by Mel Sparke
“Maya!” Ollie exclaimed. “Somehow I can’t imagine her steaming in there as Cat’s sidekick. It’s not really her style, is it?”
“Well, it didn’t get that far. Maya managed to unpeel herself from Cat’s clutches and escape back to the rest of us after she’d sold a pair of tickets to Rudi and Marc.”
“Which I can’t imagine Cat would have found a problem at all, can you?”
Ollie bent down and nuzzled his face into Kerry’s neck, and soon they were kissing again.
Finally, Ollie broke away.
“I’d better get going or I’ll want to stay like this all night,” he said, stroking her hair with one hand and smiling. “Are we still on for this Saturday night?”
“Yeah,” Kerry replied. “Sorry it’s not going to be very exciting though. Babysitting Lewis isn’t the most romantic thing to do on a weekend, is it?”
“It’ll be nice,” Ollie assured her. “I’ll bring a video and a pizza, and we can cuddle up on the sofa.”
“Except one whiff of pizza and we’ll have Lewis sitting between us on the sofa,” laughed Kerry.
“Well, I’ll make sure it’s a really slushy video,” grinned Ollie. “He can’t stand those - he’ll be running back to bed in no time!”
With that, he kissed her lightly on the nose and walked over to his moped, pulling his helmet on as he went. Turning the key in the ignition he gave her a wave then roared off into the night.
CHAPTER 11
PRINCE CHARMING
Catrina studied herself from every angle in the full-length mirror in her bedroom and announced, “And today, we’re happy to welcome as our guest, Catrina Osgood, the famous and talented actress!”
Holding out her hands with palms to the front, Cat muttered “Thank you, thank you!” as she imagined herself taking her seat on This Morning.
She looked quite demure in a cream wraparound top, calf-length, A-line, rose-print skirt and little black lace-up boots with humble two-inch heels. Perfect for daytime telly.
Not that she was expecting an invitation on the show quite yet.
After being given a couple of days to brush up on her lines, Cat had had an extra rehearsal with Glenn after college on Friday (he was still pretty frosty, but she was determined to win him over yet), and another full run-through the previous afternoon with the full cast.
Later today, she was spending a couple of hours with Jeff, “polishing the rough edges”. Cat wasn’t exactly thrilled by the sound of that, but she didn’t take offence. She owed her break to Jeff and she was ready to listen to everything he had to say to her.
“Try and get into Cinderella’s head a little more,” he’d also said to her after yesterday’s rehearsal. “I think you need to tone down the exuberance just a touch…”
Cat looked at her reflection again. He was right - she’d yelled her way happily through all the sad songs the day before and even tried to put a tap-dance in at one point. She’d let her excitement take over in the last few days and gone back to her loud and lairy self.
Nope, she’d got the part. She’d proved to Jeff that she could act. So now she had to find her demure side. Wherever that was.
I could picture Mum as the Wicked Stepmother, treating me cruelly and making me do all the chores around the house… she daydreamed herself into her role. Sonja’s one of my Ugly Sisters. Maybe Matt’s the other one…
None of the boys she knew in town fitted the part of Prince Charming; someone kind and thoughtful, who didn’t take the mickey out of her or stare at her boobs instead of her face when they talked to her.
Never mind, she thought to herself, humming Some Day My Prince Will Come as she left the flat and made her way towards the End.
Only Joe was there, sitting at the usual table by the window, having staked it out amid the steady Sunday morning rush of customers.
She smiled fondly as she saw his earnest face.
He’s a real sweetie, our Joey, she thought as she walked over to him. Kind and thoughtful…
It suddenly occurred to Cat that her shy mate was about the closest she was going to get to a Prince Charming to practise on.
Yeah, he’ll do to help get me into my part, she decided.
She leant over and surprised him with a kiss on the cheek.
“Hello, Joe, it’s lovely to see you. How are you?”
Joe was stunned by this blatant show of affection. In all the time he’d known her, Cat had never tried that one on him before. A cutting comment about something or other was her usual opening gambit.
