Skinny Dipping

Over Advertising

"He didn't cheat on you. He's left you about one hundred messages. He really likes you, Soph. It was just a slip of the tongue, a compliment really."

"I can't possibly compete with the ghost of a dead girlfriend. He loved her so much. I feel for him, I really do. He's not ready. It feels like everyone's going to get hurt, including me."

Carol sighed. "Love's a risk. He might never forget her, but that's the same as you never forgetting Derek. Rebecca is his dead girlfriend. It's different. He's associated you with a woman he loved—the only woman he loved from what I can gather. It's been almost two years, and she will come up in conversation from time to time, but she's gone, Sophie. She's never coming back. I hate to say this, but she's dead, which for you has to be so much better than having an ex to bump into. So other than a banshee haunting you, you've got absolutely nothing to be worried about."

The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. "If it's Matthew, I'm not seeing him."

Carol nodded and went to the door. "Sophie, it's for you."

Sophie glared at her flat mate and trudged to the front door. She ran her hands through her unwashed hair. She was, of course, still dressed in her robe and slippers. She pulled her robe tightly round her waist, wishing she looked much better. Why hadn't she bought a silk robe?

At the doorway, Sophie's heart lurched. It wasn't Matthew. It was her mother.

"Hi, Soph," Gloria said brightly. Then Roger pushed past. Roger looked much stronger than he'd been in hospital.

"Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad. What are you both doing here? I thought you were both going off on your cruise."

"We are," they said in unison, and looked at each other, a secret smile shared between the two of them.

"You wouldn't take my calls at work, but then Jessica said you were sick, so I didn't take it personally—you not getting my messages and not calling me back. So I thought I would just invite myself over." Gloria handed Sophie an ice cream container as she wandered into the apartment and started looking around.

"What's this?" Sophie asked.

"Carrot and coriander soup, because you are supposed to be sick." Gloria gave Sophie a knowing look and then wandered into the kitchen, making all the right sounds as she opened the cupboards, the pantry, and examined the stove. She placed a plastic bag on the bench and then opened the back door. Gloria looked around the garden. "I love your place," she enthused.

"Thanks. I love your soup. It's my favorite."

"Your father made it. He's been helping out a lot more, and he's even got this fine knack for making frothy cappuccinos. I've told him he should open up a coffee shop."

Sophie almost choked. "Right." She shot her father a look. "Who would have thought he'd be so talented at cappuccino making?"

"Anyway, that won't be possible, because he's helping a bit around the house before he..." Gloria shot Roger a sharp look.

"Before I start work," Roger said, a grin on his face. "I got a job."

Sophie threw her arms around his neck. "You got a job," she shrieked, jumping up and down on the spot. "You got a job!"

"I got a job! Starting the week after we come back from the cruise. There's only one hitch."

"What's that?"

"Sign-off. I'm the man for the job if they get the final sign-off."

"It will come through," Gloria insisted.

"Yeah, Dad, it will come through."

"Well I can't do anything about it if it doesn't, so I'd better make the most of my redundancy time. Your mother and I are going to have an amazing cruise." He grabbed the plastic bag Gloria had placed on the table and searched for something inside.

"Thanks for not dumping things all over the place," Sophie murmured.

Roger held a cheque book in his hand and scribbled. "Now please don't bank this yet. Wait until next month. But I wanted to pay you back. Thanks, Soph."

She looked at the cheque. The money she'd loaned him. "It's okay. You don't have to pay me back."

"I insist," Roger said.

She shrugged and took the cheque. She supposed she did need it now since she was the redundant one.

Her parents left, heading off for their cruise, looking so happy together.

Everyone was so happy. Sophiecould choose to be happy, too. She should probably try to be happy or at leastdo something rather than mope around. She should go to the wrap party. Might aswell. And maybe, while she was there, she might just try to get her job back. 

---

For those of you who love the work, Skinny Dipping is available on Amazon. The companion novel Skinny Cappuccino is also available on Amazon.

Some people have mentioned / PM'd me that they can't buy my book and that's totally fine! I feel truly blessed by people simply reading here on Wattpad. If you have time to pop past Goodreads / Amazon I'd be honoured by any review as it helps other people find out about the book!

But what I'm most grateful for is all of you reading on Wattpad today! Thank you. All your votes, comments and follows have helped the visibility on Wattpad :-) So thank you for voting & commenting!!!

Huge hugs.