Page 30 of Our Secrets and Lies

‘Yes, Darren, you must be worn out over there watching the football,’ Sarah drawled at her husband.

‘I’m keeping Billy company. Isn’t that right?’ Darren waved from the sofa at the other end of the kitchen extension.

‘Too right, Darren. It’s nice to have some male company. Too many bloody women in thishouse,’ Billy grumbled. ‘Thank God for Dylan.’

‘You love it, Dad. You love having Lucy and Kelly to look after you,’ Jenny said.

‘Well, I’d be waiting a long time for you to do it,’ Billy said.

Jenny grinned. ‘Consider me the son you never had. Cheers.’

A teenage girl wearing a very short, tight skirt rushed into the kitchen, followed by a ten-year-old dressed from head to toe in camouflage.‘They’re about three minutes away,’ the girl shrilled.

‘Thanks, Shannon,’ Lucy said.

‘What in the name of God are you wearing? A face cloth?’ Darren asked.

‘It’s called fashion, Dad. Not that you’d know anything about that. FYI, cords went out in the seventies.’

‘I like my cords and no one’s going to tell me different.’

‘I agree with Shannon. They’re horrific and should be burnt,’ Jenny said.‘Sarah, seriously, they have to go.’

Sarah shrugged. ‘He likes them and he’s happy.’

‘Yeah, but we have to look at them and they’re an eyesore. You’re not even forty yet, Darren, so stop dressing like my dad.’

‘It’s no wonder she hasn’t a husband the way she goes on,’ Billy said. ‘No lad could listen to that kind of abuse.’ To his younger daughter, he said, ‘You’d want to tone your opinionsdown or you’ll never get a lad to marry you.’

‘It’s 2016, Dad. Women are allowed to have opinions now, and jobs and the vote.’

‘You were born with opinions,’ Billy retorted.

‘So, Jenny, tell me, what was Elle Sapphire like? Was she nice?’ Shannon asked.

Jenny took a sip of her wine. ‘She was a total diva. The hotel manager told me that she’d demanded her room be filled with white orchids,Evian bottled water at room temperature, fresh mango, chocolate-covered strawberries and two bottles of Dom Pérignon on ice.’

‘Is she stunning?’

‘To be honest, she looked a bit rough when I got there. She’s got bad skin, but obviously by the time I was finished with her she looked incredible.’ Jenny grinned. ‘She was tricky, though. She asked me to do her make-up one way and then said it wasall wrong and I had to redo the whole thing. Mind you, she paid me a fortune so I’m not complaining.’

‘Well, she looked fabulous on TV so you did a great job. Kelly and me wanted to go to her concert but the tickets sold out in seconds.’

‘I know. I asked her manager if you two could come backstage with me, but he said no way. Her security is really tight since her kidnapping scare.’

‘Did shesay anything about Colin King? Are they together?’

‘I don’t know. I asked her if she was seeing anyone and her PR girl nearly had a seizure – she was all over me like a cheap suit. “No questions.” I said, “Relax, I’m just making conversation.” But there was no way Elle was going to tell me anything with the PR woman breathing down her neck. It’s a pity because if I’d had her on my own I definitelywould have got info.’

‘You have such a cool job,’ Shannon said. ‘I bet Kelly ends up doing something creative too. I don’t have a creative bone in my body.’

Lucy handed Shannon a party popper. ‘Kelly’s going to college to get a law degree.’

‘Here we go with the law degree,’ Jenny said.

Lucy glared at her. ‘She’s my daughter, Jenny, and she’s really bright. There’s no way I’m going to let herwaste those brains. She’s not going to make the mistakes I did. She’s going to get a proper degree, and if she wants to do something creative in her spare time or later on in life, she can. But she’ll get a solid foundation first.’

‘They’re here,’ Ollie shouted, and ducked down from the window.

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