Text copyright © 2014 Katie L Thompson
All Rights Reserved
Preview Extract: Cameron
It felt as though the sun was burning her back as Cameron sat at the table opposite her two sisters. They would have gone inside, if there had been any space. But, since the sun was out and it was the end of the summer holidays – the busiest time of the year for tourism – the place was packed. They’d only just managed to get a seat as it was. Anyone who turned up now was being turned away, told that there was already an hour long waiting list and that, if they wanted to, they could reserve a place for later. The red and white chequered table cloths and cream tea and scones made the place feel typically British, and so it was a prime tourist spot.
“You can see why everyone wants a seat though, can’t you?” Kelly said.
Both Cameron and Daisy nodded.
Summer was Kelly’s favourite time of year.
“Outside always looks so beautiful in the summer,” Kelly said.
The trees swayed in the gentle breeze, complete with a thick coat of fresh green leaves. Sunlight danced on the stream that flowed slowly beside the café. And there wasn’t a cloud in sight.
“You must be boiling in that,” Kelly said, looking at Daisy’s clothing.
She was wearing a black, form fitting vest top and a full length skirt. It was unusual to see Daisy wearing anything but jeans unless she was on the dance floor. Her artistic career didn’t allow her much opportunity to wear many pretty skirts, so her wardrobe mainly consisted of paint splattered jeans and the odd pair of dungarees.
“Some of us don’t have the legs to wear a skirt like that.” Daisy crossed her legs, shifting the floral fabric of her skirt into a different position. She envied her younger sisters and their short skirts and fabulous legs.
“Well I think you look fantastically summery,” Cameron said. “And really Kelly, that skirt is a tad short.”
“Oh, you don’t really think it’s too short do you? I’ve picked out an even shorter one to wear tonight for my date with, oh, what was his name? Frank or Freddie…”
For the past year, since their mother’s funeral, the three sisters had made a promise to meet up at the same café once a week. In that past year Cameron had formed a connection with her older sister, Daisy, that she’d never had as a child.
Daisy had left home on her sixteenth birthday, leaving Cameron and Kelly behind when they were both young children. Being only four-years old when Daisy left Cameron had never been given the chance to get to know her older sister like she did now. Over the last year the three girls had grown closer and now they were more like best friends than sisters, despite the age difference.
A delicious smell wafted out from the café as a waiter backed out of the door carrying a tray brimming with tea and scones. All three pairs of eyes focused on the waiter holding the tray.
“He’s got rather a nice bum,” Kelly said, causing their attention to focus on her instead of the waiter.
“Really Kelly, don’t you think it’s time you grew up a little bit?”
It hadn’t taken long for Daisy to take over as mother figure. After their mother’s death she’d easily slotted into their life as the older, wiser woman who they could depend on for almost anything.
“I’m still young. I have plenty of time to grow up, but right now, I’m happy being twenty-three.”
“Twenty-three, you look fifteen.”
“Please I’m at least sixteen. And, just because I have pink hair and wear short skirts does not make me any less of a woman than you are.”
Daisy decided not to argue. It was just lucky that the café where Kelly worked specialised in uncontrollable teenagers, most of whom had dyed hair, short skirts and numerous tattoos.
“Sorry. Can I? Thanks.” A waitress slid the edge of her tray onto the table and started unloading it.
Cameron’s mouth watered at the thought of sinking her teeth into a soft, cream covered scone.
Daisy picked up the butter knife.
“I have an announcement to make.” She looked from one sister to the other before continuing. “We have officially set the date.”
Cameron and Kelly screamed in harmony, causing everyone sitting on the patio area outside the café to look at them, intrigued.
“Keep it down will you.” Daisy blushed, spreading a large helping of cream onto one half of her scone. She hated public displays of any kind, but even more so if she was the centre of attention.
Daisy and Jono had been engaged for three months. Three months which they could have spent planning the wedding, Cameron thought. She’d had her ideal wedding planned since she was five years old, of course it had changed slightly over the years, but all the main details were in a notebook waiting for the time when they’d be needed.