“Er, hello,” he blushed. “Urn, I’m fine. You?”
“Oh, you know,” she said, waving her hand in front of him theatrically, “coping with my insignificant little life. Can I get you something? My treat for my sweet Prince Charming?”
“No thanks.”
Joe looked away quickly in the hope that she wouldn’t notice he’d gone an even deeper shade of red. Her odd behaviour was making him feel decidedly uncomfortable.
Cat strolled up to the counter where Ollie was serving. As she did so, the door opened and Matt, Gabrielle, Kerry and Sonja walked in.
“Hi, everyone!” chirruped Cat. “Nice to see you. Ooh, Sonja, that coat really suits you; I love it. What can I get you all to drink?”
“If you’re thinking of asking to borrow it, forget it,” Sonja shot back, eyeing her cousin suspiciously. She didn’t think she’d ever heard Cat pay her a compliment about something she was wearing. What was the girl up to now?
Cat pouted girlishly and looked hurt.
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you to lend it to me,” she replied softly. “I was just trying to be nice, that’s all.”
Sonja went over to the window seat to sit next to Joe. “I’ll have a chocolate mocha if you’re buying,” she shouted over her shoulder. “That would be ‘nice’.”
Matt and Kerry put in their orders with Cat and came and sat alongside the others.
“What’s with her?” hissed Matt. “Is she having a funny turn or something?”
“She was like it with me, too,” Joe whispered back. “Really sweet and totally insincere. I think she’s losing her marbles.”
“And she looks odd, too,” Matt continued. “Hardly recognisable with that girlie hair and make-up. She looks… ill.”
“That’s what I said the other day,” added Sonja. “I still think she’s after someone, a guy who’s so totally different from her that she’s trying to change everything about herself to make him like her.”
“She must have it bad if she’ll go to those lengths then,” Matt replied. “It’s not usually Cat’s style at all. I’ll ask her…”
Cat came back, all smiles.
“Ollie really is lovely, you know,” she said, looking at Kerry. “You’re so lucky to have a boyfriend like him. He’s always so cheerful and pleasant. I think it’s great that you two got together. I really do.”
Kerry stifled a giggle. It was as if Cat had just read a few lines out of some slushy novel.
Sonja burst out laughing. “OK, come on, Cat,” she sniggered. “What sort of game is this? Are you after someone?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cat replied, a look of surprise slapped across her face. “I’m only saying what I think. Is that so wrong?”
“No, not at all,” said Sonja. “Only when you normally say what you think, it generally involves slagging someone off. So what we’re all dying to know is whether this complete turnaround in character has got something to do with a guy?”
Cat fluttered her barely mascara’d eyelashes in shock. “No it’s not! Isn’t a girl allowed to be pleasant without everyone getting suspicious?”
She was quite enjoying this red herring that her friends had chosen to believe. It would keep them off the trail about what she was really up to, and their shock when the curtain came up on the stage would be even better.
“Not when that girl happens to be you,” chuckled Matt. “You’re after one of the Dutch lads
, aren’t you. Think this new act will have them falling at your feet?”
“You mean Marc and Rudi?” she said wide-eyed. “Oh, no, I was just being friendly to them. Lovely guys though. I’d invite them to a couple of parties, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go now…”
“Why ever not?” Kerry asked. “It’s not like you to miss out on a party.”
“Well, I expect I’ll have chores to do around the flat. Mum keeps saying I don’t do enough at home; I expect she’ll want to keep me in over Christmas to help her out.”
Cat paused for effect. “I don’t mind of course,” she added, “I mean, Mum works so hard in the office all day, then she comes home and has to cook and clean, it’s no wonder she’s tired and grouchy a lot of the time. I’ve always said she takes on too much. If I can help her out in any way, then I will.”
She looked from one friend to the next; each face her eyes fell on looked more startled than the last.
Ollie walked over with a tray of drinks for everyone.
“Oh, Ollie, how sweet of you to bring them over,” Cat cooed. “You should have called me -I would have come and fetched them. I know how busy you are.”
