That's What Friends Are For Read online

  ‘Someone that old would be far more mature than anyone from school anyway.’

  ‘I can’t believe you’re getting grief again,’ Sophie sympathised.

  ‘Me neither,’ she said sadly.

  ‘Aren’t you curious though? To know what it’s like?’

  Charley shrugged. ‘I’d rather not get pregnant.’

  ‘Oh, there’s ways around that. I’m going to look into going on the pill. Do you want to come with me?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Why? If that’s the only thing that’s putting you off, maybe—’

  ‘It’s not. I just thought we weren’t going to, not yet.’

  Sophie took off her shoes. ‘Maybe you should put out, just a little.’

  Charley stared at her with wide eyes when she saw her best friend blush.

  ‘Because you have?’ Charley gasped. ‘You have, haven’t you?’

  Sophie nodded and giggled. She pulled her legs underneath her and grabbed a cushion, hugging it to her chest.

  ‘With Owen?’

  Sophie nodded again. ‘I met him again last night. His parents went out so we were all alone in his house. W—’

  ‘Did you go all the way?’ Charley interrupted, fearing for herself if she had. Where would it leave her if Sophie had done the deed?

  ‘Not all the way,’ Sophie admitted. ‘But I was thinking about it the next time we meet.’

  ‘Oh.’ Charley was so surprised she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  ‘You’re not mad, are you?’

  ‘No.’ Charlie shook her head. ‘Just a little shocked.’

  ‘It’s a natural act, you know, not a crime.’

  ‘It is until you’re sixteen.’

  ‘I’m sixteen in a couple of months. Besides, everyone has to do it some time. And I’ve fancied Owen for ages. It just feels right. And I want to … I want to see what it’s like.’

  Charley did too. Why couldn’t she let herself go? She’d liked what Connor had been doing but she’d got scared. And every time she’d let him get near to her, she had her mum’s words running around inside her head. Charley didn’t want to make the same mistakes she had; be trapped at such a young age with a baby to bring up.

  ‘Come on, then.’ She flicked her feet up onto the settee too. ‘Tell me all about it.’

  Tuesday evening, Nicci was in bed with Jay. Nothing unusual in that, except it was six thirty in the evening and they’d only just eaten. After dinner, Jess had gone out to do a little late night shopping so they’d spotted an opportunity to be alone. Honestly, it felt like going back to being a teenager again, waiting for her parents to go to bed before she could have a quick grope with her latest boyfriend. It just didn’t feel right getting down and dirty when you knew your sister-in-law was in the next room and could probably hear everything.

  ‘I wish she’d hurry up and move out,’ said Nicci as she ran a hand lazily up and down Jay’s chest. ‘As much as I can be quiet, I’d rather be noisy.’

  ‘Yeah, me too. I love it when I make you moan.’ Jay gave her a quick squeeze. ‘It won’t be for much longer now.’

  Nicci sighed. ‘Are you sure about that? She looks as though she’s settling in.’

  ‘She hasn’t been here that long. Give her a break.’

  ‘But I like it better when there’s just you and me.’

  ‘Me too, babe. Me too.’

  ‘Do you?’

  ‘Hmm?’

  Nicci could tell that he was falling asleep. She nudged him. ‘Do you think it’s better when it’s just you and me?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Jay yawned. ‘It’s you and me to the end.’

  She turned towards him and propped herself up on her elbow. ‘Then let’s get married.’

  Jay’s eyes shot open. ‘Where – where did that come from?’

  ‘It came from the heart, silly,’ she said, trying not to feel too embarrassed for blurting it out. ‘I know we’ve discussed marriage before and you’ve always wanted to wait because of your past experience with your ex-wife, but, well, I think it’s the right time now, so I thought I’d ask you.’

  ‘Oh.’ Jay laughed a little.

  Nicci lay back down, as the atmosphere in the room became loaded.

  ‘Don’t you want to marry me?’ she asked quietly. She didn’t want to hear Jay say no but she had to be sure. Now that she’d broached the subject, she might as well find out the reasons why.

  ‘Of course I want to marry you,’ he said. ‘I just want to get some money behind us first.’

