Take a Chance on Me

Author:Jill Mansell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2010-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

Honestly, talk about shameless. It took Cleo less than five minutes to fetch the seldom-worn chauffeur’s cap from the top shelf of her wardrobe, give it a quick dust with her sleeve, and hurry back across the green to Ravenswood. Letting herself in, she found the food laid out in the kitchen, Mike and Roz piling fajitas, crostini, and triangles of frittata onto plates, and Fia and Georgia in the drawing room, avidly observing the shoot.

Cleo said, ‘Don’t you have to get back to the pub?’

‘It’s two-thirty. We’ve stopped serving.’ Fia could barely tear her eyes away from Johnny. ‘Anyway, I asked the photographer guy if we could stay and he said it was fine. He likes an audience.’

Honestly, she was ogling Johnny like some kind of groupie. Where was her pride? ‘Yes, well. Just make sure you don’t get in anyone’s way.’ Cleo turned to Georgia, her nearly-niece. ‘And how come you were in the pub anyway? I thought you were supposed to be setting up a business.’

‘I am.’ Georgia was indignant. ‘Yesterday I got a thousand cards printed. I’ve been out delivering them since seven o’clock this morning. I popped into the Hollybush to give out some more, and Fia needed a hand carrying the food over here. Plus, I thought Johnny might be interested in my service.’ Delving into her denim jacket pocket, she produced a fat envelope and took out two blue and white business cards. ‘Here, you can have one too. Aren’t they great?’

Cleo scanned the card, which stated:

Never fear, Georgia the Ironing Genie is Here

To grant all your Ironing Wishes!

You won’t believe how cheap I am!

This startling pronouncement was followed by a phone number and web address.

‘You see, people throw flyers away, but they’re far more likely to keep a card, pin it up on their cork board. And I set up the website yesterday.’ Modestly, Georgia said, ‘It’s brilliant.’

Oh God. ‘You can’t put that,’ said Cleo.

‘Yes I can.’

‘Sweetheart, you can’t.’

‘She can’t what?’ Johnny joined them while Schofield set up the next shot.

Wordlessly Cleo handed him the card.

‘See?’ said Georgia when Johnny burst out laughing. ‘He gets it!’

‘He doesn’t get it. He’s laughing at what you’ve written.’

‘And he’s paying attention to it. Far more than if it was just some boring old ordinary business card. It stands out from the crowd,’ Georgia explained. ‘And it’s going to make some people think I’m probably a bit thick, so if I say I’m doing the ironing on the cheap, that means it’s going to be really cheap, which in turn makes them think they’ll be getting a bargain.’

‘Excellent.’ Johnny nodded, clearly impressed. ‘Smart move. Well done you.’

‘They’re going to be phoning up asking what other services you provide,’ said Cleo.

‘And I’ll tell them I only do ironing.’

‘Right, where’s the girl with the hat? Ah, there you are.’

This was it, her big moment. As Schofield made his way over, Cleo put the cap on and struck a modest pose. She’d never had her makeup done by a professional before.

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