“So, what’s the date?” Cameron attempted to whisper, but her excitement took over, and she was shouting again. “Please tell me you’re having a summer wedding. It would be oh so romantic. You could have it outside. I’ve always liked the idea of having it at that golf club. You know, the one over there. We went there for dinner one time, they had photos in reception of the–”
“And that’s why I want you to be my wedding planner,” Daisy cut in.
“Oh, but, I don’t know the faintest thing about planning a wedding. They were just ideas. I…alright, if you insist. I’ll do it.” Ideas were already swarming in her mind.
“I can’t believe you’re really getting married,” Kelly said. She could never imagine being married. One guy for the rest of your life, she shivered at the thought.
Daisy looked down at the table. “Do I not seem like marriage material?” she whispered.
“Of course you’re marriage material,” Kelly said, realising what she’d said might have offended her sister. “It’s just, well, I’d never want to get married. Maybe when I’m older but not for a long time yet.”
“I am thirty-six,” Daisy said quietly. Sometimes it felt strange having two sisters in their mid-twenties. She was so much older than them, she often felt like an outsider.
“I guess maybe I’d be ready to settle down by then, but I doubt it.” She looked at Cameron, hoping she’d say something to change the topic and get her out of trouble.
Kelly always forgot how much older Daisy was than them. Cameron was twenty-four, a year older than Kelly, and so far, neither of them had found anyone near perfect to spend the rest of their lives with, not that Kelly had been looking. Cameron, however, was a hopeless romantic. It seemed like she’d been searching for the guy to marry ever since she’d started dating when she was thirteen. Unfortunately boys rarely saw her for anything more than her good looks. Kelly could see why though. She would happily swap Cameron’s natural poker straight blonde hair for her naturally thick, uncontrollable, mass of brown frizz that took her two hours to straighten every morning and an hour to dye every six weeks.
An awkward silence hung over the table.
“Any new men on the horizon?” Kelly asked Cameron.
Cameron’s last relationship had blown up just over a month ago, and she didn’t usually waste any time before finding her next suitor. Always on the hunt for ‘Mr. Right’ she didn’t have time to moon over ex-boyfriends. She was a huge believer in ‘what’s meant to be will be’ so if one relationship ended then he obviously wasn’t ‘the one,’ and her soul mate was still out there looking for her.
Cameron waved her question away with a flap of her hand.
“What does–”
“What colour will the bridesmaids’ dresses be?” Cameron cut Kelly off midsentence.
“I hadn’t even thought of that.” Daisy looked up at the sky as if she could pluck the answer out of thin air.
“Have you found anyone?” Kelly tried again, but Cameron ignored her, too busy chattering about wedding preparations.
“I’m sorry, but unless you’re planning on buying anything else we could really do with that table.” The waiter, whom Kelly said had a nice bum, was teetering nervously beside the table.
“I’m awfully sorry, we totally lost track of time,” Cameron said, slipping an extra five pound note into the waiter’s hand. She hated causing any kind of inconvenience and quickly grabbed her handbag off the back of her chair and got to her feet.
She sat on the brick wall surrounding a water fountain in the middle of the village. From there you could see almost all of the shops, restaurants and cafés on that stretch of road.
“What’s Kelly doing?” Cameron asked. She was still standing by their table in the café talking to the waiter.
“Probably giving him her phone number,” Daisy replied, sitting on the wall next to her. “I brought Jono and the kids here the other day. Emma thought this was a swimming pool, and Jade climbed in it when we weren’t looking.”
“I don’t know how you two manage with three kids.”
“I don’t know how Jono used to manage on his own. His sister’s great though. She’s always coming around, helping us out, and she still takes the kids every Saturday so we can have a bit of peace and quiet.”
Daisy often thought she wouldn’t be able to cope without the help of Jono’s sister. Nadia didn’t have any children of her own, but she was bound to be a fantastic mother if she ever had any.
“I really should baby sit for you more often. Let me take them off you one Sunday so you and Jono can have a whole weekend to yourselves.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. They’re little monsters. They’d eat you alive and turn your house into sawdust.”
