A Date with Fate Read online

  1. The New Girl

  2. The Trouble With Love

  3. More Than a Love Song

  4. A Date With Fate

  5. Never a Perfect Moment

  6. Kiss at Midnight

  7. Back to You

  8. Summer of Secrets

  9. Playing the Game

  10. Flirting With Danger

  11. Lovers and Losers

  12. Winter Wonderland

  (This dedication was donated by the author)

  To our lovely Grace,

  you are our sunshine.

  Mum, David, Ellie, Emily and Andrew

  Contents

  Cover

  Half Title Page

  The Heartside Bay Series

  Title Page

  Dedication

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  Copyright

  ONE

  Eve Somerstown fiddled with the buttons on her seat, enjoying the way the mechanism moved her chair smoothly to the perfect position. Stretching out her toes, she admired her new shoes, turning her feet so the lights caught the gold bars on the strappy red sandals and made them gleam. She flicked through the channels on the TV in front of her, sighed, and turned it off.

  Even private jets can be boring when there’s no one to talk to, she thought.

  Eve’s stomach twisted in the usual way. No one was talking to her right now anyway. Even if her friends had been right here on the plane, she knew they would all have their backs to her.

  Turning her head, she looked at her shopping bags with their familiar Paris logos and expensive rope handles. The sight soothed her, and excitement fluttered in her stomach. She had bought some gorgeous things on this trip. She couldn’t wait to try them on again in front of the long, adjustable three-way mirror in her bedroom.

  How does anyone live with one flat mirror? she wondered, pulling a little sea-blue sequinned dress from a bag and holding it up to the light, making it sparkle like the bars on her sandals. Everyone knew that a new dress had to look good from the back as well as the front.

  Laying the dress on the empty white-leather seat beside her and reaching for a baby-blue-and-white striped bag with gold tasselled handles, Eve pulled out her favourite purchase. Soft as down and the most delectable shade of purple, the cashmere wrap felt as warm as a mother’s embrace.

  Eve’s mother didn’t hug her much, admittedly. But Eve knew what it felt like. She snuggled her nose into the fluff and breathed its lovely new smell. Then she stroked the cashmere, folded it, and laid it gently on top of the sparkling dress.

  Her dad laid down his phone and flicked through the winking tablet on the table in front of him, his long fingers moving with speed and assurance. No one could deny that Henry Somerstown was a handsome man who looked ten years younger than his age. Eve hoped her husband would age as well as her dad had. Swirling his sparkling water gently in its glass, Eve’s father glanced at her as if he had just remembered she was there. “How are you doing over there, baby girl?”

  Eve snatched the moment. “Isn’t this the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, Daddy?” she said, quickly holding up the sea-blue dress for her father to admire. The cashmere slithered to the carpeted floor. “They only had one left and it was in my size, can you believe it? I was totally meant to have it. I—”

  The phone started purring. Eve’s father lifted a hand apologetically, and took the call. “Mr Hong, great to hear from you. Safe trip home from Shanghai?”

  Eve lowered her dress and stared out of the window, determined not to mind. It was her dad’s business that had brought her to Paris in the first place, after all. She had no right to begrudge him a few business calls. She would give him a proper fashion show when they got home.

  Eve bit her lip in vexation, remembering that her sister would probably be at home. Chloe knew how to wind Eve up by dancing around their dad and tugging on his hands and talking in the special baby voice that she put on just for him. Their dad fell for it every single time. Eve was as good as invisible the moment Chloe skipped into the room.

  Eve took up the cashmere wrap again, from where it had slipped on to the floor. It was already losing its feeling of newness, and she saw that it had snagged on one of the sea-blue dress’s sharp blue sequins. She threw it down in frustration.

  Daddy loves me, she told herself. He wouldn’t have brought me on this trip otherwise. Did he love her more than Chloe? She had never dared to ask.

  “Yes, everything’s on track, Mr Hong.” Her dad’s Rolex glinted in the private jet’s discreet overhead lights as he checked the time and glanced out of the window at the approaching lights of the English coast. “The units are being snapped up so fast, I can hardly keep up with demand. We have some big-name labels moving into the centre as soon as the space is habitable. It’s going to be extremely profitable. Worth every penny we’ve put into it so far, I would say. Your investment will double by the time I’ve finished with the Heartside Shopping Centre.”

  Her dad only had to look at a project and it turned to gold, Eve thought, determined to cheer herself up. The designer names that had said they’d take a unit in his new shopping development were the best in the world. He was the most important man in Heartside Bay, and he was brilliant at his job. He knew everyone, had great parties, and loved her to pieces.

  She breathed in the cashmere one more time, then dropped it carelessly back into its blue and white bag.

  “Not long to go before we land,” said Eve’s dad, slotting his phone into his pocket. “Have you enjoyed yourself today, Evie? I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the shops with you.”

  “It’s OK, Daddy,” said Eve in a rush of love. “Your business always has to come first, I understand that. I’m fifteen now, I can look after myself. Paris was gorgeous. It’s so beautiful at this time of year.”

