Three short stories and one novel which you can open with expectations and close with profit

I gaze at him indignantly. He’s not taking me seriously at all, is he? He hasn’t shaken my hand, and he’s not even listening to what I’m saying. I’m telling him I want to come in for a meeting — I actually want to — and he’s just treating me like a joke.

And no wonder, interrupts a tiny voice inside me. Look at the way you’ve behaved. Look at the way you’ve treated him. Frankly, it’s a wonder he’s being civil to you at all.

I look up at his face, still crinkled in laughter. . and suddenly feel very chastened.

Because the truth is, he could have been a lot nastier to me than he has been. He could have taken my card away a long time ago. Or sent the bailiffs round. Or had me blacklisted. He’s actually been very nice to me, one way or another, and all I’ve done is lie and wriggle and run away.

“Listen,” I say quickly. “Please. Give me another chance. I really want to sort my finances out. I want to repay my overdraft. But I need you to help me.

I’m. .” I swallow. “I’m asking you to help me, Mr. Smeath.”

There’s a long pause. Derek Smeath looks around for a place to put his coffee cup, takes a white handkerchief out of his pocket, and rubs his brow with it. Then he puts it away and gives me a long look. “You’re serious,” he says at last.

“Yes.”

“You’ll really make an effort?”

“Yes. And—” I bite my lip. “And I’m very grateful for all the allowances you’ve made for me. I really am.”

Suddenly I feel almost tearful. I want to be good. I want to get my life in order. I want him to tell me what to do to make things right.

“All right,” says Derek Smeath at last. “Let’s see what we can sort out. You come into the office tomorrow, nine-thirty sharp, and we’ll have a little chat.”

“Thanks,” I say, my whole body subsiding in relief. “Thank you so much. I’ll be there. I promise.”

“You’d better be,” he says. “No more excuses.” Then a faint smile passes over his features. “By the way,” he adds, gesturing to the set. “I thought you did very well up there, with all your advice.”

“Oh,” I say in surprise. “Well. . thanks. That’s really. .” I clear my throat. “How did you get into the studio, anyway? I thought they had quite tight security.”

“They do,” replies Derek Smeath. “But my daughter works in television.” He smiles fondly. “She used to work on this very show.”

“Really?” I say incredulously.

God, how amazing. Derek Smeath has a daughter. He’s probably got a whole family, come to that. A wife, and everything. Who would have thought it?

“I’d better go,” he says, and drains his polystyrene cup. “This was a bit of an unscheduled detour.”

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He gives me a severe look. “And I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be there,” I say quickly, as he walks off toward the exit. “And. . and thanks. Thanks a lot.”

As he disappears, I sink down onto a nearby chair. I can’t quite believe I’ve just had a pleasant, civilized conversation with Derek Smeath. With Derek

Smeath! And actually, he seems quite a sweetheart. He’s been so nice and kind to me, and his daughter works in television. . I mean, who knows, maybe I’ll get to know her, too. Maybe I’ll become friends with the whole family. Wouldn’t that be great? I’ll start going to dinner at their house, and his wife will give me a warm hug when I arrive, and I’ll help her with the salad and stuff. .

“Rebecca!” comes a voice from behind me, and I turn round to see Zelda approaching, still clutching her clipboard.

“Hi,” I say happily. “How’s it going?”

“Great,” she says, and pulls up a chair. “Now, I want to have a little talk.” “Oh,” I say, suddenly nervous. “OK. What about?”

“We thought you did tremendously well today,” says Zelda, crossing one jeaned leg over the other.

“Tremendously well. I’ve spoken to Emma and Rory and our senior producer”—she pauses for effect —“and they’d all like to see you back on the show.”

I stare at her in disbelief. “You mean—”

“Not every week,” says Zelda. “But fairly regularly. We thought maybe three times a month. Do you

think your work would allow you to do that?”

“I. . I don’t know,” I say dazedly. “I expect it would.”