“Nonsense. It can’t be that hard to look after three children. If Jono managed to do it on his own I’m sure I can do it, and I’ll get Kelly to help me.”
“Well, it would be nice to have some time to ourselves, especially with the wedding coming up. We’ll talk about it another time.” Daisy could already imagine the havoc their children would cause under Cameron’s supervision.
Sapphire was the oldest of the three children, she was seven but acted like a stroppy teenager after spending so much time in the last three years with her older cousins. Jade was six but like many middle children she could be a horror at times. Emma was by far Daisy’s favourite, although she knew she shouldn’t have favourites she couldn’t help it. Emma was five and had only just turned four when she’d started dating Jono, being the youngest of the three children she hadn’t known her birth mother very well, and so she’d quickly attached herself to Daisy, believing that she was her real mother.
“Look, Kelly’s coming back at last.”
She skipped the last few metres to the water fountain.
“I know what you’re going to say, but please don’t,” she said, before Daisy could open her mouth.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but don’t you have a date tonight?” Daisy said.
“Yes, and by the way that is saying something.”
“What about Frank or Freddie? Have you even remembered his name yet?”
“Frazer’s just a one night thing–”
“Aren’t you–”
“–we’re going out for a meal then he’ll come over, stay the night and be gone before I wake up the following morning. And no, I’m not too old to do things like that. Lots of women my age do.”
“Yes, but then many women your age have been to university and are married.”
“What does university have to do with anything?” Kelly asked, shooting Daisy a look of anger combined with a touch of pain.
“Don’t you think you’re a bit old to be working in a café as a waitress? Isn’t it time you got a proper job?”
“Cameron didn’t go to university, and you never moan at her,” Kelly whined.
“What’s everyone doing for the rest of the weekend?” Cameron asked, before the subject changed to her and her lack of a career.
“Jade’s going to a party so I have to stay with her all day.”
“And I’m working.” Kelly shot Daisy an evil look.
“I never said you didn’t work. I said you could do better than waitressing.”
“There’s nothing wrong with waitressing.”
“No, you’re right, there’s not.”
Cameron stayed out of the way, avoiding eye contact with Daisy as she muttered “unless you’re older than nineteen,” under her breath.
“Let’s go to the beach. I expect the ice cream van will be there,” Cameron said, hoping for a change of topic.
“It’ll be infested with kids,” Kelly said, not overly fond of children and their sticky, ice-creamy fingers.
“And I need a coffee,” Daisy said, rubbing her eyes. “Emma’s kept me up all week. I think I managed three hours sleep last night.”
“Should we go back to the café?” Kelly suggested.
“No. I think I’ll just go home. I can’t afford more than one dosing of cream tea and scones a week.”
“Do you guys want to come back to mine for a coffee?” Kelly asked. She wasn’t meeting Frazer until nine o’clock so she had plenty of time to waste.
“I’ve got to get back to cook the girls’ tea and then I’ve got to cook myself and Jono tea.”
“And I’m meeting Laura tonight, so I can’t or I won’t have time to get ready.”
“Not even for a few minutes?” Kelly asked, she didn’t know why, but she didn’t want to be alone, waiting for the time to pass until her date with Frazer.
They both shook their heads.
“The girls get really grumpy when they’re hungry and it’ll make them late for bed.”
“Well, alright. See you next weekend then.”
Daisy and Cameron walked to the car park while Kelly walked the opposite way, towards her house.
“So what’s really going on with you?” Daisy asked, slipping back into mother mode again.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to hide stuff from me. Why haven’t you found a boyfriend yet?”
“I just don’t want one. The last three have been total disasters. Do you think there’s something wrong with me? That makes every man I date cheat on me?”
Daisy put her arm around Cameron’s shoulders and squashed her up against her side. “Of course not, darling. You just haven’t found the right man yet.”
“I’m starting to think there isn’t a ‘right man’ out there for me.”
“I promise you there is. You just have to be patient.”
“I’ve had enough of men. I’m going to have a break from them for a while. Focus on me for once.”
