Essex Girls

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Epilogue

Jade’s Guide to Essex

Extract of Made in Essex

About Mischief

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

For my special and much loved Nan, Eileen.

I know you would have been so proud.

Biggest thanks to my lovely agent Hannah Ferguson, editor Caroline Hogg and Avon editorial director Claire Bord for all their hard work; I’m incredibly grateful that you’ve made my dream become a reality. Also to the fantastic team at Avon and everyone involved in making this happen. Thank you so much!

I would also like to thank my parents; the most support-ive, selfless and loving people I know. One of my best and oldest friends, Claire Honey; thank you so much for encouraging me to write this book and for offering advice and help when I needed it. You always believed in me!

The irritating sound of the alarm was instantly switched off.

Jade stretched lazily in bed and turned to her boyfriend, Tom, who was about to get up.

‘Oh, stay a bit longer,’ she pleaded. ‘Please.’

Tom sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall. ‘I’d love to, but you know I can’t be late.’

As he pulled himself up, she tugged at his arm playfully and he collapsed beside her, laughing. ‘Okay, you win. Just for a minute though.’

Cuddling under the covers, Jade began to kiss his neck.

‘Oh no, not my weak spot,’ he groaned. ‘You know I’ll never leave and I have to.’

Jade held on to him tightly until he pulled away from her warm embrace, reluctantly.

‘I’ll be back before you know it. Keep the bed warm, gorgeous.’ He winked at her and then left.

It was the same every Saturday morning. They would spend Friday nights together, Jade would stay at Tom’s parents’ house and then he’d have to get up early to coach a kids’ football team. He didn’t really need to as he had a full-time job in a bank, but he loved it. Jade had always thought it was really sweet. She could picture him running around in the back garden with their own future sons, teaching them how to play. Though of course she didn’t tell Tom that; she didn’t want him to get scared and run a mile.

Jade tried to doze back off to sleep, it was far too early to get up. Besides, she had nothing to do until he returned. Thoughts of Tom were keeping her awake though; she was so happy with him. She’d been worried when she first started university three years ago. It was a massive change in her life – and leaving her best friends Kelly and Lisa in Essex for a life in quiet Bath hadn’t been easy. Embarrassingly, she’d even cried when she waved goodbye to them and saw their sad faces through the window of the car.

‘Sugar Hut won’t be the same without you,’ they’d shouted. ‘Don’t forget about us!’

Of course she hadn’t, and at first she went home to Essex every other weekend. But when she met Tom the visits home decreased. She still managed to rack up an eighty-pound phone bill from time to time, often going over her free minutes allowance because she was talking to her best friends for too long. Her friends were happy she’d met Tom; Jade had never had a serious boyfriend until she’d met him, and now to her delight they were planning on renting a flat together in Bath. As much as Jade loved her home town Chigwell, she also loved how different Bath was. The people were friendly, a lot more down to earth and low maintenance, and though it had taken her a long time to get used to it, she had to face the fact that fake tan just wasn’t an option here. When she’d first arrived on campus, the other girls had looked at her like she was from another planet. She’d had her nails done and a spray tan for her first day; after all, she’d been single and on the lookout to meet some new hot men, and surely there was no better place than university, swarming with gorgeous guys in football and rugby shorts? To this day, she could have sworn the girls singing the Oompa Loompa song were aiming it at her. Okay, so she did look a few shades darker than everyone else, but she most certainly was not orange. She’d only had one spray, not her usual two, and the colour was called ‘Bronze Beyond’. She’d made friends quickly enough and realised it was probably better to fit in with the pasty crowd, despite the fact she preferred her sunkissed look. It took some getting used to, and she always de-tagged every photo put up by her university friends on her Facebook page, just in case someone from Essex saw her looking as white as a ghost, but Jade had grown to love the carefree nature of the city. She didn’t have to make as much effort when she went out, just a light layer of make-up and a brush of the hair like everyone else. Simple, quick and a nice change from the two-hour preparations she would have gone through back in Essex. Tom was always saying he loved the natural look and fancied her most when she was bare-faced, though deep down Jade just assumed he wanted her to believe this so she wouldn’t go out dressed to the nines and catch the eye of another bloke. In her opinion she looked like Worzel Gummidge first thing, especially after a night out.

