Sugar Secrets…& Lies Read online

  Sugar

  SECRETS…

  …& Lies

  Mel Sparke

  With thanks to Karen McCombie

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  CHAPTER 1 OUCH!

  CHAPTER 2 SONJA’S A PAIN

  CHAPTER 3 CAT’S RADAR REVS UP

  CHAPTER 4 OLLIE LOVES…?

  CHAPTER 5 KERRY COMES CLEAN

  CHAPTER 6 A CLOSE CALL

  CHAPTER 7 CLOSER STILL

  CHAPTER 8 TWO’S COMPANY, ETC, ETC…

  CHAPTER 9 NOT QUITE TEN

  CHAPTER 10 FIRST DATE – LAST DATE?

  CHAPTER 11 SURPRISE, SURPRISE!

  CHAPTER 12 OLLIE EXPLAINS

  CHAPTER 13 THE LATE CATRINA OSGOOD

  CHAPTER 14 OFF AGAIN, ON AGAIN

  CHAPTER 15 FRIENDSHIP FALL-OUT

  CHAPTER 16 KERRY GETS MAD

  CHAPTER 17 OLLIE AND KERRY RALLY ROUND

  CHAPTER 18 SONJA TAKES CHARGE

  CHAPTER 19 THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING LIKE THE TRUTH

  CHAPTER 20 THE ALL-SEEING ANNA

  Sugar SECRETS … …& Freedom

  SOME SECRETS ARE JUST TOO GOOD TO KEEP TO YOURSELF!

  DO YOU YEARN FOR FREEDOM?

  SO, DO YOU YEARN FOR FREEDOM?

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  CHAPTER 1

  OUCH!

  “My God, Kerry, what’s wrong?”

  Sonja Harvey stared at her best friend, who stood visibly shaking in the doorway, her face puffy and tear-stained, her nose dripping pathetically.

  “Oh, Sonja!” Kerry whimpered, her pink-rimmed eyes brimming with fresh tears.

  “What’s happened?!” asked Sonja, peering over her friend’s shoulder into the Bellamys’ house, expecting to see some sign of family tragedy. But all she could hear was the EastEnders theme tune blasting out of the telly as the Sunday omnibus started up.

  “Lenses,” gulped Kerry, pulling a ragged trail of loo roll from the pocket of her jeans.

  “What?” said Sonja, frantically trying to understand what was upsetting her friend so much.

  Kerry blew her nose loudly on the tissue.

  “Lenses – I just put my new contact lenses in!”

  “That’s it?” Sonja put her hands on her hips and stared despairingly at Kerry. “You completely freak me out over a couple of bits of plastic?”

  “Well, you try sticking them in your eyes and see how you like it!”

  Kerry wasn’t in the mood for any more hassle. Her mum and dad were already losing patience with her. They hadn’t forked out a hundred pounds after months of nagging and pleading only to hear Kerry whingeing about the pain as soon as she put the lenses anywhere near her eyes.

  It hadn’t helped that her little brother Lewis had insisted on sitting on the edge of the bath to watch, laughing at her attempts to get them in. Then, to cap it all, she’d found that Barney – in lieu of pudding after his morning’s Winalot – had eaten the instruction leaflet that came with the lens cleaning fluid. The excruciating nipping in her eyes had got worse, not better, since she’d finally put them in (at attempt number eleven), and now Sonja was about to start…

  “Kerry, I just don’t know why you bothered getting those things—.”

  Sonja was going to rant on some more about how much Kerry’s little wire-rimmed specs really suited her – how they made a feature of the sprinkling of freckles on her nose – when she spotted how downcast her friend looked.

  Kerry wasn’t the type to say, “It’s all right for you…”, but Sonja knew deep down that Kerry sometimes felt inadequate beside her. How she wished for Sonjas mane of shiny, honey-blonde hair instead of her own unruly frizz of curls. How she compared her own girly curves unfavourably with Sonja’s sporty, lean body.

  So Kerry wanted to ditch her specs. If it made her feel better about herself then why not? Sonja decided to shut up for once.

  “Do you feel better being out in the fresh air?”

  The two girls were on their way to the End-of-the-Line café.

