MADE IN ESSEX

by Laura Ziepe

  ‘Good. Now, just do as I say in future, don’t ask pathetic questions and we’ll get along just fine.’

  Chloe attempted a smile, but a lopsided one was all she could manage.

  Adele grabbed the papers on the table and turned. ‘Must dash, I’m so busy it’s a joke. Oh, I must ask you before I go though; how are Jade and Sam getting on?’ Adele’s eyes sparkled in anticipation.

  Chloe was puzzled. ‘Jade and Sam? Why? They’re happy as far as I’m aware.’

  ‘So Sam didn’t come back here last night upset or anything?’ Adele looked disappointed. ‘Did you speak to Jade yesterday?’

  Chloe felt even more confused. Had something happened? ‘No, I didn’t see or speak to either of them yesterday, why?’

  Adele nodded. ‘Oh no reason,’ she said coolly before heading towards the front door. ‘I’ll be in touch about any new stuff Jade and Kelly are doing in a few weeks. See you!’

  Chloe closed the front door behind her and stood there in wonderment. Maybe she should go and see Sam and see if anything was wrong? It was Sunday and the only thing he might be doing was playing football, but it was still early and she doubted he’d gone anywhere just yet. That night in Sugar Hut replayed in Chloe’s mind. She would bet her life on it that Adele had caused some kind of trouble between them; she was learning that that was what Adele was best at, after all.

  *

  It was a beautiful day, Sam thought as he looked out his window, before closing the blinds again. After weeks of nothing but cloud the sun had finally decided to make an appearance, indicating that summer was on its way at last. Inside, Sam felt exactly the opposite of the weather; depressed, gloomy and miserable. So this was heartbreak? It was awful. He’d barely slept a wink the previous night and the thought of eating made his stomach turn. After Jade had left, he’d waited about thirty minutes and then texted her asking her to meet again as he wanted to make it work. He would do anything to make it work. She’d replied that it wouldn’t and could he stop calling and texting because he was only making it harder for her. That didn’t stop him though. He guessed he’d tried calling her around fifteen times, but she never answered; it had driven him crazy! He had never felt this way before in all his life. He had flashbacks to when girls in the past used to call him and he’d ignored them. They would ring and ring despite him never answering or calling back, and he used to wonder why they had no pride or self-respect. Now Sam knew the answer; when you wanted to talk to someone that badly, pride simply went out of the window. It was the most awful feeling when you urgently wanted to speak to someone but got nowhere. Each unanswered call only made him feel more desperate and determined. After about fifteen calls though, he knew he had to stop. Jade didn’t want to speak to him and he had no choice but to accept it. He was supposed to be playing football today, but he couldn’t do it. He normally loved the game, but he didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. Besides, there was no way he would play well when he hadn’t eaten or slept and had so much on his mind.

  There was a knock at the door and his heart thudded violently in his chest. Was it Jade? Please say it’s her, he thought as he got up and went to open the door. He was surprised to see Chloe standing there.

  Chloe took one look at his dishevelled hair, tracksuit bottoms and stained t-shirt and her face fell. ‘So, it’s true then? You and Jade are going through problems? I can’t believe it,’ she said shaking her head as he made way for her to go through.

  ‘What? How do you know? Have you spoken to Jade? What did she say?’ Sam asked all at once as he followed Chloe into the kitchen.

  ‘Wow, calm down a bit,’ Chloe said with an anxious expression. ‘I haven’t seen Jade. Adele just came over and asked about you both,’ she explained.

  Sam looked enraged. ‘What? Adele has been round to you today? I’m going to kill her,’ he said, marching round the kitchen deep in thought, his hands on his hips. He put his hands through his fair hair. ‘What did Adele say?’

  ‘What is all this about?’ Chloe asked, biting her nails with worry. ‘She just came round and asked how you and Jade were, as though something had happened.’

  Sam screwed up his hand into a fist, looking furious. ‘Oh, I bet she did. I bet she was fishing to find out that Jade broke up with me! Just like that bitch wanted.’

  ‘Oh my God,’ Chloe said sadly as she stared at him, stunned, her huge green eyes open wide. ‘I can’t believe it. What happened? Tell me everything.’