  “I’m sorry Rhi couldn’t come to keep you company,” her dad said. “I haven’t seen her around much recently. Is she still busy with her singing?”

  Eve felt her chin start to wobble. Her dad looked surprised and concerned.

  “Everything OK, baby girl?”

  For one weak moment, Eve wanted to pour out all her problems. Tell her dad everything that had been going wrong in her life lately. The new girl Lila Murray stealing Ollie, the boy Eve had chosen for herself. The horrible mess-up with Rhi and Max. Eve wasn’t even sure why she’d bothered to go after Max in the first place. She didn’t even like him that much. Now Rhi hated Eve for trying to steal him, and Max had ended up going back to Rhi anyway. Even Polly Nelson thought she was evil, and Eve had been trying to do Polly and her mum a favour when she’d sorted out that problem with Ms Andrews! She’d saved Ms Andrews from losing her job after she’d started dating Polly’s mum. Her stomach clenched at the thought of that particular conversation. She’d never make that mistake again. And after everything, Eve just wasn’t sure who she was any more. Nothing seemed right.

  Your dad has more important things to think about than your little problems, Eve reminded herself. He deserves a happy daughter, not a miserable one.

 
But the words started tumbling out before she could stop herself.

  “Well, there have been a couple of things at school lately. Boys, friends. You know.”

  She bit her lip before she said anything more. Her dad would be so disappointed in her if he knew everything that was going wrong. She couldn’t tell him.

  “But it’s nothing I can’t handle,” she added quickly.

  Giving her father her most dazzling smile, she flicked her long auburn hair back over her shoulders. He laughed, and relaxed back against his chair.

  “You know what I think?”

  He had a teasing tone in his voice that made Eve sit upright.

  “I think,” he said, “that it’s time for another one of your amazing parties. My princess is always happiest when she’s party planning. Am I right?”

  Eve squealed and jumped out of her chair to give her dad a hug. Parties were her favourite thing. When she was hosting a party, nothing else seemed to matter. Her mind had already started whirling through themes, guest lists and outfits.

  “Brilliant!” she gasped. “My last party was at home, so I think we should go somewhere else this time. Can I hire a venue?”

  “Name it,” said her father.

  Eve sat beside him, her eyes glowing with ideas. “How about one of the little islands off the coast? We can bring people over on the yacht. The weather at this time of year will be perfect! We’ll have a striped beach marquee, and a barbecue. No, wait! A fire pit! We can have a Caribbean theme!” She could picture it already. “There’ll be flares along the shore and a live band. It’ll be by invitation only, of course. All the best parties are.”

  “It already sounds legendary,” laughed her dad. “Who will you invite?”

  Eve thought of Lila and Ollie, Rhi and Max, and Polly. She had a nasty feeling none of them would want to come.

  “Only the best,” Eve said defiantly.

  I’ll just have to make it extra amazing, she thought fiercely. Then they won’t be able to say no.

  Eve settled back into her chair and clipped her seat belt together, dreaming of the perfect evening that she was going to host. It would be the best party ever.

  Her dad’s phone rang. He stared at the number on the screen and snatched it up.

  “Talk to me,” he said.

  Eve couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, but the voice sounded anxious. Her father’s face grew thunderous.

  “Sort it out, Monroe,” he snapped. “I can’t have this. Do your job, or I’ll have to find someone else to do it for you. Do I make myself clear?”

  Eve refolded her new clothes dreamily, running through the party order in her mind.

  “Damn it Monroe! This is going to set us back weeks, if not months. Do you have any idea how much a delay like this will cost me?”

  Her dad’s voice was rising. He could be really fierce sometimes, Eve thought, feeling a little sorry for the person on the other end of the phone.

  Eve’s dad loosened his tie with a quick, angry movement. “If this isn’t sorted by the weekend, it’s not just your neck that will be on the line, Monroe. You’ll be hearing from me. This isn’t the last of it.”

  To Eve’s astonishment, her dad threw his phone down so hard that it bounced off the seat to the floor. From the sound of things, there was a serious problem.

  Eve dismissed the thought as soon as she’d had it. There couldn’t be a problem. Her dad was always a success. Everyone knew that.

  TWO

  Eve fiddled with the new gold watch she’d bought in Paris. It had looked so good on her wrist in the shop. Now in the harsh light of the classroom it looked cheap.

  She assessed the boys in the classroom. If her island beach party was going to be a success, she needed a date. And it had to be a good one. The best guy in the room.

  Ollie Wright’s handsome blond head was bent towards Lila Murray’s glossy brown one, and he was laughing at something she was saying. Eve felt the old, familiar wave of anger. She was supposed to date the most popular boy, not Lila. Now it would probably never happen. Not for the first time, Eve wished Lila had never arrived in Heartside Bay and disrupted her carefully laid plans. Anyone with half a brain could see how perfect Eve and Ollie would look together.

  Max Holmes was another no. Been there, done that, Eve thought, unmoved as he ran his hands lazily through his thick dark hair and gave her what he thought was his most seductive wink. And you were a lot more trouble than you were worth.

