Richer Ground by Jessie M Page A

going to call him anyway and I need something to while away the time once I've finished with the ancient magazines here.”
    “ You're a little wonder Alista my dear. Now, take my phone number, will you?”
    He called it out and she plugged it in her contacts, under Jasper R.
    “I'll text you so you have mine.”
    He stood up and leant down and gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek.
    “I'll go then, it's six already and I need to get myself all ship shape.”
    “ You look just fine to me. Go slip a suit and tie on, that'll do.”
    He laughed loudly. “No, my dear... I plan to look a lot better than this.”
    “I'm sure my mum will appreciate it, whatever you do.”
    “ I hope she does too.” He stood in front of her. “So... I'll see you later then, and thanks once more. You've been such a great help.”
    “ Off you go and have a good time.” He started to walk away. “Oh Jasper... make sure you behave yourself with my mum...” she grinned.
    “ To quote a certain young lady I know.... That's our business, I think,” he grinned back.
    “ Well that told me, didn't it...?” she muttered and he roared with laughter as he set off through the door.
    She sent him a text straight away. So she didn't forget and got a smiley face back a moment later. Then she called her friend Joss and they had a chat about work and things. She didn't mention Richer as Joss was still on shaky ground with her boyfriend at the moment. Finally she text Rick a quick summary to fill him in before they spoke...
    “Debra went missing. Your dad and I found her under her bed. She OD'd with sleeps and paracetamol. BUT... she's OK... SO DON'T PANIC. I'm hanging at St Martins in A & E, for the next few hours, while your dad takes my mum on a cocktail date... DONT ASK...  It’s all fun and games here... btw your garden looks lovely.  PS... How was your day?”
    She hit send and went off to the cafe for a carry out coffee.
    She hated hospitals. They smelt of sickness and death.
    She sipped the hot, and frankly disgusting brew, as a nurse came over and sat next to her.
    “She's sleeping peacefully. I'm going off shift now but I'll let the next shift know you're here. We're waiting for a bed to become available and then we'll  move her onto a ward.”
    “ Right. Will she be okay, long term?”
    “ Oh yes... young people bounce back so quickly. We got most of the pills out of her before they could do any harm. A few hours more and it could have been quite a different story, but there's no point dwelling on that. She's a troubled girl. That's what needs addressing. What happens now...?”
    “ Believe me, her family know all about it.”
    “ Perhaps she's telling them they don't...”
    “ I'll pass it on. Tactfully. Her dad's struggling with her, and her mum died two years ago.”
    “ How dreadful, some families have such a miserable time, don't they? I count my lucky stars the only things I have to worry about are the gas and electric bill.”
    “ Yeah, me too,” she agreed in complete honesty.
    The nurse got up and left her. She sat and thought about it all. Despite their wealth, the Robertsons' had had to deal with a lot of problems and tragedy. Cheryl had been right. They were a sad family. They needed something nice to happen in their lives. Some brightness and happiness and fun.
    She suddenly had an idea. Richer was thirty in a few weeks, he'd said. And she was going to throw him a party. A surprise party. For his friends and family and her's too. She'd rope Jasper and her mum in on it. Her mum could organise the whole thing. She'd like that. Her heart lifted high from its hospital mood as she smiled and sat back with a dog-eared old copy of Cosmopolitan.
    Ten minutes later she received the call from Richer.
    “Oh my God... What the hell?”
    “ Debra or the date?” she asked tongue in cheek.
    “ Well... both really. But Debra's okay, you say... Are you sure?”
    “ The nurse told me she'll be fine, she's just sleeping it off