Nothing New for Sophie Drew: a heart-warming romantic comedy by Katey Lovell (best autobiographies to read .txt) 📕

mere mortals. I bet she paid for it from Johnny’s account. He probably won’t even notice the money’s gone.”

“You can’t get her to invite someone else. We’re her bridesmaids. We’ve not got a choice, we’ve got to go.”

Eve reversed out of the parking space, her lips clamped together as she checked her mirror. She looked like the emoji with the straight line for a mouth, as though she was deeply unhappy but resolutely battling on to stay calm. It didn’t fool me though. I could hear her teeth grinding behind the curtain of her lips.

“I’ll ring her then. Have it out.”

And before I had chance to think it through, before I could plan a conversation or convince myself it was a bad idea, I’d angrily jabbed at Tawna’s entry in my phone book and held the phone to my ear. It only rang twice.

“Soph!” Tawna exclaimed, her voice dripping with excitement. “Did you get my message? We’re heading to Manhattan! Me, you and Eve taking on The Big Apple!”

She spoke so fast that I couldn’t get a word in, chattering about what an amazing time we’d have and how the trip would be her last hoorah as a single woman.

Eve studied me as she waited at a T-junction. She raised her shoulders and mouthed, “What’s she saying?”

I pulled a face that didn’t answer the question, it was nothing more than a pleading look from a hopeless case.

When Tawna eventually shut up I stayed quiet. I’d not said a word since the call was connected.

“You’re not mad at me, are you, Soph?” she begged. “I know it’s unexpected, but it was meant to make you both happy. Please don’t be mad at me. I couldn’t bear it.”

“I wish you’d asked before you booked it, that’s all,” I said, trying to be diplomatic. I was fuming, but I didn’t want a fight. “It isn’t easy getting time off work at such short notice. Some people at the law firm book their holidays a year in advance.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find a way to swing it,” Tawna replied with so much nonchalance that it came across as dismissive. “Even slave-driver Marcie wouldn’t deny you of a trip like this. I’m sure she’ll be able to get some agency girl to cover you.”

She didn’t mean to be mean, but I bristled at the throwaway remark. It made me out to be replaceable, and although my job didn’t require much in the way of qualifications, it was still skilled work.

“It’s short notice for Eve too,” I added. “And her team’s tiny. They can’t just drag any old Tom, Dick or Harry off the street to cover her. She’s got a PhD!”

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip,” Tawna argued, “my one and only proper hen. I don’t think it’s too much to expect my two oldest friends, my bridesmaids, to be there with me.”

I envisaged her sat with her nose in the air like a Disney baddie.

“Well, I don’t think it’s too much to expect to be asked if I want to fly halfway around the world next week,” I huffed, no longer trying to hide my annoyance. Her comment about the agency girl was still jangling on my last nerve. “Even if I do manage to get the time off work it’s going to be expensive.”

“But so worth it,” Tawna replied.

“It’s all right for you. You’re not working nine to five every day, with clients relying on you. You don’t have bills to pay single-handedly either.”

“But you’ll be there, won’t you?” Her voice trembled, and again I was racked with guilt. “If money’s a problem, I’m sure Johnny would pay for you.”

There was no way I was going to accept their charity.

“Don’t worry,” I said, all the while worrying, “I’ll find the money. I’ll be there.”

“Me too,” Eve called out, although her lips barely moved and her teeth remained gritted.

“You’re the best friends a girl could ask for,” Tawna exclaimed. “I knew you’d come around. We’re going to have so much fun!”

But as she enthused about a restaurant we simply had to go to down in Greenwich Village, I switched off from her babble, staring vacantly out of the window as the fields passed by in a blur of bottle-green.

“Don’t forget it’s the festival tonight,” Tawna chirruped. “You are still planning on coming, aren’t you?”

“Yep,” I managed, thinking at least the music event we’d planned to go to was free. Maybe I could smuggle some booze in in a flask, pretending it’s tea. “Eve’s still up for it too, but she might be late.” She’d planned to visit her mum at the care home once she’d dropped me at my parents’ house and returned the dog to her neighbours.

“You girls are the best,” Tawna squealed. “The absolute best. I can’t wait to see you later!”

I was about to put the handset back into my bag when it beeped and, assuming it was Tawna, I unthinkingly opened the text.

Hi beautiful. Made any decisions about the money yet?

I could do with knowing one way or another ASAP. D xxx

Chapter 21

“Mum? Dad?”

The house was still and the radio quiet, an indicator that no one was home even though I’d told Mum and Dad I’d be dropping by. When I poked my head around the door to the living room the local paper was resting on the arm of Dad’s chair and two mugs of tea were left, unfinished, on the coffee table. They weren’t placed on coasters, and that was when I knew in my gut that something was wrong.

I walked into the kitchen, hoping to find a clue, and there it was, written on the whiteboard Mum uses for her shopping lists –

SOPHIE,

GONE TO NORMA’S. FRED’S HAD A FALL.

COME OVER IF YOU LIKE.

LOVE U, MUM XXX

Suddenly the worries I’d built up to be so major – Darius, money, the hen do – seemed trivial. What if Fred was seriously injured?

I didn’t hang about. Closing the front door behind me, I turned left and jogged the ten minutes it