Jill Mansell - Chapter 1

‘It is.’ Lola could see the gaze of men sliding over her without pausing in their search for an attractive girl to flirt with.Tonight, she couldn’t help noticing, the attractive girl was Cheryl in her undulating hula skirt.

‘Look.’ Eager to help, Cheryl pointed across the dance floor. ‘Those people over there are looking at you.’

‘They’re laughing.That’s different.They’re pretending to clean their whiskers and lick their paws.’ Lola took another swig of water. ‘I don’t mind. I’m just saying. Actually, those celebrities who whinge and moan about being pestered every time they go out could do a lot worse than get themselves a nice bunny suit.’

‘Hey, at least you aren’t Barney the Dinosaur.’

Poor old Tim, his outfit was even hotter and heavier than her own. Lola watched him attempting to dance like George Michael when he was still straight, wincing as his dinosaur tailswung lethally from side to side. Helen, dressed as Cleopatra, was gamely bopping around with Batman, aka Darren, who had legs like string beans. In the far corner of the dance floor a group of Hogwarts students with black bin-bag cloaks were climbing onto their broomsticks

‘I can see someone looking at you.’ Cheryl gave her a nudge. Lola didn’t get her hopes up.

‘Where?’

‘Over there, just cone in.’ Cheryl nodded at the door. ‘The one in the blue shirt, see him yet? He hasn’t taken his eyes off you since he got here. Actually ...’ Her voice trailed off as she peered more closely at the new arrival. ‘He looks familiar. Where have I seen him before? Ooh, and now he’s coming over!’

Lola surveyed him, glad she hadn’t got her hopes up. ‘He’s one of our customers.’

‘God, you’re right, it is. Did we invite customers along tonight?’

‘No.’ Mystified, Lola watched the man who wasn’t a private detective. When he reached them she noticed that the usual easy smile was tinged with something else, possibly nerves.

‘Hi.’ As she nodded in recognition, one of the bunny ears flopped down into her field of vision, which didn’t help.

‘Hi there. I wasn’t sure at first if it was you.’ The smile became a grin. ‘Nice outfit.’

‘Thanks.’ Lola paused as Cheryl melted tactfully away into the crowd. ‘So is this a coincidence, you turning up here tonight?’

‘No, it isn’t. When I was in the shop yesterday I heard your friend talking about the party here tonight.’

At least he was honest. ‘So are you a stalker?’

Another pause. Finally he shook his head. ‘Not really. I mean, I suppose so, kind of. But for a reason. Not in a creepy way, I promise.’

That was the thing, he just didn’t seem creepy. ‘Well, good,’ said Lola, indicating Darren on the dance floor, ‘because otherwise I’d have to set Batman onto you.’

The corners of the man’s eyes creased with amusement but beneath the surface he was still on edge. ‘Look, is there anywhere we could talk?’

‘About what?’

‘Something important. Sorry, I know this place isn’t ideal, but I didn’t want to do it at the bookshop. There’s a free table over there in the corner.’ As he steered Lola gently towards it, he eyed the empty bottle of water in her hand. ‘Can I get you another drink? Maybe a ... carrot juice?’

Lola stopped, gave him a look.

He raised his hands. ‘OK, sorry, sorry. I can’t believe I said that.’

‘I can’t believe it either. So far this evening eleven people have asked me if I’d like a carrot juice. Eight have asked me if I’d like some lettuce. Four have made hilarious jokes about popping out of a magician’s hat. Honestly, this place is just one huge comedy club bursting with Billy Connollys.’

‘Sorry, I’m usually a bit more original than that. Put it down to nerves.’

They reached the table. The man pulled out a chair for Lola then sat down himself.

‘Why are you nervous?’ Her right ear was falling over her eye again; impatiently Lola tossed it out of the way. ‘Sure I can’t get you a drink?’

‘I’d rather know what all this is about.’

Wham! finished playing and was replaced — surprise surprise — by Slade belting out ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’. Noddy Holder’s cheese-grater voice vibrated off the walls and everyoneon the dance floor punched the air, pogo-ing madly and singing along not quite in time with the music. Having watched them for a few seconds, Lola turned her attention back to the man and said, ‘Still waiting.’

In the dim lighting of this corner of the bar his expression was unreadable. ‘Twentieth of May?’

Something squeezed tight in Lola’s chest. ‘That’s my birthday’

He sat back, exhaled, pushed his fingers through his dark hair then half smiled. ‘In that case you’re definitely my daughter.’

The furry white nylon ear flopped once more over Lola’s face. Little stars danced in her field of vision as she fumbled with the Velcro fastening her costume at the neck. But her fingers couldn’t manage it and heat was spreading inexorably through her body. Finally she managed to say,

‘Please, could you help me take my head off? I’m feeling a bit ... um, faint.’

Chapter 17

One minute you were in a wine bar more or less blending in with the twenty-two other people cavorting around in fancy dress, the next minute you were sitting in an all-night café with a mug of hot tea, attracting all manner of smirks and funny looks from everyone else in the place.

Lola still couldn’t assimilate what had happened; her brain had stubbornly refused to believe what he was telling her. Apart from anything else, this man wasn’t even American.Yet ... why would he be here doing this if it weren’t true?

‘Sorry.’ The man sitting opposite her said it for the third time. ‘I knew it was going to be a shock but I couldn’t think of any way of saying it that wouldn’t be.’

‘That’s OK.’ At least it was cooler in here. The urge to pass out had receded. Her head was still spinning but out of shock rather than syncope. ‘You can’t imagine how unexpected this is.’

He did that rueful semi-smile again. ‘For me too.’

Lola sipped her tea, burning her mouth but appreciating the sugar rush. ‘So you’re ... Steve?’

The semi-smile abruptly disappeared. ‘No. That’s not me.’

So. Not American, not called Steve. Something wasn’t right here. But he seemed so genuine, so convinced .. .

‘What’s your name then?’

What’s your name? What a question.

‘Nick. Nick James.’ Shaking his head, he said, ‘I can’t believe your mother didn’t tell you that.’

‘Tull, that’s nothing! She told me you were from New York.’ She looked at him suspiciously.

‘Are you?’ Was he, perhaps, pretending to be British?

His eyebrows went up. ‘What else did she say?’

‘Oh God.’ Lola almost dropped her cup. ‘Your eyebrows. That’s just how mine go when I’m surprised ...’ Tea slopped onto the table as her trembling increased, because the similarity was almost uncanny. ‘You’ve got my eyebrows!’

‘Actually, you’ve got mine,’ Nick James pointed out. ‘That’s incredible! And we have dark hair.’

‘You have your mother’s eyes and freckles.’

‘But not her hair. Before you saw me, did you think I’d be a redhead?’

He shook his head. ‘I knew you weren’t. I visited you once, when you were a baby!

Lola felt as if.. all the air had been squeezed from her lungs. ‘You did?’

‘Oh yes. Briefly.’ He smiled. ‘You were beautiful. Seeing you for the first time ... well, it was incredible.’

Her eyes abruptly filling with tears, Lola said, ‘And then you buggered off again! The tears took her by surprise and she brushed them away angrily; it wasn’t as if she’d had a miserable life without