Faking It Page 4

  The sausage fest on the go, Danni returned to the lounge with two cold beers and sat on her knees in front of him. “Right, are you ready to hear my idea?”

  He took a swig from his bottle. “Yep. Hit me with your genius. I’m all yours.”

  Danni took a minute to organise her thoughts, taking a long gulp of her own beer. “Okay so this is it. I’m going to call it Unlocking the door to love.”

  For the next twenty minutes, Danni enthused and gesticulated with all the energy of an impassioned orator. She spoke of her ideas on relationships and how expectations invariably strangled them. Josh looked captivated, nodding and drinking it all in.

  “I love it, Danni, … Unlocking the door to love. It rings true. I knew you could come up with something interesting.” He smiled, leaning over and squeezing her shoulder.

  Perhaps he was right; her dreams of becoming an author were not so far-fetched after all. She’d won over the son; now all she had to do was pitch the idea to his father’s publishing house. She could only hope Josh’s father had the same impeccable taste.

  Chapter Six

  A solitary taxi weaved its way along the tranquil country lane, leaving the buzz of city life behind. The narrow road bordered by hedgerows seemed to reduce in width as tall oak trees towered overhead, darkening the dismal autumn afternoon further.

  A sleep-heavy Megan was so lost in thought that she failed to realise the car had even stopped, until the cab driver tapped the glass window that separated them. Startled, she stared at him momentarily before diverting her attention to the world outside the vehicle: a small whitewashed thatched cottage partially hidden by a row of conifer trees, beckoned her. The well kept house showed no signs of its two hundred years, the only thing out of place in the landscaped grounds was a red moped parked near the wall.

  The driver, a broad-shouldered hulk of a man, squeezed himself out of the cab, wandered around to her door and removed Megan’s 30 kg case as if it was a flimsy pencil case. Exiting the taxi, she smiled and handed him a ten pound note. In a flash he was in his cab and disappearing back down the road.

  All was still as she stood in the small lane. Home sweet home. She smiled, grabbing her case by the handle then strolling through the wooden archway and up the lavender-edged flagstone pathway; the familiar scent assailing her senses. Arriving at the cottage, she inserted her key, pushed open the heavy oak door and dropped her case victoriously on the parquet flooring. She’d better start dinner before it got too late.

  She headed straight for the kitchen and opened the fridge door, her hand hovering over a pack of fresh salmon fillets. A frown creased her forehead – salmon fillets were Brooke’s absolute favourite. Taking them from the shelf, she ran them hurriedly under the cold tap and wondered what Brooke would be doing at that very second. Driving herself insane, no doubt, trying to figure out how to “fix things” between them. The incident earlier on Facebook was a close call. She had forgotten to switch off the location on her phone, she wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  Megan’s brow furrowed. She resented Brooke coming into her mind at that particular time. Her time. Brooke was too emotional for her own good. Everything had to be talked about, dissected and explored which Megan found all so very tiresome.

  What had started off as some harmless flirting, had soon blossomed into an affair, a relationship from which she was unable to extricate herself.

  Megan seasoned the fish with salt and pepper and slid them into the oven on a tray. Taking a mug from the cupboard she checked the kettle for water then pressed the on switch. Opening the coffee container on the worktop she heaped two teaspoonfuls into the cup and when the kettle had boiled, poured the water in and stirred. She took a quick sip, scalding her tongue, then sighed as she rested against the counter. The kitchen was large and rustic, with an Aga taking centre stage. As she glanced around she realised how much she loved being there, it was a stark contrast to Brooke’s London flat.

  Coffee in hand, she walked into the front room. Someone’s been tidying up. It wasn’t usually the tidiest of houses so it was clear an effort had been made just for Megan.

  She moved to the wall cabinet, placed her coffee down and switched on the IPod dock, immediately starting to dance as if to celebrate her new-found freedom. Above the music, she heard the bang of the front door slamming shut, then a voice calling out, “Hello?”

  She leaned over and muted the sound. “I’m in the living room,” she called back, smiling as she heard the rush of footsteps heading towards the room.