  ‘But it doesn’t have to be expensive. I don’t want a big church do or a castle – or even a huge hall. I just want –’

  ‘Do ordinary people really get married in castles?’ Jay broke in. ‘I mean, isn’t it just celebrities?’

  Nicci slapped his chest playfully. ‘I said I don’t want a castle, you dope.’

  ‘That’s okay then. For a moment, I thought you were going to get me dressed up in some medieval gear and demand a banquet.’

  Even though he was making a joke of things, Nicci felt better as he pulled her into his arms again.

  ‘It might be good fun to eat from the plate with my hands, though.’

  ‘Huh,’ Nicci snorted. ‘That’s nothing new.’

  Jay rolled on top of her and pinned her down by her hands, she thought with the intention of tickling her, but instead he just stared at her for a moment. Then he smiled.

  ‘I love you, Nicci Pellington.’

  ‘Then marry me,’ she repeated.

  ‘I will, just not yet.’

  She pouted. ‘Yeah, right.’

  ‘Shut up.’ He kissed her gently on the lips to stop her from complaining any more.

  But it didn’t stop her from worrying. She’d said that she didn’t need anything expensive so why was he so reluctant? He loved her, she was sure of that much.

  Maybe in time he would come around. After all, she had sprung it on him. Besides, she’d made a vow with herself, she never wanted to end up as lonely as her big sister.

  Jess was trawling the shops at a late night retail centre a few miles from Hedworth, trying to find something to cheer herself up. She picked up a silk, plum-coloured bra and brief set and located its price tag. It was more than she’d normally spend but she felt like treating herself. And she knew she’d be showing it off soon to Ryan, now that she’d given him a taster of what was to come.

  She paid for the item, already dreading going back to her brother’s house as she put away her change. She wasn’t sure she could stand another night with Jay and Nicci cuddled up together on the settee while she sat on the armchair like a gooseberry.

  As she made her way into the next shop, her phone beeped. A text message. It was from Ryan.

  ‘Great to spend a little time alone today. You blew me away ;)’

  Jess giggled. He was such a pushover. Then she thought of an idea. Maybe there was another way to prolong going home tonight. She quickly texted Ryan back.

  Two minutes later, she had her reply. Her smile widened when she read it. Ryan could only spare half an hour. Yeah, right. She couldn’t help but laugh as she made her way to the car park where they’d arranged to meet. All it had taken was one quick blowjob for him to sneak away from his wife and kids.

  Men, they were so gullible at times.

  The past few days, Nicci’s mind had been in turmoil. Since blurting out her innermost thoughts to Jay, she’d thought of nothing else but the wedding. She hadn’t told anyone that she’d proposed to him but she couldn’t help thinking that if they didn’t just get married, they’d never do it. There would always be one more thing to get in their way. Would they ever have enough money? Would one of them lose their job? Would one of them become ill? Would she always dream about a wedding that she’d never have?

  But then she’d got to thinking that maybe Jay was just scared of the whole idea of arranging the big day. Nicci had seen some of her friends being swept away by the whole idea of the romance of the
wedding and spending thousands of pounds on their dresses alone. Although Nicci was a girly girl, she didn’t want any of that splendour. She just wanted to marry the man she loved in front of her family and a few friends. If Jay was scared of the cost of it, she could easily get it done on the cheap.

  So when she’d started to search online – just to have a little check of the prices of venues and cakes and flowers, she told herself – and she’d seen the amount of things on offer to make that special day perfect, well, Nicci had got a bit carried away. In fact, she’d clicked on a few buttons, purchased a few items and found she couldn’t stop. And when she saw a hotel with a cancellation for Easter weekend, well, in no time at all, she’d convinced herself that it was what Jay wanted. After all, she was only making life easier for him, wasn’t she?

  It was over the family Sunday lunch at the weekend that Nicci confided in Louise. Sunday lunches at the Pellingtons were a real family affair. Once a month, they’d all gather at their parents – Ryan, Sarah and the twins, Abigail and Amelia; she and Jay; Louise and Charley, and Matt sometimes tagged along too. Sometimes Sam and Reece came. This weekend, Jess had blagged an invite. Nicci wasn’t too pleased about it. But, as Jay had pointed out, if Matt could come along, then Jess could.

