Free The Secrets of Ice Cream Success by AD Hartley Page A

like a third world despot.’ Newton corrected.
    ‘ Well, that’s
OK then.’ said Norton, appeased but none the wiser. ‘So, can I
come? I really think the Junior Director of Human Resources should
be at one interview at least. That is what HR is isn’t it?’ he
added in a whisper to Newton as Carlo thought about it. Newton
nodded, so Norton intensified his determined look.
    Unfortunately, determination on
Norton tended to manifest itself as a reddened face that looked
dangerously close to exploding, so Carlo caved under pressure not
to laugh. ‘OK, OK… you can come. Just don’t say anything. Let Uncle
Randy and me do the talking.’
    ‘ Who’s phone
is that?’ Abi said, looking around at the others as something
started beeping manically. ‘It’s not mine.’
    ‘ Not me,
either.’
    ‘ Mine’s in my
bedroom.’ Norton added.
    ‘ Must be
yours, Newt.’
    ‘ Mine doesn’t
have that ringtone anymore.’
    The gang turned to Carlo, the
only one who hadn’t accounted for his mobile phone. ‘It can’t be
mine. You’re all here.’ he pointed out. ‘Who else would call
me?’
    ‘ Just answer
the phone!’
    Carlo fished his mobile from
his jeans and looked at the screen. ‘Oh, God! It’s Victoria
Dearlove!’
    ‘ Answer it
then.’ Abi said, sitting up in excitement.
    Carlo pressed the call button
and lifted the phone to his ear. ‘Hello?’ he managed but the caller
had hung up. ‘I wonder what she wanted?’ Carlo said, staring at his
phone as if it may hold the answer. ‘I didn’t even know she had my
number. No one has my number.’
    Abi shifted in her seat. ‘Ah…
It’s funny you should mention that…’ she said, but Ben cut across
her…
    ‘ Call her
back, see what she wants.’
    ‘ What? Are you
mad… I’m not calling Vicky Dearlove.’
    ‘ Why not? She
called you.’
    ‘ Coz it’s
Vicky Dearlove!’
    ‘ He has a
point. I mean, it’s Vicky Dearlove.’ Norton added, helpfully. ‘You
don’t just call Vicky Dearlove.’
    ‘ But she
called him!’ Abi said exasperated. ‘She wants to speak to him! Call
her back, Carlo.’
    Carlo tried to sink into his
chair in the hope the cushions might show pity and swallow him.
Everyone was staring at him in anticipation of his next move but he
was stuck between the will of a girl who wanted to speak to him but
was not actually in the room; someone he probably couldn’t have
spoken to even if he wanted to; and the will of a girl he was more
than capable of talking to and was very much in the room, furrowed
of brow and resolute of manner.
    ‘ Call her!’
Abi ordered.
    Carlo looked at the three boys
hoping for some male solidarity but recognising that they were just
as interested in seeing the outcome, he gave in and pressed the
last number on his phone.
    ‘ What do I
say?’ he asked.
    ‘ Hello?’ Ben
offered.
    ‘ Thanks.’
Carlo answered, pulling a face at Ben just as the phone started to
ring, but he soon let out a sigh of relief as the call clicked
through to answerphone. He was just about to hang up when the tone
beeped in his ear awaiting his message. He hung up in
shock.
    ‘ No answer, it
just went to answerphone.’ he announced happily.
    ‘ Why didn’t
you leave a message?’ Abi asked.
    ‘ Why would I
do that?’
    ‘ Because
that’s what normal people do. I think you should call her
back.’
    ‘ Are you
mad?’
    ‘ Well, she
knows you called her now, so you might as well leave a message and
be nice.’
    Norton started to smirk. ‘Yeah,
play nicely, Carlo.’
    ‘ Shut up,
Norton. Carlo, leave her a message.’ Abi persisted.
    Carlo, feeling rather
harangued, pressed re-dial and waited for the answer machine, but
as it kicked in he made the mistake of looking over to Newt and
Norton and started to feel very self conscious. ‘Err… hi. Umm…
yeah, er, bye.’ he mumbled into the phone before hanging up.
    ‘ Carlo!’ Abi
moaned. ‘What was that?’
    ‘ I dunno… I
panicked.’
    ‘ Well, you’ll
have to ring her