“That’s a good idea, sweetie.”
All Rights Reserved
Preview Extract: Cameron
It felt as though the sun was burning her back as Cameron sat at the table opposite her two sisters. They would have gone inside, if there had been any space. But, since the sun was out and it was the end of the summer holidays – the busiest time of the year for tourism – the place was packed. They’d only just managed to get a seat as it was. Anyone who turned up now was being turned away, told that there was already an hour long waiting list and that, if they wanted to, they could reserve a place for later. The red and white chequered table cloths and cream tea and scones made the place feel typically British, and so it was a prime tourist spot.
“You can see why everyone wants a seat though, can’t you?” Kelly said.
Both Cameron and Daisy nodded.
Summer was Kelly’s favourite time of year.
“Outside always looks so beautiful in the summer,” Kelly said.
The trees swayed in the gentle breeze, complete with a thick coat of fresh green leaves. Sunlight danced on the stream that flowed slowly beside the café. And there wasn’t a cloud in sight.
“You must be boiling in that,” Kelly said, looking at Daisy’s clothing.
She was wearing a black, form fitting vest top and a full length skirt. It was unusual to see Daisy wearing anything but jeans unless she was on the dance floor. Her artistic career didn’t allow her much opportunity to wear many pretty skirts, so her wardrobe mainly consisted of paint splattered jeans and the odd pair of dungarees.
“Some of us don’t have the legs to wear a skirt like that.” Daisy crossed her legs, shifting the floral fabric of her skirt into a different position. She envied her younger sisters and their short skirts and fabulous legs.
“Well I think you look fantastically summery,” Cameron said. “And really Kelly, that skirt is a tad short.”
“Oh, you don’t really think it’s too short do you? I’ve picked out an even shorter one to wear tonight for my date with, oh, what was his name? Frank or Freddie…”
For the past year, since their mother’s funeral, the three sisters had made a promise to meet up at the same café once a week. In that past year Cameron had formed a connection with her older sister, Daisy, that she’d never had as a child.
Daisy had left home on her sixteenth birthday, leaving Cameron and Kelly behind when they were both young children. Being only four-years old when Daisy left Cameron had never been given the chance to get to know her older sister like she did now. Over the last year the three girls had grown closer and now they were more like best friends than sisters, despite the age difference.
A delicious smell wafted out from the café as a waiter backed out of the door carrying a tray brimming with tea and scones. All three pairs of eyes focused on the waiter holding the tray.
“He’s got rather a nice bum,” Kelly said, causing their attention to focus on her instead of the waiter.
“Really Kelly, don’t you think it’s time you grew up a little bit?”
It hadn’t taken long for Daisy to take over as mother figure. After their mother’s death she’d easily slotted into their life as the older, wiser woman who they could depend on for almost anything.
“I’m still young. I have plenty of time to grow up, but right now, I’m happy being twenty-three.”
“Twenty-three, you look fifteen.”
“Please I’m at least sixteen. And, just because I have pink hair and wear short skirts does not make me any less of a woman than you are.”
Daisy decided not to argue. It was just lucky that the café where Kelly worked specialised in uncontrollable teenagers, most of whom had dyed hair, short skirts and numerous tattoos.
“Sorry. Can I? Thanks.” A waitress slid the edge of her tray onto the table and started unloading it.
Cameron’s mouth watered at the thought of sinking her teeth into a soft, cream covered scone.
Daisy picked up the butter knife.
“I have an announcement to make.” She looked from one sister to the other before continuing. “We have officially set the date.”
Cameron and Kelly screamed in harmony, causing everyone sitting on the patio area outside the café to look at them, intrigued.
“Keep it down will you.” Daisy blushed, spreading a large helping of cream onto one half of her scone. She hated public displays of any kind, but even more so if she was the centre of attention.
Daisy and Jono had been engaged for three months. Three months which they could have spent planning the wedding, Cameron thought. She’d had her ideal wedding planned since she was five years old, of course it had changed slightly over the years, but all the main details were in a notebook waiting for the time when they’d be needed.