  Everyone was there when they arrived so it took her a while to get Louise alone. In the end, she followed her upstairs as she went to use the bathroom. She sat down on the top step and waited for her to come out.

  When the door opened, Louise jumped when she spotted her. She held her hand to her chest. ‘You gave me a fright sitting there. What’s up?’

  ‘I need some advice.’

  ‘From me?’ Louise laughed. When Nicci didn’t follow suit, she sat down next to her. ‘Whatever’s the matter?’

  Nicci told her about the proposal. Louise let out a squeal and clasped her hand to her mouth. Horrified, Nicci turned the colour of beetroot.

  ‘Really?’ Louise whispered this time.

  ‘Yes, but—’

  Nicci didn’t get any further as Louise gave her a hug, squeezing so tightly she could barely breathe.

  ‘Ohmigod,’ said Louise. ‘My little sister’s getting spliced at last. Have you set a date?’

  ‘Yes, Easter weekend.’

  ‘Next Easter?’

  ‘This Easter.’

  ‘That’s less than three months away! Don’t weddings have to be planned at least a year in advance?’

  ‘As long as the venue is available, anything else can be worked around. There was a cancellation and I just went for it.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Really.’ Her tone was defensive.

  ‘So how did he pop the question?’ Louise could barely contain her excitement. ‘I mean, you’ve been wanting him to ask you forever.’

  ‘I asked him.’ Nicci started to look uncomfortable.

  ‘No!’ Louise clasped her hand to her mouth. ‘Wow,’ she finally said. ‘This is fantastic.’

  ‘You can’t tell anyone,’ Nicci told her.

  Louise frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well … we didn’t exactly agree on that date.’

  ‘You mean Jay wanted another date? Did he want to wait a bit? Because if he did, don’t worry about it and get it booked. Men don’t like weddings and—’ She stopped when she saw Nicci’s face. ‘What?’

  ‘I haven’t told him.’ Nicci gnawed at her bottom lip.

  Louise gasped. ‘You mean he doesn’t know?’

  Nicci shook her head. ‘I want to arrange it all, for a surprise.’

  Louise whistled softly. ‘Wow, that’s a brave thing to do. Have you really thought this through?’

  Nicci nodded. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I’m not sure.’ Louise paused. ‘Don’t you want Jay to get involved in anything?’

  ‘Men don’t want to know the intricacies and arrangements. I just thought it would be a nice thing to do for him. Show my gratitude.’

  ‘Show your— you’re marrying the man, not thanking him for putting up with you.’

  ‘I think it’s a bit of both.’ Nicci grinned. Then she whispered. ‘I’m getting married, Louise. In less than three months’ time, I’m going to be Jay’s wife!’

  Louise hugged her sister. ‘It is exciting news, even though it’s all so secretive.’

  ‘Will you be my chief bridesmaid?’ Nicci asked.

  ‘I’d love to!’

  As Nicci smiled at her, she prayed Louise would keep her secret. If Jay found out what she was doing, he’d go mad that she’d spent so much money already. Still, it was their wedding day. And as much as she said she wanted to do it on the cheap, well, she should have the best, right?

  ‘Tell me what you’ve planned so far,’ Louise said, interrupting her thoughts.

  ‘I’ve booked a hotel for the reception,’ Nicci began.

  ‘Already?’ Louise sounded shocked.

  Nicci nodded, eyes wide like a child’s. ‘I went to see a place … and it was so beautiful. You remember when we used to talk about weddings as kids? I wanted a big hall or a marquee? Now that the law has changed and we don’t have to get married in a church, this place is just what I ever dreamed of. And I’ve seen a gorgeous dress. It’s off white, with a fitted bodice and . . .’

  As Nicci told Louise about her big plans, Jess stood at the bottom of the stairs, tucked in the door frame of the hallway. Her fingers clenched into a fist, she had to stop herself from dissolving into laughter. How pathetic that Nicci had to plan a wedding in secret just to get someone to marry her. And to deceive her brother? Well, it just wasn’t on.

