Miranda's Big Mistake - Jill Mansell [67]
`He's… um, got a golf tournament lined up for next Sunday. He won't be able to make it.'
Aah, bliss, no wonder people fibbed. It was so easy and it made you feel so much better, Miranda thought with a rushof relief. That horrid sick feeling had simply melted away in an instant, like magic.
I'll tell her soon, she promised herself.
Definitely.
Just not quite yet.
`He's away on your birthday? That's a real shame.' Bev's eyes widened with indignation. `Honestly, men are so selfish. He won't be away for the whole weekend, will he? Where's the tournament being held?'
Unable to think, offhand, of the name of a single golf course - was Murrayfield one? Was Greendale? Stenhousemuir? - Miranda was delighted to hear cross-sounding footsteps marching up behind them.
Phew, saved by the boss.
`Bev, stop gossiping and get back to work,' Fenn said sharply. `There's someone waiting at the desk.'
Bev glanced over her shoulder at the girl who had walked in off the street. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder white sweater, baggy combat trousers and dark glasses, and her hair was piled up under a khaki baseball cap.
`She doesn't have an appointment. And she hasn't been here before.' When it came to bookings, Bev had a memory like an elephant.
`So get rid of her.' Fenn sounded exasperated. `Tell her we can fit her in some time next year.'
`Ooh,' Miranda squealed without meaning to as the girl removed her glasses and baseball cap. `It's Daisy Schofield!'
`Oh dear, your rival in luurve.' Bev gave her a mock-sympathetic pat on the shoulder. `Daisy Schofield is Miles Harper's girlfriend,' she explained to Fenn, who was looking
surprised. Meaningfully she added, `Remember the day Miranda ended up in Try-it-on Tabitha's swimming pool?' Surprise swiftly gave way to alarm.
`Miranda? You're not seeing Miles Harper, are you?' `Of course I'm not. It's just Bev's sad idea of a joke.' `She fancies him, though. Like mad,' teased Bev.
Fenn raised his eyebrows at Miranda, who did her utmost
not to blush.
`Look, I promise you, I don't.'
Miranda had turned a dramatic shade of puce, which was always entertaining, but Fenn was busy rejigging this morning's appointments in his head. They might be fully booked, but business was business, and Daisy Schofield - currently one of the most photographed faces in Britain - would be terrific publicity for the salon.
`So if it's a cut and blow-dry she's after,' the look he gave Miranda was severe, `I can definitely trust you to wash her hair without trying to stuff her head down the sink.'
Miranda had come across some unchatty clients in her time but Daisy Schofield had to be the unchattiest. It was like trying to hold a conversation with a Pot Noodle.
Did someone recommend Fenn to you?' She tried again as she massaged shampoo into her head. For someone who famously maintained that her long ash-blonde hair was entirely natural, she couldn't help observing that Daisy Schofield had amazingly dark roots.
Yawning, Daisy shook her head.
`Saw him on TV.'
`Oh. I wondered if Tabitha Lester had suggested-'
`No.' Daisy yawned again, revealing an enviable lack o1 fillings.
Hate her, hate her.
`It's just that we were at Tabitha's house one day, doing her hair, and we bumped into your boyfriend,' Miranda blurted out. Heavens, Fenn would kill her if he could hear this, but it was like a compulsion, she so wanted to hear about Miles. She couldn't help wondering, too, if Miles ha(happened to mention their impromptu game of watermelon in the pool.
`I've never met Tabitha Lester,' said Daisy, closing her eyes.
She wasn't being bitchy or deliberately unpleasant, Miranda was irritated to realise. She just didn't want to talk.
Ah well, serves me right, she thought. What did I expect that Daisy would exclaim, `Don't tell me you're the one who ended up in the water with Miles! He hasn't stopped talkinl about you since!'
Oh yes, highly likely. He probably wouldn't recognise me if he bumped into me in the street.
I met Miles Harper for ten minutes, Miranda told herself and now I've got an embarrassing, infantile