The Girl's Guide to Falling in Love

by Sophie Hart

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Annie apologised through her giggles, as she tried to catch her breath. ‘I wanted to make something really delicious and simple – just a few little dishes – but I forgot I’m not exactly Nigella Lawson in the kitchen. I’ve totally messed it up.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Jamie insisted. ‘Honestly. It’s the thought that counts.’

  ‘I’ve got the number of a good pizza place,’ Annie suggested.

  ‘That might not be necessary… First things first, drink this,’ Jamie instructed, topping up Annie’s wine glass and handing it to her.

  Annie did as she was told, gratefully taking it from him and noticing that after a few large mouthfuls, things didn’t seem quite so bad any more.

  ‘Right, let’s take this off the heat,’ Jamie murmured, as he turned off the hob and removed the saucepan containing the hotdog sausages. ‘We can always fry them later with the onions. And what’s this supposed to be?’ he asked, peering nervously into a large Pyrex dish. ‘Rice pudding?’

  ‘Macaroni cheese,’ Annie shot back indignantly.

  Jamie’s lips twitched once again, and he made no attempt to hide his smile. ‘Do you have any flour? It might just be salvageable…’

  Annie rooted round in her cupboards and passed it to him, as he picked up the tray of charcoal lumps that had once been fries and promptly dumped them in the bin.

  ‘Do you have any more sweet potatoes?’ he asked.

  ‘No, but I’ve got ordinary ones.’

  ‘Perfect,’ Jamie winked, taking the bag from her.

  Annie watched admiringly as Jamie got to work. He seemed to be an expert in the kitchen, quickly taking control as he added flour and grated cheese to thicken the macaroni mix, re-coating the chicken in barbecue sauce and placing it under the grill. Annie stood back and drank her wine, not wanting to cause any more damage. Perhaps it was the influence of the alcohol, but she couldn’t help gazing at Jamie, watching the way his well-defined arm muscles pulsed and flexed as he moved around her kitchen. He seemed completely calm and unflustered, confident and capable as he gradually got their meal back on track.

  ‘You’re so good at this,’ Annie told him, clearly impressed.

  ‘I told you, I like to cook.’

  ‘But I feel so bad. I invited you round here, and now you’re the one who’s doing everything.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. Teamwork. Here, will you give me a hand with these potatoes? The trick is to season them well…’

  Annie followed Jamie’s instructions to the letter, slowly gaining in confidence with each successfully completed task. To her surprise, she found that under Jamie’s guidance she was making good progress, and the two of them worked extremely well together. Annie’s kitchen was only small, forcing them to work in close proximity, and the chemistry between them was undeniable.

  Finally, more than an hour after Jamie had first arrived, they sat down on Annie’s sofa to eat their food, an impressive spread laid out on the coffee table in front of them.

  ‘This is incredible,’ Annie gushed, taking a bite of her mustard-smothered hotdog. ‘There’s no way I’d have been able to do this by myself.’

  ‘Nah, you were great,’ Jamie insisted. ‘I just helped out a little at the end.’

  Annie smiled gratefully at him; they both knew he was being modest. She picked up the remote and pressed a button, and Paul began to play on the TV, but despite Annie’s attempts to concentrate, she and Jamie kept breaking off from watching the film to chat. She felt so comfortable with Jamie, Annie realised, and hugely enjoyed his company. She was rapidly getting the impression that he felt the same way…

  The movie was soon forgotten about as the two of them talked about everything, from work to family to food to travel, childhood memories and funny stories, favourite books and songs that made them cry. By the time the end credits rolled, they were both sprawled out on the sofa, their bodies inches away from one another. The bottle of wine lay empty on the table, and as Jamie drained his glass he turned to look at Annie. His eyes were soft, his lips full, and Annie’s pulse began to race, sensing a distinct shift in the atmosphere.

  ‘You know when you asked me if this was a date…?’

  ‘Forget it,’ Annie cut in, waving away his words. ‘I didn’t mean it to come out like that.’

  But Jamie pushed on, regardless. ‘Did you want it to be?’

  Annie hesitated. ‘I… I don’t know. I don’t have a very good history with dating.’

  ‘Maybe it’s time for that to change.’

  Annie stared at him, wondering what he was trying to say.