Yes, Bath was a lovely place to live and Jade had fallen in love with it. Before she moved in with Tom though, she needed a job, and for the past two weeks she’d done nothing but send her CV off to agencies and various companies. So far, she hadn’t heard a thing, so she guessed what she’d been told was true; getting a job after university wasn’t always easy. It was likely she was going to get a 2:1 grade in Psychology, as her results from her second year had only been a few marks away from a First and she felt she’d done just as well on this year’s exams; the main problem was that she didn’t actually know what she wanted to do with her degree. If she was honest with herself, she was worried that she’d cave in and end up getting a job as a teacher, which everyone else she knew seemed to do. But deep in her heart she knew she didn’t want to do that. The thought of trying to teach a class of pubescent teens terrified her – she’d had a bad enough time at school herself, and there was no way she could go back there. Her senior school in Essex had been so bitchy; it was all about what shoes, bag and coat you had, with girls constantly bragging and showing off. If it hadn’t been for Kelly and Lisa, she would have hated it. When the three of them were together they felt invincible and it helped that everyone had loved Kelly, because she was so ditzy. She often had the class in stitches with her ridiculous answers to the teacher’s questions. Jade had always enjoyed her school work, not that she’d admitted it; saying you liked writing essays on Pride and Prejudice would have been social suicide. She could always teach younger kids, but the thought of snotty noses was enough to make her gag.

At first, she’d loved having the free time to think about what she wanted to do with her life, whilst waitressing part time in Café Rouge. With no alarm to wake her up after late nights and no coursework it seemed perfect, but only a few weeks later Jade was starting to get bored of doing nothing. Sitting in her pyjamas until three in the afternoon searching for jobs online had definitely lost its appeal.

Jade got out of bed and grabbed Tom’s cosy dressing gown. Now would be a good time to really think about different job roles she could take on. She searched his bedside drawers for some paper and a pen. There was no time like the present and she was adamant to work out what she wanted to do with her life today. She had no luck finding any paper in the drawers on her side of the bed, so she moved across to the other side where Tom slept. In the second drawer she found a large notepad and some pens and lifted them out. She froze. Underneath the notepad was a mobile phone she had never seen before. Jade couldn’t describe why, but she had a sudden feeling of dread. Why did Tom have another phone? Telling herself it must be an old handset, she tried to calm her suddenly fast heartbeat. She picked it up, hoping with all her might that it would have a flat battery and wouldn’t switch on. When it did, her hands began to shake and her heart began to hammer so hard that she felt the blood rush through her ears. It’s nothing, she told herself when the welcome message appeared; an old phone that she shouldn’t even be looking at. Breathe. She opened the messages folder and felt physically sick when she saw countless texts from a girl called Louisa. Hands shaking, she clicked to read the latest one. Please be a really old message, she thought, please.

So nice being with you last night baby. Miss you xx

She clicked down, shocked at what she was reading. When was this? Please say it was way before he met me? All her happiness, hopes and dreams with Tom came crashing down when she saw the date: June 16th 2011. That was a month ago! How dare he? Her heart raced even faster, and she had to force herself to breathe slowly and deeply. Tears formed in her eyes. She wanted to stop herself from reading the texts, but it felt like someone else had taken over her body and she simply had to see more.

Glad you like the pic of my boobs, loved your one too! Makes me want you again, badly. When will I get to see you again Tom? ;) Love your kisses. I’m at uni on Tuesday for my theatre class, so any day apart from then is good for me.

