CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: “GOLD”
-‘I missed you too, so much!’ I embrace my mum in a tight hug. -‘I’m so glad you’re here, I haven’t seen you in six months, I’ve been so busy, I’m so sorry!’ –‘Don’t worry sweetheart, I know how busy you are.’ I smile at her and give her another hug. –‘I just can’t believe you’re here!’ –‘Well you better,’ she links her arm in mine, ‘shall we get some food?’ –‘Yeah, about that…’ I rub the back of my neck awkwardly, and like it’s her cue, I hear a voice from the other side of the door. –‘Baby, are you ready? I booked a great restaurant! Baby?’ she knocks on the door before opening it. –‘W-w-who is that?’ Jessica asks shocked. –‘This is my mum, Janice. Janice this is Jessica, my girlfriend.’ Jessica widens her eyes. –‘Lovely to finally meet you in person, Emeli told me loads about you.’ I rub my arm and bite my lip in anticipation. –‘Hello, and I didn’t know she told you so much about me?’ –‘Ah, well, Jessica, you’re the only thing Em can talk about.’ Jessica smiles and grabs my hand. –‘You make me feel so special,’ she says and she pecks my lips.
We head back to the hotel. –‘Have you booked a hotel yet, mum?’ I ask her as the three of us walk into our hotel. –‘No, I haven’t got the chance to. This seems quite expensive, would you mid if I booked another hotel?’ –‘Yes, because I’m booking you a room here, mum.’ After the room’s all done, we head upstairs and drop our mum on the second floor, Jessie and I are on the fifth.
We get in our hotel room, which is just for the two of us this time, and collapse onto the bed. –‘Jess, err, I bought you a little thing the other day,’ I say as I let my hand slip in the plastic bag. My fingers close around the square box, and I sit next to her. –‘It represents you. It’s what you are to me. I hope you like it.’ I hand her the box, and wait nervously. She opens the box, squeals, and throws her arms around my neck. –‘That is the cutest thing ever, thank you so much,’ she pecks my lips and hands me the box. –‘Can you slip it on my finger?’ I smile at her and get the golden ring with the small diamond out of the box and slip it on her finger. –‘You are my diamond, cupcake,’ I say, chuckling softly. I wrap an arm around her waist and we fall sideways onto the bed. –‘Goodnight sweetie,’ I whisper in her ear. –‘Night-night baby,’ she whispers back.
I wake up around seven the next morning. I untangle myself from Jessica and pick up my ringing phone. –‘Hello?’ I whisper groggily into the phone. –‘Emeli?’ –‘No mum, it’s Santa Claus, what’s up?’ –‘I was just wondering what you are going to do today?’ –‘J and I were planning on checking out Amsterdam today, I’ve got to go to the Q-Music studio at five though. It’s a radio channel in Holland.’ –‘Oh right.’ –‘You could join us and get to know Jessica a bit more? I really want you two to get along well.’ –‘You really love her don’t you?’ I smile unknowingly. –‘Yes, I love her so much, it’s unhealthy.’ My mum laughs loudly on the other side of the line and starts singing. –‘This thing called love, I just can’t handle it!’ –‘Please mum, I’m the singer here! Ooh, I’ve got to go the Live Lounge soon, do you know a song I can sing?’ –‘Honey, we’ve got all day to talk about that, I’m going to go now, bye love!’ –‘I’ll call you later!’ I hang up and feel Jessica wrapping her arms around me and pecking my neck softly. –‘Morning gorgeous,’ I tell her as I stand there, taking in the moment. –‘Morning Em,’ she whispers in my ear with her morning voice, which is honestly the cutest thing you’ll ever hear.
-‘Amsterdam!’ Jessica yells as she gets out of the cab. –‘Shut it, or they’ll know where we are before we’ve seen anyone!’ I pay the driver and help my mum out of the cab. –‘So what exactly are we going to do here?’ –‘I don’t know, but we’ll love it, it’s the Gay Capital, you know!’ I laugh loudly and skip a few metres. –‘Oh c’mon you two, live a little!’ Jessica laughs and throws her head back. –‘Oldies!’ I poke out my tongue and pull a funny face at a person who looks at me in disgust. –‘The only thing I’m wondering is, where the hell are the wooden shoes?’ I raise an eyebrow at my mum and wait for to explain. –‘All Dutch people wear wooden shoes right?’ –‘Apparently not…’
