Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern

Author:Cecelia Ahern [Ahern, Cecelia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780062080554
Google: zcVTOkYCSMgC
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2011-01-10T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

half walk, half run behind the girl with the headset and reach the green room, panting and nervous, to see Dad sitting on a makeup chair facing a mirror lit up by bulbs, tissue tucked into his collar, a cup and saucer in his hand, his bulbous nose being powdered for his close-up.

“Ah, there you are, love,” Dad says grandly. “Everybody, this is my daughter, and she’ll be the one to tell us all about my lovely piece here that caught the eye of Michael Aspel.” This is followed by a chuckle and a sip of tea. “There’s Jaffa Cakes over there if you want them, Gracie.”

Evil little man.

I look around the room at all the interested nodding heads and force a smile onto my face.

Justin squirms uncomfortably in his chair at the dentist’s waiting room, his swollen cheek throbbing, sandwiched between two old dears carrying on about someone they know called Rebecca, who should leave a man named Timothy.

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

The 1970s television in the corner, which is covered by a lace cloth and fake flowers, announces that the Antiques Roadshow is about to begin.

Justin groans. “Does anybody mind if I change the channel?”

“I’m watching it,” says a young boy no older than seven years old.

Justin smiles at him with loathing, then looks to his mother for backup.

Instead she shrugs. “He’s watching it.”

“Charming,” Justin grunts in frustration.

“Excuse me.” Justin finally interrupts the women to his right and left. “Would one of you ladies like to swap places with me, so that you can continue this conversation more privately?”

“No, don’t worry, love, there’s nothing private about this conversation, believe you me. Eavesdrop all you like.”

The smell of her breath silently tiptoes under his nostrils again, tickles them with a feather duster, and runs off with an evil giggle.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. Your lips were quite literally in my ear, and I’m not sure if Charlie or Graham or Rebecca would appreciate that.” He turns his nose away.

“Oh, Ethel”—the other laughs—“he thinks we’re talking about real people.”

With that, Justin turns his attention back to the television in the corner, which the other six people in the room are now glued to.

“. . . And welcome to our first live Antiques Roadshow special . . .”

Justin sighs loudly again.

The little boy narrows his eyes at him and raises the volume with the remote control that is firmly in his grasp.

“. . . coming to you from Banqueting House, London.”

Oh, I’ve been there. A nice example of Corinthian and Ionic locked together in a harmonious whole.

“We have had over two thousand people spilling through our doors since nine thirty this morning, and only moments ago those doors have closed, leaving us to display the best pieces for you to view at home. Our first guests come from—”

Ethel leans across Justin and rests her elbow on his thigh. “So anyway, Margaret—”

He zones in on the television so as not to grab both their heads and smash them together.

“So what do we have here?” the host asks his two guests.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.