Suzy P and the Trouble with Three
Page 22
I’m so glad we’re okay. So, so glad.
As we’re hugging, I remember there’s something huge I need to tell Millie.
“Amber had her babies!” I say excitedly, and Millie screams.
“She did? What did she have? Girls, right?”
I nod and Millie claps with glee. “It had to be. I wish I’d seen your dad’s face when he found out.”
“Actually, he was kind of okay about it.”
“What did she call them?” Millie says.
“Violet-Chihuahua and Lily-Unicorn,” I say.
“Cute. I can’t wait to meet them,” Millie says, linking her arm through mine. “So where are you off to now?”
“I got this weird message from Danny,” I say. “He wants me to meet him at Bojangles. I don’t know why, that sign said it was going to be shut indefinitely or something, didn’t it?”
“I got the same message from Jamie, asking me to meet him there,” Millie exclaims. “They probably forgot, you know what they’re like. We can still go and meet them, though. We’ll just go somewhere else when our divvy boyfriends realise that the place is still closed. As long as it’s not Tastee Burga.”
“Definitely not Tastee Burga,” I agree, and we grin at each other happily.
Outside Bojangles, there’s nobody to be seen.
“They’re not here,” Millie says.
“We were right, though, Bojangles is still closed. Look, the sign’s still up.” I cup my hand up against the glass door, trying to see inside. It’s pretty dark, but I think I can see what looks like flickering lights.
Just then, the door opens, and I nearly fall flat on my face into the café.
“Whoa!” Danny says, grabbing me as I fly forwards.
Danny.
It’s Danny.
I sink into his arms as he pulls me close. Mmmm, he smells so good. He drops a kiss onto my head, before gently putting his hands on my shoulders and moving me away slightly.
“Hey, you,” he says, with a small smile. My body melts as I stare into his brown eyes. “Nice cast. Suits you.”
“What are you doing inside if this place is shut?” I ask, still drinking him in.
“Shhhhh,” Danny says, laughing. “All will be revealed. But first…” Danny pushes my hair back from my face, and tips his forefinger under my chin so I’m looking up at him. Slowly, he leans down to give me a kiss. His lips are tender and soft, and totally worth waiting for.
Mmmmmm.
“Is Jamie in there?” Millie asks impatiently, prodding my back. “Would you two shift so I can see my boyfriend, please?”
Danny breaks away from me and laughs. “Yeah, he’s here. But wait…” He grabs Millie’s arm as she tries to push past. “We’ve got a surprise for you two,” he says. “You need to shut your eyes before you go in.”
“Eh? Why?” Millie says suspiciously.
“Just do it,” Danny says, putting his hand over Millie’s eyes as she tries to peer over his shoulder into the café. “You, too, Suze,” he says. “In you come…” He gently steers Millie and me into the café. I’m staggering all over the place.
What’s Danny doing? I fall over at the drop of a hat when I can see where I’m going, for goodness sake.
Millie and I bump into each other, and what feels like several chairs and tables, as we slowly walk forwards. I sniff the air. It smells of paint.
“Ooof,” I exclaim, as a table jabs me in the hip. “Can we open our eyes now? What’s going on?”
“Nearly there…” Danny says. “Okay, now you can look.”
As my eyes open, I gasp in astonishment. The café’s beautiful. The ceiling has been repaired, and the walls are freshly-painted, although the pictures haven’t been put back yet. The tables and chairs have been pushed to the sides of the rooms, apart from one table for four, which has been left in the centre. There are little tea-lights flickering on it and tiny posies of flowers on two of the place settings. Around the room, fairy lights twinkle prettily, turning the café into a magical wonderland.
“What did you… How did you… What is all this?” I ask. “Is this for us?”
“Certainly is,” Jamie says, emerging from the door that leads to the kitchen.
Millie squeals and flies at him, leaping into his arms.
“Why don’t you come and sit down?” Danny says.
“It’s so good to see you,” Millie says, covering Jamie’s face in kisses.
“Cool it, you two,” Danny says, but his hand grabs hold of mine under the table and as his thumb gently strokes my palm, I smile to myself.
“What is all this?” I say again.
“We wanted to give you a surprise to welcome you back,” Jamie explains. “It’s a good one, right?”
“Totally!” Millie and I chorus.
“But I thought they were going to be closed for ages,” I say.
“We bumped into Hannah the day you left,” Danny says. “That’s who we were with when you rang, Suze. She’d found a plasterer, but she was having a nightmare getting a painter and decorator who could come before next month.”
“So we said we’d do it,” Jamie says. “It’s not like we had anything else to do. You guys were away and it was kind of boring on our own. No offence, mate,” he adds to Danny quickly.
“None taken,” Danny replies.
“We only finished, like, an hour ago,” Jamie says. “We’ve been working non-stop for days.”
“But you don’t know anything about decorating,” Millie exclaims.
“It’s not that hard to paint a wall, thanks very much,” Danny says. “Give us some credit.”
“And I found all these fairy lights and stuff for cheap at the same place you get the ones for your bedroom,” Jamie explains.
