Sugar Secrets…& Flirting Read online

  Sugar

  SECRETS …

  …& Flirting

  Mel Sparke

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHARTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTERS 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  SOME SECRETS ARE JUST TOO GOOD TO KEEP TO YOURSELF!

  CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

  SO, CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  CHAPTER 1

  LOOKING AFTER THE DETAILS

  “What a let-down!” moaned Catrina Osgood, staring at her copy of OK magazine.

  “What’s a let-down?” asked Maya Joshi, who, until her friend’s sudden outburst, had been idly gazing out of the window of the End-of-the-Line café this Monday morning.

  “This!” said Cat, nodding at the glossy pages of smiling celebs spread out on the table.

  “What about it?” frowned Maya. Sometimes, working out what was going on in Cat’s mind took quite a bit of effort.

  “Well, it’s rubbish this week - it’s all women!” Cat exclaimed, flicking dismissively through the pages. “There’s absolutely no gorgeous blokes in here!”

  “Well, in my opinion, there’s no point wasting your energy fancying famous people anyway,” Maya shrugged.

  “Why not?” frowned Cat.

  “Face it - it’s not like you’re ever going to meet them, never mind go out with them.”

  Cat sighed theatrically and shook her head. “Maya, you can be so negative. Why couldn’t it happen? I mean, celebs fall in love, just like normal people!”

  “Yeah, but they don’t tend to fall in love with normal people, just other famous people!” Maya pointed out.

  “Rubbish,” muttered Cat grumpily. “It happens all the time. You won’t be so smug when you read about me in a few years time, when I’m starring in my own TV show with my lovely pop star husband!”

  “Exactly,” Maya grinned. “Famous people are only interested in other famous people. I rest my case.”

  Cat stuck out her tongue at Maya and turned back to her magazine. But she could never shut up for very long. “Is Joe coming in this morning? Or is he working at Central Sounds again?” she asked, gazing across the table enquiringly.

  “No, he’s doing a few days in Central Sounds this week, but he’s not in there today,” replied Maya. “It’s his day off and he’s gone to meet Meg at the bus station. She’s getting the coach back from Brighton.”

  “Oh, good! Maybe he’ll stop moping now!” snorted Cat. “I mean, did you see his face yesterday? You’d think she’d been gone for two months instead of two days!”

  Maya smiled to herself. It was true; Joe Gladwin’s forlorn expression had practically put Matt off his Sunday morning fry-up the day before - and it took a lot to put Matt Ryan off his food.

  “He’s got the love bug and he’s got it bad,” Maya commented. “I don’t know how he’s going to cope once he’s in London and she’s in Brighton!”

  “He’ll be one of those soppy guys you hear about that has to phone her every single day…” muttered Cat.

  “Oooh, you wouldn’t be jealous, would you?” Maya suggested, a wicked smile on her face.

  “Jealous of what? Are you trying to say I’ve got the hots for Joe or something?” said Cat.

  “No. I mean, You’re jealous that they’re so much in love - and you’re single!”

  Cat finally flicked her eyes away from the pages of her magazine and gave a little shrug. “Maybe…” she grumbled. “But you can hardly talk, Maya Joshi, since you’re single too.”

  “Yes, but that was through choice, remember,” Maya pointed out. “I finished with Alex.”

  “Thank goodness,” sighed Cat.

  “Thank goodness? What do you mean?” asked Maya, bristling slightly. “Didn’t you like him?”

  “Alex? Yeah, but that’s not the point, is it?”

  “Well, what is the point?”

  “The point is,” said Cat, flicking a page over with a cracking sound, “with you on your own, it means I’m not the only one out of our closest friends not to be dating. After all, Kerry and Ollie are so inseparable they’re practically married; Anna and Matt are all cosy-cosy; and all Sonja can talk about is moving in with her precious Owen when she goes off to uni. At least with you being single, there are two of us losers!”

  “Hey - single does not mean loser!” protested Maya.

