The scalding coffee burnt her tongue as she forced herself to swallow it. Well, wasn’t that just typical of heaven. They were clever enough to send her back through time to the day she died, and even went to all the trouble of wiping everyone’s memory but her own. But did they think to stop Amy Jenkins from slipping her the motion sickness tablets? Er, no.
“Holly, should you really be drinking so much caffeine before the ball tonight? You don’t want to be jumping around like a grasshopper.” Her stepmother appeared from the lounge room, clutching a camera as she raised a questioning eyebrow at the three other empty cups sitting on the bench.
Holly took another gulp of steaming hot liquid. “I’ve just been feeling a little bit tired. I thought it might wake me up,” she improvised.
“I see. Well, it was nice of you to stop by before you go out. I wasn’t expecting it. You used to like spending all your time in the bath to get ready for a big night out.”
“I guess I just thought it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you. I should’ve come sooner.” Holly said as she tried to ignore the fact she did feel like a long soak in the tub, especially after the week she’d just had. Except until the pills were out of her system she had decided it was probably safest not to. Technically, Dr. Hill had said she couldn’t die again, but since she still hadn’t had a chance to read the rulebook yet, she wasn’t taking any chances with the fine print. Been there, done that, and almost got kissed by another girl to prove it.
“I know you’ve busy.” Her stepmother smiled. “You don’t have to explain. I hope you don’t mind if I take a photograph of you though, you look wonderful. Todd’s a lucky guy.”
Oh, that freak-faced waste of space loser.
She sucked down the last dregs of coffee and tried not to screw up her nose at the bitter aftertaste. “Actually, Todd and I broke up this afternoon.”
“Oh, Holly.” Her stepmother’s face was now a picture of genuine concern and again Holly wondered how she had failed to notice this for so long.
“It’s all right,” she quickly reassured her. “In fact I feel great about it.”
“But what happened?”
Well, let’s see. I died the day we were meant to get engaged only to find out he was cheating on me with a stupid tart named Rochelle Jackson while I was sitting at the next-door table in the body of a boy.
“Oh, you know, normal reasons, it’s no big deal.”
“That’s all right,” her stepmother said quickly. “You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Gosh, had Holly really been so super-sensitive before that her stepmother couldn’t even ask a normal question without worrying about the reaction she would get?
Wait, don’t answer that.
“You’re not prying,” Holly said instead. “I guess I started to realize that I was with Todd for all the wrong reasons. Just because he has a perfect résumé, it didn’t make him the right guy for me. I suppose I didn’t like who I was becoming when I was around him.”
Her stepmother put down the camera. “It takes a big person to admit that.”
“I sort of had it spelt out to me,” Holly reluctantly admitted.
“Well, all the same. You might not be able to change the past, but you can always try and make tomorrow better,” her stepmother said and for a moment Holly wondered if Dr. Hill had really managed to purge everyone’s memory because if she didn’t know better, she would say her stepmother was talking about more than just Holly’s disastrous relationship with Todd.
“Anyway…” Her stepmother gave her a shy smile. “Now’s hardly the time for this, you’ve got a big night ahead. Who knows, you might even meet the man of your dreams.”
I hope not, Holly wanted to retort since there was only one man she was interested in right now. And he hadn’t been a dream. He’d been only too real.
“Can you believe what Rochelle Jackson’s wearing?” Gemma demanded as a group of them stood at the back of the glittering ballroom and checked everyone out now that the free champagne had helped lower some of the staff members’ inhibitions.
Holly could very well believe it because she’d seen the exact same dress hanging in Rochelle’s wardrobe the other day. Though somehow it looked even smaller and tighter than before.
“It’s gross,” she agreed.
“Look at how she and Todd are dancing. That’s so disgusting. You guys only broke up this afternoon and yet she’s all over him like a rash.”
Holly glanced over to the dance floor where Todd and Rochelle were both looking smug. “To be honest I don’t think we can blame this one all on Rochelle. It takes two to publicly grope on the dance floor. Despite how drunk Todd is, he doesn’t look like he’s protesting too much.”