  ‘Look, Annie, I’m not a teenager any more and I don’t like playing games. If I like someone, I have to say it. And I really like you, Annie.’

  Annie inhaled sharply, her heart hammering in her chest as his words set off a flurry of emotions inside of her – happiness, and excitement, and sheer, unadulterated fear as well. She swallowed hard, her voice little more than a whisper as she admitted, ‘I like you too, Jamie.’

  And it was true; she’d been trying to deny it for too long, but now it was out there, Annie thought, feeling a sense of exhilaration. As she sat there, her heart thumping wildly, Jamie slowly moved towards her, and Annie realised that she wanted him badly. His lips touched hers, and in that instant all the chemistry and excitement and pent-up frustration crystallised into that one incredible moment, sparks shooting through her veins, fireworks exploding in her body. Annie kissed him back, loving the feeling of his lips against hers, running her hands through his hair, over his strong shoulders and muscular chest.

  When they eventually came up for breath, Jamie pulled away, looking at her hesitantly as though requesting her permission to carry on. Annie didn’t say a word, simply leant forward and kissed him once again, their lips finding each other as though they’d been made to fit together.

  It felt right. It felt perfect. And Annie never wanted it to stop.

  24

  Chapter Twenty-four

  ‘For women the best aphrodisiacs are words. The g-spot is in the ears. He who looks for it below there is wasting his time’ – Isabel Allende

  Julia was browsing the beauty department at Jarrold’s, Norwich’s famous independent department store. There was so much choice that she felt baffled: creams for day time, separate creams for night time, products with caviar and seaweed and ones with technology developed by NASA. There was even something called an ‘age-defying micro-dermabrasion sonic cleansing roller’, which sounded completely terrifying.

  Once upon a time, Julia had kept up with all these new products. When she was first dating Nick and working on reception at Skyrocket, she’d believed it was an important part of her job to look attractive and well-groomed, and thought nothing of blowing a chunk of her salary on spa treatments and designer make-up.

  These days, Julia’s priorities had shifted. Now that she and Nick were homeowners with a mortgage to pay, and the very real possibility of a baby on the way, Julia had learnt to be far more sensible with her money. She was still establishing her events business, meaning her income was small and fluctuated from month to month, so blowing her money on expensive clothes and shoes simply wasn’t an option any more.

  She strolled past the brow bar, where a woman was reclining on a chair having her eyebrows threaded, and stopped at the Chanel counter. Above it was an enormous picture of a famous actress, looking flawless and irresistible in a glossy lipstick. Julia sighed, looking longingly at the array of make-up in front of her. Surely a little treat was okay, she insisted to herself. After all, she didn’t want to let her standards slip completely, and now that Nick was making an effort to come home early and spend more time with her, Julia wanted to look good for him.

  Impulsively, she picked out a vibrant pink lipstick in its distinctive black and gold packaging, and handed it to the assistant.

  ‘This one, please.’

  ‘Oh, that’s gorgeous, isn’t it?’ the young woman said, as s
he scanned the box then popped it in a bag. ‘It’ll go wonderfully with your colouring. And of course that shade is just perfect for summer.’

  Julia smiled, feeling a surge of happiness and optimism flood through her. It seemed silly, but that one small purchase somehow left her feeling light and positive, able to believe that everything was going to be okay again.

  ‘Treating yourself?’ came a voice from behind her.

  Julia span around to see a grinning Zoe.

  ‘Hi, Zoe! Yeah, I thought I’d buy myself a fancy lipstick. It’s been ages since I’ve had anything new.’

  ‘Tell me about it. It feels like any spare money I have is being sucked into the wedding budget. Everything’s so expensive! I can’t remember the last time I bought anything for myself.’

  ‘Oh, but it’ll all be worth it,’ Julia assured her. ‘Come the big day, all the sacrifice will seem worthwhile. So, shall we head straight up to the bridal department?’

  ‘Let’s do it!’

  Zoe had booked the afternoon off work to go wedding dress shopping with Julia. She’d already visited a few shops one weekend when her mother was visiting from Chester, but Zoe had yet to find the elusive perfect dress.

  ‘Do you know what kind of thing you’re looking for?’ Julia asked, as they headed to the escalator.