  Ryan Jameson was resting his chin on the desk, gazing surreptitiously at Lila through his overgrown fringe. Another one with a crush on the new girl, thought Eve with extreme irritation. Ryan was much too annoying for date material. And as for the rest of the boys in 10Y, they were all the same loud, annoying, stupid kids she’d been at school with for ever, and none of them had improved with the passing years.

  She paused when she reached Josh Taylor. Now here was someone who had improved, she realized. Josh had always been the gawky nerd in the corner, doodling in his sketchbook and never saying a word to anyone. He still wasn’t the world’s greatest conversationalist, but his shoulders had broadened nicely, and his short hair and dorky glasses had actually become somewhat stylish.

  Sensing her gaze, Josh turned and glanced at her, his green eyes enquiring. Eve felt a jolt of excitement. Josh was smart and good-looking. She’d never known him to have a girlfriend, now she thought about it. He was a bit of a man of mystery, which added to his appeal.

  Could she fall for him?

  Eve wasn’t sure she’d ever really fallen for anybody. She’d had boyfriends, always good-looking ones, but once the thrill of the chase had passed, she always found herself losing interest. She had long ago decided that the spark she’d heard about in love songs was a myth. Love was about making the most advantageous choices, that was all.

  What’s not to like with Josh? she asked herself, studying the back of his bent head, imagining the way his close-cut hair might feel under her fingers. She could make him like her, she was sure of it. And she could learn to like him too. She could make it work.

  There was no time like the present to start her flirt campaign. She would play this just right. Josh would be her prize.

  The bell rang for the end of class. Snatching up her bag, Eve walked up to Josh, pushing past the other students to make sure she was in the perfect position to strike up a corridor conversation.

  “Hey Josh,” she said in her most flirtatious voice.

  Josh glanced at her in surprise. Making a show of adjusting his bag on his shoulder, he pushed his glasses up his nose. “Hey,” he said awkwardly.

  Eve smiled up at him. He was lovely and tall. This plan was getting better by the minute.

  “You were looking very studious in there,” she teased, wrinkling her nose at him. “I don’t know how you can concentrate in that bear pit.”

  “Oh, you know,” said Josh, with a shrug. “I’m pretty used to the bears by now.”

  Eve fluttered her eyelashes. Just a little. She didn’t want to be too obvious. “So,” she said in her most thoughtful voice. “Am I one of the bears?”

  “I’d call you more of a tiger.”

  For a moment, Eve felt unsure of herself. “I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not,” she said, forcing a little laugh.

  Josh looked alarmed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you or anything. I . . . just wasn’t expecting the question. Zoology isn’t really my area.”

  Eve laughed for real this time. She added “funny” to the growing list of Josh Taylor’s attractions.

  “Tigers are prettier than bears, I suppose,” she said with a carefully measured pout.

  “Definitely,” Josh agreed, looking relieved that she hadn’t taken offence.

  Eve ran her fingers through her hair. Boys always found her ha
ir fascinating. Sure enough, she saw Josh’s eyes flicker. “And I have more tigerish colouring,” she mused, pleased with the effect she was creating.

  “Unless you count the auburn-haired bears of Bolivia.”

  “There are auburn-haired bears in Bolivia?” Eve said, startled by the serious look on Josh’s face.

  It was Josh’s turn to laugh this time. “Just kidding.”

  Eve wasn’t sure whether she was being laughed at. Taking a deep breath, she gave him her most dazzling smile.

  “And is my roar worse than my bite?” she said coquettishly.

  “I wouldn’t know,” Josh said, smiling back. “I haven’t been roared at yet.”

  They turned a corner towards the maths block. And Eve spotted the last person in the world that she wanted to see.

  “Hi Josh!” Lila gave Eve a wary nod. “Eve.”

  “Lila,” said Eve stiffly.

  Josh beamed at Lila. “How’s it going?”

  “Fantastic, thanks,” said Lila, giving Josh a warm smile. “You know, for a Monday morning. What are you two talking about?”

  “Bears and tigers, mostly,” said Josh.

  “Nutter,” said Lila, laughing.

  Eve realised with some horror that Josh’s ears had turned pink. It was suddenly as clear as crystal why Josh was permanently single. The girl he liked was already spoken for.

  Josh liked Lila.

  Eve wanted to stamp on Lila’s foot. First Ollie, then Ryan, now Josh! How come she got all the boys’ attention? She wasn’t even that pretty. OK, she was, but there were more beautiful girls at Heartside High.

  Eve put her arm possessively through the crook of Josh’s elbow. He looked a little startled, but didn’t pull away.

  “This chit-chat is all very nice,” she said waspishly, “but we have a class to get to. Shall we keep walking?”

  Lila grinned. “How stupid of me to forget,” she said. She gave a little bow, extending her hand in front of Eve. “After you, your Royal Highness.”

  Eve raged internally all the way to maths, practically towing Josh beside her like a dog on a lead. Lila Murray wanted to play, did she? Well, this time the new girl didn’t stand a chance.