Look At Me Now by Simone Goodman

Author:Simone Goodman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

We arrive at the club on Wardour Street around 8 p.m. I’m not wearing the purple satin top. I couldn’t get it over my shoulders. I’m dressed in the silly ankle boots/slinky black top/pink ruffled skirt get-up.

I don’t want to be here.

I left the flat a tip this morning, the whole place smelling of poo. If anywhere, I want to be home with a bottle of bleach in my hand, sorting things out.

We have to be here.

I especially don’t want to be here dressed like an oversized sugar plum fairy. Worse, I’m here, looking like this, in my newly single status: after the scene this morning, Jordan and I are over. In my mind, definitely. And I’d checked after he’d left with his big bag and Jordan had taken all of his best regular clothes with him. I guess he’ll crash with Robert – he can’t crash with his parents all the way down in Cornwall. Though I haven’t phoned him and he hasn’t phoned me, so I’m unsure where the heck he’s staying. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Poppy, but when she nipped to the bathroom before we headed to the club, I quickly told Faith I’d asked Jordan to move out. It wasn’t optimal timing, but it was the last chance I’d had all day to mention something. Faith has gasped and looked worried. I told her I was doing okay and, before Poppy returned, we agreed we’d speak more about it later.

My God, I look ridiculous. The club will probably be packed full of sultry young stick insects dressed in black.

‘We’re VIPs,’ Faith says. ‘Should we go to the front?’

‘I’ll go and ask.’ Poppy weaves her way to the front of the long line.

‘You’ve pierced your belly button,’ I say to Faith.

Between the many deliberate rips in her top, a distressed singlet with the word FRAGILE splashed across the front, I see a small, silver belly ring. I didn’t know they were still fashionable. Mind you, anything looks good on Faith – if she started wearing leg warmers, I’m pretty sure it would be a hit. She’s wearing skinny black jeans and a biker leather jacket – a fitting tribute for the opening of The Tricycle Club this evening.

‘Oh? I got this a while ago.’ Faith fiddles with the jewellery. Her stomach is so toned – Pilates every morning, now she’s not working the long hours at her old job. I suck my tummy in then, realising the frills are handily concealing it, I let it all back out. ‘A bit naff, hey? Did you really not know?’

‘I don’t think so. It’s sweet, Faith.’

‘I got it last summer.’

After a long winter snuggling with Jordan, last summer, I was up to the part of playing housemaid to my increasingly uninterested boyfriend. I was baking and cleaning and hovering around, waiting for Jordan to notice me. Faith was putting herself out there and getting on with piercings and who knows what.

‘Are you okay? Gracie, we can talk about what happened with you and Jordan whenever you’re ready.

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.