Happy Birthday

by Jane Wenham-Jones

Genres: Humor & Satire; Short Stories; Women's Fiction

Synopsis

If you love Milly Johnson, Trisha Ashley and Catherine Alliott, you'll love Jane Wenham-Jones's deliciously entertaining stories! 'Funny, realistic and full of insight' Katie Fforde 'I love Jane's writing!' Jill Mansell 'Feel-good' Woman & Home Whether approaching thirty, hitting forty or heading for ninety, birthdays can be fraught affairs... Birthdays are a source of inspiration, desperation and clever deception in this entertaining short story collection from best-selling novelist Jane Wenham-Jones. With laughter, tears, cake and champagne - these five birthday tales will leave you longing to blow out some candles of your own... Don't miss Jane's delightfully entertaining novels, filled with humour and insight: The Big Five O, Mum in the Middle, One Glass is Never Enough, Prime Time and Perfect Alibis are all out now!

Release date: March 20, 2014

Publisher: Accent Press

Print pages: 30

Sample

Happy Birthday

‘Go on! Put it on!’

They are a chorus, all laughing, and so I unpin the brightly coloured badge from the card in my hands and fix it to my dark, slinky dress. ‘Still Flirty at Thirty’. My friends continue to chuckle and I fix my smile too. Wider and brighter. Happy to be surrounded by those I love on my birthday. Except there isn’t anyone to love.

 Oh, these are all wonderful people – these friends of mine. They have filled the wine bar with shiny balloons and brilliant banners and colourful streamers. Champagne corks pop and they slip arms around my shoulders, press warm lips against my cheeks, put gifts and cards into my hands. They are precious and special and I would not manage without them. So I am trying to have the evening they have planned for me – the time of my life. I am willing myself not to cry.

‘Good old Jan.’ Roger throws an arm around me and nods towards my chest. His wife smiles at me so warmly I want to look away. I glance down at the silly little metal disc; I don’t want to be flirty at my age, I’d like to rant at them. I want to be in love. I look around at them all. All in pairs. Married or living together or at least holding hands. Everyone has someone special. Someone to whom they are the one. The most important. Except me.

I didn’t expect to be affected like this. Never thought the memories would come crashing back so painfully. My friends were not to know how a cluster of balloons and the clink of a long-stemmed flute could squeeze at my throat and bring self-pity rushing to my eyes.

I take a deep breath and make another big smile and wonder nervously who they’ve brought this time. Which poor stray man is for me. I haven’t spotted him yet but there is always one. Every time these good people invite me to dinner or to a party, he’s there. Hey Brian/Kevin/Sebastian/Gordon, come and meet Jan! Respectful silence while they all hold their breaths and wait for love-at-first-sight to take us in its clutches. It never has. I’d like to tell them to stop trying. That I’m happy on my own. But I know they won’t really believe it and I don’t either. I grin at Roger and Sarah, make some flippant comment abo. . .