Miranda's Big Mistake - Jill Mansell [129]
`Thanks.' The woman sniffed dolefully. `And I meant it when I said you looked miserable. You've always been so cheerful before.'
`We do our best.' Miranda helped her into her jacket. `What happened then? Did your boyfriend dump you?' Behind the desk, Bev flinched.
Miranda hesitated, then nodded.
`Something like that.'
Fenn returned as Miranda was helping her into a waiting cab.
`She's a good girl, this one. You look after her,' the woman told Fenn.
Mystified, he said, `Are you sure you've got the right person here?'
Back in the salon, Bev gave Miranda a hug.
`That spoilt, selfish bitch - you should have shoved a water nozzle down her throat and drowned her! I don't know how you managed to stay so calm.'
Miranda knew, but it was too hard to try and explain. Bev would only think she was weird if she told her that, basically, she couldn't be bothered to lose her temper, she had enough to be upset about already. A handful of insultsflung by a grown woman in the grip of a toddlerish tantrum were nothing in comparison with the misery she was already carrying like a ton weight around her neck.
Besides, in a funny kind of way, it was almost a comfort to know that - for whatever reason - other people were miserable too.
Even if in this case it had less to do with grief and rather more to do with off-white teeth and cellulite.
`What did she say?' Fenn demanded. `Something about you and Miles?'
`Sshhh.' Bev gave him an are-you-mad? look and rolled her eyes expressively in the direction of the intruder she hadn't yet managed to get rid of. `He's a reporter.'
'I'm not,' the intruder repeated wearily. `Miranda, will you please tell this stroppy woman that I am not a reporter?'
Miranda looked up, noticing him for the first time. Oh, the relief…
`Johnnie.'
Bev's head jerked from one to the other. Johnnie? Who was Johnnie? And how dare he come into a top Knightsbridge hair salon wearing truly horrible corduroy trousers, a sweater with holes in both elbows and muddy brogues?
Glancing at her watch, Miranda said, `Fenn, okay if I take my lunch break now?'
Fenn had already recognised Johnnie from the swimming pool incident at Tabitha Lester's house. He nodded, then, to maintain some semblance of normality, added, `Be back by one.'
`Who is he?' demanded Bev as the door swung shut
behind them. As far as she was concerned, the man was rude, scruffy and ignorant, and she couldn't imagine for the life of her how Miranda knew him.
`Miles Harper's best friend.' Fenn's tone was laconic. `He head-butts watermelons in his spare time.'
With a dismissive sniff, Bev retorted, `Why am I not surprised?'
Chapter 51
Miranda's composure crumbled the moment they were out of the salon.
`Oh, Johnnie.' She looked up at him, tears sliding down her cheeks, and he put his arms around her, enveloping her in a massive bear hug. `I'm so glad to see you. I've been feeling so… so on my own.'
When he nodded, Miranda realised that he had guessed this already; it was why he'd come to see her. So that she could talk about Miles with someone else who had known and loved him and was as miserable as she was.
More, probably, she thought with a pang, because she'd only known Miles for a few days. Johnnie had been his closest friend for years. They had told each other everything, shared-
BEEP-BEEP! tooted a passing transit van, and through the open passenger window a series of earsplitting wolf-whistles was followed by a roar of, `Go for it, mate, give her one from me!'
Tears turned to wry laughter and Miranda wiped the back of her hand across her wet face. They were quite the centre of attention, it appeared. Everywhere she looked, people were watching them, possibly waiting for her to be
given one, as the men in the transit had so sensitively suggested.
`What's her name?' said Johnnie, nodding in the direction of the salon.
Miranda peered around his arm. Bev, who had been staring at them, hurriedly looked