35 #4
Gia furrowed her brow and then started to type her message, which seemed far much longer than what Dani suggested. Dani carried on with her task in hand as she heard the messages ping backwards and forwards for the next few minutes.
There were eight table decorations to assemble and she’d managed to complete three.
At this rate she’d be done by eight if she put her head down and got on with it.
She looked over at Gia and saw her smiling at the messages Ray was sending her.
It didn’t look as if Gia was going to be much help either.
Dani shook her head and grinned thinking what an unlikely couple they made, the fiery Italian ‘hottie’ and the conservative, gentle doctor.
Dani thought back to the conversation she’d had with Gia about fate a few weeks ago and wondered whether this would be Gia’s destiny, to end up with charismatic Doctor Ray Holmes.
The romantic, optimistic side of her really hoped she would.
“He’s coming round!” gasped Gia.
“Here?” Dani looked up sharply from the arrangement she was gluing.
Gia looked wide-eyed and stunned at Dani and nodded. “At eight, after he finishes from the surgery. I told him I’d cook,” she muttered, clearly shocked at her own forwardness.
“See? Well, that’s in four hours.”
“I can’t believe I just did that.” Gia slumped back in her chair.
“It wasn’t so hard was it?”
Gia shook her head. “It’s because it wasn’t face to face. I’d have never done it if I was face to face with him.” She stifled a giggle with her hand.
“The genius of technology,” winked Dani. “It makes you brave.”
“Or reckless! Now I need to cook and get myself looking presentable!” she huffed.
Dani’s gaze flitted over Gia who was dressed in a pair of black smart trousers and a cream cashmere jumper with a Versace silk scarf knotted loosely around her neck, and chuckled.
She looked lovely as always and she was sure Ray would think so too.
“You look fabulous Gia, you always do.”
“What? These boring old things?” Gia swept her hand down her body. “No, no… I’ll need to change. Something much more evening.” Gia’s expression changed as she looked at the array of items scattered around the room.
“Don’t worry Gia, I’ll do these,” Dani said, realising that Gia had forgotten they had work to do in her excitement. “You go and get yourself together and I’ll finish off.”
“I’ll stay for another hour or so. That’ll give me enough time to go make me look glamorous and steal something from the kitchen downstairs. What’s the use in living above a top restaurant if you can’t take advantage of it eh?” she winked.
“Totally,” chuckled Dani, thinking Ray didn’t stand a chance in hell of not succumbing to Gia’s undoubtable charms.
LIZ LIFTED HER WINE glass and then popped a pill in her mouth.
She took a large gulp of wine and swallowed.
Her mother had been ecstatic to hear that her normally distant daughter had decided to come and spend time with her over the holidays.
Carol started planning activities they could do over the couple of days they were over while Liz was still on the phone.
“We could go to Cadbury World, the children will love it. All that chocolate! It’ll be such fun,” she gushed excitedly.
“You might have to take them without me to that, Mum. I don’t want to be tempted with all that chocolate. Not when I’ve a few modelling jobs pending.” Carol didn’t even hear the indifferent tone in which Liz spoke to her and carried on regardless.
“No, of course not dear. I wouldn’t want you to ruin your figure.
But you’d be able to come to The National Sea life Centre, won’t you?
” Carol asked eagerly. She rarely spent time with Liz and her family.
Since marrying Robert she only spent time with his son and daughter and their families and though they were good to her she missed having her own family around her.
“Probably. I may try and catch up with an old friend while I’m down. I’ll see. I’m coming down mainly for you to spend time with the kids, Mum. They hardly see you.”
“I know Liz dear and Robert is so good with children too.”
Liz allowed her mother to make plans for the two days and then, after saying their goodbyes she hung up.
It was too risky to ring Jonathan now; she’d wait until Jerome finally left for Sky.
Her bag sat next to where she was sitting on the bed.
Liz delved inside it and pulled out the small plastic bag, holding it up.
She shook it. There was a lot more than she initially thought.
So Jonathan liked to get high every so often?
The thought both surprised and thrilled her.
He was so careful about what he put in his body and kept in fighting shape, it seemed out of character.
But then again, she really didn’t know much about his past. Deciding she’d hide it rather than flush it down the toilet, Liz went into her bathroom and dropped it into the bottom of her tampon box. She’d leave it there for now.