AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She needed better styling, better video editing, more personality, and probably a few airbrushed Instagram pictures of her in a bikini.
Annoyingly, the baking bloggers who were doing painfully well at the moment were usually the yummy mummy type; brandishing a toddler in one arm, and a cutesy slotted spoon in the other. They always wore unfeasibly low-cut white tops (surely the least practical colour for baking?) and tolerated a lot of online commentary about their ‘bobs’.
The intro reel to their videos would always show some pristine family home, with a cute baby on the floor, and really expensive fridges: the American kind with built-in ice machines. It was like everyone on social media lived in some mythical fairy land without bills to pay, glowing with eternal youth and handsome husbands that posed gushingly on camera.
Helen just couldn’t compete. Her niche as a student baking blogger clearly wasn’t working anymore, and not a day went by without her seeing yet another new blogger explode overnight, eclipsing her ‘success’ with just a few viral videos.
‘What are you watching?’ Sophie sat down next to her and peered over her shoulder.
They were doing post-work juices on Helen’s insistence that she was on a health kick. Helen had even come straight from a spin class and was intermittently dabbing her cheek with a damp napkin to look less flushed, and more glowing. She adjusted her posture to be more upright, and feel more at one with the £7.65 revive juice she’d splurged on.
‘How are things with Frank?’
When Sophie was really happy, she smiled like a cartoon character exposing all her teeth. ‘He’s lovely really.’
‘That’s good. What are we doing for your birthday by the way, it’s only two weeks away, we need to plan wine!’
Sophie inhaled. ‘Actually Frank’s booked us a surprise trip! Well, obviously, he knows where we’re going, but he’s just told me it’s going to be hot, and he’s only going to reveal the location at the airport,’ Sophie’s smile lingered expectantly. ‘I have a feeling it will be somewhere we’re meant to go together … but we should definitely have drinks when I’m back! Whenever that is!’
Sophie looked hopefully at Helen. Helen knew this was her cue to express her happiness for Sophie, but instead she just about managed to croak out a ‘that sounds great’ before her voice trailed off.
Somewhere in her stupid brain she couldn’t quite compute that someone else’s happiness was not in conflict with her own.
Her phone flashed with a message. It was her mum again. The only person ever to double text her. Helen turned the phone facedown on the table.
‘Hola!’ Elle joined them at the table, in a lilac jumpsuit that only she could have pulled off, and started flicking rapidly through the menu. Predictably the waiter made a beeline for them the second she’d sat down. ‘Can I have a glass of rosé?’
‘I thought we were doing a health kick?’ ventured Sophie.
‘You do you ladies, but I stick with the wine. How are we all?’ Elle crossed one leg over the other, and looked somehow like she was conducting an interview.
‘Well, my latest YouTube video flopped, my favourite jeans don’t fit, and I’m running up a huge Uber bill taking taxis home after the episode with the brown beanie guy.’
‘I still can’t believe he followed you home! I knew I should have gone with you,’ said Sophie shaking her head.
‘What a creep. What about that other guy, was he cute?’
‘Elle!!’ Sophie’s eyes noticeably widened.
‘Sorry, jeez I was just asking.’
‘I didn’t really notice but he is a viral YouTuber so I’ll stay in touch for work stuff …’
‘Well on a positive note, at least you’re over this Brody thing.’
‘I wouldn’t exactly sayover.’ Helen tucked her hair behind her ear, and looked down into her juice wondering if she could taste the ‘energising kick’ of ginger.
‘Well, his flip flops are at least in the bin. I know you liked him but, you can’t keep chasing these guys. They have to come to you.’
Sophie’s voice went up half an octave, ‘Maybe this isn’t the best time to bring this up, Elle?’
‘No tener pelos en la lengua.’ Elle folded her napkin daintily in front of her and reshuffled her words into English. ‘I mean it is better to be hit with the truth, than kissed with a lie.’
Sophie’s eyes squinted long and hard at Elle like she was trying to send a telepathic message to shut up.
‘It is because I actually care that I’m the only one who is being honest here,’ Elle exhaled noticeably loudly and looked levelly at them both.
Helen felt the blotchiness increasing on her cheeks again and started dabbing furiously. She needed to ask the waiter if she could upgrade to kitchen roll.