“How can you be so calm?” Gemma demanded. “I mean this must be freaking you out. I’m still not sure I even understand where that all came from? One minute you were the Baker Colwell dream couple and now…well, you’re not. Actually you’re looking a bit pale. Have you eaten something funny?”
“I think I might have had a cup of coffee that didn’t agree with me,” Holly admitted.
“As if there’s such thing as a sketchy coffee.” Gemma rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Holly, there must be some explanation for all of this.”
“I guess I got a sudden vision of what life might be in the future and let’s just say that I didn’t like the picture. Besides, somehow I don’t think Todd and Rochelle will last.” Holly wasn’t too sure how karma worked in situations like this, but she was pretty confident that Todd’s dodgy sales practices would come and bite him on the butt at some stage. Would it be wrong of her to hope it was sooner rather than later?
Rochelle Jackson might act (and dress) like a bimbo, but the truth was she was as ambitious as Todd, and Holly would’ve bet her heavenly rulebook that Rochelle would drop Todd faster than a figure-disguising caftan when his dodgy dealings finally caught up with him.
“That’s all very well, but it’s still a lot of change. I’m not sure I can keep up with it,” Gemma complained. “First you break up with Todd and now you decide to get another job.”
“Shhhhh.” Holly glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “Besides, I haven’t got it yet. I won’t know more until I see them next week.”
“Of course you’ll get it. Especially after you recited the family tree of everyone in The Rich and the Restless to them over the phone and they said that you knew it better than the scriptwriters. But you still haven’t told me how you heard about it in the first place?”
A small smile tugged at Holly’s lips. She had a feeling that ringing The Rich and the Restless studio just as Lorraine had been forced to deal with another Monica Edwards diva tantrum, might possibly come under the Insider Trading Act. But, since no lightening had struck her down—or more importantly, no Dr. Hill had mysteriously appeared as Holly had asked the harassed production assistant if it would be okay to send in her CV for a job—she figured that heaven didn’t have a problem with Holly moving into the dazzling world of daytime television. Which was why, when Lorraine had positively begged her to come in for an interview next week, Holly couldn’t help but feel excited about it all.
“It was just in passing really.” Holly shrugged. “I met someone who knew the production assistant and found out she hated her job. So it was just a fluke.”
“Well, I guess you are perfectly suited to it,” Gemma grudgingly admitted. “But it’s going to be so weird without you.”
“I know, but we’ll still be moving in together. The sooner the better considering the way Irene’s going,” Holly reminded her.
“I suppose so, but it’s still not going to be the same at work. Especially since I’ve become less impressed with some of the people at work. Especially Simon Trimmer. Look at how drunk he is. I don’t know what I saw in him?”
Holly peered over to where Simon Trimmer and some others had taken their bow ties off from around their neck and tied them around their heads as they threw a flower bowl around like it was a baseball.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing about Todd. Perhaps we’re growing up? Hey and look at Simon. He’s going to hurt someone if he keeps doing—”
“Holly, watch out,” Gemma shrieked, but before Holly could even work out what was going on, she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her and push her to the floor just as a large glass bowl went skimming past her head, landing with a thud on one of the chairs piled along the wall.
“Are you all right?” A familiar voice asked and Holly peered up to see Vince Murphy almost lying on top of her, his blue eyes full of concern. Look how gorgeous he was in a dinner suit. Had he rented it? It must have cost him a fortune. But it was sooooo worth it.
“Hey, Murphy. I think you can get off her now,” Gemma snapped as she thrust out a hand to help Holly up. Vince quickly scrambled into a standing position and Holly thought how much nicer it had been when he was touching her. She let Gemma help her up.
“Holly,” Simon slurred as he appeared from the crowd. “Sorry about that. Was aiming for the banner.” Holly looked over to where a large Baker Colwell banner was hanging from the wall. On the other side of the room.
“Well maybe you should get out of here and practice your aim then?” Vince said in a cool voice.
“Are you speaking to me?” Simon blinked in bemusement before lurching slightly to the left.
