You donât want to have to use me, but you know Iâm there if you do.â
I like Josh. I like him a lot. I take back that I got cross with him when he called me a thief.
âGreat.â
âSo get your phone out and Iâll give you my number.â
Putting Joshâs number in my phone suddenly freaks me out. What should I put him under? Anything like âmentorâ might seem just a bit suspicious. And I canât put âJoshâ in case Mark sees his name and wonders who he is. I know, Iâll put him down as Glinda, like the helpful witch in
The Wizard of Oz
.
âWell, you should mingle with some of the others. Like Mary said, it helps to get to know the group.â
âThanks, Josh.â
I look around the room and everyone else still seems to be talking to their mentors. I canât go back and talk to Josh as he is now deep in conversation with Mary. The trouble with thismentor thing is that everyone is in personal conversations and I canât just go up and butt in.
Iâll go and pour myself a nice cup of coffee instead. And just when I think Iâm going to die of awkwardness by myself the White Stuff woman comes up.
âPenelope, isnât it?â
âThatâs right.â Iâm trying to smile and make myself look as friendly as possible.
âI remembered because it was like Penelope Pitstop.â
âThatâs who Iâm named after. Something to do with my dadâs crush on a cartoon character.â
âThatâs sweet. Iâm Rebecca.â
âNice to meet you, Rebecca.â
âItâs strange this, isnât it? I was terrified I was going to come here today and bump into one of the mums from the school run.â
Up to that point I hadnât considered that these people here have proper families and children. What are we all doing?
âI wasnât too sure what to expect either,â I say.
âIâm glad I came, though. Iâve got a nice mentor. I think Iâm going to try and go cold turkey.â
âThatâs great, Rebecca. Iâm hoping to as well. I just need to figure out how to stick to a budget for the wedding.â
âOh, thatâs right, youâre the one thatâs getting married. How exciting.â
âYeah, well, it would have been. I havenât got the money any more and Iâm terrified that Mark â thatâs my fiancé â is going to find out.â
âYou havenât told him?â she asks.
I shake my head. âI keep hoping Iâm going to fix it somehow. You know, plan it with five grand and make it our dream wedding.â
âYou still could.â
I almost laugh at her, but then I realise that, just like the woman from the Citizens Advice Bureau, sheâs serious.
âI know things are a bit different from when I got married. But you know, it isnât all about the money. Iâm sure if you got creative youâd figure out a way. And no matter what the wedding is like, it will still be the best day of your life.â
I wish that was true. All the brides Iâve known have said it was the best day of their life, but then all the brides Iâve known have had the wedding of their dreams.
âAnyway, Iâll see you next Tuesday. Iâve got to get home to the babysitter.â
âGood luck with the cold turkey,â I say, realising Iâve got my fingers crossed together in some cheesy motion.
Luckily Rebecca must have taken it to be sweet and she does the same.
The rest of the room is starting to thin out and I have the familiar feeling of palpitations rushing over me as I realise the magnitude of the task I have ahead of me. I decide to quit while I am ahead.
I wave at Josh and his beautiful eyes as I leave. He waves back and I hope Iâll have a reason to call him. No. I must stop thinking like that.
I do not want to call him this week or else that means Iâll have
I like Josh. I like him a lot. I take back that I got cross with him when he called me a thief.
âGreat.â
âSo get your phone out and Iâll give you my number.â
Putting Joshâs number in my phone suddenly freaks me out. What should I put him under? Anything like âmentorâ might seem just a bit suspicious. And I canât put âJoshâ in case Mark sees his name and wonders who he is. I know, Iâll put him down as Glinda, like the helpful witch in
The Wizard of Oz
.
âWell, you should mingle with some of the others. Like Mary said, it helps to get to know the group.â
âThanks, Josh.â
I look around the room and everyone else still seems to be talking to their mentors. I canât go back and talk to Josh as he is now deep in conversation with Mary. The trouble with thismentor thing is that everyone is in personal conversations and I canât just go up and butt in.
Iâll go and pour myself a nice cup of coffee instead. And just when I think Iâm going to die of awkwardness by myself the White Stuff woman comes up.
âPenelope, isnât it?â
âThatâs right.â Iâm trying to smile and make myself look as friendly as possible.
âI remembered because it was like Penelope Pitstop.â
âThatâs who Iâm named after. Something to do with my dadâs crush on a cartoon character.â
âThatâs sweet. Iâm Rebecca.â
âNice to meet you, Rebecca.â
âItâs strange this, isnât it? I was terrified I was going to come here today and bump into one of the mums from the school run.â
Up to that point I hadnât considered that these people here have proper families and children. What are we all doing?
âI wasnât too sure what to expect either,â I say.
âIâm glad I came, though. Iâve got a nice mentor. I think Iâm going to try and go cold turkey.â
âThatâs great, Rebecca. Iâm hoping to as well. I just need to figure out how to stick to a budget for the wedding.â
âOh, thatâs right, youâre the one thatâs getting married. How exciting.â
âYeah, well, it would have been. I havenât got the money any more and Iâm terrified that Mark â thatâs my fiancé â is going to find out.â
âYou havenât told him?â she asks.
I shake my head. âI keep hoping Iâm going to fix it somehow. You know, plan it with five grand and make it our dream wedding.â
âYou still could.â
I almost laugh at her, but then I realise that, just like the woman from the Citizens Advice Bureau, sheâs serious.
âI know things are a bit different from when I got married. But you know, it isnât all about the money. Iâm sure if you got creative youâd figure out a way. And no matter what the wedding is like, it will still be the best day of your life.â
I wish that was true. All the brides Iâve known have said it was the best day of their life, but then all the brides Iâve known have had the wedding of their dreams.
âAnyway, Iâll see you next Tuesday. Iâve got to get home to the babysitter.â
âGood luck with the cold turkey,â I say, realising Iâve got my fingers crossed together in some cheesy motion.
Luckily Rebecca must have taken it to be sweet and she does the same.
The rest of the room is starting to thin out and I have the familiar feeling of palpitations rushing over me as I realise the magnitude of the task I have ahead of me. I decide to quit while I am ahead.
I wave at Josh and his beautiful eyes as I leave. He waves back and I hope Iâll have a reason to call him. No. I must stop thinking like that.
I do not want to call him this week or else that means Iâll have
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