Chick Lit Box Set

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER NINE

“…And she’s believed to be the sixteenth richest woman in Britain. Can you believe it?” Coco screeched down the phone. “That could be us, you know?”

“Don’t you think you’re getting a bit ahead of yourself, Coco? She’s running a business that has shops all over Britain. And they’ve been in business for decades.”

“I know that, but if she can do it, we sure can,” Coco slurred.

“Where are you anyway?” Aggie asked, as she pulled the warm throw down from the top of the sofa so it covered her legs. “It sounds very loud.”

“The club.”

“Who are you with tonight?”

“Anthony. He’s just gone to get us another bottle of bubbly from the bar.”

“Anthony? Is that the older guy you met at Starbucks?”

“Yeah. He’s good fun, divorced, works in the city. Got a couple of kids though. Not my thing. But still, he’s a good laugh to while away an evening or two,” Coco said with a hiccup.

“Well, just be careful and don’t drink too much. Remember you’re coming with me to see the shop tomorrow. You don’t want a hangover while we’re talking business, do you?”

“I’ll be fine. We’ll call it a night after this bottle.”

“Are you staying at his?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Maybe.”

That means yes then, Aggie thought.

“Well just be careful.”

“Yes, Mum,” Coco laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll be well-protected.”

Aggie chuckled and realised she wasn’t blushing. Result!

“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know what I’d been reading about that woman. Food for thought. I’d better go, Anthony is here with the bubbles. Enjoy your evening, babe. Mwah.”

And with that, Coco hung up.

Aggie smiled and shook her head as she put her mobile phone on the coffee table. Coco and her men were always very entertaining.

Sitting back in the sofa, Aggie used both hands to hold her mug of hot chocolate as she brought it to her mouth to take a sip. She hadn’t told Coco that she’d been reading the very same article about the sixteenth richest woman in Britain. Smiling, she glanced down at her laptop that lay open on the Wikipedia page. She was coming round to the idea. Tomorrow, after the two of them had visited the corner shop, she would make the final decision. She was excited, although nervous, about what her future had in store for her.

Closing the laptop and pushing it aside, she flicked on the telly and scrolled through the TV guide. She stopped when she saw Meg Ryan’s face and smiled. One of her all time favourites, she settled in to watch Meg go head to head with Tom Hanks in You’ve Got Mail.

One of the reasons she’d always loved the film was because of the relationship between the friends who worked in the old book shop. If only I could’ve opened a bookshop, she thought and sighed, knowing full well that Frambleberry already had several bookstores, two of which were struggling on account of online sales taking over.

But there was no reason she couldn’t create a*****e that made people feel at home, right? One where adults could come in and not be embarrassed. One where the staff were friendly and welcoming.

But there was just one thing in her way: her own unending embarrassment.

“I have to kick it,” Aggie said aloud, as she opened up her laptop again and typed in, “How to stop being embarrassed.”

Numerous results appeared, some focussing on confidence or self-hypnosis while others dealt with past situations. After a while though, Aggie grew bored and decided that if she wanted to sort it out, she had to take the problem into her own hands and simply stop. She had to accept that the things that embarrassed her were just normal everyday stuff and nothing to be ashamed of.

Sex toys, she thought to herself. Many people use them. In fact, s*x toys had probably even helped countless get pregnant and have babies. They had probably helped increase the population. Not that the world needed help.

Aggie sat still and focussed on s*x toys. Naturally, she felt herself blush, but only a little. She smiled and moved on to the next thing that usually turned her face crimson. Kinky underwear. Crotchless panties. Although she felt herself heat up a little, her face remained the same colour.

Could it really be this easy, she thought?

Opening a s*x shop in Frambleberry. She concentrated hard on not feeling any embarrassment and it seemed to work quite well, so she quickly moved on to the next thought. Telling Mother.

Aggie’s face turned a deep shade of red.

Oh knickers!