The Hangover Read online

  Table of Contents

  Thanks to…

  Dedication

  1.

  2.

  3.

  4.

  5.

  6.

  7.

  8.

  9.

  10.

  11.

  12.

  13.

  14.

  15.

  16.

  17.

  18.

  19.

  20.

  21.

  22.

  23.

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  26.

  27.

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  30.

  About Emma Nichols

  First published in 2017 by:

  Britain’s Next Bestseller

  An imprint of Live It Publishing

  27 Old Gloucester Road

  London, United Kingdom.

  WC1N 3AX

  www.bnbsbooks.co.uk

  Copyright © 2017 by Emma Nichols

  The moral right of Emma Nichols to be identified as the

  author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance

  with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

  This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  Except as permitted under current legislation, no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system, published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast, transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the copyright owners.

  All enquiries should be addressed to Britain’s Next Bestseller.

  To keep in touch with the latest news from Emma Nichols

  and her writing please visit:

  www.emmanicholsauthor.com

  www.facebook.com/EmmaNicholsAuthor

  www.twitter.com/ENichols_Author

  Available in paperback

  ISBN: 9781973391661

  Whilst The Hangover can be read as a standalone novel, we would recommend you immerse yourself from the beginning of the Vincenti Series, with Finding You.

  CONTENTS

  Thanks to…

  Dedication

  1.

  2.

  3.

  4.

  5.

  6.

  7.

  8.

  9.

  10.

  11.

  12.

  13.

  14.

  15.

  16.

  17.

  18.

  19.

  20.

  21.

  22.

  23.

  24.

  25.

  26.

  27.

  28.

  29.

  30.

  About Emma Nichols

  Thanks to…

  Mu for your unwavering support and dedication to the cause.

  Bev the copper for your technical expertise and wicked sense of humour.

  To Tara and Valden for your critical input and patience.

  You my readers for choosing to read what I write. I hope you love this one too.

  Thank you all.

  Emma x

  Dedication

  To Mu, because…

  1.

  Eva thrashed and kicked, and her sweat-soaked t-shirt clung with the desperation of a child to its mother. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, feeding her tired body. Her flailing arm made contact with something warm and soft and she jumped up into a seated position.

  ‘Ouch,’ Rosa grumbled, thrust out of a deep sleep by the accidental assault. She rubbed at the sore spot on her chest and peeked through eyes that were unwilling to open fully.

  Eva blinked, momentarily stunned, as she adjusted to the unfamiliar surroundings. She was shaking physically. ‘Sorry,’ she said, but her voice wasn’t her own, and she reached out into the darkness tentatively.

  ‘It’s okay baby. You’re safe.’ Rosa whispered, reaching towards Eva’s wet hair, suddenly withdrawing her hand before making contact. ‘You’re drenched,’ she said with concern. Her eyes scanned the paralysed woman and a searing pain shot through her heart.

  Eva jumped involuntarily, and moved away from the woman she didn’t recognise. ‘Sorry… sorry… sorry,’ Eva continued, stuck inside the trance that had dominated her sleep. ‘Please mummy.’

  The nightmares were getting worse and all Rosa could do was watch and wait, feeling helpless. She had tried to soothe Eva in the past, but that just seemed to cause even more distress, and Eva could easily lash out. She was stronger inside the nightmare and lacked any self-control. Eva would have no recollection in the morning, but the event would be deeply etched in Rosa’s mind, again, and again, replaced by yet another image of her lover’s pain with each recurring bad dream. She had tried to talk to Eva about it, but with no recollection of the dream world she inhabited, her response was indifferent or dismissive.

  Eva sat abruptly, her body tensing, her arms reaching skywards, her eyes pleading. Time seemed to slow down as tears started to slip silently down her face. Then her eyes closed, and she fell back onto the mattress and into a deep and restful sleep.