  She’d have to tell Jay. There was no way she could let him be tricked into getting married by Nicci. He needed his head examining even being with her anyway, Jess thought. Nicci was so wet.

  As she heard the two women coming down the stairs, Jess slipped back into the kitchen unnoticed. Ryan was chatting to Jay so she went over to them. But Ryan hardly looked at her.

  ‘Oi.’ She prodded him sharply after a few minutes of being ignored. ‘Aren’t you speaking to me?’

  ‘Course,’ said Ryan, trying not to panic as he saw Jay look at Jess oddly.

  But Ryan still wouldn’t look at her and Jess knew why. His wife, Sarah, was sitting no less than three feet away from them. Jess studied her out of the corner of her eye. Sarah sat with her mother in law, Sandra, while her daughters played a game on the floor in front of them. Sarah Pellington wasn’t a yummy mummy but neither was she a slummy mummy. She wore clothes that matched her age, which Jess reckoned was near or the same as Ryan’s. Her daughters shared her blonde hair, blue eyes and dimples either side of their mouths.

  And she hadn’t let herself go, which had been Jess’s first thought when Ryan started to pay her attention. She was glad now that she had manipulated her brother into getting her invited for lunch. It served Ryan right for feeling uncomfortable with her here.

  She watched as Nicci joined them, giving Jay a quick peck on the cheek. As they cuddled up and started to chat, she leaned into Ryan slightly.

  ‘No one will guess what we’re up to if you just act natural.’

  ‘Natural?’ Ryan baulked. ‘How can I act natural when you’re here and my wife is over there? I feel like a right bastard.’

  ‘Don’t worry, babe,’ she whispered. ‘We’re not the only ones with a secret. And ours is nothing compared to what I’ve just heard.’

  Chapter Thirteen

  With no interest being shown by Ryan, Jess decided to head off back to her brother’s house after lunch without Jay and Nicci, on the pretence that some exercise would do her good after the amount of food she’d just consumed. If truth be known, she’d found the atmosphere stifling after a while. All those people paired off and playing happy families wasn’t quite her thing.

  As she walked, she thought about the conversation she’d overheard between Nicci and Louise. It was sneaky and the more she thought about it, the more she knew she should do something to stop it. By t
he time she got back to the house Jess had convinced herself that it just wasn’t fair to Jay if she let it go ahead.

  She took off her coat and ran upstairs into their bedroom, searching for clues. The room was all red and black, cushions piled up on the bed. Photographs that looked like they’d been taken by a professional photographer were spread across one wall. Tasteful but sexy photos, she realised. Peering closer, she laughed at Nicci’s attempt to appear sultry, before grimacing as she saw her brother’s bare chest on show in one of them.

  On a makeshift desk over in the far corner, Nicci’s laptop was open. Jess wiggled the mouse to find it was still on, but it was password protected. After trying a few names, she gave up. She glanced around the room, wondering where Nicci would hide something secret. She tried under the mattress. She looked in the wardrobes, even inside shoe boxes and handbags. But she couldn’t find one single list or wedding magazine or anything that would incriminate her.

  Disheartened, she went downstairs to the kitchen and made coffee, her eyes scanning the room. It was then she spotted a notebook with a bright pink spine, tucked in between the cookery books on the shelving. Jess got it down and opened it. Bingo. Written on the first page was ‘Nicci and Jay’s Wedding Planner.’ Nice one, Nicci, she thought, smiling to herself. Jay would never find anything there.

  She sat down at the table and rifled through it. Nicci had certainly been hard at work. There were cuttings of dresses and flower arrangements shoved in the front pages. Printed details from the internet of wedding fancies and shoes. She found details of the hotel that she’d heard Nicci talking to Louise about.

  A note by the side of it read: ‘Sent deposit £400.’

  Next were caterers: ‘Sent cheque £534.’

  And cars: ‘Sent deposit £250.’

  Underneath those entries were written a number of things that needed to be sorted out, along with some rough estimates of prices. Jess quickly totted them up in her head. They came to nearly £10,000. Wow. She’d heard Nicci say it was going to be cheap and low key too. Not at these prices, it wasn’t.