June 15th 2011

Hey sexy, thanks for the flowers. Got them this morning. You’re so cute xx

June 11th 2011

Baby, one afternoon with you isn’t enough! My bed is too big and cold without you :( Wish you were still here

June 11th 2011

Jade couldn’t read them all; it was far too painful. She’d seen enough. She sat with her head in her hands and tried to breathe. Her heart was still pounding and she realised her happy life as she knew it was now going to change forever. Why? Why was this happening to her? She hadn’t so much as looked at another man since she’d been with Tom. They were happy. She wasn’t deluded; it wasn’t one-sided, she knew he was happy too. She started to pace up and down his room, thinking about what she should do next. All of a sudden, anger rushed through her veins and out through every pore of her skin. The two-timing, lying scumbag! How long had he been seeing this other stupid bitch for? What an arsehole! Just who the hell did he think he was? How could she have been such a fool? But she had been. She sat down on the bed and began to sob. She’d believed everything he’d said, no questions asked. She loved him. He was her first boyfriend; her first true love. She’d understood what love truly meant when she met Tom. Now though, he had broken her heart. Jade put her hand to her heart and collapsed back on the bed, her heart honestly feeling as though it had been torn in two. It was a physical, deep aching pain inside. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she picked up her own phone and called Kelly.

‘Hello?’ Kelly answered after the fourth ring, in a sleepy voice.

‘Hi Kel,’ Jade sniffed. ‘Sorry to wake you. It’s only me.’

‘What’s wrong babe? Are you crying?’

‘Mmm …’ The huge lump in Jade’s throat prevented her from being able to talk.

‘Oh no. What’s up hun?’

‘I’m at Tom’s. He’s gone football coaching, like he does every Saturday and I went to get something from his drawer and found another phone.’

‘I don’t like the sound of this,’ Kelly said concerned. ‘Go on.’

‘There are all these messages from another girl called Louisa, who I think goes to my uni because she mentioned something about theatre class,’ she sniffed again. ‘They’re really bad; he’s been seeing her behind my back.’

‘Oh my God, shut up! You’re joking?’

‘I wish I was,’ Jade answered sadly.

Never afraid to speak her mind, Kelly answered, ‘What a fucking bastard!’

‘I know. I’m still at his place now. What shall I do? I’m so upset and shocked. I feel sick.’

‘He’s an arsehole, babe. What did the messages say?’

‘There were loads. I couldn’t even face reading all of them. She was texting him things like “my bed is cold without you”, so clearly he’s been sleeping with her. This was only a month ago. She texted him on the 11th June about the bed thing and now I keep racking my brains, wondering what I was doing at that time.’

‘Wasn’t that when you had your last exam, hun? I asked you to come home a few times, but you were always studying.’

‘Yes, you’re right. I kept apologising because I couldn’t spend as much time with him as normal. He was probably glad, so he could see her. I bet he was with that bitch when he was off work and supposedly ill; she said something about being “with him” in the afternoon. And there was me feeling sorry for him, what a mug! He’s a disgusting little rat. I’m so pissed off. I was so happy. How the hell could he do this to me?’

‘He doesn’t deserve you. You’re gorgeous and the loveliest person ever, he’s just another wanker bloke.’

‘I know.’ Tears rolled down Jade’s cheeks without her even realising. ‘It just hurts so much. Two and a half years I’ve wasted on him. How do I know this is the only girl he’s slept with? He could have given me something for all I know.’

‘Get checked, babe, in case there were more girls than just her. I know it’s hard, but you can’t think about what he was doing or might have been doing, when and where. All you need to think is that he is a wrong ’un and you deserve a hell of a lot more. At least you found out before you moved in together.’

‘I hate him. I hate him so much.’ She couldn’t hold back her tears.

‘Please don’t cry, Jade. I hate to hear you sad when I’m so far away. Now do me a favour and listen, okay?’

Jade nodded, forgetting her friend couldn’t see her, and wiped her tears away.

‘Get everything you own from his house and get out; don’t leave anything behind as he’ll use it as an excuse to see you later. Are you listening?’