  Rosa lay awake, adrenaline pumping, and her heart pounding in her chest. She had wanted to touch Eva, snuggle close to her, and hold her until the dream subsided. She wanted the dreams not to come. And she hated the helpless feeling now residing in her gut, as she watched Eva sleeping soundly by her side. Glancing at her phone, her hand was shaking. It was 4am. She climbed slowly out of bed, being careful not to disturb Eva, and wandered towards the bathroom, rubbing her hands vigorously through her hair. She could be in work in an hour. No one would complain at her starting her shift earlier than planned.

  She stepped into the shower and blasted heat onto her body, enjoying the light massage to her neck and shoulders and the gentle awakening effect that seemed to go some way to ease the burning sensation behind her closed eyes. Within a few minutes she was dressed and out the door. Stepping into the cold morning air completed the awakening process, and she moved with a sense of urgency.

  *

  ‘You’re early,’ Dee said, her eyes barely rising from the notes she was reading. ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘Fine, just couldn’t sleep,’ Rosa responded, in an effort to deflect the concern she knew Dee held for her. The absence of her charismatic smile told the story and it didn’t go unmissed by Dee’s eagle eyes.

  Desiree Prongue had been a good friend and colleague since they had studied medicine together in Paris, some ten-years ago. Dee had specialised as an anaesthetist whilst Rosa had taken the surgical route. Short, and with a stocky build, Dee looked every bit the dyke that she was proud to be. She also had a fierce protective streak that said, no one better mess with my Rosa. Dee raised her eyebrows, one slightly higher than the other. Rosa ignored the questioning glare and picked up a buff file from the nurses’ station. Even though her eyes scanned the pages, she hadn’t registered anything by the time she put the file back down. ‘So, what have we got?’ she asked.

  Dee looked up from her notes and eyed Rosa. Now wasn’t the time to raise her concerns, but she would address the situation by the end of the day. ‘It’s been a busy one,’ she started. ‘RTC came in with seven casualties. We lost one on the table, three are in CCU and the other three are on the ward. A few more bits and bobs; I’ll brief you as we walk. I’ve got a follow up surgery on one of the RTC patients to attend to in an hour - slow bleed on the brain. I’m sure Riccardo won’t mind swapping, if you want to take the lead on it. He’s had a shit night and his wife’s gone into labour.�
�

  ‘Sure, I’ll track him down and meet you in prep,’ Rosa said, nodding in affirmation at the details Dee had relayed. She was already feeling better for the distraction.

  *

  Eva stirred. The weight of her eyelids meant the effort of opening them almost constituted an early morning workout. She rubbed away the sticky substance from around her eyes and forced them into the light, only to close them again and bathe in the relatively soothing darkness, provided by her lids and a protective hand across her face. Rosa would have left ages ago, she mused, still reaching across into the cold space her girlfriend had left, turning away from the sunlight that was seeping through the blinds. Her smile widened as she took full stock of where she was, and she slid her body to the other side of the bed; taking in the scent of Rosa, snuffling into the soft pillow, and fully occupying her space in their bed. She groaned with pleasure. Rosa was special, maybe the one, though she tried not to think about that too much and just live each day as it came. She’d been wrong before on that topic. Her phone buzzed, jolting her out of her reverie. She ignored it, and it buzzed again. Fuck. She picked up the phone and read the message.

  Are you coming into work today?

  Mum. Damn. It really was later than she thought. She had promised Rowena she would be in work in good time to meet the new business executive she had recruited. It was nearly lunchtime and they would be heading out to eat shortly.

  On my way

  She tapped out her response as she leapt out of bed. She had the shower on full blast before she pressed the send button. Stepping into the shower, she took a few moments to enjoy the refreshing bergamot and thyme scent of Rosa’s body wash on her skin, before drying quickly and throwing on her faded jeans, her love is love t-shirt, and a dark blue jumper. She was out the door within ten minutes of her mother’s text, sporting a smile of contentment at her achievement, and savouring the lingering scent on her skin. With a spring in her step she exited the gated building and hailed a taxi.

