would have a heart attack.’
‘Well at least you have a job,’ Jade complained sulkily. ‘I still don’t even know what I want to do with my life.’
‘I can always see if they need people at my place?’ Lisa offered.
As much as Jade appreciated her looking out for her, Lisa worked at a television company, something that didn’t really interest her.
‘Thanks, but I’ll be okay. I’ll find something soon hopefully.’
Kelly squeezed Jade’s hand gently. ‘Cheer up Jade. I know you’ve been feeling down lately but today is going to be a good one now you’re with us, I promise. You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy clothes – and that’s close enough.’
They laughed and Jade decided she was going to make an effort to brighten up now she was back with her friends.
‘Where are we going today anyway? Shopping I take it?’ Lisa asked, running her fingers through her long dark hair.
‘After I’ve sorted my face out and you’ve told me what outfit looks best – I’ve got three options – I was thinking shopping in Loughton, lunch, then The King William pub and Nu Bar for old times’ sake?’
Jade and Lisa both agreed with Kelly. This was just like the old days.
*
The girls teetered down Loughton High Street in their heels and sighed as they were stopped by yet another group of girls wanting to stroke Lord McButterpants.
‘How do you get anywhere with this dog?’ Jade asked Kelly as the gushing girls finally walked off in the other direction. ‘We’ve been stopped about ten times already!’
Kelly looked down at the dog proudly. His little head was curiously poking out her brown and beige Louis Vuitton dog carrier. ‘Ahhh, he can’t help it that he’s pure beauts, can you Lord McButterpants? He’s a babe magnet, especially in his cute little leather jacket I’ve dressed him in today. Totes brings out the colour in his eyes.’
‘He sure is cute,’ Lisa agreed, slowing down as a white dress in the window of a boutique caught her eye. ‘Let’s go in here, girls.’
‘Are you sure you don’t want to go in there instead?’ Jade joked pointing to the baby shop next door and nudging Lisa teasingly. ‘You and Jake will be having kids before you know it. You may as well get started on a wardrobe for them.’
Kelly’s face lit up. ‘Oh, please let me be godmother! And you can’t use the name Evangelina for a girl or Parker for a boy; they’re my baby names.’
Lisa wrinkled her nose. ‘Evangelina and Parker? It’ll be hard not to pinch those two,’ she laughed playfully. ‘What are you two on about anyway? I don’t want kids for a long time. I want a career and to travel before even thinking about becoming a mum. That’s years away in my opinion.’
‘What about Jake?’ Jade asked, as they made their way into the boutique. ‘He loves kids, doesn’t he? It wouldn’t surprise me if he’ll be wanting them soon. Probably as soon as you move in together.’
Lisa hesitated. ‘Well, he does talk about kids and that he doesn’t want to be an old dad, but I’m just nowhere near ready. The thought freaks me out a bit so I just change the subject every time Jake mentions it.’ She pulled out a navy dress from the rail. ‘What do you think of this?’
‘Stunning, hun. Your legs will look unreal in that, and the colour will compliment your dark features. You have to try it on, it would be rude not to,’ Kelly said, eyes sparkling with excitement as she made her way over to the shoes.
After lunch in The King William, they dropped Lord McButterpants back to Kelly’s mum’s house, re-applied their make-up and made their way back to Loughton. Seeing as it was a Saturday night, Nu Bar was packed and the girls were feeling tipsy after two bottles of wine. Jade glanced around her, memories flooding back from previous nights spent there before she went to university. It was like a different world. Girls were preened to perfection, with either perfectly straight hair or immaculate curls, not a strand out of place. Jade caught glimpses of designer bags by Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana. Their killer heels were gigantic and their skirts minuscule. False, long eyelashes were fluttering everywhere and there wasn’t a pale person in the whole bar. It was like a competition for the most tanned person; and that included the boys. Thank goodness Kelly had given her a make-over otherwise she definitely would have been the palest! Or the most normal, whichever way you wanted to look at it. The boys had made the same amount of effort as the girls. Their gelled hair was swept over, faces glowing, trousers tight and smart shirts tucked in. Oh yes, Jade was definitely back home.
‘Shots!’ Kelly shouted above the music, as the shot girl wearing tiny hot pants and a matching top made her way over to them.
‘I’m crap with shots,’ Jade worried. ‘Honestly, I’m always sick. I never did them at uni, I just couldn’t.’
‘Oh come on,’ Lisa said. ‘Live a little!’
Okay, Jade thought, one shot won’t hurt. She downed the sambucca in one and gagged, passing the glass back to the girl. I would rather drink my own urine than this, she thought. Never again. To her horror Kelly was passing her another.
‘Why are we doing another? What’s this? I’ve just downed one.’
‘It’s on me, babe. A welcome home shot.’
Not wanting to look boring or ungrateful, Jade downed it on the count of three along with Lisa and Kelly.
‘Cheers babe,’ Kelly said to the shot girl, handing their glasses back. She complimented her, ‘Reem outfit.’
‘Thanks. This is one of the more boring ones; we get to wear all different sets.’
‘Oh my God, shut up! I’d love to dress up like that while I was working.’
‘You should get a job with the company I work for, the money is great,’ the girl suggested. ‘Look online. The company is called Sexy Shots.’ She walked off to some men calling her.
‘Oh please one of you get a job as a shot girl with me,’ Kelly pleaded, smiling. ‘It looks so much fun and I could do with the extra money so badly. Come on Jade, you need a job?’
‘Why not?’ Jade replied, thinking it would be great to get a fun part-time job while she was searching for a career. ‘So long as I don’t have to drink them. It has to be better than serving miserable customers in Café Rouge.’
‘Count me out,’ Lisa answered. ‘Jake would go mad if I was dressed like that and walking round bars chatting to men. I am a tad jealous though; my friend’s mate does it and on good nights makes over two hundred pounds.’
‘You’re kidding! In one night? Me and you will definitely look tomorrow then,’ Kelly said to Jade.
After a couple of hours, Lisa, who had been texting on her phone for the last thirty minutes, decided to call it a night.
‘I’m off, girls. Jake is picking me up and I’m staying at his.’
‘I’m so jealous, you cow. You’re getting your lovely boyfriend