Ollie looked at Cat aghast.
“Huh?” he said, half smiling as though trying to get the joke.
The others sniggered, amused by his reaction.
“It’s OK, Ol,” said Matt. “Cat’s trying to con us into thinking she’s got a conscience. But don’t worry, she’ll soon be back to her old ways.”
Still flummoxed by what was going on around him, Ollie placed the tray of drinks on the table and wandered off back behind the serving counter. He suddenly felt safer there.
Anna glanced around the café. It was busy, buzzing with music from the jukebox and lots of Sunday morning chatter, but no one needed serving.
She scrabbled for a few silver coins from her jeans pocket and went over to the pay phone on the wall. Dialling her brother’s number, she crossed her fingers that he would be in so that she could finally sort out when he was coming and how he was planning to let their mother know about his change of plans.
When Owen picked up the phone, Anna jumped in.
“Thank God you’re back,” she said irritably. “I’ve been desperate to get you for days.”
“Hey, what’s up?” Owen said, concerned. “Is something wrong?”
Realising that the urgency in her voice must be worrying him, Anna calmed herself.
“No, no, not at all. Well, nothing major. It’s just that I’ve been on the phone to Mum and she thinks you’re going to stay with her for Christmas. Haven’t you told her?”
“Told her what?” Owen asked.
“That you’re coming to Winstead instead.”
There was an prolonged silence at the other end of the line before Owen spoke.
“But I am going to Mum’s. I’ve already told you that, Anna.”
“Huh?” Anna was lost in confusion.
She glanced back in the direction of the crowd sitting in the window seat and saw Sonja laughing and joking with the others.
“Hang on, Owen,” she spoke more quietly into the receiver, “I spoke to Sonja the other day and she said you’d changed your mind and that you were coming here instead.”
“Uhh… so that’s why she sounded so cool when I was trying to explain that I was going home for Christmas the other night,” Owen sighed. “I thought her reaction was a bit odd.”
“But how could she get it so wrong?” whispered Anna. Her own disappointment felt like a lead weight in her stomach. Sonja’s disappointment when she told her was only going to make it worse…
“I don’t know,” said Owen, with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. “It was late, I was sleepy; I probably didn’t explain myself very well. And then Sonja’s sister Lottie kept butting in on the other extension.”
“Oh, listen, it’s OK,” Anna tried to reassure him. “It’s just one of those things. It’s no big deal…”
Owen wasn’t coming. Anna was going to be on her own after all.
It was a big deal.
CHAPTER 12
OH NO HE’S NOT. DEFINITELY
“There’s definitely a guy involved.”
“I can’t imagine Cat changing herself for a bloke, she’s far too pig-headed.”
“Maybe she’s got in with some strange cult.”
“You don’t think it could be that she’s genuinely trying to become a nicer person, do you?”
“No way!”
Once Cat had left the café to go and meet up with Jeff at the college, the others carried on trying to analyse her bizarre behaviour. They had been joined by Maya, with the occasional contribution from OIlie and Anna as they continued to serve the constant stream of customers passing through.
“If it is a guy, it must be pretty serious for her to be making such an effort to impress him,” Maya said, “but I wonder why she’s not letting on who he is. Cat’s not usually shy about admitting who she fancies.”
“Unless she’s embarrassed by him,” Sonja replied. “He might be a complete nerd or a train-spotter or a religious nut or something.”
“Or all three,” chuckled Matt. “Or maybe she’s fallen for the lad that’s playing Prince Charming in that panto she’s doing.”
“She called me her sweet Prince Charming earlier on,” Joe blurted out.
“Well, that’s it then. It’s you she’s after, Joe!” roared Matt, slapping his hand against his thigh at the ludicrousness of the thought. “Aren’t you the lucky guy?”
Everyone sniggered, and not for the first time that day Joe turned crimson and wished he’d kept his mouth shut. The very idea of Cat fancying someone like him was ridiculous.
Wasn’t it?