“Yes and you’d do well to listen. I heard that the Regional director is still around here somewhere, so I suggest you and your drunken friends get out of here before you end up demoted to the mailroom.”
For a moment Simon looked like he was going to say something smart. Perhaps with his fists? But as Vince’s steady cool gaze continued to stare at him, he seemed to change his mind and his hands dropped back to his side and without another word he spun around and he and the other account managers staggered towards the door.
Good riddance.
“Hey, Murphy, that was pretty cool,” Tina MacDonald purred. “Do you want a drink?”
Pulease. Had Rochelle been giving her lessons?
“No thanks. I just wanted to see if Holly’s okay.”
“She’s fine.” Gemma put a protective arm around Holly’s shoulder and started to drag her to one side. “Thanks for your help.”
“Actually, Gem.”—Holly wriggled free—“I sort of wanted to say thank you to Vince myself. That was a close call.”
Gemma was about to open her mouth in protest when Holly saw a familiar looking guy walking towards them. “Hey, isn’t that Andrew, one of the technicians? I think he’s coming to ask you to dance.”
“I can’t dance with him,” Gemma protested.
“I think he’s kind of cute.” Tina fluffed her hair and hitched up her skirt some more. “Maybe he’s coming to ask me to dance?”
Holly’s lip twitched. “No, I think it’s definitely Gemma he wants. You should go for it.”
“No, I couldn’t. Could I? Is he really looking at me?” Gemma suddenly started to fiddle with the ring on her finger. “The thing is, I never told you this before, but I’ve actually talked to him a couple times when’s come into the department for…well…actually I’m not sure what it was for, but he was quite nice. Bad taste in ties though.”
“You definitely shouldn’t judge a man by his tie,” Holly assured her. “I think nice is often underrated in a guy. You should definitely go for it.”
“Okay,” squeaked Gemma as she nervously started to walk towards him. “I just might.”
“So, are you alright?” Vince’s blue eyes caught hers. “That was a pretty close call.”
Holly felt her stomach do a series of flip-flops as she returned his gaze. And could she just say how much nicer it was to be able to look at him properly rather than just through a mirror.
“I’m fine,” she croaked. “And thanks. I think I would’ve missed the rest of the ball if you hadn’t pushed me out of the way.”
“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” He gave her a familiar shrug and Holly longed to touch him.
“You have a habit of doing that,” she said without thinking and then blushed. Gosh, already the weight of a double life was sitting on her shoulders. Definitely time for a subject change. “S-so I didn’t think you normally came to this sort of thing.”
“I don’t,” Vince said in a wonderfully familiar gruff voice. “In fact I’m not sure why I changed my mind? I guess the guys I worked with finally managed to wear me down into saying yes.”
“R-right, so you’re not here with anyone else then?” Holly tried to sound casual but was sure she was failing miserable. Still, if she didn’t ask she would go mad. “I-I heard you and Amy Jenkins were…”
Vince gave an adamant shake of his head. “Definitely nothing between us. Didn’t you know?”
Holly looked at him in surprise. “Know what?” That Amy had been sent away to an institution as punishment for an unhealthy habit of trying to poison people with motion sickness tablets?
“She got seconded for a year. To the Outer Mongolian office.”
Holly giggled. Well, it wasn’t criminal justice at its best, but there was a certain amount of satisfaction to be had from it. To think she had doubted that heaven didn’t know what they were doing when it came to divine retribution.
“So how about you?” Vince’s voice sounded deeper than ever. “Are you here alone? I saw Todd dancing with Rochelle Jackson and then someone said you guys—”
“Are over.” Holly wondered if it would be too forward to stop all of this chit-chat and just kiss him. After all, she’d lived in his body for two days and now knew him better than she knew her best friend. Surely certain formalities could be wavered in such circumstances? Just a pity Vince was showing no signs of remembering any of it.
She’d already tried to test Gemma and her stepmother on this but it had been no dice. Trust Dr. Hill to finally get something right.
“Really?” Vince sounded pleased and Holly’s heart did an absurd little leap. “Because I was wondering if you’d like to—”
“Yes, please,” Holly said before he could even finish and she winced. She’d become so used to knowing what he was going to say, she’d forgotten he didn’t have any knowledge of it.
