“Who’ll be the boss?” he said with a cheeky grin.
“Me. Obviously.”
“Is that right?”
“Maybe we’ll alternate then… Deal?”
“Whatever you say, Boss Lady,” he said, swooping in for a kiss.
Stephen’s gone to the airport now. He’s flying to Glasgow to do his medical for Celtic. Before he left he said, “So, we’re going into the salon business together?”
“Yep. But there’s no hurry. If I get the spa job I’d like to take it – it’ll be good research.”
“Hmm…”
“What’s up?”
“Just thinking… Campbell’s Salon – has a nice ring to it.”
I laughed. “We’re a team, aren’t we, babe?”
“Aye. At the top of the league.”
Saturday 7 September – 8 a.m.
Helloooo London!!!!!!
OK. I took an ickle diary break. But I am the salon manager at the Highland Manor and it’s a v. big job!!!
Dr Clein would probably tell me off but guess what? I don’t even need him anymore. He called to say he believed any further sessions would be a waste of money.
“Good luck, Remy, but I know you won’t need it.”
It’s been full-on up in the Highlands, balancing the spa job with sorting out Lara’s role at Tah-dah! plus looking for a house – all on a carb-free diet (which I hope to end in a few hours’ time with an extra-large pizza with fries!!).
Today I’m in London for bikini photo-shoot day. And after that, it’ll be the end of the hunger and grumpy, Feminazi-style salon managing. The end of my Terri Catalogue contract and the end of celebrity life. I can’t wait!
So, when Harry phoned this morning to ask if I was sure I wanted to call it a day, I shrieked, “Blooming positive!” – though I may miss some of the perks, like Terri Catalogue putting me up in this swanky hotel, The May Fair.
I’m now about to phone Malibu. Stephen’s flying down after his game and we’re going to meet a few people for drinks in the hotel bar – Kellie, James, the Raymonds, NO Angus (funnily enough, the Raymonds insisted on that). So I’m asking Mal to bring Gary along too. They’re getting on much better – she’s stayed over at his house five times now. Mal’s the one who cleared the air in the end. She told him she wants to be with him, but if he doesn’t love her, she’ll have to find a man who does because that’s what she deserves.
“I’m a catch, aren’t I, Rem? And if he doesn’t see that, he can jog on.”
“Evan Richards?” I guessed.
“No. You told me that – remember?”
“Oh, in that case, very wise words.”
Anyhoo, it seems to have kicked Gary into gear. And whenever Mal gets nervous about him not taking her back for good, she chants. And for that we can thank Evan Richards.
Sunday 8 September – 10 a.m.
WOW!!!!! What a great night!
I felt it was going to be good as soon as the bikini range photo shoot finished with Terry Neilson, the photographer, announcing “It’s a wrap, guys.”
“Woo-hoo!” I cheered.
That was swiftly followed by the grand closing of my Twitter account.
That’s all folks! Been nice knowing ya. Peace. xxx
Then I tucked into the American Hot and fries I’d asked the assistant on the photo shoot to buy as soon as it was over. Carbs. I love carbs. And I have no intention of ever giving them up again.
As I was leaving, the Terri Catalogue representatives gave me a beautiful bunch of flowers as a thank you.
“No, thank you, guys,” I said – I have a half-decent bank account because of them.
Headed back to my hotel like a Cheshire cat with double-thick cream. Could life get any better?
Yes, it bloody well could. Malibu turned up at The May Fair with Gary! We’d been in the bar for an hour by that time, so I was a bit merry. I’d just finished describing our cottage in Scotland to Suzy Raymond.
“Oh man, that sounds so awesome!” Suzy’s the one who spotted Mal first. “Hey, isn’t that your sister?”
I’ve known her for nineteen years and have never been so happy to see her in my life. Three weeks is a long time. We hugged each other tight.
“You look great, you skinny winnie,” she said when we finally let go.
“Won’t be skinny for long!” I said with a big smile on my face. “Want a drink?”
“Yeah. A Diet Coke for me.”
“A what?!”
“Alcohol stops me being the real me.”
OMG!
I got the barman’s attention and ordered.
“How’s it going, Remy?” asked Gary. Nervously, I thought.
“Fine,” I said, semi ice queen. Didn’t want to make it too easy for him.
“I’m sorry about how things were before you moved out,” he said. “I intend to make it up to her.”
“I hope so too.” Frosty doesn’t suit me. “It’s really good to see you, Gary,” I admitted. “Drink?”
When he walked off to say hello to Stephen and Oscar, I told Mal, “I’m glad he came. I’ve always liked him, you know. I just didn’t like the way he was treating you.”
“Neither did I.”
“How’s it going anyway?”
“Chanting works. That’s all I’m saying.” Methinks the wink that followed spoke volumes!
Gary was proper drunk by the end of the night. To be honest, all of us were except Malibu, but she’s happy on air these days!! She threw her arms up and danced to EVERYTHING the DJ played. By 3 a.m., the Raymonds had gone home for some beauty sleep, James and Dominic had gone off for a curry, Kellie had pulled and there was only Stephen, Gary, myself and Malibu left.