  “I know that. But you are being a bit of a loser if you don’t go to your photography class just ‘cause you can’t face seeing your ex!” said Cat, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

  Maya’s felt her face burn. It was true - she had been back from holiday for two weeks now and had found fairly pathetic excuses both Wednesdays not to turn up to the photography club that her ex, Alex McKay, ran. Although she’d spoken to Alex on the phone right after her holiday - and cleared the air over their break-up - she still couldn’t quite summon up enough courage to see him face-to-face.

  There was only one thing she could do. Change the subject.

  “Anyway, why are you so interested in where Joe is today?”

  As she spoke, Maya reached out and moved the vase in the middle of the table over to the window, so she could see her friend better. The vase, and the three large plastic flowers in it, was just one of the new innovations that Cyndi - café owner Nick Stanton’s new wife - had made around the place. Every table had a similar decoration, much to the bemusement of the workmen who regularly came in for their fry-ups in the mornings.

  Maya had been pretty amazed by the number of changes that had taken place since she’d returned from her holiday. Finding that bachelor bloke Nick had got himself married out in America was the biggest shock of all.

  “Well, I was just wondering how Joe got on last night - it must be scary looking for somewhere to live in a big place like London,” Cat replied to Maya’s question.

  Maya raised an eyebrow slightly at her friend. It seemed very unlike Cat to be so concerned and interested in the details of Joe’s life. Much as everyone in the crowd loved Cat, they knew only too well that her favourite topic of conversation was always herself.

  “I hope he got on better than he did on Friday and Saturday,” Maya replied cautiously, eyeing Cat up and wondering what her angle was. “He phoned loads of different flats and houses and had no luck with any of them.”

  “Well, I really, really hope he’s got something fixed up. And in a cool area too…”

  Maya was by now seriously confused. This concern of Cat’s was well beyond the call of duty.

  “…because,” Cat continued, “the first weekend I can afford it, I’m going to be straight down there staying with him. And I’m telling you now - he’d better not expect me to come and visit him if he’s living in grotsville!”

  Ahh! Maya grinned to herself. So that’s it - Cat sees Joe as her passport to life in the big city!

  London… a career on TV… a celebrity boyfriend… it was all part of Cat’s star-spangled vision of her future.

  “And he’d better not end up sharing with girls!”

  “Why not?” laughed Maya. “In case it drives Meg wild with jealousy?”

  “No!” exclaimed Cat. “Because I want him to be sharing with a bunch o
f gorgeous boys - so I can get myself a lovely student boyfriend!”

  “I thought you said you wanted a celebrity boyfriend?” teased Maya.

  “Of course! Doesn’t everyone if they have a choice?!” said Cat, wide-eyed. “But until I can get my hands on one, a fit student will do nicely!”

  “Cat!” laughed Maya. “Do you think of anything else except—”

  “Wow - look at her!” Cat interrupted, tapping her finger on a photo, one of a page of celebrities caught on camera while attending a variety of glitzy events. “How ridiculous is that dress?!”

  Maya knew she was meant to be horrified by the wispy bits of chiffon ribbons that were barely covering Jennifer Aniston’s bits on the pages of OK. But, to be honest, she’d seen Cat wear outfits that were almost as revealing (even if they didn’t have an exclusive tag on them).

  The other reason Maya was finding it hard to concentrate on the photo was that her eyes were being magnetically drawn to the finger that was tapping beside it. The nail extensions that Cat was wearing today were outrageously long, painted electric blue with silver metallic tips and a tiny fake diamond placed dead centre on each talon. It looked like her friend was doing some Beauty Therapy course homework on herself, even though it was still the holidays.

  “Oh, do you like them?” asked Cat, spotting Maya’s stare and wiggling all ten fingers around.

  The effect was pretty overpowering.

  “Cat, how do you manage to do anything with those?” asked Maya, practical and to the point as usual.

  “What do you mean?” frowned Cat, slightly hurt at the lack of compliments coming her way.

