Heavy Souls (The Paranormals #2) - Andie M. Long Page 0,1

again.

I was in two minds of whether or not to feign a headache and go right back home, but the food smelled too good to leave.

We'd just taken our seats when a woman came rushing over to us, followed by an older lady.

"Ebony, can we not have this every time you visit?" The older woman yelled, just as the younger one grabbed my arm. I flinched and looked to Freya for help, but then the woman said. "You must follow your heart. Don't give up on your dreams of love."

Her perfectly enunciated words, said in a cut glass accent that sounded like the tinkle of piano keys, took away the shock of her 'attack'.

The older woman pulled her away, "I'm so sorry, we'll leave you to enjoy your meal, and it's on me okay? I'll tell the waiter to send me your bill."

"No, no. It's absolutely fine." The woman could be an absolute fruitcake, but she'd told me what my ears wanted to hear.

Because my heart belonged to Zak Jones, and now I would go follow him. Whatever I needed to do to get up close and personal to that man I would now do.

He needed to realise I existed.

It was time for me to make another move. To not give up this time like I did six months ago.

"Well, that was weird." Freya said. "A posh lunatic acting like a fortune teller."

"Freya."

"Yeah?"

"I'm not going for any of the guys here tonight."

She huffed. "Erica. I know your last few dates have not gone to plan, but you have to keep trying."

I held a hand up. "I am. I've decided. I'm going for Zak Jones. We're doing this. I will get near to him and he will realise I exist."

Freya's grin grew wide. "You mean we're going to meet the band again? I'm going to get to see Sexy Rexy again?" Freya had the hots for Rex Colton, The Paranormals' drummer.

"Yes. I'm going to demand face-to-face contact. I run their official fan club. There should be perks."

"Yes, like our nipples when we see the boys."

"Just so I'm making myself clear. I need your help in landing myself at least one night in the sack with Zak Jones, and if possible, the rest of my life."

Freya nodded her head enthusiastically. "Absolutely, and if it just so happens that to do so I am forced to shag Rex Colton, as your very best friend I would take one for the team. One very big one I hope."

"You're such a martyr."

"Waiter!" Freya yelled. She winked at me. "We need more wine and to make some plans, because so far, has NOT been so good."

Erica

Eight months earlier – watching televised episode of the first judges auditions filmed ten months ago

I tended to get a bit obsessed with things. Okay, not a bit, a lot. Like I’d binge watch a show, take Queer Eye for example, and then I’d get their autobiographies, and Antoni’s cookbook even though I struggled to butter a slice of bread. I’d follow them on Instagram, follow them on Twitter. You get the picture. Then I’d be onto the next programme, the next obsession. Basically, I needed to get a life and I was spending far too much time on my own at home.

I blamed my best friend, Freya. She was in love and so my social life had taken a tumble. It wasn’t that she’d abandoned me for her boyfriend. More that I couldn’t face listening to how wonderful he was and having to witness her lovesick face. Yes, that made me a cow. I was happy for her, but I was twenty-one years old, worked in a supermarket, and lived with my mum in a council house in Clapham with no love life whatsoever. I couldn’t even have a battery-operated boyfriend because my mother still insisted on cleaning my room.

Anyway, this was why, when I should be out living it up on a Saturday night, I was instead lying on my bed in my bedroom, TV on, watching Britain’s Best New Band, with only a packet of crisps for company. We were at the live auditions stage where they performed for the judges, (note my use of the word ‘we’ because of my mental overinvolvement) and my heart was in my mouth as the next band came onto the screen. Dan and Harley, the presenters, always chatted backstage with whoever was going on stage next and I'd never wanted to be Harley Davies so much in my damn life. Lucky,