  Sam sat down and put his head in his hands. In a way he was glad Chloe had come over. He wanted to talk to someone about it and it wasn’t like he could cry down the phone to his mates, was it? Men didn’t do that. He would call his mates when he wanted to get drunk and forget about Jade, not to talk about what happened. Girls sat there for hours with their friends, discussing their feelings and thoughts about their most recent break-ups, but with men it was the opposite. No talking, just drinking. He explained to Chloe what had happened. He told her everything – from the pink thong to the text messages he sent to Adele. He knew he could trust Chloe and that everything he said would stay strictly between the two of them.

  ‘So you really don’t know what happened that night then?’ Chloe asked curiously. She’d never been that drunk in her life and couldn’t imagine not being able to remember what happened.

  Sam shook his head with a tormented expression. ‘I honestly don’t. I don’t believe I was capable of doing anything though.’ He flushed a little, embarrassed to be talking about sex in front of his little sister.

  ‘If only I’d have stayed at yours that night to make sure you were okay,’ Chloe said, staring into space. ‘Then Adele couldn’t have done anything because I would have been here.’

  ‘If only I hadn’t got so drunk,’ Sam said with a sigh.

  ‘Adele is so out of order,’ Chloe announced.

  Sam was baffled. ‘Then why do you stay friends with her? Why does she go round Mum’s house all the time? I tried telling you to stay away from her.’

  Chloe shifted in her chair and cleared her throat, not knowing how to answer. ‘It’s a long story,’ she said finally, too ashamed to admit the truth. ‘We’re friends.’

  ‘Chloe, Adele doesn’t have friends. I’m sorry to break it to you, but she’s a user. The only person Adele will ever care about is herself. Try to stay away from her,’ Sam said, wagging a finger in Chloe’s direction. ‘She’s a nasty piece of work and I don’t want her anywhere near you. I bet she’s made this whole thing up.’

  Chloe nodded as she thought about what Sam had just said. ‘Me too.’ The more Chloe thought about Adele, the more she suspected he was right. Was she really Adele’s friend? Adele only ever called her and came over to see her when she wanted news about Jade and Kelly. ‘Poor Jade,’ she whispered.

  Sam winced as she said Jade’s name. ‘I know. What can I do to get her back?’ He looked up at Chloe, his face alight with hope. ‘You talk to her sometimes, don’t you? Can’t you go round and tell her you think Adele has made it up? You saw me that night, you know how drunk I was. Please.’

  Chloe looked doubtful. ‘I don’t think it will change anything, but I’ll try if you want.’

  Sam sighed with relief and closed his eyes momentarily. ‘Thank you.’ He stood up and put the kettle on, hoping that a miracle would happen and somehow Chloe would be able to bring Jade back to him.

  *

  Lisa walked out of her office wondering where she should go for lunch. She had a new book in her bag she couldn’t wait to get started on.

  ‘Lisa!’ she heard a man shout.

  She squinted in the sunshine as she tried to make out who was calling her and was surprised when she saw Charlie making his way towards her.

  ‘Hi Charlie,’ Lisa said with a friendly smile. ‘You meeting Nicola for lunch or something?’

  ‘I came here on the off chance that Nicola could meet me, but she’s too busy,’ he shrugged. He looked her up and down, making Lisa feel self-conscious. ‘You
look like a sexy secretary in that black skirt and white blouse.’

  Lisa tried to laugh it off as she felt her face redden. ‘I don’t know about that.’

  ‘Where you off to?’ Charlie asked, his smouldering eyes making her want to look away.

  ‘Not sure yet, just about to get some lunch,’ Lisa told him, hoping this was her chance to leave. ‘I haven’t got long, so better get going.’

  ‘I may as well join you then,’ Charlie grinned as he put his hand on her shoulder. ‘Will be nice to get to know Nicola’s roommate a bit better.’

  Lisa didn’t know what to say. How could she be rude to her friend’s boyfriend and tell him no? Having lunch with Charlie was not only the last thing she felt like doing, but also it was weird. This was Nicola’s boyfriend and she’d only met him once! Lisa felt nothing but awkward around him. Seeing no way out, Lisa tried to smile back as they began to walk in the direction of a row of restaurants and cafés.

