Suzy Turner is a Brit living in Portugal. She’s
worked as a journalist, assistant editor, features editor, and magazine editor.
Nearly four years ago she turned her attention to fiction and has since written
six young adult novels and recently published her first chick lit novel, Forever
Fredless. Today she joins us with a sneak peek at that book. Learn
more about Suzy at her website, her chick lit blog, and her YA blog. – AP
Forever Fredless
Kate Robinson has
spent the past two decades yearning to find her soul mate, the boy she found
and then lost during a family holiday. Shortly after her twenty-eighth
birthday, however, she inherits a fortune from an old family friend and becomes
something of an overnight celebrity. Can her new-found fame lead her to him
after all this time?
EXCERPT
Thank God for
anti-perspirant, I
thought as I sat on the couch and waited for the countdown to begin. I clutched
at my hands until they were white and looked across at the two people sitting
opposite, both completely at ease in front of the cameras.
Five, four,
three, two, one...
'Welcome back to
this morning's edition of Good Morning GB,' announced Ireland Rothschild, the
blonde-haired, blue eyed darling of morning TV. 'I'm here with Fergus O'Reilly
and we've a special guest with us this morning. None other than Britain's
love-struck multi-millionaire, Kate Robinson. 'Welcome, Kate,' she said with a
dazzling smile aimed more towards the camera than at me.
As my cheeks
began to heat up, I was so grateful to the make-up artist, who had insisted on
caking on the foundation before the show had started. In fact, I had so much
make-up on that I was hoping once I'd removed it, nobody would recognise me
when I headed to the airport in my now rather stupidly chosen car. I couldn't
exactly blend in driving a pink Mini could I?
'Good morning,' I
whispered shyly.
Fergus grinned
back at me, tilting his head as if he was about to speak to a child. 'Now, tell
us, Kate dear, how does it feel to never have to worry about money ever again?'
he asked, his toothpaste advert teeth twinkling beneath the heat of the studio
lights.
'Erm, well, I
guess it's... erm, kind of... erm,' I felt so bloody stupid. Great time for my
brain to stop working. 'I - erm. Great,' I nodded. 'Great, really great.'
Idiot.
Ireland glanced
across at her grey-haired colleague and pouted before nodding. 'Tell us how you
knew this man. This,' she glanced down at the iPad on her lap and continued,
'Samuel?'
I cleared my
throat and lifted my head, feeling like my brain was back in action. 'He was a
very good friend of the family, some years ago,' I answered.
'Just a friend?
Why did he leave you all his money and his property?' asked Fergus.
'He didn't have
any family and I guess you could say that my mother and I were the closest he
ever had to a family.'
'Isn't that
lovely?' pouted Ireland. 'You certainly are a lucky woman. But what about your
mother? Didn't she receive any of his inheritance?'
'No,' I said
before swallowing hard. 'My mother lives a rather... nomadic lifestyle, in
Africa. She doesn't want any of it. All she asked of me was to donate a sum to
charity which, of course, I have done.'
'She lives in
Africa? A nomadic lifestyle? That sounds intriguing. Perhaps we should
interview her one of these days,' laughed Ireland and Fergus together.
'Have you
splashed out on anything since receiving your inheritance back in June?' they
asked, leaning forward eagerly awaiting my answer.
'Yes I have
actually. I bought a car and a new house.'
'Well good for
you, Kate. But now, most of us are curious about this boy you lost. Tell us
about him?'
Oh no. Why did I
agree to this?
Taking a deep
breath, I knew I had no choice. Several articles had been printed since the one
in Liberty; everyone wanted to know more and nobody was going to leave
me alone until I told them everything.
'He was just a
boy who I had a connection with when I was much, much younger. It was at
Skegness. At an afternoon disco for kids. I was dancing and I felt someone
touch my back and when I turned around there he was. The most beautiful boy I'd ever seen,' I said, stopping and
smiling as I reminisced. ‘It was one of the happiest memories of my life.'
Sighing, I
continued, 'We just looked at each other and it was like everything else just
disappeared into the background. We stood staring, for what seemed like ages. I
could barely move. And then, almost as soon as it had begun, my dad appeared
and took me away. I couldn't do anything as we walked to the car. I looked
around for the boy but he was gone. And then, just as we were driving away, I
turned around in my seat and there he was. He had a daffodil in his hand. I
always assumed he'd gone to pick it for me, but that's just a childish fantasy,
I guess. The whole thing is probably nothing but a childish fantasy, really.'
Ireland was very
carefully dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, pretending to be moved, while
Fergus smiled sadly.
'What a beautiful
story, Kate. I don't believe for one second that this is a childish fantasy.
It's romantic and beautiful,' Ireland said.
'Now, tell us,
Kate. Why did you call him Fred?' asked Fergus.
Smiling, I
explained about the Right Said Fred song, just as the music began in the background.
'What a wonderful
tale. Thank you, Kate, for joining us today. It's been a pleasure having you
with us to share your story,' said Fergus.
'Thank you,' I
whispered before the camera moved back to Ireland as she straightened her skirt
and looked alluring.
'Do you remember
this moment in time?' she asked. 'Are you the elusive Fred? We'd love to hear
from you. You can contact us at...'
Before I could
hear anything else, I was ushered off the couch and back behind the scenes
where Jo stood, waiting patiently for me, with open arms.
1 comment:
Thank you so much for having me on your blog!! Its great to be here :D x
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