being ‘with him’ in the afternoon. And there was me feeling sorry for him, what a mug! He’s a disgusting little rat. I’m so pissed off. I was so happy. How the hell could he do this to me?’
‘He doesn’t deserve you. You’re gorgeous and the loveliest person ever, he’s just another wanker bloke.’
‘I know.’ Tears rolled down Jade’s cheeks without her even realising. ‘It just hurts so much. Two and a half years I’ve wasted on him. How do I know this is the only girl he’s slept with? He could have given me something for all I know.’
‘Get checked, babe, in case there were more girls than just her. I know it’s hard, but you can’t think about what he was doing or might have been doing, when and where. All you need to think is that he is a wrong ‘un and you deserve a hell of a lot more. At least you found out before you moved in together.’
‘I hate him. I hate him so much.’ She couldn’t hold back her tears.
‘Please don’t cry, Jade. I hate to hear you sad when I’m so far away. Now do me a favour and listen, okay?’
Jade nodded, forgetting her friend couldn’t see her and wiped her tears away.
‘Get everything you own from his flat and get out; don’t leave anything behind as he’ll use it as an excuse to see you later. Are you listening?’
‘Yes,’ she sniffed.
‘Go back to yours and then when you can, pack your bags and come home to Essex.’
‘I don’t think I’m ready to leave just yet.’
‘Oh babe, I know it’s going to be hard, but you have to stay strong. You can’t stay there alone and heartbroken. You need to get your life back on track.’
Rage surged through Jade as she thought about Tom and Louisa once again.‘I know what I need to do, and that’s to get even.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I want revenge. I’m not allowing that bastard to get away with it. He’s going to pay.’
‘I’m liking this idea. What are you going to do though?’
‘I’m not sure just yet, but I’m going to humiliate him like he’s humiliated me.’
‘Well be careful and let me know what you decide. Will you come back to Essex afterwards?’ Kelly asked hopefully.
‘Yes of course. I miss you so much. Especially now. But I better go; I have some plotting to do.’
‘Call me if you need to – and book your train back asap!’
‘I will. Thanks, Kel.’
‘Any time. I’m sorry he’s done this to you, but you will find someone ten times better than that dickhead.’
Jade laughed, despite her unhappiness. ‘Speak soon.’
She hung up and sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands, trying to think of how she could get him back. What could she do? It needed to be something good. Jade told herself she wasn’t going home to Essex until she taught him a lesson. Yes, the most mature thing would be to walk away with her head held high, but embarrassing him somehow would make her feel a whole lot better. She got his hidden phone and called her mobile so she had the number. She then went down his contact list and deleted Louisa’s number, changing it for her own, but keeping the name Louisa. When Jade texted him he would think it was this other woman. She placed his phone back in the drawer where she’d found it, and got her things together to leave.
She knew that Tom thought the majority of Essex girls were dumb airheads judging by the comments he’d made in the past. Well, he was certainly going to regret the day he ever messed with this one.
Tom climbed out of his car and walked towards the football pitch, where most of the boys had already arrived and were kicking footballs to each other. He looked up at the shining sun; it was going to be a great day. Maybe he would suggest going for a picnic this afternoon with Jade, he thought to himself, envisaging a nice lazy day lying in the sun with his girlfriend. He loved spending his weekends with Jade; they always had such a good time together.
He’d fancied her the moment he first clapped eyes on her a few years ago, even though he did think she was wearing too much make-up. It hadn’t surprised him in the slightest when she said she was from Essex. You could tell an Essex girl a mile off, he mused; they were all hair extensions, orange tans and fake eyelashes. It wasn’t long before he’d persuaded Jade to tone it down and in his opinion she now looked so much better. She was naturally pretty and didn’t need any ‘war paint’. Fake-looking girls definitely didn’t appeal to him; Tom was much more a Keira Knightley fan than a Katie Price one. He was glad Jade’s Essex accent was becoming more subtle too. He often corrected her speech, and could sometimes see the hurt in her eyes when he pulled her up for sounding like a working-class fishwife, but he told himself it was for her own good.
He would never move to Essex – it certainly wasn’t the place for him he’d realised, after visiting Jade’s home a few times. He’d only ever been to Chigwell and Loughton, but everyone had seemed so vulgar and false. They’d gone to one nightclub called Faces and he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw tables of people, some even ‘Z’ list celebrities, ordering bottles of champagne with sparklers, trying to show the world that they had money. In his eyes, they had absolutely no class. Jade’s friend Kelly was awful too; such a typical Essex girl, common, and as thick as two planks. The other one, Lisa, was okay, as she seemed a bit more intelligent and was very pretty too; he definitely wouldn’t mind spending a night with her. He knew there must be parts of Essex that were less brash, but seeing where Jade lived had put him off the county for good. It was convenient that Jade liked Bath, because he intended to stay there for the long run. It was where he had lived all his life and was where he always wanted to be.
