Free Champagne Kisses by Amanda Brunker Page A

knew she was coping on her own.
    After suppressing the need to pee for about twenty minutes, terrified I’d spoil the moment, I excused myself from my American dream.
    ‘I’ll be right here,’ he said, in a smouldering and smooth tone.
    Unfortunately I then went and ruined the moment slightly by jumping off my seat and chirping, ‘O-K’, as if I wasn’t bothered.
    After a lengthy toilet break and a quick text to Lisa: ‘The Princess: Miss U. GR8 nite. Wish U were ere’, I gathered my composure and strutted back outside – and found Parker draped all over Michael.
    ‘I’ve just been acquainted with your new friend, Eva,’ gushed Parker. ‘Isn’t he just the dogs?’
    Unfazed by a strapping gay man swinging from his shoulder, Michael explained, ‘I hear you’re going to some big party tonight. It sounds great.’
    ‘Does it?’ I asked, totally clueless.
    ‘Yes, Miss Eva,’ interrupted Parker. ‘It’s going to be totally fabulous –
if
we ever get there. We’re already past fashionably late, so get your skates on.’
    Panicked, I just stood there looking gormless. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted my chat to Michael to go on for ever. Damn Parker for coming in and ruining my moment. Backing away, Michael handed me my jacket and my fake Prada handbag – it looked money even though it wasn’t – and threw me a winning smile.
    ‘Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you around.’ His velvety words melted out of his mouth like chocolate.
    ‘Yeah,’ I replied, praying for him to ask for my phone number. But he didn’t. He just smiled back at me. Then Parker grabbed my hand, and pretending to use me as a puppet he put on his camp girlie voice and flapped my arm around saying, ‘Right then, bye-bye Mr America, lovely to meet you. Byeeee.’
    As he pushed me towards the door, Maddie and Anna air-kissed his friends goodbye and then blocked my view of Michael.
    ‘Fuck sake, Parker,’ I barked, ‘could you not have given me an extra minute? I thought I was getting somewhere with him.’
    ‘Oh, come on Miss Valentine, he’s from New York. You’ll never see him again. What’s the point?’
    Devastated I got back in the people carrier. I didn’t want to leave so I had to be pushed.
    A little emotional from the amount of alcohol in my system, I sat in a mood, and refused to make eye contact with the group. As Charlie drove off, I just cursed them all for crushing my happy-ever-after fantasy.
    I felt utterly cheated. He could have been my Mr Right. He was definitely a very hot Mr Maybe.
    * * *
    Acting like a spoilt brat I moaned for what seemed like hours.
    Eventually we arrived at the bash that Jeff had flown us over for. It was a very stately Victorian home with massive spotlights circling outside the front and an illumination of some model on the wall with the words ‘To The Manor Born’ written across her naked body.
    Unimpressed by the pomp, I huffed past the model waiters offering champagne cocktails, and then returned to them to demand where the toilets were.
    Furious, I had to queue behind women who were laughing about how hilarious Gary Lineker was and what a wonderful wealth of knowledge Jeremy Clarkson had. I had to keep my head down and bite my lip so to stop myself crying.
    When I returned to the group I then had to endure Maddie rattling on about how beautiful Nicole Appleton was in person. I know I should have shown more of an interest as she gushed, ‘She’s so down-to-earth. Look, I got a picture with her on my phone.’
    But I didn’t care about meeting any stars. I still didn’t even know why they were all here, other than that Jeff’s family’s company was sponsoring the event. Tired and emotional, and still wearing the same clothes from that morning, I told Parker I needed a minute to myself. Wandering out to a garden area, I found a space to sit on my own.
    It was ten minutes before I realized he wasn’t following me out to cheer me up. I was gutted. Staring at my phone to make