  “Yes,” lied Kerry, determined to ride through the stinging pain and the weird sensation the lenses gave her of walking two feet above the ground. She squinted at the traffic zooming by and tried to get her perspective back.

  “Anyway, I’ve got some great gossip for you – this’ll take your mind off those stupid things. You know how I went along with Matt to that golf club do last night?”

  Kerry nodded. Sonja was meant to have been helping her babysit Lewis but, after a desperate phone call from Matt, had ended up keeping him company instead.

  DJing for a bunch of middle-aged golfers in pastel sweaters wasn’t exactly Matt Ryan’s normal style, but he’d done it as a favour to his father. Or, to be more exact, his father – who used the club and its members for a little light networking – had threatened to pull Matt’s allowance that month if he didn’t play ball. It just cracked Sonja up that Matt had asked her along and not Ollie or Joe – mainly because he didn’t want to lose face in front of his mates.

  “Well, it turns out Nick’s got a new girlfriend!”

  “So? Nick’s always got a new girlfriend,” said Kerry, blinking furiously. “Every time we hang out at the café, he’s boasting about the latest one.”

  “Ah, but this time it’s different,” grinned Sonja knowingly. “He’s been going out with this one for three whole weeks and we’ve heard nothing about it! Ollie only found out ‘cause he was teasing Nick about how he must have lost his touch. Anyway, Nick absolutely flipped and said that that was where he was wrong, then just clammed up.”

  Kerry had to admit that was weird. Part of the fun of hanging out at the End-of-the-Line café was hoping that Ollie Stanton’s uncle, Nick, would come out from the kitchen and tell them all some long-winded tale or other. These usually revolved around the old rock bands he used to roadie for (everyone featured in the Guinness Book of Hit Singles, and more, by the way he spoke), his burgeoning business empire (the café and the second-hand record shop next door), and his success with women.

  The fact that he could keep his latest exploit secret was pretty suspicious. And if he wouldn’t even tell Ollie what he was up to, well something most definitely was going on.

  “And there’s more! Apparently, Nick’s only gone and joined a gym!”

  “What?” gasped Kerry, visualising Nick’s belly straining above his tight jeans and thick leather belt with the Rolling Stones logo buckle. A serious diet of egg and chips in the café, and pints of beer in the Railway Tavern with his sidekick Bryan was responsible for that. “Who says?”

  “Ollie does,” Sonja grinned back, relishing spreading this juicy bit of news. “When he went to open up at the End the other morning, he saw Nick just arriving back from somewhere and go rushing up to his flat with a sports bag. He asked Bryan about it later and he said Nick’s been going to that posh gym up at the tennis club every morning lately.”

  “What do you reckon? Is he trying to lose his love handles for his new girlfriend?” suggested Kerry.

  “Nah – I reckon he’s met someone there. And I bet it’s someone who’s not really his type and he’s embarrassed being seen with her. You know him – he always likes to have some glamorous young thing on his arm,” said Sonja scornfully. “I bet he’s seeing some rich, bored housewife or something. Bet this one’s some woman in a hideous floral number who thinks Elton John’s really rockin’!”

  They giggled at the idea of Ollie’s uncle trying to hold on to his street cred. Although they all liked him, everyone who hung out at the End thought Nick’s taste in music (and fashion) was stuck in a time warp, circa 1975. Even Matt, who picked Nick’s brains on every aspect of
the music business, would end up nodding off when Nick went on about ancient bands like Status Quo and Whitesnake, whoever they were. All the stuff he sold in the second-hand record shop, basically.

  “But of course, you realise the saddest thing here,” Sonja suddenly sighed. “Whatever’s going on with Nick, he’s doing a lot better in the romance stakes than any of us.”

  Kerry nodded. Sonja was right.

  “I haven’t fancied anyone for so long that I’ve forgotten what it feels like. And look at Matt! He thinks he’s Mr Gorgeous, but he’s not exactly fighting them off with a stick. And for all her flirting, Cat’s not doing so hot either.”

  Kerry nodded again as Sonja counted off their crowd on her fingers.

  “Maya – well, she’s never had a proper boyfriend anyway, and Joe’s love-life’s a nonstarter. Hey!” Sonja’s blue eyes lit up and she turned to her friend with one of those I’ve-just-had-an-amazing-idea looks that always petrified Kerry.

