loved him. I’m not being unkind, but I sometimes think you were with him just because he made life so easy for you. Loved you, looked out for you, put the bins out for you. To be honest, I think Martin’s done you and him a massive favour.’
So much for sisterly support.
‘But no one will ever love me like he did!’ My shoulders shook as the tears ran down my cheeks.
‘Oh, don’t be ridiculous,’ said Lexi, throwing me a fresh pack of tissues from her handbag. ‘I’ll make us both a cup of coffee and then I really must go. I’ve told work I needed an emergency dental appointment so I can’t be that long.’
As Lexi busied herself in the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards noisily, rattling mugs and spoons, I looked across at the telly, where poor Anita was sobbing her heart out. She was having a tough time of it too, poor love, being made to choose between the headmaster and his wife and it was obviously not an easy decision to make. Maybe things could have been worse for me after all, I told myself.
The phone rang just as Lexi came back into the room with the mugs.
‘It might be Martin,’ I said, jumping up to reach it.
‘You’re in no fit state to talk to anyone,’ she said, handing me the mugs and grabbing the receiver in return. ‘Let me speak to whoever it is.’
I quickly made out from Lexi’s best telephone voice that it wasn’t Martin, and I zoned out. My attention drifted back to the television and the hapless trio. I was vaguely aware of Lexi’s conversation in the background.
‘Sarah? Oh hello. Yes, of course.’
I did wonder who might be calling my flat to speak to my sister at nine thirty on a Thursday morning, but then I wasn’t really up to any mental gymnastics.
‘Uh-huh. Yes, that’s right. Today? Of course. Three o’clock, then? Don’t worry, I’ll be there. Many thanks.’
‘Who was that?’ I mumbled when she hung up, my gaze still fixed on the television screen.
At least she had the decency to look a little sheepish.
‘The agency. About that job with Rocco di Castri.’
Oh God, I’d forgotten all about them.
‘Well, they just assumed they were talking to you.’ She smiled sweetly, shrugging her shoulders. ‘You need to be at his restaurant, Rocco’s, for three this afternoon. Sharp. Whatever you do, don’t be late. Apparently he can’t abide that in his staff.’
‘What?’ I said, pulling my dressing gown tight around me and folding my arms crossly. ‘Please don’t tell me you’ve said I’ll take the job?’
She nodded, sipping at her coffee.
‘Well, it’s not as if you’ve got anything better to do. Besides, you’ll be paying the rent on this place on your own now, so you’ll need the dosh.’
I sobbed at her heartlessness.
‘It’ll be an adventure,’ she said, showing no hint of sympathy whatsoever.
An adventure? What was she going on about? She looked me up and down, taking in the grubby towelling bath robe and my blotchy face and unwashed hair which was currently sticking out at all angles.
‘You’ve got plenty of time between now and then to do something with yourself.’ She waved her hands in a disparaging manner. ‘Speak to you later, darling. You can tell me all about it,’ she called, as she let herself out of the flat.
‘Fat chance,’ I muttered beneath my breath.
Sighing heavily, I cursed Lexi for dropping me in it so thoroughly. What had she been thinking? I had every mind to pick up the phone there and then and tell the agency there’d been a mistake. But then again, as Lexi had said, I didn’t have anything better to do, other than mope around the flat feeling sorry for myself, and surely working for Rocco di Castri couldn’t make me feel any worse than I already did, could it?
Chapter 3
Some hours later, sitting in the plush foyer of one of London’s most exclusive restaurants, I had to admit to feeling marginally better. I mean it was hardly the place to sit and blubber, even if that was exactly
So much for sisterly support.
‘But no one will ever love me like he did!’ My shoulders shook as the tears ran down my cheeks.
‘Oh, don’t be ridiculous,’ said Lexi, throwing me a fresh pack of tissues from her handbag. ‘I’ll make us both a cup of coffee and then I really must go. I’ve told work I needed an emergency dental appointment so I can’t be that long.’
As Lexi busied herself in the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards noisily, rattling mugs and spoons, I looked across at the telly, where poor Anita was sobbing her heart out. She was having a tough time of it too, poor love, being made to choose between the headmaster and his wife and it was obviously not an easy decision to make. Maybe things could have been worse for me after all, I told myself.
The phone rang just as Lexi came back into the room with the mugs.
‘It might be Martin,’ I said, jumping up to reach it.
‘You’re in no fit state to talk to anyone,’ she said, handing me the mugs and grabbing the receiver in return. ‘Let me speak to whoever it is.’
I quickly made out from Lexi’s best telephone voice that it wasn’t Martin, and I zoned out. My attention drifted back to the television and the hapless trio. I was vaguely aware of Lexi’s conversation in the background.
‘Sarah? Oh hello. Yes, of course.’
I did wonder who might be calling my flat to speak to my sister at nine thirty on a Thursday morning, but then I wasn’t really up to any mental gymnastics.
‘Uh-huh. Yes, that’s right. Today? Of course. Three o’clock, then? Don’t worry, I’ll be there. Many thanks.’
‘Who was that?’ I mumbled when she hung up, my gaze still fixed on the television screen.
At least she had the decency to look a little sheepish.
‘The agency. About that job with Rocco di Castri.’
Oh God, I’d forgotten all about them.
‘Well, they just assumed they were talking to you.’ She smiled sweetly, shrugging her shoulders. ‘You need to be at his restaurant, Rocco’s, for three this afternoon. Sharp. Whatever you do, don’t be late. Apparently he can’t abide that in his staff.’
‘What?’ I said, pulling my dressing gown tight around me and folding my arms crossly. ‘Please don’t tell me you’ve said I’ll take the job?’
She nodded, sipping at her coffee.
‘Well, it’s not as if you’ve got anything better to do. Besides, you’ll be paying the rent on this place on your own now, so you’ll need the dosh.’
I sobbed at her heartlessness.
‘It’ll be an adventure,’ she said, showing no hint of sympathy whatsoever.
An adventure? What was she going on about? She looked me up and down, taking in the grubby towelling bath robe and my blotchy face and unwashed hair which was currently sticking out at all angles.
‘You’ve got plenty of time between now and then to do something with yourself.’ She waved her hands in a disparaging manner. ‘Speak to you later, darling. You can tell me all about it,’ she called, as she let herself out of the flat.
‘Fat chance,’ I muttered beneath my breath.
Sighing heavily, I cursed Lexi for dropping me in it so thoroughly. What had she been thinking? I had every mind to pick up the phone there and then and tell the agency there’d been a mistake. But then again, as Lexi had said, I didn’t have anything better to do, other than mope around the flat feeling sorry for myself, and surely working for Rocco di Castri couldn’t make me feel any worse than I already did, could it?
Chapter 3
Some hours later, sitting in the plush foyer of one of London’s most exclusive restaurants, I had to admit to feeling marginally better. I mean it was hardly the place to sit and blubber, even if that was exactly
Similar Books
Touch the Wind
Janet Dailey
Seduced by a Spy
Andrea Pickens
Cat on the Fence
Tatiana Caldwell
A Fairytale Christmas
Susan Meier
Frightful Fairy Tales
Dame Darcy
Finity's End - a Union-Alliance Novel
C. J. Cherryh
South By Java Head
Alistair MacLean
With This Ring
Amanda Quick