“So, what’s the date?” Cameron attempted to whisper, but her excitement took over, and she was shouting again. “Please tell me you’re having a summer wedding. It would be oh so romantic. You could have it outside. I’ve always liked the idea of having it at that golf club. You know, the one over there. We went there for dinner one time, they had photos in reception of the–”
“And that’s why I want you to be my wedding planner,” Daisy cut in.
“Oh, but, I don’t know the faintest thing about planning a wedding. They were just ideas. I…alright, if you insist. I’ll do it.” Ideas were already swarming in her mind.
“I can’t believe you’re really getting married,” Kelly said. She could never imagine being married. One guy for the rest of your life, she shivered at the thought.
Daisy looked down at the table. “Do I not seem like marriage material?” she whispered.
“Of course you’re marriage material,” Kelly said, realising what she’d said might have offended her sister. “It’s just, well, I’d never want to get married. Maybe when I’m older but not for a long time yet.”
“I am thirty-six,” Daisy said quietly. Sometimes it felt strange having two sisters in their mid-twenties. She was so much older than them, she often felt like an outsider.
“I guess maybe I’d be ready to settle down by then, but I doubt it.” She looked at Cameron, hoping she’d say something to change the topic and get her out of trouble.
Kelly always forgot how much older Daisy was than them. Cameron was twenty-four, a year older than Kelly, and so far, neither of them had found anyone near perfect to spend the rest of their lives with, not that Kelly had been looking. Cameron, however, was a hopeless romantic. It seemed like she’d been searching for the guy to marry ever since she’d started dating when she was thirteen. Unfortunately boys rarely saw her for anything more than her good looks. Kelly could see why though. She would happily swap Cameron’s natural poker straight blonde hair for her naturally thick, uncontrollable, mass of brown frizz that took her two hours to straighten every morning and an hour to dye every six weeks.
An awkward silence hung over the table.
“Any new men on the horizon?” Kelly asked Cameron.
Cameron’s last relationship had blown up just over a month ago, and she didn’t usually waste any time before finding her next suitor. Always on the hunt for ‘Mr. Right’ she didn’t have time to moon over ex-boyfriends. She was a huge believer in ‘what’s meant to be will be’ so if one relationship ended then he obviously wasn’t ‘the one,’ and her soul mate was still out there looking for her.
Cameron waved her question away with a flap of her hand.
“What does–”
“What colour will the bridesmaids’ dresses be?” Cameron cut Kelly off midsentence.
“I hadn’t even thought of that.” Daisy looked up at the sky as if she could pluck the answer out of thin air.
“Have you found anyone?” Kelly tried again, but Cameron ignored her, too busy chattering about wedding preparations.
“I’m sorry, but unless you’re planning on buying anything else we could really do with that table.” The waiter, whom Kelly said had a nice bum, was teetering nervously beside the table.
“I’m awfully sorry, we totally lost track of time,” Cameron said, slipping an extra five pound note into the waiter’s hand. She hated causing any kind of inconvenience and quickly grabbed her handbag off the back of her chair and got to her feet.
She sat on the brick wall surrounding a water fountain in the middle of the village. From there you could see almost all of the shops, restaurants and cafés on that stretch of road.
“What’s Kelly doing?” Cameron asked. She was still standing by their table in the café talking to the waiter.
“Probably giving him her phone number,” Daisy replied, sitting on the wall next to her. “I brought Jono and the kids here the other day. Emma thought this was a swimming pool, and Jade climbed in it when we weren’t looking.”
“I don’t know how you two manage with three kids.”
“I don’t know how Jono used to manage on his own. His sister’s great though. She’s always coming around, helping us out, and she still takes the kids every Saturday so we can have a bit of peace and quiet.”
Daisy often thought she wouldn’t be able to cope without the help of Jono’s sister. Nadia didn’t have any children of her own, but she was bound to be a fantastic mother if she ever had any.
“I really should baby sit for you more often. Let me take them off you one Sunday so you and Jono can have a whole weekend to yourselves.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. They’re little monsters. They’d eat you alive and turn your house into sawdust.”