‘Yes,’ she sniffed.

‘Go back to yours and then when you can, pack your bags and come home to Essex.’

‘I don’t think I’m ready to leave just yet.’

‘Oh babe, I know it’s going to be hard, but you have to stay strong. You can’t stay there alone and heartbroken. You need to get your life back on track.’

Rage surged through Jade as she thought about Tom and Louisa once again. ‘I know what I need to do, and that’s to get even.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I want revenge. I’m not allowing that bastard to get away with it. He’s going to pay.’

‘I’m liking this idea. What are you going to do though?’

‘I’m not sure just yet, but I’m going to humiliate him like he’s humiliated me.’

‘Well, be careful and let me know what you decide. Will you come back to Essex afterwards?’ Kelly asked hopefully.

‘Yes of course. I miss you so much. Especially now. But I better go; I have some plotting to do.’

‘Call me if you need to – and book your train back asap!’

‘I will. Thanks, Kel.’

‘Any time. I’m sorry he’s done this to you, but you will find someone ten times better than that dickhead.’

Jade laughed, despite her unhappiness. ‘Speak soon.’

She hung up and sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands, trying to think of how she could get him back. What could she do? It needed to be something good. Jade told herself she wasn’t going home to Essex until she taught him a lesson. Yes, the most mature thing would be to walk away with her head held high, but embarrassing him somehow would make her feel a whole lot better. She got his hidden phone and called her mobile so she had the number. She then went down his contact list and deleted Louisa’s number, changing it for her own, but keeping the name Louisa. When Jade texted him he would think it was this other woman. She placed his phone back in the drawer where she’d found it, and got her things together to leave.

She knew that Tom thought the majority of Essex girls were dumb airheads judging by the comments he’d made in the past. Well, he was certainly going to regret the day he ever messed with this one.

*

Tom climbed out of his car and walked towards the football pitch, where most of the boys had already arrived and were kicking footballs to each other. He looked up at the shining sun; it was going to be a great day. Maybe he would suggest going for a picnic this afternoon with Jade, he thought to himself, envisaging a nice lazy day lying in the sun with his girlfriend. He loved spending his weekends with Jade; they always had such a good time together.

He’d fancied her the moment he first clapped eyes on her a few years ago, even though he did think she was wearing too much make-up. It hadn’t surprised him in the slightest when she said she was from Essex. You could tell an Essex girl a mile off, he mused; they were all hair extensions, orange tans and fake eyelashes. It wasn’t long before he’d persuaded Jade to tone it down and in his opinion she now looked so much better. She was naturally pretty and didn’t need any ‘war paint’. Fake-looking girls definitely didn’t appeal to him; Tom was much more a Keira Knightley fan than a Katie Price one. He was glad Jade’s Essex accent was becoming more subtle too. He often corrected her speech, and could sometimes see the hurt in her eyes when he pulled her up for sounding like a working-class fishwife, but he told himself it was for her own good.

He would never move to Essex – it certainly wasn’t the place for him he’d realised, after visiting Jade’s home a few times. He’d only ever been to Chigwell and Loughton, but everyone had seemed so vulgar and false. They’d gone to one nightclub called Faces and he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw tables of people, some even ‘Z’ list celebrities, ordering bottles of champagne with sparklers, trying to show the world that they had money. In his eyes, they had absolutely no class. Jade’s friend Kelly was awful too; such a typical Essex girl, common, and as thick as two planks. The other one, Lisa, was okay, as she seemed a bit more intelligent and was very pretty too; he definitely wouldn’t mind spending a night with her. He knew there must be parts of Essex that were less brash, but seeing where Jade lived had put him off the county for good. It was convenient that Jade liked Bath, because he intended to stay there for the long run. It was where he had lived all his life and was where he always wanted to be.

