was desperate to see the movie. It was Bradley Cooper’s latest – my newest screen crush. After the movie, we’d all gone for free ice cream together at a local parlour where Leon knew the owner. And I pretty much decided over my chocolate and vanilla sundae that they were perfect for the job, and that we were all going to get on like one big happy family.
This morning, I’m madly searching around in my cupboard looking for a particular handbag to take to work with me. It’s a peacock-blue Accessorize bag with sequins and embroidery, and it matches my new purple shoes that I’ve decided to wear today. As I rummage about at the back of the wardrobe, I hear Sean’s muffled voice.
‘What on earth are you looking for in there? Although I can’t complain about the fine view I’m getting of you!’
I ease myself still bag-less from the cupboard. ‘Stop pervingat my behind and help me find my bag or I’ll be late for work.’
‘Which one?’ Sean says, grinning at me from the edge of the bed where he’s lacing his shoes. ‘You have so many!’
‘The peacock-blue one, you know, with all the sequins. I can’t remember when I last had it.’
‘I can,’ Sean says, standing up and easing his jacket over his shoulders. ‘The night of your birthday. You wore your blue dress – remember?’
‘You’re right!’ I think for a minute. ‘I wonder if I put it away with the shoes I was wearing that night?’
I look around in the wardrobe again and, as if by magic, there it is, lying in a box with my blue satin shoes. I’d obviously been a bit
too
organised that evening.
‘Just ask Sean,’ he says, checking himself in the mirror. He doesn’t need to; he always looks so handsome when he’s wearing a suit.
I open the bag and quickly begin transferring the contents of yesterday’s handbag into this one. But as I put my hand inside, it catches against something cold and hard. I take a look inside and discover the dragonfly brooch. I must have forgotten I’d put it in there before we went out for the meal that night, and it must have got caught inside when I emptied it upside down on the bed at the end of the night to transfer my things back to my usualday bag. Yes; as I try and retrieve the brooch now, one of its delicate wings is indeed caught on the silk lining.
‘What’s up?’ Sean asks, coming over to see what I’m doing.
‘It’s Dad’s brooch. I’d forgotten I’d put it in here on my birthday.’ I manage to loosen the wing and free the insect again.
I stare at the piece of jewellery now sitting in the palm of my hand, its beady eyes looking right back up at me.
‘You never did find out why your father had that,’ Sean says, lifting the brooch from my palm and holding it up in the light from the window. ‘I thought you were going to ask him about it.’
‘I was, but to be honest I’ve been so busy at work over the last month or so it’s just slipped my mind, and what with the time difference and everything, we haven’t spoken to each other that often lately.’
Sean looks at me. ‘Miss him, don’t you?’
I nod. ‘A lot.’
‘Then why don’t you go and see him and ask him about it yourself?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Why not take a trip to New York and visit your father, and take this,’ he holds up the dragonfly, ‘and solve the big O’Brien brooch mystery?’
My spirits lift for amoment. ‘Sounds like a great plan, but I can’t just leave the business, can I?’
‘Tammy and Leon would cope; you said only the other day how well they were getting on and how much you trusted them.’
‘Yes, but—’
‘And it’s not as if you can’t be in constant touch with them if you want to. Mobile phones and the internet do work over in New York, you know. And now you’ve got your new MacBook, you can even Skype them daily if you want and have important conference calls about the state of the popcorn industry.’
I pull a face at Sean. ‘Don’t tease me. New York does
This morning, I’m madly searching around in my cupboard looking for a particular handbag to take to work with me. It’s a peacock-blue Accessorize bag with sequins and embroidery, and it matches my new purple shoes that I’ve decided to wear today. As I rummage about at the back of the wardrobe, I hear Sean’s muffled voice.
‘What on earth are you looking for in there? Although I can’t complain about the fine view I’m getting of you!’
I ease myself still bag-less from the cupboard. ‘Stop pervingat my behind and help me find my bag or I’ll be late for work.’
‘Which one?’ Sean says, grinning at me from the edge of the bed where he’s lacing his shoes. ‘You have so many!’
‘The peacock-blue one, you know, with all the sequins. I can’t remember when I last had it.’
‘I can,’ Sean says, standing up and easing his jacket over his shoulders. ‘The night of your birthday. You wore your blue dress – remember?’
‘You’re right!’ I think for a minute. ‘I wonder if I put it away with the shoes I was wearing that night?’
I look around in the wardrobe again and, as if by magic, there it is, lying in a box with my blue satin shoes. I’d obviously been a bit
too
organised that evening.
‘Just ask Sean,’ he says, checking himself in the mirror. He doesn’t need to; he always looks so handsome when he’s wearing a suit.
I open the bag and quickly begin transferring the contents of yesterday’s handbag into this one. But as I put my hand inside, it catches against something cold and hard. I take a look inside and discover the dragonfly brooch. I must have forgotten I’d put it in there before we went out for the meal that night, and it must have got caught inside when I emptied it upside down on the bed at the end of the night to transfer my things back to my usualday bag. Yes; as I try and retrieve the brooch now, one of its delicate wings is indeed caught on the silk lining.
‘What’s up?’ Sean asks, coming over to see what I’m doing.
‘It’s Dad’s brooch. I’d forgotten I’d put it in here on my birthday.’ I manage to loosen the wing and free the insect again.
I stare at the piece of jewellery now sitting in the palm of my hand, its beady eyes looking right back up at me.
‘You never did find out why your father had that,’ Sean says, lifting the brooch from my palm and holding it up in the light from the window. ‘I thought you were going to ask him about it.’
‘I was, but to be honest I’ve been so busy at work over the last month or so it’s just slipped my mind, and what with the time difference and everything, we haven’t spoken to each other that often lately.’
Sean looks at me. ‘Miss him, don’t you?’
I nod. ‘A lot.’
‘Then why don’t you go and see him and ask him about it yourself?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Why not take a trip to New York and visit your father, and take this,’ he holds up the dragonfly, ‘and solve the big O’Brien brooch mystery?’
My spirits lift for amoment. ‘Sounds like a great plan, but I can’t just leave the business, can I?’
‘Tammy and Leon would cope; you said only the other day how well they were getting on and how much you trusted them.’
‘Yes, but—’
‘And it’s not as if you can’t be in constant touch with them if you want to. Mobile phones and the internet do work over in New York, you know. And now you’ve got your new MacBook, you can even Skype them daily if you want and have important conference calls about the state of the popcorn industry.’
I pull a face at Sean. ‘Don’t tease me. New York does
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