  It usually meant trouble.

  “Maybe we should get Maya and Joe together! What about it? We could do some matchmaking at the fair this afternoon – bring two beautiful people together…”

  “Like sure,” said Kerry, realising with relief that Sonja was just in wind-up mode. The thought of Maya and Joe together as a couple was about as likely as Posh Spice falling for Chuckie Rugrat.

  A sudden bout of nippy eyes forced Kerry to rummage about in her pocket for another bit of loo roll. She was all out.

  “Wait here, I’ve just got to buy some tissues.” Kerry dived into a newsagent’s shop.

  When she came out, Sonja was leaning against the wall, looking suspiciously thoughtful.

  “I was only joking about Maya and Joe,” she said, falling into step beside Kerry.

  “I know,” sniffed Kerry.

  “The two people I think should get together are… well, you and Ollie.”

  Kerry stopped in her tracks and stared at her friend.

  “What??!!”

  “C’mon – you’d be perfect together,” said Sonja, completely ignoring her friend’s outrage. “And Ollie’s all on his own since Elaine dumped him…”

  “Son! What are you on about?”

  Kerry was annoyed. Why did Sonja have to say such glib, silly, downright thoughtless things sometimes?

  She knew full well what had gone on between Elaine and Ollie! They’d parted on good terms a couple of weeks before when Elaine had gone off on a round-the-world trek – and Ollie had decided not to go with her.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner!” Sonja continued, ignoring her friend’s less-than-ecstatic reaction. “You’re both brilliant people – you’d make a really cute couple!”

  “Stop it, Sonja! You’re just being stupid!” Kerry burst out. “And don’t you dare start stirring this afternoon – I know what you’re like!”

  “But—”

  “I mean it!” Kerry warned.

  Sonja found herself shutting up for a second time. She hadn’t expected Kerry to get so wound up. She’d obviously hit a raw nerve.

  Kerry, for the first time that day, forgot about her stinging eyes.

  How could Sonja tease her like this? And how could she suggest that she and Ollie could ever be more than just good mates?

  She couldn’t believe it of Sonja! She was as bad as some of those stupid girls from her sixth-form college who always went on about how boys and girls could never just be friends: that old love thing always got in the way.

  Well, they were wrong – all of them. She and Ollie could talk about anything, and she could be her goofy, ordinary self and not feel shy in front of him, as she often did with people. Nope, there was only pure, unadulterated friendship going on between them – no attraction at all.

  So yeah, he’s cute-looking and everything, but that’s never mattered to me, Kerry thought to herself. I mean, it’s not like I could ever imagine myself kissing him, is it?

  Is it?

  Kerry’s heart lurched suddenly and she felt a strange, tantalising shiver shoot up her back.

  Oh my God… she nearly said out loud, as a sudden realisation hit her like a runaway truck.

  CHAPTER 2

  SONJA’S A PAIN

  “Ahhhhh…!”

  “Where are they?” Maya Joshi’s muffled voice came from somewhere above Kerry. It was the third time she’d said that in the last five minutes.

  “Ahhhhh…!”

  “Kerry, what are you doing down there!” There was irritation in Maya’s voice, but Kerry knew it was more to do with all the others being late than with anything she was up to.

  “Ahhhhh…!”

  “Kerry?”

  “Ahhhhh… choo!”

  “You OK?” asked a voice closer to hand.

  Kerry opened her eyes and tried to focus on Sonja, who’d bent down beneath the booth table to look at her.

  “Did you find it?”

  “Uh-huh,” said Kerry, holding up a fluff-covered contact lens. “Ahh… choo!”

  “Dusty under there, is it?”

  “Yes,” sniffed Kerry, rifling around in her jeans pocket for a clean tissue with her free hand.

  “Well, I can see you’re having a great time,” said Sonja sarcastically, before adding in a whisper, “but I think you should consider coming out now. I just saw Ollie crossing the road towards the café.”

  The dull thunk! of Kerry’s head hitting the underside of the table sent two glass salt and pepper pots rattling across its Formica top.

  Sonja put her hand under the table and helped extract a slightly dishevelled and squinting Kerry.