“Nonsense. It can’t be that hard to look after three children. If Jono managed to do it on his own I’m sure I can do it, and I’ll get Kelly to help me.”
“Well, it would be nice to have some time to ourselves, especially with the wedding coming up. We’ll talk about it another time.” Daisy could already imagine the havoc their children would cause under Cameron’s supervision.
Sapphire was the oldest of the three children, she was seven but acted like a stroppy teenager after spending so much time in the last three years with her older cousins. Jade was six but like many middle children she could be a horror at times. Emma was by far Daisy’s favourite, although she knew she shouldn’t have favourites she couldn’t help it. Emma was five and had only just turned four when she’d started dating Jono, being the youngest of the three children she hadn’t known her birth mother very well, and so she’d quickly attached herself to Daisy, believing that she was her real mother.
“Look, Kelly’s coming back at last.”
She skipped the last few metres to the water fountain.
“I know what you’re going to say, but please don’t,” she said, before Daisy could open her mouth.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but don’t you have a date tonight?” Daisy said.
“Yes, and by the way that is saying something.”
“What about Frank or Freddie? Have you even remembered his name yet?”
“Frazer’s just a one night thing–”
“Aren’t you–”
“–we’re going out for a meal then he’ll come over, stay the night and be gone before I wake up the following morning. And no, I’m not too old to do things like that. Lots of women my age do.”
“Yes, but then many women your age have been to university and are married.”
“What does university have to do with anything?” Kelly asked, shooting Daisy a look of anger combined with a touch of pain.
“Don’t you think you’re a bit old to be working in a café as a waitress? Isn’t it time you got a proper job?”
“Cameron didn’t go to university, and you never moan at her,” Kelly whined.
“What’s everyone doing for the rest of the weekend?” Cameron asked, before the subject changed to her and her lack of a career.
“Jade’s going to a party so I have to stay with her all day.”
“And I’m working.” Kelly shot Daisy an evil look.
“I never said you didn’t work. I said you could do better than waitressing.”
“There’s nothing wrong with waitressing.”
“No, you’re right, there’s not.”
Cameron stayed out of the way, avoiding eye contact with Daisy as she muttered “unless you’re older than nineteen,” under her breath.
“Let’s go to the beach. I expect the ice cream van will be there,” Cameron said, hoping for a change of topic.
“It’ll be infested with kids,” Kelly said, not overly fond of children and their sticky, ice-creamy fingers.
“And I need a coffee,” Daisy said, rubbing her eyes. “Emma’s kept me up all week. I think I managed three hours sleep last night.”
“Should we go back to the café?” Kelly suggested.
“No. I think I’ll just go home. I can’t afford more than one dosing of cream tea and scones a week.”
“Do you guys want to come back to mine for a coffee?” Kelly asked. She wasn’t meeting Frazer until nine o’clock so she had plenty of time to waste.
“I’ve got to get back to cook the girls’ tea and then I’ve got to cook myself and Jono tea.”
“And I’m meeting Laura tonight, so I can’t or I won’t have time to get ready.”
“Not even for a few minutes?” Kelly asked, she didn’t know why, but she didn’t want to be alone, waiting for the time to pass until her date with Frazer.
They both shook their heads.
“The girls get really grumpy when they’re hungry and it’ll make them late for bed.”
“Well, alright. See you next weekend then.”
Daisy and Cameron walked to the car park while Kelly walked the opposite way, towards her house.
“So what’s really going on with you?” Daisy asked, slipping back into mother mode again.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to hide stuff from me. Why haven’t you found a boyfriend yet?”
“I just don’t want one. The last three have been total disasters. Do you think there’s something wrong with me? That makes every man I date cheat on me?”
Daisy put her arm around Cameron’s shoulders and squashed her up against her side. “Of course not, darling. You just haven’t found the right man yet.”
“I’m starting to think there isn’t a ‘right man’ out there for me.”
“I promise you there is. You just have to be patient.”
“I’ve had enough of men. I’m going to have a break from them for a while. Focus on me for once.”
“That’s a good idea, sweetie.”