MADE IN ESSEX. Laura Ziepe

laughed at his worried expression. ‘Sam, please! You don’t have to worry about me, hun. We were practically kids when we went out! If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t love you either.’ She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, which gave her away. He’d clearly hurt her feelings.

      ‘I won’t bore you any longer anyway,’ Sam muttered, feeling slightly awkward. ‘I’ve said too much. I’m drunk and need to make a move.’

      ‘Well you can’t leave Chloe; you’ll have to drop her at your mum’s. Your flat is in Chigwell, isn’t it?’

      He nodded.

      ‘Perfect, then I’ll come in the taxi too.’

      *

      Jade had been tossing and turning in bed for the past hour. She had so much on her mind and was finding it almost impossible to sleep, despite feeling exhausted.

      She’d learned how to do the admin section of their website with ease and had picked the whole thing up quickly, but even still, hadn’t got home until gone ten o’clock. Tony kept remembering problems they might encounter and had to teach her how to fix them, seeing as he wouldn’t be in the country to help. They could still contact him, but he was going to Australia and there would obviously be a huge time difference. He’d suggested they open a bottle of wine at one point and even though Jade had felt like saying yes, she wanted to make sure she had a clear head so she didn’t forget anything. Something told her that Sam wouldn’t be too impressed either if he knew she was drinking with Tony and it hadn’t felt right. She was glad she had stayed now so she knew exactly what to do; it meant they could get started as soon as possible. She’d agreed a photo shoot for the following week, so they would need to have a sample of every bikini in their collection made by then. They also needed a model and Jade had the perfect idea. Sam’s younger sister, Chloe, would be ideal. She was slim, tall, busty and absolutely stunning. The bikinis would look amazing on her and she was certain she’d love to do it too. She was a lovely girl and really friendly and it was easy to tell she was related to Sam. Perhaps Lisa would model too, she thought, and then they’d have a blonde and brunette. The photographer looked brilliant and she was so thankful for Tony and his contacts as he’d agreed to give them a discount if they used him regularly.

      She wondered how Sam’s night had been. He’d seemed so angry when she went to his flat that she hadn’t wanted to contact him and pester him. She was probably the last person he had wanted to hear from. It was the first blip in their relationship and it was horrible. She didn’t want things to go wrong and decided she would have to start putting him first and considering him more. She couldn’t keep forgetting their plans and turning up late to meet him, it wasn’t on. She didn’t want a successful business but no Sam, did she? The thought made her stomach flip over with fright. She’d organise something special for him this week to apologise for her behaviour. He had to forgive her. She had just wanted to do well in her career; it wasn’t a personal attack on him.

      As she closed her eyes she realised that she’d have to go over to see Sam tomorrow anyway, even though he told her he was busy. He wouldn’t have his football match until the afternoon, so she’d go round first thing in the morning. She’d stupidly left her red notebook round his house when she’d gone there to inform him she couldn’t go out and had had to write all her notes on some paper Tony had given her. She’d add the notes to her notebook tomorrow when she got it back, she told herself. After all, it contained everything about their business in it.

      *

      Adele strolled into Sam’s flat, impressed not only with its tidiness but also its modern décor. From the stunning French limestone floor to the spacious, luxurious kitchen with black marble surfaces it was every bit the perfect home. She secretly even preferred it to her own flat. It wasn’t as large, but for some reason it had a welcoming, homely atmosphere.

      ‘Nice place,’ she said, looking round.

      ‘Thanks,’ Sam murmured. He looked confused in his drunken state as he narrowed his eyes. ‘I still don’t understand why you got out at mine though? Why didn’t you get the taxi to drop you to yours?’

      Adele tried to think of a good lie. ‘The taxi man said we only said it would be two stops on the way back and seeing as we dropped Chloe back and then you, he wouldn’t drop me and told me to get out.’

      Sam had fallen asleep in the taxi and Adele had found a perfect opportunity to get back at Jade for snubbing her. She knew he didn’t have a clue what was going on and even better, he would never remember.

      ‘Well, just call a taxi,’ he mumbled, as he lay down on his cream leather sofa and started to fall asleep.

      ‘Sam,’ Adele giggled, ‘you can’t go to sleep there, silly. Here, let me help take you to bed.’

      He moaned as she tried to pull him up by his arms.

      ‘Leave me,’ he croaked.

      ‘Come on,’ Adele said, yanking him harder until he eventually gave up and followed her. She took him into his room and helped him on the bed, knowing Jade would kill him if she could see what was happening. The thought made her smile. Sam was, yet again, about to fall into another one of her traps. As he started to snore softly, Adele looked around his room. He had a photo of him and Jade in a silver antique frame on his window sill. They were both smiling and Jade looked beautiful, Adele acknowledged enviously. They were the most annoyingly perfect couple. She couldn’t believe that Sam had confessed Jade was the only girl he’d ever loved? What did Jade have that she didn’t? When was Adele going to meet someone perfectly suited to her? She hardly ever met anyone she liked. She wanted someone good looking who had money. None of this ‘I’ll take you out to Prezzos for a meal’ crap either. She wanted to be wined and dined in the poshest West End restaurants, taken away for the weekend abroad on a luxury yacht and driven around in a Ferrari. It was what someone like her deserved and she wasn’t settling for anything else. She had to admit that Sam was doing well for himself. She’d heard through the grapevine that he worked as a stockbroker in London and was earning good money, as well as getting hefty bonuses. He must be doing well, judging by his flat, Adele thought, as she nosed around. Jade was a lucky girl.

      She spotted the red diary on the end of his bed thinking she’d hit the jackpot. This couldn’t be true. Sam had a diary? This was turning out to be the best night ever! As she picked it up, expecting to read his deepest darkest confessions, her mouth dropped open as she read the title ‘Vajazzle My Bikini’ in girly handwriting. As she turned the pages, her heart beat faster and she beamed in ecstasy. This was a million times better than finding Sam’s diary! This was Jade and Kelly’s notebook with every single detail about their new business! She found details of where they bought their bikinis from, all their designs, a photographer they were going to use, advertising ideas, fashion shows they’d planned to attend and every other thing they’d done so far. She wouldn’t have to do hardly any work now! She could just copy everything they’d done and use all their contacts. This was fantastic! Adele couldn’t wait to tell her dad the next day and start getting her website built. She could buy all the same accessories to decorate the bikinis with now she knew the website they purchased them from, and just slightly change the designs. She could do better than them anyway, she thought, as she flicked through Jade’s sketches. Luckily she’d used a fairly big bag tonight, she decided, as she slipped the notebook in her beige Hermès leather tote. Not that Sam was going to wake up and catch her, she realised, trying not to laugh as she slipped the notebook in one of the compartments. She was elated. This was a dream come true coming here tonight.

      She walked over to Sam and looked down at his peaceful-looking face. He was fast asleep. She slowly began to unbutton his shirt, praying she wouldn’t wake him. Luckily, he didn’t even move. He was far too drunk to ever remember anything even if he did wake up, Adele told herself, banishing her nerves. She was safe. Before she knew it, his shirt was off and she was unbuckling his belt and pulling his jeans down. She moved the bed covers from underneath him and put them on top. As she peered under the covers at his tanned, toned, athletic body she wondered whether she should remove his boxers or not. She decided she should. Well, she had to make