  “Mummy M, Mummy M.” A small frizzy haired child with large brown eyes, beamed as she ran full pelt at Megan, almost knocking her off balance. Megan bent down and gathered the child up into her arms, squeezing her half-heartedly. “Ah, hello, Kelly. Have you missed me?”

  The little girl nodded in response, still clinging to her leg as she stood up.

  “We certainly have,” a voice uttered from the door. A woman, the spitting image of Halle Berry, walked over and embraced her lovingly, planting a tender kiss full on her lips. “Especially me.”

  Chapter Seven

  The big day had arrived.

  Tonight was the night Danni would be outed as a raging heterosexual. The night she would publicly declare her undying love for her handsome beau, Josh. Dig deep and find the Meryl Streep within, she said to herself as she stood before her rather sorry looking wardrobe.

  “So, Danni. What’s it gonna be?” she said aloud, scanning the rows of black clothes before her.

  Nine pairs of jeans – black, sixteen sexy vest tops – mostly black, and a cream woolly jumper given by her nan, Christmas 2006. “All is not lost,” she muttered, she still had a secret weapon in her fashion arsenal – the killer white trouser suit. Elegant, sexy … diiiiiirrrrrrty? Noooooo! Her heart sank as a Shiraz stain the size of Wales screamed at her from the left lapel of an otherwise pristine white suit. Why oh why hadn’t she taken it to the dry cleaners? Why had she not checked earlier? Why did she always feel the need to ask herself questions in sets of threes? Truth be told, this was the mother of all wardrobe disasters.

  In the grip of blind panic, Danni could hear Josh’s footsteps clomping ever closer along the hallway. Time seemed to slow down. His every step made her heart thump that bit harder. Every thud made her mouth a little drier so that her usually well-proportioned top lip disappeared, giving her a rather unfortunate gum to teeth ratio. What on earth would he say when he discovered this almighty fashion faux pas?

  “Right girl, deep breath; time to face the music,” Danni whispered, gathering herself.

  Josh bounded into the room without knocking, wielding a large shopping bag in each hand. He was sporting a ridiculously wide smile that made his dimples erupt.

  “Your shopping, madam.”

  “For me?” Danni enthused as she gratefully snapped up his offerings like a hungry spaniel at a dinner table. She peeked excitedly inside the first bag whereupon her jaw dropped abruptly to the floor. What lay within was just too hideous to imagine, too terrifying to contemplate. Had Josh gone mad? Surely he didn’t expect her to wear a … a … SKIRT! She was a feminine girl, granted, but she had always been more of the tight trouser type than the classic skirt wearer. Frock-shocked, she fished out the offending teal coloured skirt and dangled it in the air as if she was wielding a veritable turd. Her facial expression said it all. “Oh Josh, you shouldn’t have. No, you really shouldn’t have!” She forced a grin so as not to seem ungrateful.

  Josh stood by, a wicked smile appearing on his face. “Go on, take a look. There’s more.”

  Was he serious? Summoning the Gods of Fashion, she sunk her hand back into the shopping bag, hoping for a more favourable result this time. She bit her lip, thought of England and grabbed what lay within. 1-2-3 ’king hell! A blouse? A blouse? Really? The very word made her feel nauseous.

  So this was Josh’s idea of helping her – dressing her up in an outfit likely to induce convulsions. He gestured toward the second bag
on the floor. “Look. I got you some shoes as well! See how much I love you!”

  Oh sweet baby Jesus! Danni reluctantly walked over to her bed and laid the clothes down – not knowing whether to laugh, cry, or feign a coronary. A quick check of her watch confirmed her worst fear – the shops were now shut and her fate was sealed. Skirt and blouse it was.

  Turning back to Josh, her eyes narrowed as she bravely fished the shoes from the final bag. Oh joy of joys – four inch stilettos! The heels were high all right, but not half as high as you would have to be to buy them! Now she knew Josh had gone raving gaga.

  “Josh, I appreciate the effort, but in all the time you’ve known me when have I ever worn footwear like this?”

  He looked at her sheepishly. “It’s a night of firsts, Danni. Besides, you’ll look amazing and my dad will be well impressed. He loves girls who, you know, look like ladies.”

