PS, I Love You. Cecelia Ahern

      CHAPTER FIFTEEN

      ‘Holly Kennedy? Are you here?’ the karaoke host’s voice boomed. The crowd’s applause died down into a loud chatter as everyone looked around in search of Holly. Well, they would be a long time looking, she thought as she lowered the toilet seat lid and sat down to wait for the excitement to settle so they could move on to their next victim. She closed her eyes, rested her head on her hands, and prayed for this moment to pass. She wanted to open her eyes and be at home safely, a week from now. She counted to ten, praying for a miracle and then slowly opened them again.

      She was still in the toilet.

      Why couldn’t she, at least just this once, suddenly find magical powers?

      Holly knew this would happen. From the moment she opened that envelope and read Gerry’s third letter, she foresaw tears and humiliation. Her nightmare had come true.

      Outside, the club sounded very quiet and a sense of calm engulfed her as she realised they were moving on to the next singer. Her shoulders relaxed and she unclenched her fists, her jaw relaxed and air flowed more easily into her lungs. The panic was over but she decided to wait until the next singer began before she made a run for it. She couldn’t even climb out the window – well, not unless she wanted to plummet to her death.

      Outside the cubicle Holly heard the toilet door open and slam. Uh-oh, they were coming to get her, whoever they were.

      ‘Holly?’

      It was Sharon.

      ‘Holly, I know you’re in there so just listen to me, OK?’

      Holly sniffed back the tears that were beginning to well.

      ‘OK, I know that this is an absolute nightmare for you and I know you have a major phobia about this kind of thing but you need to relax, OK?’

      Sharon’s voice was so soothing, Holly’s shoulders once again relaxed.

      ‘Holly, I hate mice, you know that.’

      Holly frowned, wondering where this little pep talk was going.

      ‘And my worst nightmare would be to walk out of here to a room full of mice. Now could you imagine me?’

      Holly smiled at the thought and remembered the time when Sharon moved in with Gerry and Holly for two weeks after she had caught a mouse in her house. John, of course, had been granted conjugal visits.