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  Shallow Love

  Georgia Mantis

  Publisher’s note:

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual person’s, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Published by Georgia Mantis

  All rights reserved

  Copyright © Georgia Mantis 2015

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

  National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

  Creator: Mantis, Georgia, 1970- author.

  Title: Shallow love / Georgia Mantis.

  ISBN: 9780957967540 (paperback), 9780957967557 (ebook)

  Subjects: Man-woman relationships--Fiction.

  Grief--Fiction.

  Dewey Number: A823.4

  Printed and bound in Australia by Griffin Press

  Designed and typeset by David Bradbury (www.dbype.com.au)

  Cover photo courtesy of Nancy Frost (https://www.flickr.com/photos/javcon117/)

  Books by Georgia Mantis

  Forbidden Love

  Simply Beautiful (Non-Fiction)

  Love Triangle

  Mysterious Encounter

  Shallow Love

  Dedication

  I dedicate this book to the greatest mother in the world, Pota Mantis and I will say your name out loud mum, because you have been the backbone, for everything that has gone astray in my life. Your dedication, undying love and support for me, has got me through many unbearable challenges in my life. You have truly been an amazing mother and I cherish and appreciate how you lessen the load, off my sometimes unfortunate and unpredictable life. My eternal love, always.

  To my amazing daughter Felicia, you were the most precious gift I could have hoped to receive in this life. You have been very challenging, exhausting, testing, loud but also very affectionate, lovable, adorable, beautiful, phenomenal and you will always be my Princess. Even without words my precious daughter, your constant beaming smile, has melted my heart a million times over and you continue to radiate an amazing energy for life.

  Never stop being who you are Felicia, because ordinary people make other people’s lives boring, special people make it worthwhile, because they are different.

  My eternal love always.

  I also dedicate this book to anyone who has been in love before and thought they had truly met the one, only to find out, that person was a major disappointment in their life. I believe love is one of the greatest emotions, human beings, can hope to experience in this life. But it’s also one of the costliest, when your heart gets broken and you have to carry on, without the love and support, of that person you loved.

  Love resembles a rose, often like a relationship, it can be bright and beautiful, but its thorns are hidden and they can hurt you, if you are not careful.

  Georgia Mantis

  Chapter One

  Jackie, was not like many women her age, she looked rather stunning for thirty-eight, her long cascading light brown locks and violet green eyes, were her most striking feature. Although she wasn’t very tall, at five foot four, she knew how to dress to impress. She loved her high heels and could live in them, if her feet hadn’t ached so much after a typical long day, as the editor of Glamour.

  It was in her job criteria to dress the part, as it was for the staff employed in the monthly publication. She loved fashion and beauty and keeping up with current trends, took precedence over everything. Every day she would wear something smart or classy and she knew how to complement it beautifully, wearing chunky gold earrings to make the outfit dazzle. Even if she was wearing something simple and plain, she would always make it sparkle. She often wore make-up to work, but it was never overdone, just the right amount of colour to define her eyes and lips. She was absolutely obsessed with her handbags and loved them even more than her high heels. She carried a different handbag to work every day and the colour usually depended on her choice of clothes. Big, bright colours were her favourite, in every size and shape and her handbags exuded the latest fashion and they always looked bold and beautiful.

  She had worked for Glamour for eight years and it had become increasingly popular, with the female market. She was extremely dedicated to her work and had always worked up the ladder of success, with her own merits. Her life was her job, as her parents lived and worked overseas and she had had minimal contact with them. She was close to her sister Carrie, whom they had shared a house together and they weren’t only sisters, but had become the best of friends. And despite their eight year age gap, it didn’t seem to hinder their relationship at all, as they shared a common bond between them. They both loved to shop, get occasional massages and have their nails done. They had become very close over the years and they were kind of each other’s ears, when the other needed to be heard.

  “So tell me about Pierre?” Carrie asked looking at her sister with a cheeky grin. “Are you still seeing him?”

  “I think I’ll make some lattes,’’ Jackie broke in as she walked into the kitchen, changing the subject, as she put the kettle on to boil.

  “Don’t tell me it’s already over?” Carrie followed her, placing a comforting arm around her sister.

  Jackie’s eyes filled with tears and she tried to wipe them away with her fingertips.

  “He chose Paris over me,’’ she said in between sobs. “He actually dumped me over email a week ago, he said it was a difficult decision, given he loved Australia, but he knew his heart would always belong in Paris.”

  Carrie placed a comforting arm around her shoulders, “are you kidding me? How could he do that, it sounds so cowardly, via email, that’s just as bad as a text message?”

  Jackie poured the hot water, into the ceramic mugs, before adding milk.

  “I would rather not talk about Pierre,” Jackie announced in annoyance. “He was on a work visa, I should have realised, that he was going to go back to Paris.”

  “Don’t worry about him sis, cheer up.” Carrie reassured her. “You deserve better.” Her sister had always been a shoulder to cry on with every break-up.