“Excellent!” says Zelda. “We could probably plug your magazine as well, keep them happy.” She scribbles something on a piece of paper and looks up. “Now, you don’t have an agent, do you? So I’ll have to talk money directly with you.” She pauses, and looks down at her clipboard. “What we’re offering, per slot, is.

CONFESSIONS OF SHOPAHOLIC EXERCISES

CHAPTER 22

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VOCABULARY WORK

1.Match the words to their meanings.

2. Find 10 pairs of synonyms.

Dry, collect, interject, attack, madly, wither, calm down, reduce, prevaricate, exposed, frantically, astonished, summon, insert, unprotected, pounce, shrink, dodge, subside, dazed.

3. Match words to make combinations.

I stare .. him, taken …... It’s not that funny.

GRAMMAR WORK

6.Put the words into the correct word order to make sentences

1.Earlier / start /of course / the / you / saving / the / you / accumulate/ more / will.

2. Crying / for / like / an / I / instant / feel.

3.To / she / show / used / on / work / this / very.

7.Underline the modal verbs and identify their functions.

For example, I have to do this. (obligation)

But you should also look for flexibility, Anne.

If Fran from Shrewsbury can do it, then so can Rebecca from London.

You never know when you might need it.

There were so many more things I could have said to Anne.

I must be hallucinating or something, because he looks exactly like Derek Smeath.

But I can’t crumble, maybe I could slip out at the back.

Maybe I could stick it out here on the sofa.. I have to beRebecca Bloomwood, top financial expert.

“Would you say this is a common problem?”

So you really think, Fran will be able to get her life in order?”

“I would just say. . in the same way you might have a medical checkup once a year, do the same with your finances.

He could have taken my card away a long time ago.

So I’ll have to talk money directly with you.”

I just can’t stop spending.

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COMPREHENSION CHECK

10.Answer the questions.

Do the majority of people give the retirement planning a thought? Why?

Why has Bex been in her element right from the start?.

It was a turning point in her life, was not it? Why?

What’s her final recommendation for the audience? Did she try to dodgeDerek Smeath this time? Why?

Will she finally pay off her debts?

11.Retell the episode in short of behalf of Mr. Dereck.

PLAN

Reasons for a bit of an unscheduled

detour.

Opinion on Bex’s interview and financial advice

Conclusions and expectations

TRANSLATION WORK

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10. Translate the extract using new words and expressions.

Ад бесполезного шопинга Марина, 46 лет:

Вряд ли вы знаете много женщин, у которых в моем возрасте нет ни мужа, ни детей. Даже со своими родителями и сестрами я почти не общаюсь — они привыкли, что неприятности мне помогает пережить не их поддержка, а поход по магазинам.

Не помню, почему шопинг стал для меня лекарством. Но своему психологу я объяснила это тем, что мне никогда не везло с мужчинами.

Каждый разрыв отношений как будто давал мне понять, что мои избранники решили поискать кого-то лучше. Тоска приводила меня в магазины, где, кружась перед зеркалами в новых нарядах, я поднимала упавшую самооценку.

Со временем я поняла, что еще лучше чувствую себя, когда возвращаюсь домой с горой пакетов. Когда мне было плохо, я могла купить совершенно бесполезные вещи — тапочки с подогревом, резиновую утку, круглый аквариум для несуществующей рыбки. Все — ради того, чтобы с покупками в руках почувствовать свою самодостаточность.

И, растрачивая огромные суммы на «шопотерапию», я не заметила, что в окружении множества безделушек моим близким стало тесно. А я, вместо того чтобы услышать, что их на самом деле беспокоит, бежала от неприятных бесед в магазины, где снова «накручивала» бесконечные чеки под снисходительными взглядами консультантов…

Меня остановила старшая сестра, у которой был ключ от моей одинокой квартиры. Пока я была на работе, она за пару часов вычистила мое жилище от плодов пагубной зависимости. А когда я переступила порог, она заставила меня с ней поговорить…

Я потратила годы, чтобы признать, что манекены не заменят близких людей. И эта ошибка стоила гораздо дороже, чем самая роскошная из моих покупок…

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CHAPTER 23

READ THE CHAPTER AND PROCEDE WITH FOLLOWUP ACTIVITIES.