  “And men who look like men? Good job he didn’t see you at last Friday’s Pricilla Queen of the Desert party, hey? I know what, why don’t we give him a call and ask him what type of knickers I should wear too. A thong perhaps? I do love a nice floss.”

  Josh winced. “Yuk! Come on, D, you’re being a bit dramatic aren’t you. It’s only a skirt and shoes.”

  “Only … only,” she choked on the words. “Have you seen the size of those heels? I’ll need a Sherpa guide to get me into them!”

  Josh laughed loudly. “You’ll soon get used to them, D. Besides, you’ve got great legs and I think you should show them off. Right, enough chat. I’ve booked the cab to pick us up at seven.”

  “Seven? God, Josh, you bloody owe me big time. Now clear off while I work a miracle.”

  ***

  The door bell rang at seven o’clock on the dot.

  “Come on, D – get a shake on,” Josh called out.

  Danni sprinted from her bedroom with the stability of a new-born Bambi, wobbling into the lounge where she collided with Josh head on. Despite the graceless entrance, Josh’s face illuminated as he eyed her from head to toe.

  “Wow! You look amazing, Danni,” he gushed, holding her by her shoulders.

  “Really?” Danni asked looking down at herself. “Well, I do feel rather sophisticated – and very, very tall. An inch higher and I’d need a pilot’s licence.”

  The pair giggled for the entire taxi journey, partly through nerves and partly due to the taxi driver’s lack of understanding of the Highway Code. Apparently, red lights did not mean stop after all. Within half an hour, they were at their destination. Electric gates opened onto a deep carriage driveway, giving way to an imposing double-fronted detached house bordered by impressive poplar trees.

  “Deep breath my lovely fiancée. It’s show time!” Josh grinned.

  “Some house,” Danni remarked, clearly impressed by the opulence before her. “You didn’t tell me your family live at Downton Abbey.”

  “Not quite. Right, just relax, be yourself and everyone will love you.” He winked, squeezing her hand as they stepped from their Ford Mondeo carriage.

  “JOSHIIIIEEEE!”

  An enthusiastic greeting interrupted the final pep-talk as a young woman in her early twenties bounded towards the pair, and flung herself against Josh’s chest like an excited puppy.

  “Hey, Helen. Wow – someone’s looking good.” He laughed with an obvious affection for the petite brunette.

  “Ahh, thanks Josh. I’m so glad you came. I thought you were going to make up one of your excuses again.”

  “What, and miss partying with my cousin? No chance!”

  Helen broke away from Josh and said to Danni with an excited tone, “And you must be the lovely Danni, we’ve heard so much about you.”

  “All good, I hope.”

  “Yes, of course. Well, Josh clearly has great taste in ladies,” Helen said eyeing Danni up and down appreciatively. “Right, let’s get inside and breathe some life into this party.” Helen laughed, tossing her head back giddily as she slipped between Danni and Josh. “I just know this is going to be a great night!”

  Danni struggled to keep her balance as she was dragged up the gravel path by Josh and his over-enthusiastic cousin. Helen had a lovely spirit, just like Josh. It must be in the blood. Surely Josh’s dad couldn’t be as bad as he made out. Whatever the reality, Danni was about to find out. She gulped as she tugged at her skirt and followed her giggling “fiancé” and his cousin into the laughter-filled house.

  Chapter Eight

  Brooke, wearing a black strapless dress, took a sip of her crisp white wine and scanned the room. Huge speaker sets accompanied by a mixing desk sat at the back of the room, with the DJ bobbing his head to the Little Richard music. A few of the elderly guests were dancing by a make shift bar situated near the large glass windows that overlooked an immaculate garden.

  Ethan stood beside Brooke, swaying his head from side to side, a large neat scotch in his hand. That was the first time she had seen him drink spirits – she always took him for a beer sort of a guy. He was no doubt trying to make himself look more mature than his twenty eight years.

  “So where’s Ms Wonderful then?” Brooke teased between sips.

  Ethan glanced around the room in an attempt to look casual. “I haven’t seen her yet, but trust me, when she arrives, the whole room will know. I think even you’ll have trouble taking your eyes off her.”

  “What do you mean even me. Are you trying to say something?”

