Sapphire by Katie Price Read Free Book Online Page A

when they were lying in bed together. Sex with Jay had been the only good part of her evening. ‘You never know who’s going to turn up.’
    ‘You saw your ex-husband right?’
    ‘He’s such a creep, I can’t believe he’s moved back to Brighton.’
    She turned over on to her stomach and Jay began massaging her shoulders. ‘You feel tense, babe.’
    ‘So would you, if you’d had my night!’
    ‘Just let it go, your ex-husband is the past. Don’t give him headspace.’
    She knew that Jay was right but that night she couldn’t sleep. She endlessly replayed scenes from her marriage. She had been so in love with Alfie, had believed her marriage would last for ever, that he was the one – whatever that meant. Apparently nothing. And now he was back in her city and it was going to take all her strength to keep her barriers up and stay strong.

Chapter 4
    SAPPHIRE LOVED WEEKENDS when the hen parties were going well – it gave her such a buzz and it wasn’t just about the money: she genuinely wanted the girls to have a good time, the best time. She may be cynical about marriage, but she was deadly serious about her hen weekends being brilliant.
    The weekend following the school reunion she had a lovely group in – just six girls who wanted beauty treatments, a makeover with a make-up artist and photographs followed by dinner. Sapphire enjoyed planning all the hen weekends but every now and then it was a relief not to have to do the whole club/stripper scenario. She went upstairs to check on how the beauty treatments were going.
    The girls were having their nails done while a DVD of
When
Harry
Met
Sally
played in the background, and they all sipped champagne. Sapphire was pleased to note that they were just sippling and not guzzling like the last lot of hens who got outrageously drunk even before the night had started. Sapphire liked a night on the tiles herself and could on occasions compete for caner of the year but she had not enjoyed cleaning up the bathroom after one of them threw up all over the floor. This group, thankfully, seemed more sedate.
    Lucy was the bride to be, a sweet, fresh-faced geography teacher in her late twenties. Sapphire wentover to where she was sitting while Jazz gave her a pretty French manicure.
    ‘How’s it going?’ Sapphire asked Lucy. ‘Are you happy with everything?’
    ‘I’m having a great time, thanks,’ Lucy replied. ‘This is all going perfectly, I just hope my wedding day is as good.’
    ‘I’m sure your wedding day will be fantastic,’ Sapphire said reassuringly. ‘What kind of wedding are you having?’
    ‘It’s the big white number,’ Lucy said.
    ‘She’s been saving for it for the last five years,’ one of the other hens put in.
    ‘How long have you been with your fiancé?’ Sapphire asked. It was always very important to show an interest.
    ‘Six years,’ Lucy replied. ‘We met at uni, and we’ve been together ever since.’
    Bloody hell, it sounded like a life sentence to Sapphire but she kept that thought to herself, ‘Wow, that’s wonderful.’
    ‘Are you married?’ Lucy asked her.
    Bugger, there it was again, the question Sapphire most dreaded being asked, but this time she didn’t give her usual spiel about not meeting Mr Right. Seeing Alfie so recently made her go for a different answer. ‘I was,’ Sapphire paused for effect, ‘but my husband died.’
    ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, that’s awful,’ Lucy looked at her, her sweet face filled with concern, her eyes actually welling up with tears.
    Oops, Sapphire hadn’t meant to upset her. ‘Yes, I really don’t like to talk about it.’ Sapphire said quickly.
    Jazz rolled her eyes at her, but really what was Sapphire supposed to say? Yes, I was married and my husband cheated on me with another woman in my bed and got her pregnant. Now I don’t believe in marriage at all and don’t trust any man. Sending Alfie to an early grave seemed like a good option.
    ‘She’s okay now, though,’ Jazz