Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams by Sue Watson Read Free Book Online Page B

I just sat there nodding into my phone from the sofa. No scuba diving or sunsets here. She’d been to hell and back on her ‘not-wedding’ day and I didn’t want to bring her down with, glad you’re happy – now what about me?
    I didn’t have to ‘front her up’, I’d thought a lot about what she’d said and now I knew exactly what she meant. I had a little life. I had no plans to do anything daring or different, and if I didn’t do something now, nothing would change. In ten or twenty years’ time I would look at a day in my life – and it would be exactly the same as it had been since I was about twenty years old. The only difference being that my baby girl had now grown up and I was alone.
    I was back there on that cold stone step of the church, and Carole patted my hand, she knew what I was feeling and was letting me know I was there for her. She was a good friend and after Sophie’s wedding then her travels and now the letter I felt she’d listened to me enough.
    ‘So how are you? Still doing the detox?’ I asked, trying to change the subject to something a little less heavy.
    ‘Yeah, but this detox tea is vile,’ she said through a mouthful of chocolate.
    ‘Detox?’ I looked at her chocolate questioningly.
    ‘Oh not this...’ she held the bar up and looked at it like someone else had put it there. ‘It’s okay, the tea cancels the chocolate out,’ she said, in all seriousness.
    ‘Oh. I could do with a gallon of that then,’ I smiled, unwrapping a hefty tuna mayonnaise roll that contained my calorie allowance for the next fortnight. ‘I can’t seem to stop eating at the moment. I really should make some changes, eat better, look after myself you know? I’d like to be a better “me”.’
    I’d always let my weight and my confidence hold me back, I was sure there were things I would have done if only I’d had more faith in myself. Perhaps I could start now... with my weight? My mum may have hurt Dad and disappointed him but I could make it up to him by shooting for the moon in my own way... ‘Are you going to Slimming Club next Monday? I thought I might join,’ I said, attempting to take the first, faltering steps towards a new me.
    ‘I’m not doing slimming clubs anymore,’ Carole said. This was like Rihanna saying she wasn’t going to sing anymore and I looked at her, surprised.
    ‘Natalie from “World Cuisines” is doing Zumba, she goes with her mate Mandy, you know, the beauty therapist from “Curl up and Dye”?’
    I nodded.
    ‘Natalie’s lost loads of weight, so I’m going to try it... do you fancy going?’
    ‘Yeah. I spotted Natalie restocking the “Asian Express” aisle yesterday, I thought she looked different... thinner. Not easy to notice under these horrific overalls,’ I added, plucking at the nasty green nylon we had to wear as what the boss Julie sarcastically referred to as ‘Bilton’s Babes’.
    ‘Yep. She says the teacher is fab, used to be a yoga teacher. Apparently she’s all about “female empowerment”. She’s bonkers and uses the word “vagina” in every sentence, but it’s a small price to pay for a tight arse and a tough pelvic floor.’
    I’d love to lose some weight, and I’m a great believer in fate. So when in his letter my dad said he’d wanted me to learn to dance, I felt it was more than just coincidence that Carole was now inviting me to Zumba classes. Life often gives you just what you need, even if you don’t realise it at the time.
    Carole was raving about Zumba; ‘The poster says; “Ditch the workout, join the party.” And I need me some of that.’
    I was quite daunted, and if it hadn’t been for Dad’s letter I’d have gone back to Super Slinky Slimmers where you get weighed then sit down for an hour while someone talks to you about food until you’re so hungry you head for the nearest chippy when you leave. But this was the beginning of a new Laura – this was a Laura that said ‘yes!’ No more wallflower