  “You always know just the right thing to say to me,’’ there was a smile in Jackie’s eyes and they drank their lattes enjoying every sip, in between sobs of laughter and tears.

  Jackie never seemed to be lucky in love, in her career she was dynamite, but in love, she was a flop. Being an attractive, confident woman, meant she formed relationships quickly, but they had always been short lived.

  “You know sis,’’ Jackie said cautiously, “I am not going to look for a man anymore, relationships can be quite draining and they always hurt.’’

  “I know, but don’t be discouraged, love sometimes happens when you’re not looking.’’ Carrie was a brave soul, much younger but wiser in years.

  “Now I feel hopeful,’’ smiled Jackie. Carrie had been a soothing influence on her, she always believed God had given her a sister, so they can nurture each other in hard times.

  “So how are things going with you and Liam?’ Jackie said, erasing her ex-boyfriend from her thoughts for good.

  “Well you know I’ve been with Liam for three years now,” Carrie said with a pleasant giggle in her voice, “he asked me to think about moving in with him.”

  Jackie’s pain lifted into a peaceful place, “now that’s the best thing I’ve heard in ages, you two were made for each other, you know he loves you so much, you are very lucky.”

  “I know, but all good things come to those who wait,” Carrie said with depth and wisdom in her voice. “It hasn’t always been rosy, Liam hasn’t had the best luck in the world.”

&nb
sp; “What do you mean?” Jackie asked with agony in her eyes.

  “His parents divorced when we first met,’’ Carrie said calmly, he wasn’t ready for a relationship, but I stuck by him and now we’ve never been closer.’’

  “Any guy would be lucky to have you,” Jackie said with conviction. “You are good hearted, kind and sweet, I should know, I’m your sister.” Jackie believed Carrie was a blessing in her life, she couldn’t imagine life without her.

  “I am lucky too,’’ Carrie beamed. “Liam is a handsome guy, with the most sexiest blue eyes and the best thing about him, he loves me for who I am, warts and all.”

  “What are you talking about?’’ Jackie laughed, “you have no warts?” Carrie was by no means average looking in her eyes, she had the freshest of skin and high cheekbones, that any girl would envy.

  “I know,’’ Carrie laughed. “But I am an average looking girl, I am the first to admit, that he could have done so much better?”

  “Come on Carrie,” Jackie said firmly. “You are a catch, don’t put yourself down.”

  Carrie disagreed, “I am only five foot two, have short brown hair and brown eyes, how boring is that?”

  Jackie didn’t see her as boring, she had internal qualities, that drew people to her.

  “Liam loves you for your heart,’’ Jackie pointed out. “He is a great guy, whenever I’ve seen you two together, he is beaming, acting like a teenager in love with his sweetheart, I wish I could have that, what you have is special.”

  “Yeah I know I am really lucky to have Liam,’’ Carrie smiled, her eyes shining with love. “He used to boast in a good way, how he had no shortage of women, then when we met he never looked back, he said, I was the one.”

  “Now that’s a true romance, what was his reason for choosing you?” Jackie asked curious to know. She knew Carrie was a quality girl, but she always wondered how the male mind worked.

  “He said he loved my personality and how well we got along, he never had that, with the divas he used to date, he said they were full of themselves and they weren’t as fun or affectionate as me, just plain boring and high maintenance.”

  “Well there is your answer, my beautiful sister and Liam knows what a catch you are.”

  They both shared a long laugh, it was amazing how bonded they were, they were more than just sisters, they were the best of friends.

  “So what’s Liam up to today? Have you two got any plans tonight?” Jackie asked with interest.

  “No but next weekend, he said for me not to plan anything, he wants to spend the whole day with me.”

  “Wow, sounds like he’s got something up his sleeve, he usually doesn’t give up playing football that easy, does he?”

  “Yeah I know, he loves his sport, but he said he will take next weekend off, so we can spend it together.”

  “Awesome, sounds exciting,’’ she said smiling at her sister who was beaming in delight.

  “So what have you got planned next weekend?” Carrie wondered, biting her fingernail. They were both eager to know about each other’s plans, because they cared for each other’s joy.

  “We have the end of year party for Glamour, I’ve been flat out this week organising the final details.’’ Jackie already looked tired, just talking about work and yawned as she spoke.

  “Oh no, I just realised it’s next Saturday, Liam’s made plans?’’ Carrie said with a look of horror on her face.

  “No it’s okay, you go be with Liam, you’ve been going every year with me,” Jackie suggested calmly, as she didn’t want to get in the way of her sister’s plans.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” Carrie looked worried as she checked the calendar on her smartphone.

  “No I don’t want to get in the way of your plans, I’ll be fine,’’ Jackie reassured her. “I’ve got a staff of people to mingle with on the night.’’

  “Thanks so much,’’ Carrie gave her a peck on the cheek, “you are the best sister in the world.”

  “My absolute pleasure, I just wish I could be lucky in love.” That’s something Jackie had failed at, she just wanted a successful relationship, with the right man for her.

  “You will one day,” Carrie said with commiseration in her voice, “just wait and love will find you.”