I PUT MY KEY in the lock and slowly open the door of the flat. It seems like about a million years since I was here last, and I feel like a completely different person. I’ve grown up. Or changed. Or something.

“Hi,” I say cautiously into the silence, and drop my bag onto the floor. “Is anyone—”

“Bex!” gasps Suze, appearing at the door of the sitting room. She’s wearing tight black leggings and holding a half-made denim photograph frame in one hand. “Oh my God! Where’ve you been? What have you been doing? I saw you on Morning Coffee and I couldn’t believe my eyes! I tried to phone in and speak to you, but they said I had to have a financial problem. So I said, OK, how should I invest half a million? but they said that wasn’t really. .” She breaks off. “Bex, what happened?”

I don’t reply straight away. My attention has been grabbed by the pile of letters addressed to me on the table. White, official-looking envelopes, brown window envelopes, envelopes marked menacingly “Final Reminder.” The scariest pile of letters you’ve ever seen.

Except somehow. . they don’t seem quite so scary anymore.

“I was at my parents’ house,” I say, looking up. “And then I was on television.”

“But I phoned your parents! They said they didn’t know where you were!” “I know,” I say, flushing slightly. “They were. . protecting me from a

stalker.” I look up, to see Suze staring at me in utter incomprehension. Which I suppose is fair enough. “Anyway,” I add defensively, “I left you a message on the machine, saying not to worry, I was fine.”

“I know,” wails Suze, “but that’s what they always do in films. And it means the baddies have got you and you’ve got a gun jammed against your head. Honestly, I thought you were dead! I thought you were, like, cut up into a million pieces somewhere.”

I look at her face again. She isn’t kidding, she really was worried. I feel awful. I should never have vanished like that. It was completely thoughtless and irresponsible and selfish.

“Oh, Suze.” On impulse, I hurry forward and hug her tightly. “I’m really sorry. I never meant to worry you.”

“It’s OK,” says Suze, hugging me back. “I was worried for a bit — but then I knew you must be all right when I saw you on the telly. You were fantastic, by the way.”

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“Really?” I say, a tiny smile flickering round the corners of my mouth. “Did you really think so?”

“Oh yes!” says Suze. “Much better than whatshisface. Luke Brandon. God, he’s arrogant.”

“Yes,” I say after a tiny pause. “Yes, I suppose he is. But he was actually quite nice to me afterward.”

“Really?” says Suze indifferently. “Well, you were brilliant, anyway. Do you want some coffee?” “Love some,” I say, and she disappears into the kitchen.

I pick up my letters and bills and begin slowly to leaf through them. Once upon a time, this lot would have sent me into a blind panic. In fact, they would have gone straight into the bin, unread. But you know what? Today I don’t feel a flicker of fear. Honestly, how could I have been so silly about my financial affairs? How could I have been so cowardly? This time I’m just going to face up to them properly. I’m going to sit down with my checkbook and my latest bank statements, and sort methodically through the whole mess.

Staring at the clutch of envelopes in my hand, I feel suddenly very grownup and responsible. Farsighted and sensible. I’m going to sort my life out and keep my finances in order from now on. I’ve completely and utterly changed my attitude toward money. Plus. .

OK, I wasn’t actually going to tell you this. But Morning Coffee is paying me absolute loads. Loads.

You won’t believe it, but for every single phone-in I do, I’m going to get— Oh, I’m all embarrassed now. Let’s just say it’s. . it’s quite a lot!

I just can’t stop smiling about it. I’ve been floating along ever since they told me. So the point is, I’ll easily be able to pay all these bills off now. My

VISA bill, and my Octagon bill, and the money I owe Suze — and everything! Finally, finally my life is going to be sorted.

