shuffled over to the fridge to get the orange juice. It felt like she’d been in a physical fight.
‘Um, so what happened after …’ The evening was a blank past 8 p.m.
‘After you passed out under the table? Your father tried to make you go to bed but you refused and threw your shoe over the fence.’ Her mum’s lips were so pursed they’d practically vanished. ‘I said to your father, “She learnt that kind of behaviour in London! We didn’t bring our daughter up to crawl round blind drunk on all fours and throw her espadrille into other people’s gardens!” In case you’re wondering, it’s drying in the airing cupboard. David very kindly brought it round this morning, apparently it was in the bottom of their water feature.’ She shot her daughter another look.
‘I’m really sorry, Mum,’ Lizzy said miserably. ‘I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.’
‘Why do you always have to go over the top? Your father is just as bad for encouraging you.’ Mrs Spellman got off her bar stool. ‘You’re having milk thistle for your liver, no two ways about it.’
Lizzy watched her mum reach into the cupboard above the kettle. ‘Does Hayley hate me?’
‘I wouldn’t imagine she’s your biggest fan at the moment.’
‘She just got on my nerves. How come she’s allowed to say mean things and get away with it? Come on, even you must think she’s got Robbie under the thumb!’
‘Hayley is your brother’s girlfriend and we have to respect that,’ her mother said crisply. ‘Drink this.’
‘Urgh, it tastes gross.’
‘You’ve no sympathy from me. Are you staying for lunch?’
It was a tough choice; getting on public transport with the hangover from hell or facing her mother’s wrath. ‘I’ll stay if that’s OK.’
‘We’re having picky bits from last night and
no
alcohol. I’m not living in a house populated by drunkards.’ Mrs Spellman paused by the door on her way out. ‘And I’d think about sending Hayley a text to say sorry.’
Lizzy groaned inwardly. She’d thought the Happy Halo press release had been hard to write.
Chapter 9
It was proving impossible to get anyone to take her seriously. Even the trade journalists, who’d seen every wacky product on the market, told Lizzy she was fighting a losing battle with the Happy Halo. The worst phone call of all was to the woman at one of the glossy Sunday magazines.
‘Hi?’ she said aggressively, as if Lizzy had had the nerve to ring her in the middle of a three-week beach holiday.
‘Um hi, it’s Lizzy from Haven here. How are you?’
‘Fine. What do you want?’
‘I sent you a press release this morning, and I was just calling to see if you’d like me to send you any images or samples.’
‘I get sent hundreds of press releases every day. What was it about?’
Lizzy swallowed. ‘The Happy Halo.’
‘The Happy what?’
‘The Happy Halo? It’s an amazing new product we’ve just taken on. It
looks
like a pair of really fun deelyboppers, but in fact each “bopper” has a crystal inside that sends out good vibrations through the body. It’s brilliant for cleansing dirty auras.’
Silence.
‘Each crystal has been personally blessed by this amazing shaman called, er, Shaman Ron,’ Lizzy said desperately. ‘He’s really ahead in his field …’
For a horrible moment she thought the journalist had hung up. ‘Hello? Can you hear me?’
‘Loud and clear.’ The woman’s voice had sounded muffled. ‘And what sort of coverage did you see the Happy Halo getting?’
‘Well … if you were doing any fashion pieces on the next big thing in headgear …’
‘Headgear?’ the woman wheezed.
‘Yes, maybe something about looking good and healing yourself at the same time …’
There were loud shrieks of laughter down the line.
‘Am I on loudspeaker to your office?’ Lizzy asked wearily.
There was another round of hysterical laughter before the phone was finally put down on her.
‘No joy with the fashion
‘Um, so what happened after …’ The evening was a blank past 8 p.m.
‘After you passed out under the table? Your father tried to make you go to bed but you refused and threw your shoe over the fence.’ Her mum’s lips were so pursed they’d practically vanished. ‘I said to your father, “She learnt that kind of behaviour in London! We didn’t bring our daughter up to crawl round blind drunk on all fours and throw her espadrille into other people’s gardens!” In case you’re wondering, it’s drying in the airing cupboard. David very kindly brought it round this morning, apparently it was in the bottom of their water feature.’ She shot her daughter another look.
‘I’m really sorry, Mum,’ Lizzy said miserably. ‘I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.’
‘Why do you always have to go over the top? Your father is just as bad for encouraging you.’ Mrs Spellman got off her bar stool. ‘You’re having milk thistle for your liver, no two ways about it.’
Lizzy watched her mum reach into the cupboard above the kettle. ‘Does Hayley hate me?’
‘I wouldn’t imagine she’s your biggest fan at the moment.’
‘She just got on my nerves. How come she’s allowed to say mean things and get away with it? Come on, even you must think she’s got Robbie under the thumb!’
‘Hayley is your brother’s girlfriend and we have to respect that,’ her mother said crisply. ‘Drink this.’
‘Urgh, it tastes gross.’
‘You’ve no sympathy from me. Are you staying for lunch?’
It was a tough choice; getting on public transport with the hangover from hell or facing her mother’s wrath. ‘I’ll stay if that’s OK.’
‘We’re having picky bits from last night and
no
alcohol. I’m not living in a house populated by drunkards.’ Mrs Spellman paused by the door on her way out. ‘And I’d think about sending Hayley a text to say sorry.’
Lizzy groaned inwardly. She’d thought the Happy Halo press release had been hard to write.
Chapter 9
It was proving impossible to get anyone to take her seriously. Even the trade journalists, who’d seen every wacky product on the market, told Lizzy she was fighting a losing battle with the Happy Halo. The worst phone call of all was to the woman at one of the glossy Sunday magazines.
‘Hi?’ she said aggressively, as if Lizzy had had the nerve to ring her in the middle of a three-week beach holiday.
‘Um hi, it’s Lizzy from Haven here. How are you?’
‘Fine. What do you want?’
‘I sent you a press release this morning, and I was just calling to see if you’d like me to send you any images or samples.’
‘I get sent hundreds of press releases every day. What was it about?’
Lizzy swallowed. ‘The Happy Halo.’
‘The Happy what?’
‘The Happy Halo? It’s an amazing new product we’ve just taken on. It
looks
like a pair of really fun deelyboppers, but in fact each “bopper” has a crystal inside that sends out good vibrations through the body. It’s brilliant for cleansing dirty auras.’
Silence.
‘Each crystal has been personally blessed by this amazing shaman called, er, Shaman Ron,’ Lizzy said desperately. ‘He’s really ahead in his field …’
For a horrible moment she thought the journalist had hung up. ‘Hello? Can you hear me?’
‘Loud and clear.’ The woman’s voice had sounded muffled. ‘And what sort of coverage did you see the Happy Halo getting?’
‘Well … if you were doing any fashion pieces on the next big thing in headgear …’
‘Headgear?’ the woman wheezed.
‘Yes, maybe something about looking good and healing yourself at the same time …’
There were loud shrieks of laughter down the line.
‘Am I on loudspeaker to your office?’ Lizzy asked wearily.
There was another round of hysterical laughter before the phone was finally put down on her.
‘No joy with the fashion
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