Read Online Celebrity Shopper by Carmen Reid - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carmen Reid
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Soto’s and guess who was there? And do you know what happened to him? Yes, really! He’s so over. Even his supposedly “old friend” Annie Valentine didn’t remember to turn up for him.’
The thought of this was making Connor’s ears burn and eyes water.
‘So this is about your dad …’ he blurted out. ‘Well, you know, I understand.’
‘Connor? What the bloody hell are you talking about?’ Annie asked, completely baffled. ‘Don’t mention my dad! Not to me, not to anyone else and certainly not in a crowded restaurant.’
‘No, of course I don’t mind, of course … these things happen,’ he said, his voice laden with charm.
Now Annie knew he was playing to an audience. There was someone in the restaurant listening and Connor didn’t want to lose face.
‘I am so, so sorry,’ she told him, ‘really very, very sorry. Can you ever forgive me? Do you want to come round? Shall we rearrange lunch? What would be best? How can I make this up to you?’ She reeled off the questions anxiously.
‘No, no,’ Connor sounded ridiculously cheerful, ‘of course we’ll rearrange. Please, don’t even think about worrying about it. Love to everyone.’
‘Connor, I’m having a hard time myself,’ she added, ‘they’re talking about replacing me for the third series. Replacing me! ’ she repeated in a fierce whisper.
‘Baby, it’s brutal, bloody brutal in this business,’ he whispered back, ‘toughen up.’ Then he rang off.
Annie stared at the phone in disbelief, but she couldn’t worry about him right now; she had to go and talk to Jane.
As she pulled open the curtain on Jane’s cubicle, she could see the woman looking at herself in the mirror, thepackets of paracetamol still in her hands. ‘Jane?’ Annie said gently.
‘Yes?’ Jane looked round. Her eyes were moist, as if she might cry at any moment.
‘I was going to pick you out a really nice dress. I thought that would be the first thing you should have in your wardrobe to get away from the “plain” tag. Dresses are great’ – she warmed slightly to her theme – ‘when you find the right one, you just put it on, add good shoes, lipstick, a necklace and you’re done. Easy peasy.’
Jane gave her a little smile.
‘Got any nice dresses in the wardrobe?’ Annie wondered.
‘No.’ Jane shook her head. ‘No dresses since I was my sister’s bridesmaid. She looked really, really pretty. She wore a lovely cream dress. Mine was dark green. I looked like an ugly toad. I think she chose the colour on purpose to make me look bad.’
‘OK,’ Annie said gently, ‘but we can’t go shopping today.’
‘You’re going to leave me, aren’t you?’ Jane said, looking up wildly. ‘Everybody does. I want to go shopping with you … I want you to have me on your show!’
‘No. No, I’m not going to leave you. It’s just a really important rule I have. You can’t go shopping when you’re this upset because you make bad decisions. Lots of people go shopping when they’re upset, I know I do sometimes,’ Annie admitted. ‘We think clothes are going to make us feel better, clothes are going to protect us or look after us. But the opposite is true. It’s the clothes that need looking after.
‘You take them home, you put them in the cupboard and then they need looking after. They need to be washed and ironed. They need to be paired up with things that go with them. They need to be accessorized and taken out and worn places. They are so demanding!’
Jane sank down on to the changing cubicle’s chair and began to sob softly.
‘Today isn’t a shopping day for you,’ Annie said, putting an arm round Jane’s shoulder. ‘Today is a day when you need looking after. Who’s the best person to do that for you, Jane?’
‘My mum,’ Jane answered. She began to sob. ‘But she died last week.’
‘Oh no!’ Annie crouched down and held on to Jane’s hand. ‘Who shall we phone for you, Jane, love?’
Jane’s face fell
The thought of this was making Connor’s ears burn and eyes water.
‘So this is about your dad …’ he blurted out. ‘Well, you know, I understand.’
‘Connor? What the bloody hell are you talking about?’ Annie asked, completely baffled. ‘Don’t mention my dad! Not to me, not to anyone else and certainly not in a crowded restaurant.’
‘No, of course I don’t mind, of course … these things happen,’ he said, his voice laden with charm.
Now Annie knew he was playing to an audience. There was someone in the restaurant listening and Connor didn’t want to lose face.
‘I am so, so sorry,’ she told him, ‘really very, very sorry. Can you ever forgive me? Do you want to come round? Shall we rearrange lunch? What would be best? How can I make this up to you?’ She reeled off the questions anxiously.
‘No, no,’ Connor sounded ridiculously cheerful, ‘of course we’ll rearrange. Please, don’t even think about worrying about it. Love to everyone.’
‘Connor, I’m having a hard time myself,’ she added, ‘they’re talking about replacing me for the third series. Replacing me! ’ she repeated in a fierce whisper.
‘Baby, it’s brutal, bloody brutal in this business,’ he whispered back, ‘toughen up.’ Then he rang off.
Annie stared at the phone in disbelief, but she couldn’t worry about him right now; she had to go and talk to Jane.
As she pulled open the curtain on Jane’s cubicle, she could see the woman looking at herself in the mirror, thepackets of paracetamol still in her hands. ‘Jane?’ Annie said gently.
‘Yes?’ Jane looked round. Her eyes were moist, as if she might cry at any moment.
‘I was going to pick you out a really nice dress. I thought that would be the first thing you should have in your wardrobe to get away from the “plain” tag. Dresses are great’ – she warmed slightly to her theme – ‘when you find the right one, you just put it on, add good shoes, lipstick, a necklace and you’re done. Easy peasy.’
Jane gave her a little smile.
‘Got any nice dresses in the wardrobe?’ Annie wondered.
‘No.’ Jane shook her head. ‘No dresses since I was my sister’s bridesmaid. She looked really, really pretty. She wore a lovely cream dress. Mine was dark green. I looked like an ugly toad. I think she chose the colour on purpose to make me look bad.’
‘OK,’ Annie said gently, ‘but we can’t go shopping today.’
‘You’re going to leave me, aren’t you?’ Jane said, looking up wildly. ‘Everybody does. I want to go shopping with you … I want you to have me on your show!’
‘No. No, I’m not going to leave you. It’s just a really important rule I have. You can’t go shopping when you’re this upset because you make bad decisions. Lots of people go shopping when they’re upset, I know I do sometimes,’ Annie admitted. ‘We think clothes are going to make us feel better, clothes are going to protect us or look after us. But the opposite is true. It’s the clothes that need looking after.
‘You take them home, you put them in the cupboard and then they need looking after. They need to be washed and ironed. They need to be paired up with things that go with them. They need to be accessorized and taken out and worn places. They are so demanding!’
Jane sank down on to the changing cubicle’s chair and began to sob softly.
‘Today isn’t a shopping day for you,’ Annie said, putting an arm round Jane’s shoulder. ‘Today is a day when you need looking after. Who’s the best person to do that for you, Jane?’
‘My mum,’ Jane answered. She began to sob. ‘But she died last week.’
‘Oh no!’ Annie crouched down and held on to Jane’s hand. ‘Who shall we phone for you, Jane, love?’
Jane’s face fell
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