The Girl's Guide to Falling in Love

by Sophie Hart

  ‘She obviously takes after her father,’ Annie teased.

  ‘Hmm, I’m not sure about that. Although, of course, she does get her incredible good looks from me,’ Jamie added, with a cheeky grin.

  ‘As it’s the season of goodwill, I’ll let you get away with that one,’ Annie laughed, thanking the stallholder as he safely packaged up the bauble and passed the bag across to her.

  ‘Seriously though,’ Jamie began, taking Annie’s hand as they walked away. ‘I hope you get the chance to spend lots more time with Livvy in the new year. She’s a great kid, and I want you two to get to know each other better.’

  ‘I’d like that,’ Annie replied shyly.

  Ever since Jamie had explained everything to Annie at Zoe and Simon’s wedding, the two of them had been inseparable. Well, as inseparable as it was possible to be when combining two busy careers and numerous family commitments on both sides. But the situation suited both of them; Annie, especially, was eager not to rush into anything, and over the weeks she was slowly building her trust in Jamie. She felt that as he’d been completely honest and open with her, he deserved the same courtesy in return, so Annie had sat him down one night and, over a bottle of wine and a takeaway, told him all about her history with Mark.

  Jamie had naturally been shocked at first. The fact that Annie had been married and divorced at such a young age was a lot to take in, but Jamie felt that he was hardly in a position to judge anyone for their past mistakes. If anything, Annie’s confession had brought them even closer together, and it was shortly after that that Jamie made the decision to introduce Annie to his daughter, Olivia. So far, Annie had met her three times, and was increasingly charmed by the bright, sparky, forthright little girl.

  Annie and Jamie made their way through the crowds of people, all browsing the stalls and picking up last-minute Christmas presents. The atmosphere was friendly and festive, an excited buzz in the air for the upcoming holidays. Annie had stopped at a jewellery stall and was holding up a delicate pair of silver and turquoise earrings, wondering whether or not she should buy them for her sister, when she heard her name being called.

  ‘Annie? It is you, I thought it was!’

  Annie whirled round to see a grinning Julia, as Nick strolled up behind her.

  ‘Julia! And Nick! How are you both?’

  ‘We’re good, thanks. Really good,’ Julia beamed. Her long blonde hair tumbled out from beneath a pink knitted beret, and she looked happy and healthy. ‘How about you?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m well, thanks. Just doing a bit of Christmas shopping.’

  ‘Likewise,’ Julia laughed, as she held up half a dozen carrier bags.

  Annie was suddenly aware of someone appearing beside her, and looked up to see Jamie standing there, a quizzical expression on his face.

  ‘Oh, Jamie, this is Julia and Nick,’ Annie introduced them. ‘And this is Jamie. My, um… Jamie,’ she finished awkwardly, feeling the colour rise in her cheeks. It still felt odd to introduce him as her boyfriend.

  ‘Yes, we met at Zoe and Simon’s wedding,’ Julia reminded her, a mischievous smile on her face.

  ‘Oh yes, I remember,’ Jamie smiled, his face lighting up in recognition, as he shook Nick’s hand and leant over to kiss Julia on the cheek.

  ‘So, you two are still going strong,’ Julia couldn’t resist saying, her eyes dancing suggestively.

  Annie found she didn’t know how to reply, suddenly remembering the reason why she preferred to keep her personal and professional life separate. It didn’t feel natural to have the focus on her love life, but Jamie didn’t seem fazed. He wrapped one arm tenderly around Annie’s waist, bending down to kiss her on top of her head.

  ‘Five months in and she hasn’t got sick of me yet,’ he joked.

  ‘Well, it’s nice to see Annie looking so happy,’ Julia told him warmly.

  ‘So how’s everything with you two?’ Annie gabbled, eager to change the subject. ‘Do you keep in touch with anyone? How are Zoe and Simon?’

  ‘We saw them a couple of weeks ago, actually,’ Nick cut in, coming to Annie’s rescue.

  ‘Oh, they’re so sweet, the two of them,’ Julia sighed. ‘Still completely mad about each other, and acting like typical newlyweds. I see Zoe quite a bit now. We catch up for a drink after work, or meet up at the weekends. Ooh, they had an offer accepted on a house.’

  ‘That’s brilliant news,’ Annie exclaimed.

  ‘Yeah, they’re moving at the end of January if all goes to plan. She showed me the pictures – it’s a lovely little two-bedroom place in Trowse Newton, so really handy for Simon to get to work.’

