Angel Uncovered by Katie Price

Mummy.'
    'Anyway,' her own mum continued, 'now perhaps we
can have that talk.'
    Angel's heart sank; she really couldn't hold it together
if her mum started on her. She was about to reply that
there was no need when she was saved by the doorbell –
Tony and Gemma had arrived.
    'I'll get it,' she said, instantly getting up.
    She opened the door to her brother and best friend
who both looked sickeningly healthy. They'd cycled up
from their seafront flat – a wedding present from
Gemma's parents. Tony and Gemma divided their time
between Brighton and London so they could be close to
Tony's work as one of the physios for Spurs. For the next
half-hour Angel kept herself busy, making everyone
coffee and setting the table so as to avoid that conversation
with her mum and also trying not to obsess over
why Cal still hadn't called her. But as soon as they sat
down to lunch the questions about her husband kicked
off.
    'How's Cal?' Tony asked, helping himself to roast
potatoes. 'I haven't heard from him all week.' He and Cal
had been friends from childhood and were still close.
    'Good. Very busy,' Angel answered, handing Honey a
breadstick to avoid looking at Tony, not wanting to let
on that she hadn't heard from her husband for two
days.
    'Has he got the date yet for flying out to the States?'
The World Cup was starting at the beginning of June and
the team would be flying out early for three weeks'
intensive training.
    Angel shook her head. 'I don't think so.'
    'Do you think Cal will be allowed to fly back for Angel's
birthday?' Gemma asked, looking concerned for her
friend.
    Tony frowned. 'I doubt it. You'll just have to celebrate
before he goes.'
    Angel looked down at the table, willing herself not to
cry. Naively she'd imagined that he would be able to fly
back and that she could make things up to him then.
    'That's a shame,' Michelle said.
    'No, it's fine,' Angel said, falsely bright. 'I can't expect
to have wonderful birthdays every year.'
    Her birthday the year before had been amazing. Cal
had booked them a surprise trip on the Orient Express.
In Venice they stayed at the luxurious Gritti Palace
Hotel, overlooking the Grand Canal. It had been the
perfect romantic mini-break. The list of presents he'd
bought her had been breathtaking, too – a diamond
necklace he'd designed and had made by their favourite
jeweller, a matching diamond bracelet, a set of Louis
Vuitton luggage and Christian Louboutin heels. But
gorgeous as they were it wasn't the expensive presents
that had made the trip so special, it was spending time
alone with Cal.
    'Well, I'm sure he's got something special planned for
you this year as well,' Michelle continued.
    Angel thought she would scream if her family didn't
stop going on about Cal and her birthday. She looked
meaningfully at Gemma and luckily her friend
understood and changed the subject.
    Later as the two girls cleared the table and loaded up the
dishwasher Gemma apologised for not calling Angel back
the night before. 'We went to the gym and then to see a
film.'
    'You went to the gym on Saturday night?' Angel
looked at her friend as if she'd lost the plot.
    'Yeah. I've got to be in peak shape to get pregnant.'
    'You're in fantastic shape!' Angel exclaimed. And it was
true. Gemma was naturally petite with an enviable figure
– her flat stomach alone was a thing of wonder to Angel.
Put it this way, she could have given Gwen Stefani a run
for her money on the abs front. But Gemma never used
to bother with going to the gym and Saturday nights
before this would always have been given over to cocktails
and clubbing. Angel missed that Gemma.
    'So what did you do last night?' her friend asked.
    'Nothing really, just watched TV and had an early
night.' She felt too ashamed to admit drinking the bottle
of wine and passing out. 'I called you because I hadn't
heard from Cal.'
    'Oh, playing hard to get, is he?' Gemma asked
sympathetically. 'Ring him now, I bet he'll answer. You
know I love Cal but he can be a