  Jackie felt a sense of well-being, she felt Carrie was right, she just had to be patient in love.

  They finished drinking their lattes and Carrie’s mobile rang, then Jackie took away the mugs and washed them. Carrie had finished talking on the phone by then and she had a grim look on her face.

  Jackie could sense there was something wrong with her sister as she turned to her, “is everything okay, you look upset?”

  Carrie looked blank. “Tanya just rang from Grace’s Boutique, the business has closed down, it’s gone into receivership.’’

  “Oh no,” she embraced her with a sisterly hug. “What are you going to do, you’ve got no job now?”

  “Tell me about it, Carrie’s eyes welled in tears, “I really didn’t need to be on the unemployment line now.’’

  Jackie couldn’t believe her sister had lost her job, she felt her hurt. Her sister had enjoyed working in Grace’s Boutique, for five years and losing her job was inconceivable. Though inevitable, the statistics had confirmed the public favoured online shopping over busy crowds and parking in the CBD. Times had changed, the cost of living and an increase in utility bills, were making online shopping a privledge not a burden. Many of the trendy Boutiques in Sydney risked closure, because of high rent and low sales. Internet shopping had reached an all time high and consumers were after the best bargains on line, in the comfort of their own home. Jackie knew this only too well as Editor of Glamour, there was a column in last month’s issue and the results of online shopping, were staggeringly high.

  “Listen sis, I would try to get you a job at Glamour, but from what I know, you don’t like the literary word?’’

  “No way,” Carrie said with certainty, “I misspell my own name sometimes, let alone worry about copy writing for a magazine.’’

  Jackie laughed out loud at her sister’s intellect, “well I can create a job for you, how does making lattes and cleaning the rest rooms sound?’’

  “You kidding, that would bore me,” Carrie rolled her eyes, “thanks for the offer, but I want to look for a job in a department store.”

  “Okay,’’ she said in agreement, feeling her sister’s anguish at losing her job, but admiring her determination, to find something suitable.

  “I think I’ll ask for a job in the shoe department, what do you think?”

  “Well if we can both get a discount, I’ll stock up on some more shoes,” suggested Jackie smiling. She had enough pairs to open up her own business, but no woman could ever have enough pairs of shoes, it was in every woman’s DNA.

  “That’s a great idea,” nodded Carrie in agreement, “I will start looking for another job soon.”

  “Why don’t you try, Maddie’s department store?” Pronounced Jackie, the one adjacent to Darling harbour, they have recently opened and I’ve heard they are busy and looking for new employees.’’

  “Really?” Carrie said in a hurried voice. “I’ll find their number and give them a call.”

  “No need to, I’ve got a receipt with their number in my bag,” confirmed Jackie, “I bought a skirt there several days ago.”

  “Good idea,” said Carrie, as Jackie reached for her bright yellow handbag, pulling out the Maddie’s receipt and handing it to her sister.

  “Okay sis, I’m heading off to meet up with Samantha in the city, she has invited me to her friends hen’s night.”

  “Have a fun night and don’t go pinching any of those stripper’s bums,’’ Carrie said with a giggle.

  “I wish,” Jackie winked back “I’m too old to flirt with the boys,” she said with a bling in her eyes, as she slid on a pair of red stilettos, “what you up to tonight?”

  “Liam’s picking me up later, we are goin
g to order takeout and have a quiet night in at his apartment.”

  “That sounds like fun,”Jackie pronounced as she put on her red bolero and added some red lipstick on her lips.”

  “Well takeout won’t be as much fun as the make-out,” Carrie said winking at her sister.”

  Jackie laughed, her sister always had a way with words, they had always brought out the best in each other.

  “Well you have fun girl and if you decide you’ll be staying the night, text me so I know you’re there?”

  “I may stay the night, because I’m always over his place anyway.”

  “Well you’ve been together for so long,” acknowledged Jackie, “if you feel ready just move in with him?”

  Jackie had always mothered her sister Carrie, as they hardly ever saw their parents, who were based overseas. She felt she had to be there for her sister and they both looked out for each other.

  Carrie smiled. “But what about you, being all alone in this big house, I’ll miss you?”

  She kissed Carrie on the cheek, “I’ll miss you too, but it’s time we both spread our wings and do our own thing.”

  “You are right sis, I know I love him and I know for sure he is the one for me, so if he asks me again, I won’t be home tonight.” Carrie said with a huge grin on her face.

  “I have to go, text me later on,” Jackie said hurriedly.

  “I will much later on,’’ Carrie winked at her cheekily.

  When Jackie drove off in her sporty three-door Peugeot, she realised how much she was going to miss her sister. Her sister was her best friend, she had Samantha, whom she had met through work several years back, but no one compared to your own blood, the person whom you loved unconditionally. Their relationship was unique, she was family and at times, Jackie felt an overwhelming obligation to mother Carrie, they shared an unbreakable bond and were undeniably best friends.

  However, the nauseating realisation, that she might be going home to an empty house tonight, was worrisome and the thought of living alone made her feel melancholic.