  *

  ‘Hi,’ Eva said, continuing to skip her way into her mum’s office, with her customary offering: a box of donuts, and a beaming smile. Bouncing towards the tall woman with long blonde hair, dumping the donuts on the table as she passed, she held out her hand. ‘Hi, I’m…’

  ‘Eva,’ the woman finished, shaking the offered hand, confidently. Eva couldn’t help but notice the dark blue eyes contrasting with the long blonde hair, before turning her head towards her mum. ‘I’m Carine Delfosse,’ the woman said, in a well-spoken voice. Even the lipstick highlighting the fine lips looked expensive Eva thought, as her eyes drew back to the highly styled Parisian. Eva guessed her age to be late thirties, possibly early forties.

  ‘Carine,’ she repeated, releasing her hand, and turning to face her mum again. ‘Hey mum,’ she said, and before Rowena could speak Eva had taken two paces and had her wrapped in a tight squeeze. Any comment that might have been forthcoming regarding her tardiness had been buried in Rowena’s layered throat. Eva wasn’t prone to displays of affection towards her mum, even though they generally got on well, and certainly not in the presence of someone she didn’t know. The hug had quite literally taken her mum’s breath away. Rowena flustered, righted her dress even though it wasn’t out of place, cleared her throat and snorted out a chuckle.

  ‘Right, we were just about to go to lunch, but I’m guessing you knew that,’ Rowena said, mock-glaring over her black rimmed glasses. There it was, that subtle dig. Eva smiled, knowing she would never change her mum and loving her just the same.

  ‘Lunch sounds perfect,’ Eva responded rubbing her hands together, before nudging her mum in the side affectionately. Carine Delfosse studied mother and daughter. She was looking forward to getting to know Eva Adams over the coming months, but she wasn’t so sure that the stunning-looking daughter was fully in the picture as to her role in the Adams family business. Lunch would be interesting, she mused.

  ‘Sounds perfect indeed,’ Carine repeated, smiling at both women. Rowena picked up her bag, threw in her phone, picked up her keys, and headed for the door, easing her overweight frame sideways to fit between the coffee table and couch. Eva and Carine followed closely to heel. Eva barely registered the light touch that lingered on her arm as they exited the office.

  They took the short walk to their regular haunt in silence, and at Rowena’s plodding pace. Eva felt fidgety and tapped out a text while they sauntered, only aware of Carine’s eyes on her as she pocketed her phone. She cleared her throat. Carine’s gaze seemed to question, but she couldn’t tell if there was judgement in there too. The woman made her feel edgy in a strange way. She turned her attention to her mum.

  ‘You okay?’ Eva asked, noticing the pale colour in Rowena’s puffy cheeks and the beads of sweat tracing down her temples. Rowena’s eyes seemed to sit in dark pools, and suddenly appeared to lack focus. Eva’s heart raced. ‘Mum, are you okay?’ Eva’s panicked tone jolted Rowena out of the vacant state. Her breathing was fast and shallow, reminding Eva of a small fish gulping, having been out of the water for too long.

  ‘I’m fine,’ Rowena responded, waving Eva off as if she was making a fuss over nothing. She grabbed the handrail and pulled her body up the two small steps, opened the door, and entered into a room full of flavours. ‘Mmm… smells wonderful… Hello Frank,’ she said, without drawing breath, in complete contrast to her state just moments ago. The elderly host stepped into their path with a welcoming embrace and the zest of a thirty-year old. Frank’s, the family run bistro, had been around as long as they had. Rowena had been one of their first clients when she set up office in Paris some twenty years ago and they had dined there at least once a week ever since. They were like family, and Frank always treated Rowena like royalty.

  ‘Hello, my Princess. I see you have a new gorgeous lady with you today,’ Frank stated in his delightfully camp tone, presenting his hand as his eager eyes scanned the tall blonde Parisian. Carine played along, took his hand lightly, and just as quickly Frank pulled away, darting towards a table at the back of the room. ‘Especially for you ladies,’ he said with a wicked smile. His eyes sparkled, and his cheeks bore a healthy glow that complemented his well-dressed appearance. ‘I’ll bring you a bottle of house wine and water to get started, while you look at the menu. Unless you’d like an aperitif?’ he asked, mindful of their new guest.

