Shopaholic to the Stars (52 page)

For a moment we just stand there, staring at each other through the evening air. I’ve known Suze for many years, and she hasn’t changed a bit. Same blonde hair; same endlessly long legs; same huge, irreverent laugh; same way of nibbling her thumb when she’s stressed. I can only imagine the state of her skin right now.

‘Bex, I know you’re really busy.’ Her voice is husky. ‘I know you’ve got all these big chances and everything. But I need you. Please. I need you.’

I’m so taken aback that she isn’t shouting at me, tears spring to my eyes again.

‘I need you too.’ I skitter to her on my heels, and envelop her in a huge hug. When’s the last time I hugged Suze? Ages ago.

She’s crying too, I realize. She’s really sobbing on my shoulder. She’s been totally wiped out by all the worry, and I wasn’t there for her. I feel a horrible gnawing in the pit of my stomach. I was a bad friend. A bad, bad friend.

Well, I’m going to make up for it now.

‘I missed you,’ she mumbles into my hair.

‘I missed you too.’ I squeeze her tight. ‘The red carpet wasn’t the same without you. I didn’t have the time of my life at all; in fact, it was awful.’

‘Oh, Bex. I’m sorry.’

And I can tell she truly is. Even though I’ve been so crap to her, she still wishes I’d had a nice time. That’s how lovely Suze is.

‘They’ve gone to Las Vegas,’ she adds.

‘I heard.’

She lifts her face and wipes her nose with her sleeve.

‘I thought we could follow them?’

‘OK.’ I squeeze her hands tight. ‘Let’s do it. Whatever you want to do, Suze, I’m right behind you.’

I have no idea what I’ve just signed myself up for, but I don’t care. This is Suze and she needs me, so I’m in.

‘I’ve been texting Danny,’ she adds, her voice a bit snuffly. ‘He’s coming, too.’

‘Danny is?’ I say in astonishment.

She turns her phone to show me the screen.

Suze, my darling, do you even need to ASK??? I will be there in a nanosecond and we will find that husband of yours. Danny xxxxx

Danny is such a star. Although how we’re going to keep tabs on him in Las Vegas, I have no idea.

‘Well, there we are then.’ I give her another hug. ‘We’re sorted. We have a team. We’ll do it, Suze. We’ll find them.’

How? I can’t help thinking. How are we going to find them? This whole idea feels a bit nutty to me. But Suze wants me to do it, so that’s all that matters.

I’m about to suggest that we all go home, order take-out and pool our ideas when the other passenger door opens. I feel a massive shock as another blonde head appears. Alicia? Seriously?
Alicia?

‘Alicia’s going to come too.’ Suze wipes her eyes. ‘She’s been so lovely. She was the one who found out about Las Vegas. Bryce told one of his friends at Golden Peace that’s where he was going. Alicia had every single member of staff interviewed until she got some information … Honestly, Bex, she’s been amazing.’

‘Great!’ I say after a pause. ‘How … fabulous of her.’

‘You two will be friends, won’t you?’ Suze looks anxious. ‘You have put all that stuff in the past behind you?’

What can I say? I can’t add to Suze’s stress.

‘Of course,’ I say at last. ‘Of course we have. We’ll be great friends, won’t we, Alicia?’

‘Becky.’ Alicia comes forward, her footsteps silent in her trendy soft-leather yoga flip-flop things; her face in that composed, serene expression she puts on. ‘Welcome.’

Instantly my hackles rise. She doesn’t get to say welcome.
I
say welcome.

‘And welcome back.’ I smile sweetly at her. ‘Welcome to
you
.’

‘This is a challenge we have.’ She looks at me seriously. ‘But I’m sure if we all work together, we can find Tarquin, your father and Bryce before—’ She breaks off. ‘Well. We’re worried that Bryce is … predatory. That’s our concern.’

‘I get it.’ I nod. ‘Well, let’s get back to the Batcave and make a plan. Don’t worry, Suze.’ I give her another squeeze. ‘We’re on the case.’

‘You get in.’ Suze is tapping at her phone. ‘I’ll just be a second.’

I climb into the car, followed by Alicia, and we sit in silence for a moment. Then, just as Alicia is drawing breath to speak, I turn to her.

‘I know you haven’t changed,’ I say in swift, low, furious tones. ‘I know underneath all that sweetness and honey you have some agenda of your own. But just know, if you hurt Suze one tiny bit, I will burn you.’ I’m glaring at her so hard, I think my eyes might pop out. ‘I will burn. You.’

The car door opens and Suze climbs into the front passenger seat. ‘Everything OK?’ she asks breathlessly.

‘Fine!’ I say brightly, and after a moment, Alicia echoes, ‘Fine.’ She looks a bit shell-shocked. Well, good. I don’t care about me, she’s already hurt me enough. But I’m not having her hurt Suze.

Luke gets into the driver’s seat, slams the door and turns to make a comical face at me. ‘Ready, Betty?’

‘Ha ha.’ I make a face back at him. ‘Funny. Let’s head home.’