  “Well, you know what I mean. I know you only have eyes for Megan but when you get a look at this babe.”

  Brooke pulled her face. “Babe? You know Ethan, you have some pretty sad vocabulary when it comes to women.”

  Ethan didn’t respond, instead he stared at the entrance. “Oh God, here she comes!” he stammered in an unusually unconfident manner. He quickly gathered himself. “Quick Brooke, look at me like I’m the most interesting man you’ve ever met,” he said adjusting his tie and stretching his spine so as to appear taller.

  “That will be hard,” she teased, as she followed the direction of his eyes and locked upon Roy’s son Josh and two women heading their way. Brooke was stunned. Everything in her body seem to freeze for a second. “Is that her?” she whispered softly, totally mesmerised by the presence of one of the female strangers.

  Ethan nodded, his eyes still transfixed ahead.

  For once Ethan hadn’t been exaggerating; the woman was simply breath taking. “Wow!” Brooke mouthed, unable to tear her focus from the gorgeous blonde stranger. She felt almost shocked by her reaction. This wasn’t the first time she had seen a beautiful woman. Hell, Megan turned heads wherever she went, but this time it was different. It felt almost surreal – an instant unexplainable connection.

  Within seconds, Josh and his two companions came to a stop in front of them.

  “Hi Ethan, hello there Brooke,” Josh said, gripping Ethan’s hand warmly then leaning in to kiss Brooke’s cheek.

  “So, this is my cousin Helen,” he said motioning to the petite brunette beside him.

  Ethan’s cheeks flushed as he nodded at Helen. He looked as if he might devour her at any second.

  Josh turned to the blonde woman beside him and continued the introductions. “You haven’t met my lovely fiancée Danni yet. Danni, this is Brooke and Ethan, they work at my dad’s publishing house.”

  Ethan smiled and shook Danni’s hand. Brooke stood transfixed, her face burning as she realised her mistake.

  “Brooke is the best editor in the business,” Josh enthused, patting her shoulder affectionately.

  Brooke instinctively turned to Danni first, as if drawn to her. She held out her hand, mesmerised by the emerald coloured eyes that bore into her own.

  “Nice to meet you Brooke,” Danni said with an easy smile that looked as intimate as a kiss.

  Was it in Brooke’s imagination, or was there a moment between them?

  She smiled, then reluctantly tore her gaze from Danni and held out a welcoming hand to Helen. “Hello there, lo
vely to meet you.”

  “You too.” Helen smiled.

  For the next few minutes, Brooke didn’t take in a word that passed within the group; instead her eyes discreetly revisited Danni’s face. She guessed her to be not much younger than herself, maybe early twenties. Her features were framed by long, blonde tresses that cascaded past her shoulders and draped across her back in fleeting golden waves. Brooke studied the curve of Danni’s neck, with its luxuriant slope leading along her high, narrow shoulders. Every nerve in Brooke’s body was smouldering as she greedily drank in this stranger. She was struck with a sudden realisation that no-one had ever had that effect on her – not even Megan.

  Josh’s booming laugh suddenly jolted Brooke back to reality. She watched the pair, their ease around one another. She smiled as Josh brushed his fiancée’s cheek with his lips, before gently encircling his arm around her back as if to shield her. Brooke felt a tightening in her stomach at the obvious affection they had for one another. Why couldn’t her relationship with Megan be like that?

  Josh gave Danni’s shoulder a loving squeeze and smiled, “Right, I’m going to find my dad, Lord knows how much bubbly he’s had by now. Ethan, do you want to get the ladies some drinks?”

  Ethan beamed at Josh. “Sure. What are you drinking, Danni?” he asked.

  “White wine will be great thanks.”

  “Same again for you, Brooke?”

  Though she didn’t really want another, she thought it might help to settle the butterflies partying in her stomach. “Yes please.” Brooke smiled.

  “I’ll come with you,” Helen said, grinning at Ethan in an unashamedly flirtatious way.

  The small gathering dispersed. Left alone, the two newly acquainted women stood in a slightly awkward silence.

  Brooke bit her lip as she took a steadying breath. “Nice party.”

  Danni glanced at her. “Yeah, looks like great fun.”