  ‘Something quite classic – nothing too outrageous. But it has to be that little bit special, you know?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Julia nodded. They got off at the third floor, following the signs to bridal wear, which took them through the children’s department.

  ‘Oh, look at that,’ Julia exclaimed, with a wistful sigh. ‘Isn’t that just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?’

  She was pointing at a tiny pink babygro, with a bear motif and the slogan ‘Mummy Loves Me’.

  ‘Yeah, it’s sweet,’ Zoe agreed. She went to move on, but Julia seemed mesmerised.

  ‘And these are amazing too,’ she breathed, taking a pair of blue stripy dungarees from the rail and holding them up.

  Zoe watched her in confusion. ‘Are you shopping for someone in particular?’

  ‘No, not really. Just looking.’

  ‘Do you and Nick have kids?’ Zoe pressed. ‘You never mentioned…?’

  ‘No, we don’t,’ Julia replied quietly. ‘We’re… we’re trying though.’

  ‘That’s so exciting! Me and Simon have talked about having babies, but I think we’re going to spend a couple of years just enjoying being married before I start popping them out.’

  Julia smiled sadly. ‘It’s not always that easy, unfortunately.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Zoe apologised, noticing the expression on Julia’s face. ‘Have I said something I shouldn’t?’

  ‘No, no, of course not. It’s just that… Well, we’ve been trying for a while, and nothing’s happened yet. We’ll probably give it a couple more months and then go and see the doctor, but… It’s not having the greatest effect on our relationship. That’s actually why we’re seeing Annie,’ Julia admitted, feeling a huge amount of relief to have finally got it off her chest.

  ‘Right,’ Zoe nodded sympathetically. ‘And are the sessions helping?’

  Julia shrugged. ‘I don’t know to be honest. I was very reluctant to go to them at first, and gave Nick a really hard time. Annie too, come to think of it. It’s given me an opportunity to say the things I wanted to say, but then it’s thrown up a whole heap of other stuff too. Some days it’s like we’re on different planets, with no way of connecting. But then other days are better…’Julia stared, unseeing, at the dungarees, then quickly put them back on the rail. ‘Anyway, enough about me,’ she said, with forced brightness, not wanting to go into her marital issues right now. It hardly seemed appropriate when shopping for Zoe’s bridal gown. ‘This is about you. Let’s go find you the dress of your dreams.’

  Julia turned her back on the children’s clothing, and the two of them set off again, passing through the lingerie section that was situated next to bridal wear.

  ‘Maybe we should pick up something for your wedding night too,’ Julia suggested cheekily. ‘There’s some gorgeous stuff in here.’

  ‘Oh, I can’t wait for my wedding night!’ Zoe exclaimed, with such passion that Julia looked at her in surprise.

  Zoe saw her expression and burst out laughing. ‘Well, as you’ve told me why you’re seeing Annie, I suppose it’s only fair that I tell you too. Me and Simon have taken a temporary vow of celibacy,’ she explained, the words tumbling out in a rush. ‘We’re not having sex until the wedding, but when we do it’s going to be amazing! So Annie’s given us all these exercises about discovering each other’s bodies, and acting out fantasies, and building up the anticipation.’

  ‘Wow,’ Julia replied, looking gobsmacked. ‘I don’t know what to say! Is it difficult?’

  ‘It’s a bloody nightmare,’ Zoe admitted. ‘But, you know, we’re finding other ways to satisfy each other, shall we say. There are a few things that aren’t off limits, and we’re making full use of those.’

  ‘Wow,’ Julia said again. ‘I never knew that—’ Suddenly she stopped short, staring across the shop and squinting. ‘Wait a minute, isn’t that…?’

  Zoe followed her gaze, her eyes opening wide with shock. ‘That’s Linda, isn’t it? From the group sessions?’

  Julia nodded, neither of them speaking as they stared across at Linda. She was browsing a selection of slinky silk negligees, her hands running over the soft fabric. As they watched, she plucked a champagne-coloured one from the rail and held it up against her experimentally.

  ‘Should we say hello?’ Zoe whispered.

  ‘I don’t know. She might be embarrassed that we’ve seen her shopping for sexy underwear.’

  ‘Oh my gosh! Do you think she might be a nymphomaniac? Maybe that’s why she’s seeing Annie.’