“We’d better go to bed,” I slurred.
“You staying here?” Gary slurred back. “I’d love to see your room – heard they’re great in this place.”
“Aye. They’re pretty good,” McFit managed to say.
I thought asking to see our room was a bit strange but was too tipsy to debate. “Sure. Come on up.”
They both followed us to the lift and as we stood waiting for it to arrive, Gary suddenly got down on one knee!!!!
I’ve never seen Mal turn as red as she did then. “Gary, what are you doing?”
“Malibu Bennet. You are a good woman. Not perfect, but a good, good woman. I do not want to lose you again so … will you do me the honour of marrying me?”
She went even redder. “You’re drunk, Gary. Get up.”
“Yes, I’m drunk. I am velly drunk – but I want to marry you. And I will not get up until you say yes.”
The lift arrived and the doors opened. I stepped in and pressed the hold button. Stephen followed.
“Um, Mal… We’re waiting,” I said with a grin.
“I will stay here, on this knee. No matter how long it takes,” Gary promised.
“OK then, yes,” Mal said, with tears in her eyes. “Yes, you bloody idiot. Now get up.”
Woo-hoo!
I am Remy Louise Bennet. I’m a work in progress, and I may not be perfect. But I blooming well love my life!
Acknowledgements
With thanks to:
KT Forster
Helen McAleer
Gill Evans
Emma Lidbury
Annalie Grainger
Claire Sandeman
Jo Humphreys-Davies and the marketing team
Kate Beal
Sean Moss
Maria Soler Canton
Jas Chana and everyone at Mobcast
Mark Hodgson and BlackBerry
Ruth Harrison and The Reading Agency
Caroline Odland
Tim Holloway
Want MORE drama?!
Then you’ll love these books too!
Love R x
Don’t Lie To Me, Robbie Wilkins
OMG! My bum looks huge in this LBD!
Minutes away from a date with Robbie Wilkins. Him: The buffest Premiership footballer around. Me: N
ow officially an elephant.
I can’t believe I snogged him on my 17th-and-a-half birthday! (He’s a proper catch.)
Kellie says I should tell him my salon business plans: not just BEAUTIFUL but ambitious too.
This is gonna be an amaaaaaazing year…
Say You Love Me, Stevie C.
I, Remy Louise Bennet,
need to re-evaluate my life…
Am v. successful salon owner,
aka Boss Lady. GOOD
Will soon be an auntie (woo-hoo!!) GOOD
Malibu (mum-to-be) has a *small*
“Who’s the daddy?” problem. Hmm. BAD
Have new, improved McFitty boyfriend. GOOD
But will he cheat on me too…? BAD
Result: Must take “pre-emptive action”
(read that in top business mag, ha-ha )
Bring it on…
OMG! I’m in Love with a Geek!
This year I will find FULL-ON, LONG-TERM L O V E.
I will also take it upon myself to help Gran with her iPad so she doesn’t end up a global laughing stock. She can have the ANGRY BIRDS app and THAT’S IT!
And finally, I, Hattie Moore, will officially get to know my REAL DAD. After last year, I really have to. Even if he does think recycling baked bean tins is more important than his long lost daughters! W H A T E V E R – this year is going to be totally AMAZEBALLS!
Trouble
HANNAH is smart and funny. She’s also fifteen and pregnant.
AARON is the new boy at school. He doesn’t want to attract attention.
So why does Aaron offer to be the pretend dad to Hannah’s unborn baby?
MICHELLE GAYLE’S career has spanned TV, theatre, film and music. She was first known for her TV appearances, which began in the 1980s with children’s drama Grange Hill, followed by EastEnders, before she moved over to a glittering pop career that saw her achieve six top twenty hits and sell a million records, most successfully her 1994 single “Sweetness”. Michelle has since appeared on TV shows such as Doctors, Holby City and Family Affairs, and she starred opposite Ed Stoppard in the 2006 film Joy Division. In recent years Michelle has presented on Loose Women and also taken part in reality TV shows Come Dine with Me and Dancing on Wheels. Michelle lives with her husband and two sons in west London.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. All statements, activities, stunts, descriptions, information and material of any other kind contained herein are included for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied on for accuracy or replicated, as they may result in injury.
First published 2014 by Walker Books Ltd
87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ
Text © 2014 Michelle Gayle Cover photographs © 2014 PLAINVIEW / Getty Images, Lise Gagne / Getty Images, Anthony Lee / Getty Images, Antonios Mitsopoulos / Getty Images and Brian Hagiwara / Getty Images Cover and inside illustrations © 2014 Paula Castro Cover design by Walker Books Ltd
The right of Michelle Gayle to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988c
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:
a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-4063-5539-0 (ePub)
www.walker.co.uk
What's the Drama, Malibu Bennet? Page 12