Free Styling Wellywood: A fashionable romantic comedy (Wellywood Series Book 2) by Kate O'Keeffe Page A

pay packet I had to put into rent each month? Sure, we had a good time there, and London’s a great place, but it wasn’t my real life. Nah, Jess, I don’t really miss it.”
    “ Well, I do,” I reply, feeling a small but perceptible wave of misery roll over me.
    T his might be a cool bar and Ben was right, the harbour did look beautiful today, but it’s just not the place I want to be.
    “ You’re right about one thing though,’ I say, taking a swig of my drink. “We’re here and we just need to make the most of it. That’s why I’m excited to have started up Estil with Morgan. That way I can bring some London glamour into these Wellington women’s lives, help them shine, you know?”
    “ You decided to go ahead with it then?” he asks.
    I’d told Ben about our exciting new personal styling business in an email when I was in London. His tone seems a little dubious, however.
    Ignoring it I reply, “Yes and we had our first client today and it went really, really well. Other than Morgan having to bail half way through that is, but I managed to pull it together and the client looked just great.”
    “Harrummph,” Ben grunts.
    “ What was that noise for?” I laugh, nudging him playfully.
    “ Well, Morgan’s always been a bit flaky.”
    “ In what way?” I ask, sounding defensive.
    What was this? Beat up on Morgan day? First Mum and now Ben? I thought everyone adored Morgs as much as me.
    “ Come on, Jess, she’s hardly stuck at a job for more than five minutes, has she? Marketing, now personal styling. Didn’t she study something else for a while there too?”
    I nod at him , thinking of her interior design aspirations.
    “ All I’m saying,” he’s looking at me earnestly now, “is be careful, Jess.”
    Ben is one of those people who makes you feel as though you’re not only the funniest and wittiest person on the planet but your wellbeing is the mo st important thing to him. Although I’m flattered he’s so concerned about me, I’m affronted on behalf of Morgan.
    “ Don’t worry, Dad ,” I say, gently ribbing him for being so boring and sensible. “She’s amazing at this styling thing and I know we’ll work well together. There would’ve been a really good reason for why she bailed today. And anyway, we’re such good friends.”
    “ Did you sign a contract with her?” he asks.
    A contract? God he’s such a lawyer.
    “ No, we don’t need to, Ben, because as I said we’re friends . And besides, we’ve agreed up front how it’s all going to work.”
    Man, he’s starting to make me feel really uncomfortable. It’s just because Ben doesn’t know Morgan the way I do. She’s one of the nicest, most supportive, caring and fun people I know. So she’s been weird over the last day or so. There’ll be a totally plausible explanation for it and I’m sure she’ll tell me all about it when I see her tomorrow.
    I decide to change the subject to something I’m more comfortable with. “So how’s your practice going? Keeping everyone above the law and making squillions of dollars?”
    Ben i s one of those really talented people who always seems to make a success of whatever he takes on.
    “ Want another drink?” He asks and I nod enthusiastically as he orders two more mojitos from the barman.
    “ It took a few months to get off the ground but we’ve all busted a gut to make it work and we’ve been pulling in some big clients. So I’d say things are starting to look really great.”
    Th at’s the other thing about Ben - he’s really positive, a kind of cheerleader type. Without the scanty outfits, high leg kicks and pom poms however. Clearly.
    “ That’s so great, Ben.” I’m genuinely happy for him. “And the love life? How’s Amber? She was out here a while back, wasn’t she?”
    Amber is Ben’s girlfriend. They were together for nearly two years in London and are now doing the long distance thing. She has a great job in media over there and doesn’t want to give