He starts the engine, and as we move off I look back through the rear window, craning my neck, slightly blinded by the streetlamps. We’re driving away from the TV cameras, the bright lights, the celebrities. We’re driving away from everything I was so excited about. I may never get to walk on a red carpet again, it hits me. That could have been my last chance. Maybe this is farewell to Hollywood.

But I don’t care. I’m heading the right way. And I’ve never felt better in my life.

FROM THE OFFICE OF DIX DONAHUE

To Graham Bloomwood

With greatest appreciation for you and your wonderful daughter Rebecca
.

You’re welcome to come to a show and visit me back stage any time
.

With very best wishes

Your pal

Dix Donahue

PS: Thank Jeff for this!

PPS: I heard you went missing. Hope you’re back safe and sound by now??

Associate Producers (UK)

Araminta Whitley, Peta Nightingale, Jennifer Hunt, Sophie Hughes

London Unit

Linda Evans, Bill Scott-Kerr, Larry Finlay, Polly Osborn, Claire Evans, Suzanne Riley, Sarah Roscoe and her team, Claire Ward, Kate Samano and Elisabeth Merriman, Jo Williamson, Bradley Rose

Associate Producers (US)

Kim Witherspoon, David Forrer

New York Unit

Susan Kamil, Deborah Aroff, Kelsey Tiffey, Avideh Bashirrad, Karen Fink, Theresa Zoro, Sally Marvin, Loren Novek, Benjamin Dreyer, Paolo Pepe, Scott Shannon, Matt Schwartz

Associate Producers (rest of the world)

Nicki Kennedy
Sam Edenborough & all the team at ILA

Best Boys: Freddy, Hugo, Oscar and Rex

Best Girl: Sybella

Key Grip: Hestia the Labrador

Catering: Carol and Edith

Childcare: Greena and Grub-Grub

Miss Kinsella’s nutritional supplements supplied by: Rolo &

Mint Aero

Production Manager: #HenrytheManager

Lifetime Achievement Award: Barb Burg RIP, 29 April 2014

Starring the unforgettable Becky Bloomwood, shopper extraordinaire …

(also published as
Confessions of a Shopaholic
)

Meet Becky – a journalist who spends all her time telling people how to manage money, and all her leisure time spending it. But the letters from her bank manager are getting harder to ignore. Can she ever escape this dream world, find true love … and regain the use of her credit card?

Becky’s life is peachy. Her balance is in the black – well, nearly – and now her boyfriend has asked her to move to New York with him. Can Becky keep the man
and
the clothes when there’s so much temptation around every corner?

Becky finally has the perfect job, the perfect man and, at last, the perfect wedding. Or rather,
weddings
… How has Becky ended up with not one, but two big days?

Becky has received some incredible news. She has a long-lost sister! But how will she cope when she realizes her sister is not a shopper … but a skinflint?

Becky is pregnant! But being Becky, she decides to shop around – for a new, more expensive obstetrician – and unwittingly ends up employing Luke’s ex-girlfriend! How will Becky make it through the longest nine months of her life?

Times are hard, so Becky’s Cutting Back. She has the perfect idea: throw a budget-busting birthday party. But her daughter Minnie can turn the simplest event into chaos. Whose turn will it be to sit on the naughty step?

Sophie Kinsella’s hilarious, heart-warming standalone novels

Certain she’s going to die in a plane crash, Emma blurts out her deepest, darkest secrets to the sexy stranger next to her. But it’s OK, because she’ll never have to see him again … will she?

Samantha works all hours, has no home life and thrives on adrenalin. Then one day it all falls apart. She finds herself a new life as housekeeper in a country house. Will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does, will she want it back?

What if you woke up and your life was perfect? Somehow Lexi’s life has fast-forwarded three years, and she has everything she’s ever wanted – the job, the house, the man. Or does she? What went on in those missing years, and can she cope when she finds out the truth?

Lara has always had an overactive imagination. But even she finds it hard to believe when the ghost of her great aunt Sadie shows up, asking for her help. Is Lara losing her mind? Or could two girls from different times end up helping each other?

First Poppy loses her engagement ring – a priceless heirloom – and then she misplaces her phone. The only alternative seems to be to take a mobile she finds in a bin. Little knowing that she’s picked up another man in the process …

Lottie is determined to get married. And Ben seems perfect – they have history, he’s gorgeous and he’s willing to do it now. They’ll iron out their little differences later. All that’s left to do is seal the deal. But their families have different plans …

Sophie Kinsella is an international number-one bestselling author whose earliest encounter with Hollywood, apart from an obsession with
The Wizard of Oz
, was when her first novel,
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic
, was made into a hit movie. She lives in London with her husband and children.

Visit her website at
www.sophiekinsella.co.uk

TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS
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www.transworldbooks.co.uk

First published in Great Britain
in 2014 by Bantam Press
an imprint of Transworld Publishers

Copyright © Sophie Kinsella 2014

Sophie Kinsella has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781448126361
ISBN 9780593070161 (cased)
97805930701780 (tpb)

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