  “Like… like going to the loo!” said Maya bluntly. “I mean, how do you even undo your trousers?”

  “Carefully…” Cat replied with a casual shrug.

  “Gee, those nails are real pretty! Where did you get them done?”

  Both Cat and Maya spun round at the sound of Cyndi’s syrupy southern American drawl.

  “I did them myself!” said Cat proudly, wiggling her fingers in the air for all to see.

  “Hey, could you do my nails for me sometime?” asked Cyndi enthusiastically.

  “Yeah, sure!” smiled Cat, lapping up the compliment.

  “I sure would like something like that in a nice ice pink!” Cyndi continued, leaning her weight on the table and gazing admiringly at Cat’s handiwork.

  “Well, that would be no problem,” gushed Cat. “I’ve got plenty—”

  Just as Cat was about to give an inventory of her nail varnish collection, the public phone began to ring on the other side of the busy café.

  “Anna!” yelled Cyndi, turning her blonde head of curls and scanning the room as she settled herself down in the booth next to Cat. “Get that, would you, hon!”

  Maya gazed over at a flummoxed-looking Anna, who was struggling to keep her piled-high tray of dirty plates upright, while two small children - ignored by their chatting mothers - crashed into her legs.

  “Uh, Cyndi - I’ve kind of got my hands full!” Anna called over, trying to stop the toddlers thumping each other with her one free hand.

  “Well, I’m kind of busy too, hon!” Cyndi called back, tucking her order pad into the pocket of her faded denim shirt. It looked like she definitely considered herself on a break.

  Anna, her face like stone, clattered the tray down on the table nearest her, startling the gossiping mums long enough to realise their kids were tearing chunks out of each other. Maya watched Anna stomp over to the phone, wiping her hand on her apron before she picked up the receiver.

  “It’s one of the things I really miss from back home,” smiled Cyndi, spreading her fingers out on the red Formica. “I always went to this cute little beauty salon once a week to get my hair and nails fixed. An’ I don’t want Nick to get the idea that just ‘cause I’ve landed my man, I’m gonna let myself go!”

  “Nick’s not going to think that!” Cat pointed out. “You had a whirlwind romance! He brought you all the way back from the US to be with him! He’s not going to divorce you if you don’t have your nails done every week!”

  “Now, that’s where you’re wrong! It’s the little details that count in a relationship!” said Cyndi with a knowing look.

  “What do you mean?” Cat frowned at her.

  “Well, ladies, I hope y’all don’t think I was listening in,” Cyndi began, “but I couldn’t help hearing that you two were talkin’ about being single. And if I can give you one piece of advice, it’s always to remember the details. That’s the way you land yourself a man - an’ that’s the way you keep him too!”

  Maya felt her mouth drop open slightly. She wasn’t really up for being told how to land herself a man, but Cat was nodding enthusiastically. Now she understood where Cyndi was coming from she was in total agreement. As far as Cat was concerned, life was about looking good. She couldn’t wait to hear more.

  “What kind of details, Cyndi?”

  “Just keepin’ yourself pretty, y’know? Nice hair, nice nails, pretty lipstick. It all helps you feel special and a man appreciates a woman takin’ good care of herself!”

  Maya gave herself a little shake, just to check she hadn’t fallen asleep. She could almost believe she was dreaming that she was in some previous millennium, where women stayed at home raising the kids while the cavemen went out and bashed antelope over the head for tea.

  “Cyndi - didn’t you hear me calling?” It was Anna, who was now standing over their table.

  “No, I didn’t, honey - I was too busy talking to these ladies!” Cyndi smiled up at Anna.

  “The phone - it’s for you,” Anna replied, her hands on her hips. “It’s Nick calling from the cash and carry.”

  “Oh, my sweet pea!” gushed Cyndi, unnecessarily patting her hair into shape before she dashed over to the phone. ‘“Scuse me, ladies!”

