Page 148 of The Bad Mother's Diary

Check, check, check.

Friday January 1st

Oh. My. God.

The Dalton’s New Year’s Eve Ball.

WHAT a night.

Nick was there. Without Sadie.

After five minutes of puppy-dog eyes from across the room, he came over and asked to talk to me ‘alone’.

Brandi stopped yelling, ‘SHOTS! SHOTS! WE WANT SHOTS!’ and said to Nick, ‘What the fuck doyouwant, you headache?’

Nick said, ‘To speak with Jules alone. If you don’t mind.’

Brandi barked, ‘I do fucking mind actually. You big shithead.’

Nick whispered to me, ‘I miss you.’

I said, ‘Perhaps you should let Sadie know.’

Nick said there was ‘no sense upsetting a pregnant actress’.

Then he said he wanted me back. He even had the nerve to try and kiss me.

I saw Alex, then. Glaring through the crowd.

I knew what it must have looked like – Nick trying to kiss me. Like maybe I was giving him a chance or something. But then again, Alex had his chance too.

I told Nick to stay away and sort his life out.

Then the charity auction began.

A few people groaned. A lot of people actually.

I tried to hide behind a fat man, but Doug was too quick for me.

‘JULIETTE!’ he yelled. ‘Juliette Duffy – let’s see if we can do any better for you this time, love. We certainly can’t do any worse.’

Very funny, Doug.

He did this big, embarrassing speech about me having a hard year, but looking ‘pretty damn fine tonight’ and ‘scrubbing up well’.

Then he encouraged Brandi, Laura and a load of other girls to come on stage.

Doug tried to get Althea to join in, but she wasn’t having any of it. She barked that it was all ‘fucking sexist bullshit’ and she’d never be part of ‘some poncey capitalist cattle market’ unless the men got bid on too. Then she said she’d like to seeDouggetting bid on.

Doug looked a bit frightened and started the auction pretty quickly after that. He did his usual boring speech about ‘lovely ladies’, and then reminded everyone it was a cash-only auction. ‘So no loot, no lady!’

Ugh.

I was first one up.

Bloody Nick stuck his hand up and bid ten pounds.

Doug shouted, ‘Well, there’s a happy turnaround! Juliette and Nick back together for the New Year. Hear, hear!’

---