Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Collection: The Schemer, The Trap, Payback. Kimberley Chambers

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СКАЧАТЬ replied, anxiously.

      ‘Because he might have met another girl. Even if he ain’t yet, I bet he does when the holiday season starts. That Spain is full of pretty birds in bikinis and stuff and Barry ain’t exactly shy, is he?’

      ‘How do you know what Spain’s like, Ange? We’ve never been no further than Camber Sands.’

      ‘Because I’ve seen it on the telly. All the girls walk about naked and stuff. If I was you, sis, I would forget all about Barry and find yourself another boyfriend who lives in England.’

      With her sister’s words dampening her sprightly mood, Stephanie sank onto her bed and put her head in her hands. ‘I won’t forget about him, Ange. Not ever.’

      Pam sang away happily to a song on the radio as she put the sausages into the pan of lard. This was only the second Saturday she had taken off work in over a year, and when she had called in this morning to tell her boss that she would return on Monday, he had promised to pay her her full week’s wages. ‘Steph, Ange, breakfast is nearly ready,’ she shouted out.

      ‘I don’t want mine yet. It’s quarter to nine and Barry’ll be ringing soon,’ Steph replied, bounding down the stairs. Her stomach had butterflies and she knew that she would be unable to eat a morsel, let alone one of her mother’s massive fry-ups.

      ‘It won’t be ready for another five minutes or so, and if Barry does ring, I’ll keep it warm in the oven for you.’

      ‘Why did you say it was ready now then?’ Angela asked, appearing behind her sister.

      ‘Because I wanted to know if you wanted beans or bloody spaghetti with it,’ Pam yelled. Sometimes she wished she had given birth to two boys, as they couldn’t be as much aggravation as girls, surely?

      ‘I’ll have spaghetti,’ Angela said.

      About to tell her mother she wanted neither beans nor spaghetti, the phone rang and Stephanie darted towards it. Angela grinned as an excited Stephanie answered it and then her voice deflated like a burst balloon. Angela had told her friend Chloe to ring at exactly this time and was thrilled she had remembered to do so.

      ‘Can’t you call her back? You know I’m waiting for Barry to ring,’ Steph said, handing the phone to her sister.

      ‘No, I can’t,’ Angela replied, snatching the phone out of her sister’s hand.

      Steph paced up and down the hallway listening to her sister waffling on about a load of old rubbish. It was five to nine now and she was so afraid that she would miss Barry’s call. Frustrated beyond belief, she started to cry. ‘Please, Mum, tell her to get off the phone,’ she begged.

      Clocking her daughter’s distressed manner, Pam marched into the hallway with the spatula in her hand. ‘End the call now and tell Chloe you’ll ring her back after you’ve eaten your breakfast,’ she ordered Angela.

      ‘No, why should I? You’re only saying that ’cause she wants to use the phone,’ Angela replied, nodding towards Stephanie.

      Pam lifted the spatula above her head as if to hit her youngest daughter. ‘Put the phone down now, else you’re grounded all weekend.’

      Angela did as she was told, with so much force that the phone very nearly broke in two. ‘I hate you. You always stick up for her,’ she screamed, as she ran up the stairs.

      Seconds later, the phone rang again and Stephanie grabbed it. ‘Barry, is that you?’ she croaked emotionally.

      ‘Of course it’s me, babe. How you doing? Did you have a good birthday? I’ve sent you a card.’

      ‘No. I had a rubbish birthday and I’ve missed you so much,’ Stephanie said, tears rolling down her cheeks at the sound of his cockney voice.

      ‘I’ve missed you an’ all. I hate it out here, Steph. There’s so much work to be done in the bar and all me muvver and Jake do is sit on their arses drinking and larging it. I’ve lost about half a stone in weight ’cos I don’t stop grafting. It’s awful.’

      Relieved that Barry wasn’t having a good time, Steph stopped crying. ‘Is it hot out there? Have you seen loads of pretty girls in their bikinis yet?’ she asked, remembering what her sister had told her earlier.

      ‘You’re having a laugh. The birds are pig ugly, it’s bleedin’ freezing, and it certainly ain’t bikini weather. Have you got my letters yet? I sent the first one to you on Wednesday.’

      ‘No, but me mum said they take ages to come. As soon as I get it, I’ll write straight back to you.’

      ‘Listen, the pips are going and me money’s gonna run out soon. Just remember I love you. If you’re missing me, look at that heart and remember what I told you.’

      ‘I will, I love you too, Barry,’ Steph replied tearfully, before the line went dead.

      Angela, who had been earwigging at the top of the stairs, couldn’t help but laugh. Her sister was such an unclued-up sap. ‘Love you too, Barry,’ she mimicked.

      Tammy Andrews was in a world of her own as she walked towards Stephanie’s house. She had a major crush on Wayne Jackman, was so looking forward to seeing him tonight, and even though she had a feeling that with her ginger hair and freckles, she didn’t have a cat in hell’s chance, she couldn’t help the way she felt about him.

      Tammy walked into a newsagent’s, bought a can of Tizer and sat down on a nearby bench. When they had first got involved with Wayne Jackman, Tammy had thought he was the biggest dickhead ever to walk the earth. How wrong was I? Tammy mused, as she sipped her drink. Wayne was kind, thoughtful, funny, and with his ravishing good looks, possessed every quality Tammy wanted in a boyfriend. Debating whether or not to tell Steph about her crush on him, Tammy quickly decided against it. Not only would it be embarrassing if Steph mentioned it to Wayne and he was repulsed, but with Barry leaving as well, it just didn’t seem like appropriate timing. Pleased with her sensible decision, Tammy threw her empty can under the park bench and ran the rest of the way to her friend’s house.

      ‘Barry rang. He hates it out there, Tam, says it’s real boring, the girls are ugly, and all he does is work,’ Stephanie exclaimed, as she opened the front door with a smile on her face.

      ‘See, I told you so. What else did he say?’ Tammy asked excitedly.

      Stephanie led her friend into the lounge and repeated the conversation virtually word for word until she was interrupted by her little sister.

      ‘He said I love you, Steph; then she said, I love you too, Bal,’ Angela mocked.

      ‘Go away. This is a private conversation,’ Steph yelled.

      ‘She is such a bitch that girl. If she was my sister I’d have throttled her by now,’ Tammy said as Angie slammed the living-room door.

      Stephanie shrugged. She had spent years sticking up for Angela, but just lately, even she felt that she was running out of excuses for her sister. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with her, Tam. I mean, this morning her mate Chloe rang up just as Barry was meant to ring. I begged her to get off the phone, but she wouldn’t, not till me mum stepped in and sorted it.’

      ‘I bet she told СКАЧАТЬ