As he reached out for her hand to lead her towards the dance floor, he didn’t look too unhappy about the situation.
It wasn’t exactly a slow song. In fact, over the sound system Green Day was belting out the words at a hundred miles an hour, but Holly didn’t care. Vince Murphy had asked her to dance with him and dance she would.
She slipped her hands around his waist and after a moment of surprise she felt his arms wrap tightly around her shoulders. Ah, this was better. Ever since she’d been back in her body, she’d had a niggling sense something was missing. Now she knew what. Vince.
She pressed herself tighter. He was probably going to think she was the biggest harlot in the whole world—well apart from Rochelle Jackson, obviously. But Holly didn’t care. She had been dead for two weeks. She needed a hug.
The song finally finished and as a 50 Cent tune pumped through the air, Vince started to say something to her.
“What?” she called out over the music but once again he was drowned out and so he shook his head before grabbing her hand and leading her to the darkened side of the room.
“Couldn’t hear a thing,” he explained as he leaned against the wall. “There was something I wanted to ask you.”
“Yes?” Holly gulped, reverently hoping it would involve the words kissing and now.
Vince fidgeted with his hand and Holly noticed the swollen knuckles were no longer there. Pity, since it meant Todd never got punched in the face after all. But still a girl couldn’t have everything.
Then he shook his head. “Actually, don’t worry. It would just sound stupid.”
“What would sound stupid?” If you’re going to ask me out it wouldn’t sound stupid at all. Or if you wanted to kiss me—definitely not so stupid…
He thrust his hands into his pockets and Holly’s heart went into overdrive. Was he just the hottest guy who had ever lived?
“I never should’ve opened my mouth,” he said.
“Yes, well you did and you can’t not tell me now. It wouldn’t be fair. I’m a woman. We are a curious by nature. It’s part of the job description.”
He blew out a column of air and rolled his eyes. “Fine, but can you at least keep your laughing to a minimum when I say it?”
“How do you know I’ll laugh?” she protested.
“Because in my dreams you seemed to laugh at me a lot.”
Holly felt her heart start to thump. “Your dreams?”
“See, I told you it was going to sound crazy.” He shook his head and looked off into the distance. “Okay, I think I’m just going to go…”
“No.” Holly grabbed his arm. Well, that was a mistake and she shivered as all sorts of nice tingly feelings went whizzing around her body. “Please don’t go. I want to hear more about these dreams.”
He dropped his head so he was now looking directly at her. “You just seemed to be in them. A lot. Which is stupid right, since we hardly know each other.”
“We did used to play together as kids,” she croaked, unable to drag herself away from Vince’s gaze.
“I didn’t think you’d remember that.”
“You’d be surprised at what I remember.” She could tell her voice was husky now. “You’re not as invisible as you’d like to think, Vincent Ryan Murphy.”
She watched his Adam’s apple move slightly—a clear sign he was nervous. “So do you think we could perhaps go out one night?” he said.
“I’d like that.” She bit her lip in excitement. “I’d like that a lot.”
“Great.” He beamed but instead of kissing her he stood up straight and looked like he was about to go and join Graham, Bob and the other technicians over by the bar. “So I suppose I’d better let you get back to your friends. They’re probably all freaking out that you’re even talking to me.”
“I only came with Gemma.” Holly shook her head. “But since she seems a bit preoccupied with a complicated technical question, I don’t think you have much to worry about.”
“Are you sure about this?”
Holly nodded as she leaned further into him. “You wouldn’t believe if I told you how sure I was.”
“You could try,” he murmured, but before she could answer, she felt his hands gently reach down to her belt of her dress and pull her forward.
Then he kissed her.
Boy did Vince Murphy know how to kiss and suddenly Holly could see just why Amy Jenkins had gone to such lengths to try and capture his interest. Of course, as Holly found herself returning his kiss, she was certainly pleased Amy had failed. Firstly, because she didn’t like sharing; and secondly, because kissing Vince was to die for. Literally.