  ‘Wine is fine with me,’ Carine responded. Eva nodded and shrugged her shoulders at the same time. Frank smiled, knowingly.

  Eva took a seat at the rustic wooden table. Rowena took the seat opposite, and Carine sat next to her. Eva felt suddenly very self-conscious, with both women eyeing her intently. The sparsely decorated room and simple tableware only added to her feeling of nakedness. Squirming in her seat, she felt relieved to see the wine arriving. Breaking the silence, she moved to pour her mother a glass, only to find the path to the glass stopped by the warm soft hand.

  ‘We need to talk, Eva.’ Rowena moved her wine glass away and filled a tumbler with water. Carine pushed her glass towards Eva, nodded, and Eva duly poured them both a glass of wine. Suddenly, Eva was thankful Carine was joining her in a drink, though it wouldn’t have stopped her if the Parisian hadn’t done so.

  Eva smiled tensely across the table. ‘Sure,’ she responded, feeling the angst between them and not really knowing what was at the root of it. She had known about Carine’s appointment some months ago, so it couldn’t be about that. She hadn’t been involved in the recruitment process. That was clearly her mum’s decision, and rightly so in Eva’s mind. But the look on her mum’s face was directly related to the uncomfortable sensation developing in her gut. What was coming didn’t feel good. She breathed deeply trying to control her racing heart. ‘What is it you want to talk about mum?’ she asked, with a hint of defensiveness in her voice. She picked up her glass and took a healthy slug of the wine, savouring the slight chill on her tongue, before her mum responded.

  Rowena watched her daughter carefully, sensing he
r discomfort. She had no desire to hurt Eva, or upset their relationship - far from it. But the truth was, Eva wasn’t on top of her work, and also, as her mother, she was concerned about Eva’s lifestyle. ‘I’m worried about you,’ she said.

  Eva choked on the wine she had just started to swallow. She hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t given her any reason to be concerned, had she? ‘What?’ she said, feeling confused.

  ‘I’m concerned darling. You don’t seem to be yourself and your work is suffering for it.’ Eva rolled her eyes. Yes, she had missed a couple of deadlines in the last few months, but in those cases the client had changed direction at the last minute. She could hardly be blamed for that.

  ‘My work’s not that bad,’ she challenged. Carine winced fractionally at Eva’s perspective. She had seen the data for herself, and the picture didn’t look pretty.

  ‘Eva, you’ve missed six deadlines in the last two months alone. And before that you missed more than you hit. I’ve been fielding complaints for the last, I don’t know how long.’ Eva glared at Carine. ‘It’s alright, Carine is fully briefed, which brings me onto my main point.’

  Eva raised her eyebrows, slumped back in the chair, and threw her arms across her chest to comfort the pain that was suddenly burning a hole in her chest. ‘What point?’ she asked, her voice lacking any warmth as she tried to hide the unsteadiness in her words. Rowena stared at her petulant child over the rim of her glasses, mentally confirming to herself that her decision to recruit Carine had been the right one.

  ‘I’ve asked Carine to head up the business,’ she said, watching for Eva’s response. ‘Because I’m retiring,’ she added swiftly. The well-rehearsed line ricocheted around the bistro, settling in the bottle of wine on the table.

  Eva picked it up and re-filled her glass, ignoring Carine’s half-empty glass. She could have sworn she had seen Carine smirk as the news hit, but when their eyes locked together something quite different was present. Eva didn’t know whether that was a good thing or not, so she smiled graciously at her new boss. ‘Wow,’ she said, raising herself in the chair, allowing the consequences of her mum’s second point to register. She hadn’t seen that one coming either. Silenced by Frank approaching, pad in hand, she reached out for her glass and emptied it in one long slug, unable to fully process the conversation. Why hadn’t her mum spoken to her about retiring? That said she hadn’t spoken to her mum about anything to do with the business for a long time now.