“Anyway, I’m bored with talking about Cat,” Matt carried on. “I was thinking of throwing a party at my place on Friday, to make it up to Gaby for dragging her along to my old man’s do at the golf club. What d’you say?”
“Oh, yes!” Sonja gasped, her eyes goggling at Gabrielle. “I’d forgotten you were going there last night. How was it? Did you have a groovy time?”
“Er, not exactly,” said Gabrielle quietly. “Let’s just say it’s a once in a lifetime experience I don’t want to repeat. I think me and Matt were the only non-geriatrics there.”
“Sounds grim,” Sonja laughed. “You must really love him to allow him to take you to such a cruddy do like that.”
Gabrielle smiled and looked shyly down at her hands resting on the table top.
“Cheers, Son,” said Matt. “Thanks for rubbing it in. So, about this party…”
“He said, changing the subject,” Sonja grinned. “I think it’s a great idea, a chance to get into the Christmas spirit. I don’t suppose Owen will be down by then, will he, Anna? But I guess I could drag myself along to help you out with the numbers. Hey, Anna, thought any more about this welcome party idea?”
“Er - speak to you about that later,” said Anna, glad to see a new batch of customers walk in and need serving.
The next half hour was so busy that Anna was only dimly aware of her friends saying their farewells as they drifted off one by one.
It was only when she caught her breath finally that she saw Sonja sitting alone in the window booth.
It’s now or never, Anna told herself, striding over.
“You haven’t heard from Owen then?” Sonja asked, voicing the only thing on her mind.
“Actually, Sonja, I have. I spoke to him a little while ago.”
“When?”
“Earlier,” Anna replied vaguely, but found herself half-heartedly nodding in the direction of the phone on the wall.
“That was Owen you were talking to?” said Sonja incredulously. “But why didn’t you call me over? Didn’t he want to speak to me?”
Anna could tell she was alarming Sonja more than helping her now. She was obviously jumping to conclusions; panicking that Owen’s lack of contact had more ominous implications.
“Don�
��t worry,” she said soothingly. “He’s been on a course for work this week, which is why he hasn’t been in touch.”
Sonja didn’t look reassured. “And?”
“I wanted to tell you what he said when it got quieter,” Anna tried to explain. “Listen, Son, he’s not coming for Christmas.”
Sonja looked shocked. “What?”
“It’s all my fault for trying to persuade him to come in the first place. If I hadn’t suggested it, then you two wouldn’t have been speaking about it, and you wouldn’t have got this all muddled,” Anna sighed.
“But he said he was coming…” Sonja almost whimpered.
Anna felt like doing the same. It was all right for Sonja - she still had a family to spend Christmas Day with. Anna had no one.
“Owen was never planning on coming here for Christmas. He thinks you must have been talking at cross purposes when you spoke the other night. I’m really sorry, Son. I’m sure he’ll speak to you himself to explain.”
“Oh.”
Anna could see the disappointment on Sonja’s face as well as hear it in her voice.
“Oh, well,” Sonja continued, smiling weakly, “I guess we’ll just have to party on without him. I take it he’s going to your Mum’s after all?”
Anna nodded.
Sonja looked away. She was heartbroken. She’d been so looking forward to this Christmas, imagining all sorts of romantic scenarios involving her and Owen, and now she didn’t feel like celebrating at all.
But then a glimmer of an idea came to her…
“I know, Anna,” she said, her face brightening. “Why don’t you invite Owen and your mum down to spend Christmas with you? That way you get to see them both, and I get to see Owen!”
It was the worst suggestion Anna had ever heard. There was no way she’d invite her mum down, although Sonja wasn’t to know that. None of the gang knew the ins and outs of Anna’s past problems, and Sonja came from such a close-knit family herself, no wonder she thought she’d had a brilliant idea.
“Er, no, that won’t work. For one thing, I don’t have the space to put Owen and Mum up,” Anna tried to explain.
“That’s OK,” Sonja cut in excitedly. “There’s that sweet little B&B along the road from me…”