  ‘And are they still on the houseboat?’ Annie wondered. ‘It must be freezing at this time of year.’

  ‘It’s not bad actually – pretty cosy,’ Julia replied. ‘We went to visit them and Zoe cooked us a meal on the little gas hob. They’ve got a heater, and a big hot water boiler. It’s a lovely little set up.’

  ‘Sounds wonderful.’

  ‘I know they’re planning to have a housewarming when they move into the new place, so I’ll tell her to invite you. Both of you,’ Julia added, with a pointed look at Jamie.

  ‘Listen, do you fancy getting a drink or something, then we can sit down and have a proper catch-up?’ Annie suggested. ‘You don’t mind, do you?’ she turned to Jamie, who shook his head. ‘There’s a little stall over there with tables and chairs outside – they sell drinks.’

  ‘Great idea,’ Julia smiled, as they all made their way over.

  ‘I’ll get these,’ Jamie offered, as they found a table and all sat down. ‘Then you three can chat.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Annie flashed him a grateful smile, thinking once again how sweet and thoughtful he was. She really was a very lucky woman. ‘I’ll have a mulled wine, thanks.’

  ‘Mmm, sounds delicious, me too,’ put in Nick.

  ‘Mulled wines all round?’ Jamie asked, looking expectantly at Julia.

  ‘Er…’ Julia hesitated, her face flushing as she cast a hasty glance at Nick. ‘Just hot chocolate thanks.’

  ‘No problem,’ Jamie replied, as he strolled off to join the queue.

  But Annie hadn’t missed the look that had passed between Julia and her husband, nor could she fail to spot the excited smile that was spreading across Julia’s face.

  Annie stared hard at her for a moment. ‘You’re not!’ she finally burst out, her mouth falling open in shock, as Julia nodded.

  ‘I am. We are,’ she squealed. ‘You might not be able to tell under all these layers,’ she continued, patting her thick coat, ‘but I’m five months along.’

  ‘Five! I thought you’d planned to stop trying?’

  ‘Funny what happens when you stop worrying, isn’t it? To be honest, we think it might have happened on the night of Zoe’s wedding.’

  ‘Sounds like it was an eventful night for everyone! Oh, Julia, I’m so happy for you. All three of you!’ Annie cried, giving Julia a spontaneous hug.

  ‘Thanks, Annie,’ Julia beamed. ‘It’s so strange to think that this will be our last Christmas as just the two of us. We’re going back up to Derby to spend it with our families, as next year we’ll want to stay at home with the baby.’

  ‘I bet you can’t wait,’ Annie smiled. ‘The time will just fly by.’

  ‘So will it be your turn next?’ Julia asked, nodding at Jamie who’d just reached the front of the queue. ‘He seems lovely. And very good-looking,’ she couldn’t resist adding.

  ‘Oi! I am still here you know,’ Nick laughed good-naturedly.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Annie shook her head shyly. ‘It’s early days yet, but it’s going well so far. He’s great, and I’m really happy,’ she admitted, unable to stop a soppy grin from spreading across her face.

  ‘Aw, that’s so lovely,’ Julia sighed. ‘We always wondered if you had some gorgeous man hidden away, and now we know!’

  ‘Do you ever hear anything from Linda?’ Annie quickly changed the subject as Jam
ie came back to the table with their drinks. ‘She and Ray came to a couple of the weekend group sessions, but I haven’t seen them for a while.’

  ‘Yes, I’m still in touch with them,’ Julia replied, as she took a sip of the creamy, delicious hot chocolate. ‘Thanks Jamie, this is lovely. Yes, Linda and I have actually worked together a few times, as I’ve used her for events and she’s given me a really good price on the flowers. Although, to be honest, I’ve mainly been dealing with her daughter, Rose. Linda only works in the shop very occasionally now.’

  ‘That’s good to hear,’ Annie nodded. ‘Ray was always asking her to cut down her hours so they could spend more time together.’

  ‘Well, it sounds like that’s finally happening. They’re going away this Christmas, to the Caribbean, I think, on a winter sun holiday.’ Julia shot a look at Nick, and the two of them began laughing.

  Annie frowned, not understanding the joke. ‘Why is that funny?’ she wondered.

  ‘I don’t know what you were teaching them, Annie,’ Julia began through her giggles. ‘But the last time I saw Linda she confessed that… well, that she and Ray were going to a naturist resort!’

