Johnny's Girl Read Online Free PDF

not too cold. I sit down on the side of the
pool and turn to take off Barney’s shoes.
    Once I agreed, Johnny had the house sale pushed through quickly, wanting it to be ours by the time he started recording his new album. In the last couple of weeks while he’s been in LA
recording, he’s been able to get the place ready for us. I, meanwhile, have sorted out our things at home, many of which are being shipped over in a big crate to arrive in a couple of weeks.
We’re hanging onto the house in Henley for the moment – we’ll probably rent it out to keep it occupied, but there’s no rush.
    I tug Barney’s shorts down and he sits next to me on the step while I lift his T-shirt over his head. He splashes the water with his feet. Beyond excited.
    ‘I’ll go and get our swimming costumes,’ I say to Johnny, who has just joined us, poolside. ‘You coming in?’ I call over my shoulder.
    ‘Sure,’ he replies.
    I walk back into the living room and step around the shaggy, lime-green rug and the enormous, brand new charcoal-grey L-shaped sofas that Johnny bought last week before we arrived. I walk over
to the concrete polished staircase and go up the one floor, turning left at the top to walk along the landing, which is open to the living room on my left. Our bedroom door is straight ahead.
    We had a bit of a giggle when we went into the master bedroom at the viewing and saw that the last owner had had the walls wallpapered with red velvet and had chosen gold-embroidered carpet and
curtains. Now every room has been redecorated – a couple in exactly the same style as Johnny had them the last time. The room which I used to stay in was nicknamed the White Room. I was
touched to see it restored to its former glory after the last owner’s opulent navy blue and silver colour scheme. Now its walls, ceilings and floors are pristine white, with white built-in
lacquered wardrobes, and an en-suite with white stone lining every surface. The children have the bedrooms next to the White Room and the decorators have done a gorgeous job, but I’m looking
forward to putting my own touches onto them once the crate arrives with all of their things.
    I reach our bedroom door and push it open. It spans the width of the house, from front to back, with a floor-to-ceiling view over LA at the back, and large windows overlooking the trees at the
front from inside the big en-suite bathroom. To the left of the bathroom is a bright and airy walk-in wardrobe which I’d never been inside before. I can smell the fresh paint, though. Apart
from the white walls, this room is very different to how it looked when Johnny lived here before. It’s the one room he
didn’t
have restored to its former glory. We chose the
colour scheme together. New plush smokey-grey carpets, a yellow and grey geometrical pattern on the curtains, and a contrasting yellow and green patterned bedspread on the brand new super kingsize
bed. A modern, yellow chaise longue rests near the windows with the main view. The bathroom overlooking the trees is fitted out with white stone, and we’ve even had special glass installed in
the windows so the clear glass turn opaque at the flick of a switch.
    It’s stunning. Fresh, shiny and new. My toes dig into the plush carpet and I can’t help but smile as I stand there for a moment and take in my surroundings.
    Out of nowhere the memory hits me of Dana lying sprawled out and naked on the bed while Johnny lay wasted in the bathtub. I squeeze my eyes shut and shudder. Then I steel myself. I’ve got
to move on. We will fill this house with happy memories, more than enough to wash away the bad ones. The sound of my children laughing, the sound of my husband strumming his guitar and singing in
the music studio next door. I’m back here as Johnny’s
wife
, and I won’t be bowed by bad memories.
    I go and unzip my largest suitcase and dig out our swimming costumes.
    It surprises me how quickly I settle back into life in LA.