  ‘Her husband did look pretty exhausted,’ Julia whispered back, as the two of them burst into giggles.

  Linda seemed to sense that someone was watching her and turned round, colour flooding her face as she saw Julia and Zoe.

  Hastily, she shoved the nightgown back onto the rail, calling out an awkward, ‘Hello!’

  ‘Hi, Linda. How are you?’ Zoe asked brightly, as she and Julia walked towards her.

  ‘Fine thanks!’ Linda replied, her voice unnaturally high. ‘I was just… um… shopping for my daughter. She asked me to pick something up for her. She’s busy working, you see.’

  ‘Right,’ Julia nodded suspiciously.

  ‘What about you two? I didn’t realise you two knew each other outside of…’ Linda trailed off, not wanting to mention the place where they’d all met.

  ‘We didn’t – initially,’ Julia laughed. ‘We got chatting one week, and as I’m an events planner, I offered to help with Zoe’s wedding.’

  ‘She’s great,’ Zoe put in loyally.

  ‘Oh, how wonderful!’ Linda explained. ‘Yes, I’d forgotten you’re getting married soon. I had a lovely chat with your fiancé last week. He’s such a nice young man, isn’t he?’

  ‘I think so,’ Zoe grinned.

  ‘Well, I won’t hold you up any longer,’ Linda smiled, hitching her handbag onto her shoulder and starting to walk off.

  ‘You can come with us, if you like,’ Zoe called out impulsively. ‘We’re just going over there, to try on some wedding dresses, if you fancy giving your opinion.’

  ‘The more the merrier,’ Julia encouraged.

  ‘I… well…’ Linda hesitated. Then she broke into a wide smile. ‘Why not? That would be lovely.’

  They made their way across the store and under a white archway, into a section of the shop that was specially cordoned off for bridal wear.

  ‘Oh, aren’t they all beautiful,’ Julia breathed, gazing round at the rails of white dresses in silk, lace, organza and tulle.

  Zoe couldn’t stop grinning. ‘This is so exciting!’ she exclaimed.

  Just then, an immaculately presented woman wearing a s
mart burgundy skirt-suit approached them. ‘Can I help you?’ she enquired.

  ‘We have an appointment,’ Julia explained. ‘In the name of Zoe Miller. I’m Julia Crawford, her wedding planner.’

  ‘Oh yes, here it is,’ said the woman, as she scanned down her list. ‘Two pm, right on the dot. My name’s Valerie,’ she introduced herself, shaking hands with Julia and Zoe. ‘And this must be the mother of the bride,’ she continued, smiling at Linda.

  ‘Oh no,’ Zoe giggled, realising her mistake. ‘This is my friend, Linda. She’s going to help me out today.’

  ‘Ah, I see,’ Valerie chuckled. ‘My mistake, I do apologise. Now, what size are you? I’d say about an eight to ten,’ she continued, standing back and scrutinising Zoe’s figure.

  ‘I remember those days,’ Linda murmured to Julia.

  ‘Me too. I can’t see that I’ll ever get into a size eight again,’ Julia whispered back ruefully.

  ‘And do you have any ideas about what styles or colours you’d like?’ Valerie continued.

  ‘I really like ivory, but I’m not too fussy. Cream suits me too.’

  ‘Oh yes, that would go beautifully with your hair.’

  ‘And I’ve tried on some empire-line dresses, which I loved. I prefer slim-fitted, with a narrow cut. Nothing too voluminous. I don’t want to look like a toilet roll holder!’

  Valerie nodded, frowning thoughtfully. ‘Okay, I have a few that you might like,’ she said, as she moved over to a rail and pulled out a sleeveless column dress, with a high neckline and delicate beadwork.

  ‘Ooh, I love that one,’ Julia squealed, nudging Zoe. ‘It’s very classy.’

  ‘Would you like me to put it in the changing room for you?’ Valerie asked. ‘I’ll select a few more, and if you’d like to have a look yourself too. Just let me know if you need any help.’

  ‘Thank you, we will,’ Zoe told her, excited as a child at Christmas. ‘Oh, look at this,’ she breathed, as she pulled out a beautiful cream dress with a lace overlay. It had a deep V neckline, with a ribbon sash that tied beneath the bust, and a delicate train that flared out at the bottom.