  Annie’s mouth fell open in shock. ‘No! I don’t believe you!’

  ‘It’s true. She said that they’d got so used to walking around naked at home, and they were so comfortable with their bodies, that they’d decided to give it a whirl. Apparently Ray was thrilled.’

  ‘I bet he was,’ Annie laughed, still struggling to take in what Julia was telling her. It was hard to imagine that Linda, who’d once been so shy and self-conscious about her ageing body, was now so completely comfortable showing it off, but stranger things had happened.

  ‘Julia and I were saying, let’s hope they take a lot of sun cream with them,’ Nick joked.

  ‘And apply it very thoroughly,’ Jamie chimed in, as they all started laughing.

  Annie sipped her mulled wine, savouring the warm, spicy taste, and thinking how contented she felt right now. For once, both her professional and personal life seemed to be on track; not only did she have a handsome, sexy, devoted boyfriend, who she was falling for more with every day that passed, but she had the satisfaction of knowing that she’d helped other couples rediscover that same happiness in their own relationships. Zoe and Simon were married and madly in love, Nick and Julia had put their troubles behind them and were expecting their first baby, whilst Linda and Ray were embarking on a whole new stage of their lives together.

  ‘Look,’ Julia exclaimed, pulling Annie out of her reverie, as she stared up at the starry night sky. ‘It’s starting to snow.’

  Annie glanced up, feeling a frozen snowflake land on the tip of her nose, where it quickly melted. The flurry became heavier, settling on the roofs of the market stalls, as people stopped what they were doing to watch. Young children shrieked excitedly, jumping up to try to catch the flakes, their faces red with cold and excitement.

  The two couples stared happily at the scene in front of them, as the band began to play ‘Away in a Manger’, and the carol singers joined in, their voices echoing across the crowded square.

  Jamie pulled Annie closer, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her deeply.

  ‘Magical, isn’t it?’ he murmured, gazing into her eyes as a stray snowflake landed on her lashes.

  ‘Yes, it is,’ Annie smiled. And she closed her eyes and kissed him back, thinking that the most magical part of it all was that she’d finally found her happy ever after.

  Letter from Sophie

  Thank you so much for choosing The Girl’s Guide to Falling in Love. I really hope you enjoyed it, and found it to be a fun and naughty read, with moments to make you laugh and cry.

  If you have time, I’d be hugely grateful if you could write a review – I’d love to hear your thoughts, and it would help other readers to find out what The Girl’s Guide to Falling in Love is all about.

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  Thanks again for all your support – now I’d better get back to working on my next book...

  Sophie x

  P.S. You might also like my first book - The Naughty Girls’ Book Club!

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  Also by Sophie Hart

  The Girl’s Guide to Getting Hitched

  The Girl’s Guide to Getting Hitched

  OUT NOW

  A refreshingly open and uplifting romantic comedy about friendship and love. Sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone in order to give a relationship a good dose of TLC…

  Annie Hall helps couples put the fizz back into their relationships. It’s a shame her own love life is non-existent. When Jamie who works next door catches her eye, she can’t ignore the spark of chemistry.

  Most men would jump at the chance to skive off work for an afternoon quickie with their gorgeous wife, but Nick knows Julia is after only one thing – a baby. Sex shouldn’t be a chore. Can Annie help Julia see that?

  Newly engaged Zoe and Simon can’t keep their hands off each other. They’ve decided to take a vow of celibacy until their wedding night. Will Annie help them stick to it?

  Ray and Linda have been married for over thirty years but she’s more interested in the family business than spending time with him. Can Annie convince Linda to rediscover her passion for Ray after all this time?

  While Annie begins to work her magic with the three couples, she soon discovers that she’ll need to take some of her own advice if she’s going to let a new man into her life.

  Note: previously published as ‘A Girl’s Guide to the Birds and the Bees’.

  ‘Absolutely perfect for chick-lit lovers. It had everything! The comedy, the romance, a little splash of drama! If I could have wrapped my Kindle around me, then I would have, because I felt like I was cocooned into Annie's world with Sophie's superb characters and story.’ Becca’s Books

  Published by Bookouture

  An imprint of StoryFire Ltd. 23 Sussex Road, Ickenham, UB10 8PN, United Kingdom

  www.bookouture.com

  Copyright © Sophie Hart 2014

  Sophie Hart has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-909490-55-0