BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

‘The car is five thousand miles away.’ We were a far cry from Quin and the private terminal. But thinking about him was too confusing and awful, so I made myself stop.

‘Hey, did the goody bags arrive at Mum’s yesterday?’ Anna asked.

I nodded. Three giant boxes of spendy skincare were squatting on the sitting-room floor, blocking out the daylight.

‘We’ll have to assemble them later.’

As I headed for the M50, Angelo said, ‘I hear my man Luke Costello is coming to the party.’

‘Yep.’

‘How is that for you?’

I settled for, ‘Weird.’

‘I’ll say.’

*

Mum’s first question to Anna was, ‘What are you wearing to my party? Put it on, givvus a look!’

‘Now?’ Anna asked. ‘Seriously? Now? When I’m just off a plane?’

‘Yes. Good girl.’ She turned to Dad. ‘And you go and put on your new suit.’

‘Do I hav—’

‘Yes!’

Anna went off, then returned in a super-tasteful beige sheath. Stunning in a phenomenally boring way, to be honest. That was her look these days.

‘Alaïa,’ she said. ‘From Rent the Runway. I didn’t actually buy it.’

‘You’ve been in New York for too long!’ Mum accused. ‘You’ve become Good With Money!’

‘You look great,’ I said.

‘Do I look great?’ It was Dad, shy in his new suit.

‘You totally do!’

‘Hardly seems worth the money,’ he said. ‘I’ll be dead before I get the wear out of it.’

‘So wear it lots,’ I urged. ‘Around the house, watching the telly. Or on the other hand, just don’t die.’

‘That’s what I’ll do,’ he said, seeming pleased by his decision. ‘I just won’t die.’

79

My phone rang again—Francesca, for at least the fiftieth time, looking for an update on my location. ‘Mum’s freaking out!’ She was on speaker in my car. ‘She wants proof of life of the goody bags.’

‘We’ll be with you in ten minutes,’ I said, hoping it might be true. These roads were more narrow and twisting than I remembered.

Wild yelling sounded in the background and, apologetically, Francesca said, ‘Mum says to tell you that you should be here now.’

‘She’s going as fast as she can,’ Anna called.

‘Everybody be cool.’ Angelo was crouched in the back seat with fifty of the goody bags. ‘These roads are twisty little mofos. We’ll get there when we get there. And how about that!’ he declared as the hotel appeared on the horizon. ‘We have eyes on you! See, all good.’

I turned in off the road, looking for a parking spot and a couple of people, looking like Zombie Glamazons, lunged from the shadows, yelling about goody bags.

One of the glamazons was seventeen-year-old Francesca. With modern, slick-backed hair and a very short black Balmain masterpiece, she looked stunning. ‘Jesus Christ.’ I regarded her architectural shoulder pads and bare legs with wonder. ‘Is the dress…real?’