The Holiday Swap. Zara Stoneley
been to, and how fab the magazine she’d set up with her boyfriend was.’ And she’d hinted at spring weddings on the beach. Weddings had been the last thing on Daisy’s mind (up to a few days ago), and her extent of fine dining with Jimmy was limited to the village pub. Which was very nice, but they didn’t tend to have ‘foams’ or ‘amuse-bouches’ as far as she could recall – unless you counted pork crackling. ‘I know we’re still friends, but it just looks so glam, her lifestyle. Are you sure she’d want me gate-crashing?’
‘Well, actually, I do speak to her now and again, and I did ask her, and she does want you to go. It’s perfect because she said you can stay at her place for as long as you want and—’
‘But doesn’t her boyfriend mind?’ She was pretty sure she’d screwed her face up in a way only animals found attractive, but she was positive Flo had posted pictures of a guy on Facebook: a very attractive, well-groomed, sophisticated kind of guy. So unlike the type you found in Tippermere. ‘I’ll feel a real gooseberry.’
‘That’s the “and” bit. She’s just split up with him.’
‘But I thought they were on the verge of getting married.’ Daisy, who had been towelling the dog, stopped.
‘So did she, and she caught him with somebody else.’
‘You’re kidding!’ That was nearly as big a shock as Jimmy waving a diamond ring in the air. ‘Really?’
‘Really, as in shagging her in the next hotel room.’
‘Oh no. What a bastard. Oh, poor Flo.’
‘So you’ve got to go. She needs somebody to talk to, take her mind off it.’
‘Needs me?’ Daisy’s stomach gave a flip, which could have been nerves or excitement. She wasn’t sure. A trip to Barcelona would be brilliant, and it would be lovely to see Flo again. See how the other half lived.
‘Yep. So I told her you can go at the end of next week.’
An involuntary squeal escaped from Daisy’s lips. ‘Next week? But, I can’t…’
‘Whatever you were about to say, you can. Jimmy said he’d give you December, so it’s perfect. You need to just get on with it, Daisy. You haven’t got time to mess about, before you know it Christmas will be here, and then what?’
A family announcement. Wedding dresses. Bridal bouquets. Oh God, that word ‘bridal’ it just sounded weird when it was applied to you instead of somebody else. She needed to do something, but how on earth could this work? Next week! ‘But what about Barney and Mabel? I can’t just leave them, and what if the pipes freeze? And…’
‘Jimmy can look after the place for a few days, and your menagerie.’
‘But I can’t ask—’
‘Yes, you bloody can ask him, it was his idea you do it, or,’ her eyes gleamed, ‘if you don’t want to ask Jimmy, you can ask Hugo.’
‘No!’ No way was she going to ask pompous, disapproving Hugo to look after her dog, or wilful horse.
Anna was waiting, grinning, one eyebrow raised questioningly.
‘Okay, I’ll ask Jimmy, I suppose.’ She was feeling guilty even before she’d gone anywhere.
‘Good. It’s only for a few days, well as many as you like. Daisy, stop feeling guilty.’
‘I’m not.’
‘You are.’
She was. ‘I haven’t even got a passport though, so I don’t see how I can go that soon.’
‘We’ll get you one tomorrow. Come on, before you chicken out. Flo needs you right now,’ Daisy thought she might be stretching the truth on that one, Flo had always had lots of friends when they were at school, ‘and she knows the city and all the in-places to go. Look, it’s an ideal opportunity with having somewhere to stay, it won’t cost you hardly anything. We can sort a flight dirt cheap and you don’t need many spends.’
‘I’m not chickening out, I’m just being practical. I’ve got lots of customers booked in and I can’t just abandon them.’
‘Oh Daisy, I’m not trying to force you if you really don’t want, I just thought… I can always tell Flo… well, I suppose I could go instead.’
‘Don’t you dare tell Flo anything. You don’t think I’m going to let you go off and have all that fun without me, do you?’ She straightened her shoulders. ‘I’m being pathetic, it’s only for a long weekend, I’m sure Jimmy will sort stuff here, after all it was his idea, wasn’t it? And if he really does love me, he won’t mind helping out.’ She grinned. ‘Oh, God, he’ll think I’ve gone crazy.’
‘Well that’ll solve your problem then,’ Anna grinned, ‘he might un-propose.’
***
The next day Anna drove her to Liverpool to get a passport (which cost far more than she’d budgeted for), then they looked at flights, which turned out not to be exactly dirt-cheap after all. And now the butterflies were doing loop-the-loops in her stomach. There was no turning back.
She knew she had a stupid grin on her face as she put the kettle on. God she was pathetic to be so excited about a few days in Spain; anybody would think she was five years old.
Anna hung her sodden coat over the kitchen chair. Water dripped off, then ran in rivulets over the quarry tiles of Daisy’s kitchen floor, coming to a stop when they hit Mabel’s rug. ‘I swear if it doesn’t stop raining soon I’ll be coming to Spain too.’
Daisy shrugged. Even the rain wasn’t bothering her that much today, although it had made the motorway trip slightly scary, especially the way Anna drove. ‘The chickens hate it. They’re all huddled together in a sodden heap, refusing to lay.’ They had stared at her accusingly with their beady little eyes, looking very bedraggled and sorry for themselves when she’d checked up on them before they’d headed off.
‘Well at least it won’t be raining in Barcelona.’
‘No, Flo’s probably sitting in the sun.’ Daisy had to admit she was a teeny bit envious of Flo right now. She didn’t have a problem with a bit of rain, but this was turning the paddock into a paddy field – and it was cold, sleety stuff which trickled down the back of your neck. She found it hard to imagine not having any rain though.
‘It’ll be fab out there.’
Suddenly noticing the wistful note in Anna’s voice, Daisy stopped thinking about offering her field up to the rice gods, and put her mug down with a clatter. Hot coffee splattered out onto the back of her hand. ‘Bugger.’ She wiped it absent-mindedly down her jeans. ‘Why don’t you come?’
‘But it’s your trip.’ Anna was studying her mug intently.
‘Rubbish! It’s only a few days and I know Flo would love to see you, she was your bestie really, not mine.’
‘I don’t want to gate-crash your adventure.’ She still wasn’t looking up.
‘Anna! How could you possibly think that! Come. Book your ticket!’
‘Now who’s being the bossy one?’ She suddenly grinned and met Daisy’s eye. ‘You wouldn’t think I was awful if I admitted I’d booked a couple of days off work on the off-chance, would you? It’s just I was really hoping you’d say that.’
Daisy squealed and wrapped her arms round her friend. Being adventurous was one thing, doing it with Anna made it much better. ‘Really? You’re terrible, but it’s going to be fantastic, the three little bears back together again.’
Anna rolled her eyes, ‘I can’t believe you still allow your mum to call us that.’ She untangled herself. ‘It will be fab though, the three of us. Won’t it?’
Daisy paused,