“So, why did you just disappear like that?” asks Suze, coming back out of the kitchen and making me jump. “What was wrong?”

“I don’t really know,” I say with a sigh, putting the letters back down on the hall table. “I just had to get away and think. I was all confused.”

“Because of Tarquin?” says Suze at once, and I feel myself stiffen apprehensively.

“Partly,” I say after a pause, and swallow. “Why? Has he—”

“I know you’re not that keen on Tarkie,” says Suze wistfully, “but I think he still really likes you. He came round a couple of nights ago and left you this letter.”

She gestures to a cream envelope stuck in the mirror. With slightly trembling hands I take it. Oh God, what’s he going to say? I hesitate, then rip it open, and a ticket falls onto the floor.

“The opera!” says Suze, picking it up. “Day after tomorrow.” She looks up. “God, it’s lucky you came back, Bex.” My dear Rebecca, I’m reading incredulously. Forgive my reticence in contacting you before. But the more I think about it, the more I realize how much I enjoyed our evening together and

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how much I would like to repeat it.I enclose a ticket for Die Meistersinger at the Opera House. I shall be attending in any case and if you were able to join me, I would be delighted.Yours very sincerely,Tarquin Cleath-Stuart.

“Oh, Bex, you must go!” says Suze, reading over my shoulder. “You’ve got to go. He’ll be

devastated if you don’t. I really think he likes you.”

I look at the ticket, for two nights’ time. “Gala Performance,” it says, and I feel a sudden excitement. I’ve never been to an opera gala! I could wear that divine Ghost dress which I’ve never had a chance to wear, and I could put my hair up, and meet lots of amazing people. .

And then, abruptly, I stop. However much fun it would be — it wouldn’t be fair or honest to go. I’ve hurt Tarquin enough.

“I can’t go, Suze,” I say, thrusting the letter down. “I’ve. . I’ve got plans that night.”

“But what about poor Tarkie?” says Suze, crestfallen. “He’s so keen on you. .”

“I know,” I say, and take a deep breath. “But I’m not keen on him. I’m really sorry, Suze. . but that’s the truth. If I could change the way I felt. .” There’s a short silence.

“Oh well,” says Suze at last. “Never mind. You can’t help it.” She disappears into the kitchen and emerges a minute later with two mugs of coffee.

“So,” she says, handing me one, “what are you up to tonight? Shall we go out together?”

“Sorry, I can’t,” I say, and clear my throat. “I’ve got a business meeting.” “Really?” Suze pulls a face. “What a bummer!” She sips at her coffee and

leans against the door frame. “Who on earth has business meetings in the evening, anyway?”

“It’s. . it’s with Luke Brandon,” I say, trying to sound unconcerned. But it’s no good, I can feel myself starting to blush.

“Luke Brandon?” says Suze puzzledly. “But what—” She stares at me, and her expression slowly changes. “Oh no. Bex! Don’t tell me. .”

“It’s just a business meeting,” I say, avoiding her eye. “That’s all. Two businesspeople meeting up and talking about business. In a. . in a business situation. That’s all.” And I hurry off to my room.

Business meeting. Clothes for a business meeting. OK, let’s have a look.

I pull all my outfits out of the wardrobe and lay them on the bed. Blue suit, black suit, pink suit. Hopeless. Pinstriped suit? Hmm. Maybe overdoing it.

Cream suit. . too weddingy. Green suit. . isn’t that bad luck or something? “So what are you going to wear?” says Suze, looking in through my open

bedroom door. “Are you going to buy something new?” Her face lights up. “Hey, shall we go shopping?”

“Shopping?” I say distractedly. “Ahm. . maybe.”

Somehow today. . Oh, I don’t know. I almost feel too tense to go shopping. Too keyed up. I don’t think I’d be able to give it my full attention.

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