“Hannah’s crazy grateful,” Danny says. “She paid us, but as a thank you she let us have the place to ourselves, to treat you two when you got back. She’s cooking us a meal and everything, which should be here in a minute… Look, here she is.”
Hannah emerges from the kitchen balancing plates of food up her arms. She smiles broadly as she approaches the table.
“Welcome back!” she says, putting plates of freshly-made pizzas and garlic bread and bowls of salad into the middle of the table. Then she sets down four hot chocolates, complete with cream and marshmallows.
My mouth waters.
“Thank you so much,” I say to her.
“Mmm, tank oo,” Millie says, her words barely understandable – her mouth’s already full of pizza.
“It was the least I could do, especially as I’m reopening tomorrow now, weeks before I thought we’d be ready,” says Hannah. “You’re a lucky pair, having these two around. They’ve saved me a fortune.”
“Listen to this woman. She speaks a lot of sense,” Jamie says, waggling his slice of pizza in her direction.
“There are ice cream sundaes with chocolate brownies for pud,” Hannah says. “I’ll leave you guys to it. Knock on the kitchen door when you’re finished.”
“So, would you rather we’d taken you to Tastee Burga?” asks Jamie, with a cheeky glint in his eye.
“No way!” Millie and I chorus.
“This is amazing, thanks,” I say, moving my chair closer to Danny so that I can snuggle into his side while we eat. The meal is perfect. My friends are perfect. Bojangles is perfect.
Everything is perfect.
I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.
And you know what? I don’t need to be a Mulberry girl.
Because most of the time, it’s pretty blimmin’ fantastic being me, Suzy P.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Roll up, roll up, it’s time for the list of thank yous to people who helped in one way or another during the writing of this book. *readies pompoms* Cheers, whoops and shout-outs for the following utterly amazing bods…
Adrian Hughes, Oliver Hughes, the rest of my family, Catherine Sparrowhawk, Gill McLay, Ali Abedelmassieh, Lindsey Fraser, Sara Starbuck *holds aloft f
riendship balloon*, the lovely, lovely team at Templar – especially Emma Goldhawk, Will Steele, Helen Boyle, Jayne Roscoe, Jess Dean and Annie Godfrey, Jo Nadin, Kay Woodward, Marie-Louise Jensen, Lucy Spedo-Mirandola, Zoe Davis, Claire Park (excellent obs and gynae advice, any mistakes completely my own), Neil Griffiths for the photos (visit him o nline at www.griffithsphotography.co.uk), the amazing bloggers and reviewers who were so super-lovely about Me, Suzy P. and last, but by no means least, YOU. Yes, you! I cannot thank you enough for picking up and reading this book. I hope you enjoyed it.
About the Author
Karen Saunders often gets asked where the inspiration for her character Suzy Puttock comes from. The truth is, she’s a walking, talking disaster zone, just like Suzy. If you ever meet Karen, ask about her most embarrassing moments. She’s got loads.
After Karen graduated with a degree in English Literature from Warwick University, she did lots of different jobs, like selling Christmas hampers, answering telephones and working in PR. She didn’t like any of them much, so went back to university to complete an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. She’s been making up stories about badgers, pop stars, fairies, cars, superheroes and klutzy teenage girls ever since.
FIVE FACTS ABOUT
1) I was taken camping every year as a child. The last night I spent in a tent there was a huge storm, my tent leaked and I was ill. I vowed never to camp again.
2) I’m shorter than you’d think.
3) I’m a walking disaster area. I gave myself concussion getting into a car, and ended up with my arm in a plaster cast after opening a window.
4) My eyes change colour.
5) My favourite foods are cheese, chocolate and potatoes. Not together. That would be weird.
You can find me online at: www.karensaunders.co.uk
facebook.com/karensaunderswriter
@writingkaren
Suzy tweets too: @suzyputtock
Do come and say hello!
DON’T MISS BOOK ONE…
OUT NOW!
I’m Suzy Puttock (yes, Puttock with a P), fourteen years old and a total disaster magnet.
My life’s full of ups and downs. My loved-up big sister Amber’s getting married and wants lime green bridesmaids’ dresses. I’m not happy about that.
But there’s this hot new guy, Zach, just started at my school. I am happy about that. Only… I’ve had a boyfriend since forever, Danny.
So now I’m all kinds of confused!
ISBN 978–1–84877–296–0 £6.99
‘A must-read.’ Girl Talk
‘It’s immensely likable and absolutely hilarious! I look forward to reading more by this fab author.’ Bookster Reviews
‘A lively, heart-warming story, sure to put a smile on your face.’ Luisa Plaja, author of Diary of a Mall Girl
A TEMPLAR BOOK
First published in the UK in 2014 by Templar Publishing,
an imprint of The Templar Company Limited,
Deepdene Lodge, Deepdene Avenue, Dorking, Surrey,
RH5 4AT, UK
www.templarco.co.uk
This ebook edition first published in 2014 by Templar Publishing
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2014 by Karen Saunders
The right of Karen Saunders to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Cover illustration by AT Rock
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
ISBN 978–1–78370–009–7