  “I told you that you should have gone to the loo to take your contact lens out when it started bothering you, instead of fiddling about with it here,” said Maya reproachfully. “You could end up with an eye infection if you don’t clean that thing properly!”

  “Yeah, yeah,” muttered Kerry grumpily, clambering over the red vinyl padded banquette and out of the booth. Sometimes it was so blatantly obvious that Maya was the daughter of two doctors.

  “And I told you there was nothing wrong with your glasses. You really suit them! In fact, let’s ask Ollie what he thinks when he comes in!” grinned Sonja.

  “And I told you to stop it!” Kerry hissed back at her friend, before bumbling blindly in the direction of the loo.

  Kerry scrunched shut her madly watering, lens-free eye and focused with her good one. At least that way she could make her way along the corridor at the back of the café without bouncing off the walls.

  Suddenly, Anna Michael’s face came into view, peering out from behind the gurgling cappuccino machine.

  “How’s your head? I heard that crack from over here,” the waitress smiled, her expression wavering somewhere between concern and – Kerry noted – amusement. “Do you want me to take a look at it? There’s a first-aid kit in the kitchen…”

  “No, I’m fine,” insisted Kerry, with an edge of panic in her voice. The tinkling of the old-fashioned bell above the café door behind her meant that Ollie had probably just walked in. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her in this mess. Before today – before that stupid conversation with Sonja – Kerry wouldn’t have cared what she looked like, but all of a sudden it seemed to matter.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Kerry bolted the loo door. Now wasn’t the time to analyse her new, jumbled feelings for Ollie. She would just have to try and get a grip on her emotions, and wait till she was in the privacy of her own room to let this one sink in. Thank goodness Sonja hadn’t seemed to notice the turmoil in Kerry’s mind as they’d arrived at the café.

  Not that it’ll stop her going on about me and Ollie, Kerry admitted to herself.

  Once her friend got an idea in her head, it was pretty difficult to get it back out. Kerry had already vowed to strangle Sonja later. Matchmaking when it was just the two of them was one thing, but if Sonja was going to do it in front of the others, Kerry knew she’d just curl up and die. Like those little dig
s just now. Maya was way too smart not to pick up on them, and she would’ve done if she hadn’t been more interested in worrying about where the others were.

  Shaking herself into action, Kerry examined herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the door to see what the damage was.

  It wasn’t good news. Her black cotton jersey had faint, muddy pawprints all over it courtesy of her dog, Barney, who had run in from the garden and jumped up to say hello before she’d left the house.

  If that wasn’t enough, crawling about under the table had made her hair stick up, and the eyeball that had taken a sudden and ferocious dislike to her new contact lens a few minutes earlier was now horribly bloodshot, and had sent mascara-tinged tears smearing down her cheek. And to cap it all, staring at her reflection with one functioning and one bleary eye was making her feel strangely seasick.

  Turning away from the mirror, Kerry stuck in the plug and let a rush of cold water fill the sink. She sighed again and wondered where to start in her efforts to look even partially human.

  When Kerry finally emerged from the loo, Sonja was hassling Ollie for more gossip about Nick’s love-life. She was using her best confidential whisper – which could be heard as far back as the toilet door.

  “So he’s not giving anything away? No clues? No nothing?”

  “Nope. Not a sausage,” she heard Ollie answer. “And you don’t have to whisper – Nick’s not working today. It’s Dorothy’s shift.”

  “Pity. I was just in the mood for a bit of gossip and intrigue.”

  Oh, please let Sonja behave, thought Kerry, walking towards them. Please let her keep her big mouth shut…

  “It’s lovely of you to join us,” chirped Sonja brightly, as Kerry slid into the seat beside her. “We were going to give you five more minutes before we organised a search party.”

  “Oh, very funny,” said Kerry, nudging Sonja along the long banquette.

  “Sorry – haven’t you got enough room there? Do you want to sit on that side?”

  Kerry ignored Sonja’s pointed efforts to get her next to Ollie, who was sitting alone on the other side of the table. The combination of the afternoon sunshine streaming in through the big bay window and Kerry’s slightly blurred vision (now she’d given up and taken the other contact lens out too) gave Ollie a soft-focus, golden halo around his messy crop of brown hair.