  They decided on a little Italian café and Lisa kept looking at her watch, wondering when she could make her excuses and leave. Charlie hadn’t taken his eyes off her the whole time and Lisa was worried what Nicola would make of them going to lunch together; it felt wrong. He didn’t eat much, Lisa noticed, as she sipped her small bowl of soup.

  ‘Today was nice,’ Charlie said as they left. ‘We should definitely meet for lunch again sometime.’

  Lisa looked away from him uncomfortably. ‘Yeah. We’ll have to make sure Nicola can come next time.’

  ‘Maybe,’ Charlie said as he kissed Lisa’s cheek to say goodbye.

  Lisa waved goodbye, relieved her lunch was over. She would rather have been sat in work, she thought resentfully.

  ‘Hi, honey.’ Nicola’s voice made Lisa jump as she walked to her desk.

  ‘Hi Nic,’ Lisa said merrily, as she sat down. She was about to say she’d just seen Charlie, but Nicola spoke first.

  ‘I had an amazing lunch with Charlie today,’ she gushed. ‘He had a day off work and took me to a lovely Turkish restaurant,’ she explained, fluttering her eyelashes.

  Lisa couldn’t believe her ears. So Charlie had already been to lunch with Nicola? That’s why he was near their offices, not because he’d come on the off chance! Why did he lie? Because he wanted to spend time with you, a voice inside her head sounded, which Lisa tried to ignore. No wonder he could only manage a soup, she thought, annoyed that he was so deceitful. He was so weird! Lisa wanted to tell Nicola, but she didn’t want her to get the wrong idea and be upset, not when she looked so blissfully happy. Lisa knew then and there Charlie was definitely someone she needed to avoid at all costs.

  *

  A week later, Donna felt herself drifting off as the masseuse worked her magic on her shoulders, rubbing in some beautiful scented lavender oil. This is the life, she thought, as she felt herself go into a world of complete relaxation. Thirty minutes later she was gently tapped by the masseuse, who informed her that her massage was over.

  ‘Just relax and take your time getting ready. We’ll see you outside,’ the lady said in her silky, soothing tones.

  Donna nodded sleepily, and then glanced over at Aaron who was lying on the bed adjacent to hers.

  He was already looking at her with a smile. ‘Enjoy that?’

  Donna yawned. ‘Oh my God, it was amazing.’

  Donna had had the most enjoyable weekend of her life. Aaron had surprised her and whisked her off to Claridge’s in Mayfair. It wasn’t your typical London hotel; it was the most luxurious, exclusive, iconic hotel she’d ever stayed in and Aaron had even booked them a suite. It was huge! Donna wouldn’t have minded living in it; she would have swapped it for her poky flat any day. Donna felt so blessed to have met Aaron; he was, quite simply, the best thing that had ever happened to her. She never had good luck, but that night at Funky Mojoe someone had been looking down on her, because her life had changed for the better in every way. Donna knew Adele would be pea green with envy if she could see her now, living life like an A-list celebrity, but Donna genuinely just wanted Aaron. Of course, being treated like a princess was wonderful, but if Aaron had nothing to his name Donna would still love him. Things didn’t need to be dressed up in bells and bows for her to be happy. She hadn’t told him she loved him yet, but she did. She was certain he felt the same too; they were made for each other. When she was with him she felt as though she’d known him for years. He accepted her for who she was and she loved him for that. She’d always felt conscious in the past when she went out in Essex. Most men hardly glanced her way and she guessed it was because of her size; most girls desired to be a size twelve and under in Nu Bar and Faces. Aaron was constantly complimenting her figure though, telling her how much he adored it and loathed waiflike skinny girls. Aaron always went to the gym after football practice and Donna had started to join him so they could spend some time together. She had slimmed down a fair amount already without even trying and actually had started to enjoy feeling healthier. She didn’t want to be a slender size eight or anything; she agreed with Aaron, there was nothing better than a curvy figure, but she did enjoy exercising surprisingly, especially if it meant more time with Aaron. She smiled at him and his eyes sparkled.

  ‘Let’s go back to the room,’ he grinned lustily, with a suggestive glint in his eye that made Donna’s heart flip.