  “Sweet pea?!” Cat and Maya mouthed silently at each other. It wasn’t the first nickname they’d have thought of for the ponytailed, beer-bellied café owner, much as they liked him.

  As soon as Cyndi was out of earshot, Anna took a deep breath, sighed and rolled her eyes.

  “Problems?” asked Maya quietly.

  “You bet,” said Anna, raising an eyebrow. “She’s driving me completely mad! I tell you, I’ve really, honestly been trying to get along” with her, but Cyndi’s just making my job ten times harder. She keeps making all these changes around here without telling me and she orders me about like she owns the place!”

  “Well, she is married to the guy that owns it, I suppose,” Cat pointed out unhelpfully.

  Maya shot her a look across the table and shoved OK back under her friend’s nose. “Cat, if you can’t say anything useful then get back to your magazine!” she snapped. Go on, Anna…”

  “It’s just that Cyndi’s always—”

  “Oh, wow! Omigod!” shrieked Cat suddenly.

  “What?” asked her two friends, wondering what had got into her.

  “Look!” gasped Cat, holding up the magazine.

  “What?” the girls repeated, staring at the vaguely familiar face beaming at them from the page.

  “It’s Ben Fitzpatrick! You know - that really cute British actor who’s supposed to be the next big thing?” Cat tried to explain, in the light of Maya and Anna’s blank looks.

  “Yeah, so… cute pictures of a cute guy. So what?” quizzed Maya.

  “It says here that he’s only doing a new TV drama and he’s only filming part of it here in Winstead!” Cat practically squealed.

  She stared up at the only moderately interested looks on the other girls’ faces. “Well, I think it’s exciting,” she huffed. “He’s soooo gorgeous!”

  She turned the magazine back round and planted a huge kiss on Ben Fitzpatrick’s smiling face, smudging her pink tinted lipgloss as she did so.

  “Here you go…” said Maya, sliding a paper napkin across the table towards Cat.

  “What’s that for?” Cat frowned.

 
; “Your lipstick’s halfway down your chin,” grinned Maya. “And you’ll never stand a chance with a TV star like him if you don’t look after the details!”

  “Very funny!” said Cat sarcastically.

  “What this about ‘details’? What’s the joke?” asked Anna.

  “Don’t ask!” Maya smiled up at her. “You really don’t want to hear, trust me!”

  CHAPTER 2

  LOVE IS BLIND

  “Anna - can you give me a hand bringing the boxes in from the car?”

  Anna wiped her hands on her apron and nodded to Nick who was hovering just outside the back door of the kitchen. “Of course,” she said, following him outside into the yard and down the alleyway at the side of the building.

  Of course she’d help. Ollie had the day off and it wasn’t as if pensioners Irene or Dorothy - the End’s catering stalwarts - could be expected to lift heavy boxes from the cash and carry. But what did rile Anna slightly was the fact that Nick never thought to ask Cyndi to help out with any of the drearier tasks around the café since she’d arrived.

  Maybe he’s scared she’ll break a fingernail… Anna thought grumpily as she watched Nick unlock the boot of his car. Glancing back at the café, Anna caught sight of the new Mrs Stanton in the window, standing on a red banquette on tiptoe while she reached up and fiddled with a lacy net curtain that she seemed to be fixing up at the window.

  Cyndi, suddenly spotting Anna and Nick out on the pavement, gave a little wave and smile then carried on with perfecting her curtain hanging.

  Good to know she’s got her priorities right! thought Anna, noticing that Nick’s wife hadn’t considered that perhaps it might be an idea to come out to lend a hand.

  “There you go, Anna!” said Nick brightly, handing Anna a weighty cardboard box.

  “Ooof! OK, I’ve got it…” mumbled Anna. Then - despite the fact that she knew her arm muscles would hate her for it later - Anna paused. Now was as good a chance as any to bring up the problem of Cyndi and her role at the café.

  “Nick - can I ask you something?” she began, trying to work out how to handle the situation tactfully.

  “Yep?” said Nick, turning to face her.