Life was going well at the moment, he thought to himself, whilst getting the equipment for the coaching session out of his car. It looked like he would soon be promoted at work, he had an amazing girlfriend who he would soon move in with, and even had a bit on the side with a girl who adored him. He knew it was wrong, but what man didn’t cheat? So long as Jade never found out, which he was sure she wouldn’t, it didn’t do any harm. Besides, he was going to finish it soon, as Louisa was becoming far too clingy for his liking, demanding to know when she would be seeing him again, and he definitely wasn’t up for that; he already had a girlfriend, one he had no intention of leaving. He’d been out one night with his friends when he’d met Louisa, and to start with, seeing two women at the same time had been a thrill. She had a fairly pretty face, nothing amazing, but a body to die for and she was always so eager to please. She made him feel good about himself, and he’d enjoyed boasting to the lads that he was worn out by the demands of two girls. But he hadn’t planned on seeing Louisa for long; love them and leave them was his motto when it came to a cheeky bit on the side. He loved Jade a lot, but wasn’t entirely sure he could ever commit himself to just one person, whoever she was. There was too much temptation in the world, especially for someone as good looking as he was. Plus, he’d turned down lots of girls in the past because of Jade, so really this whole thing with Louisa was nothing compared to what he could have done.

The loud shrill ringtone of his mobile interrupted his thoughts. He smiled when he saw Jade’s name flashing across the screen.

‘Hi Jade.’

‘Hi.’

‘What’s up?’

‘Nothing really. Kelly just called me and said she’s coming to Bath for the day to see me. She was on the train when she rang. She’s feeling down about something and wants cheering up so we’re going out for the day. Just thought I’d let you know as I won’t be able to see you today or tonight and I know we were going to do something.’

He was disappointed. ‘Oh right. Why didn’t she tell you she was coming beforehand?’

‘Something has happened and she’s really upset. It wasn’t planned. Sorry,’ came the curt reply.

He sighed. ‘Oh well, it can’t be helped. Why don’t you stay at mine and wait for me to get back before you leave to meet her? You got me all worked up this morning and I’d love to get back under those covers with you.’

‘I can’t. She’s not going to be much longer so I’m leaving your place now,’ Jade replied breezily.

Tom was irritated. ‘Fine. Tell Kelly that in future you need a bit of notice. You can’t just be there whenever she decides to come down. You do have a life.’

‘Tom, my friend is upset and needs me, so I’m going to be there for her. Look, I need to get going so perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Fair enough. Bye.’

Tom felt well and truly put out. How inconvenient that Kelly had just decided last minute to visit Jade. Did she not think that Jade may have made plans? She was supposedly feeling down about something, Jade had said. Perhaps she’d broken a nail, Tom sniggered to himself. Didn’t she have any other bloody friends in Essex to whine to? He had no plans for the rest of the day now as all his friends had gone away for the weekend. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to finish with Louisa just yet. Perhaps he’d see what she was up to? She was always game for anything – and he certainly wouldn’t be getting any sex from Jade today, after all.

He called the boys over and started the warm-up session.

*

Jade was amazed how calm she had been on the phone to Tom. She had really wanted to scream at him the minute she heard his voice, but knew that wouldn’t get her anywhere. Who did he think he was, telling her to inform Kelly she needed to give more notice next time? Had he always been like that – or was she only just seeing him now for who he truly was? The more she thought about it, the more Jade realised he was always trying to control her.

She calmly collected her things from the flat, making sure she hadn’t left anything behind.

Jade wished deep in her heart that the whole thing was just a huge mistake; that they could carry on normally and forget any of this ever happened. What she would give for that feeling of utter happiness and complete contentment that she’d had only forty minutes ago. She always thought she was so lucky to have Tom, but now she could see she wasn’t at all; he was lucky to have her. She wasn’t perfect, she knew that; she snored a little (so she’d been told), she often sat in her pyjamas all day and no, she never felt quite herself without her fake eyelash extensions. But she was loyal, honest and trustworthy and had truly loved him. She would never betray someone she loved and she would have done anything for him. So, he was the loser. He was welcome to that tart.