  That was another thing. They had so much chemistry in the bedroom department and Donna could have sworn she’d never truly enjoyed sex until she’d met him. She was so comfortable with him and felt completely uninhibited; she literally couldn’t get enough. Probably another reason why I’m losing so much weight, Donna almost laughed to herself out loud.

  ‘Come on then,’ she said, getting up and throwing her clothes back on as quickly as possible. She giggled as Aaron tugged at her underwear as she was trying to get her jeans on.

  ‘I’m not sure I can wait,’ Aaron whispered breathlessly as he pushed himself against her.

  Donna gave in; she couldn’t wait either. ‘Quick then and don’t make too much noise,’ she laughed before kissing him hungrily.

  It wasn’t long before it was over. They were far too excited and the prospect of someone walking in had hurried them along.

  ‘Look at the colour of my face!’ Donna exclaimed, as she rubbed her blotchy red skin. ‘They’ll know what we’ve been up to!’

  Aaron shrugged as he zipped up his trousers. ‘The amount they charge to stay here, we should be allowed to do that anywhere in the building.’

  Donna followed behind him, guiltily holding his hand as they exited the room, and thanked her lucky stars the staff were so busy talking to other customers they barely noticed how long they’d been.

  ‘Thanks,’ Aaron said, slipping two ten-pound notes on the table to pay for both their masseurs’ tips.

  The lady looked up with a smile. ‘Thank you. Enjoy your stay.’

  ‘I can’t believe we just did that and got away with it!’ Donna giggled excitedly as they made their way back to their room.

  Aaron smiled, squeezed her hand and kissed her gently on the forehead.

  Donna got ready for the evening, slipping into a gorgeous little black dress which Aaron had bought her that day from Dolce and Gabbana in Bond Street. It was plain and simple, but she felt a million dollars in it and she actually loved the way it showed off her curves in all the right places. She was down a dress size to a size fourteen now and felt better than she had in ages. She made her hair wavy with her curling tongs, added a layer of fake tan and then decided on the smoky-eyed look to compliment her dress. Her eyelash extensions looked great and she honestly couldn’t remember a time she felt so happy with her appearance. Or maybe she just couldn’t remember being so happy? She had a beautiful black Mulberry clutch that she’d bought at work and it matched her outfit perfectly. Then she slipped into some sleek Gucci heels and caught Aaron staring at her in awe.

  ‘Babe, you look absolutely …’ He was lost for words and she couldn’t believe that she was h
aving this effect on her gorgeous Aaron. Donna didn’t think it was possible to feel this content. She kissed him tenderly.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, not even needing to hear his last word.

  ‘We’re going to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant downstairs,’ he told her.

  Donna gasped. ‘Oh my God, really? I’ve always wanted to go there!’ She beamed, remembering seeing it was there when they’d arrived at the hotel and hoping they would get to go.

  Ten minutes later she was being seated by the waiter and poured champagne. Donna clinked glasses with Aaron and beamed broadly. ‘Thank you so much for this. You’re the best boyfriend ever,’ she told him, her eyes glistening with happiness.

  ‘You’re worth everything and more,’ Aaron said earnestly. ‘I told you before; I’ve never met anyone like you. You make me happy.’

  ‘That makes two of us,’ Donna said, leaning over for a kiss.

  They sat through the most fantastic meal and Donna had to pinch herself that this was actually happening to her. Here she was, sitting in a top restaurant in a renowned hotel with her famous footballer boyfriend!

  After dessert, Aaron took her hand and stared at her seriously. ‘Donna. I’ve been meaning to speak to you. There is a reason I brought you here this weekend.’

  Donna’s grin vanished in a split second. Why was he shaking? Was he about to tell her something bad? ‘Is something wrong?’ she blurted out, worried he was about to let her down.

  Aaron gave a nervous laugh. ‘No, no. Nothing is wrong; quite the opposite actually.’ He began to breathe harder and slower, as if he was trying to build up the courage to say something. ‘The thing is,’ he managed before wiping his forehead with a napkin, ‘the thing is, I’ve fallen in love with you.’

  Donna’s chin wobbled and her eyes filled with tears. ‘Oh Aaron! I love you too!’ She grabbed his hand and rubbed it gently, thinking how sweet he was to tell her his feelings. She was so glad he felt the same way she did.

  ‘That’s not all,’ he laughed again, his hands still trembling.