Girl On The Run by Jane Costello

Author:Jane Costello [Costello, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Chick-Lit, cookie429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9781849832700
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2011-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 44

The food is a triumph. The wine is a triumph. The swing band is a triumph. The only thing that isn’t a triumph is my seduction of Doctor Dishy, and the blame for that lies firmly at the door of Gretchen F. Cassidy – whose F in my vocabulary now stands for something with several stars.

‘Abby, would you like to introduce the auction now?’ asks Missy, tapping me on the shoulder. I excuse myself from our table – which has become one of the rowdiest in the place courtesy of Mau’s repertoire of dirty jokes – and head to the podium.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ announces Ronny, ‘would you please give a warm welcome to the organiser of tonight’s event, Ms Abigail Rogers.’

My throat dries as I approach the lectern and wait for the applause to die down.

‘Good evening, everyone.’ I’m painfully aware, not just of everyone in the room looking at me – but of Oliver looking at me. Probably to see if he can diagnose any more unusual medical conditions, but looking at me all the same.

‘I’ll be brief, but I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s helped us tonight: to Pink Sky florists, the Joel Jones Swing band, Knowsley Hall, Punch stationers, Corinne Scott wine distributors and, most of all, my small but perfectly formed team – Heidi, Priya and Matt – who’ve worked so hard on putting tonight together.’

I glance up and take a gulp of air.

‘We’re raising money for multiple sclerosis tonight, and for those who don’t know much about the disease, I’d urge you to Google it and read up about it. MS is the foremost disabling neurological disease in the United Kingdom, affecting eighty-five thousand young people in this country alone. These are usually people who previously seemed perfectly healthy, but who are now dealing with symptoms that can be as devastating as they are unpredictable, ranging from simple tingling, to paralysis and loss of cognitive function.’

I pause and look at Heidi, feeling my stomach clench. I’m uncomfortable saying this in front of her, even though she’s read my speech and has assured me she thinks it’s fine. But there’s no other way to make people aware of why we’re doing what we’re doing.

‘The really awful thing is that there’s no cure. The disease has been described as the polio of the twenty-first century: an illness against which we still have no vaccine and no unequivocal idea of the cause.

‘Research is desperately needed. And that’s where you come in tonight: to help raise money for exactly that. I’m doing my bit – as most of you probably know – by running a half-marathon at the start of next year. And for those of you who also know about my phobia towards any form of exercise, then you’ll be aware how much I’m relishing that.’

I look up and my eyes land involuntarily on Tom. His expression instantly tells me that my speech is going okay. The corners of his mouth turn up in a smile designed to reassure me.

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