The Making of Mia Read Online Free PDF Page A

small amount of pay she earned slowly began to build in her bank
     account. Suddenly, her life seemed a whole lot better than it had been for years – she had a job, some savings, and while
     she didn’t have friends, most people in the café seemed to accept her for who she was – an overweight,lonely teenager trying to make ends meet. Frank seemed irritated by her, though, glowing red when she stood near him and catching
     her eye whenever Jo looked towards him. Jo didn’t know what she was doing wrong.
    ‘I thought you wanted to be a magazine writer, Joanna,’ he said to her one Friday evening, as Jo was tidying up the front
     counter of the café and he was locking the door.
    Jo shrugged, opened the till to bank up the cash, and began to count the notes.
    ‘You have given up on your dream, then, eh?’
    Jo looked up at her boss sharply, and then went back to making piles of ten-pound notes, counting and then recounting them
     until she realised that she’d lost track of her sums. She sighed. ‘I’ve got a plan. I’m going to save up enough to retake
     my A-levels at the local college and then – when I pass – I’m going to journalism college. I’m going to skip university completely.
     I think I’m good enough to be able to.’
    Frank stared intently at the teenager behind his counter and smiled.
    ‘Jo, it will take you years to save up enough to do that. This is not a good idea, no? And what does this say to Rosa and
     me? Are you saying that this job is only a means to an end, that our business, that we have built up with love since before
     you were born, is a meal-ticket until you want out?’
    Caught off-guard, Jo didn’t understand. ‘But I thought you gave me a job so I could find my way? Wasn’t that the plan?’
    When Frank didn’t say anything, Jo suddenly felt as though she was in the wrong, but she didn’t know why. ‘You know I love
     working for you and Rosa, Frank, but I want to work on magazines … it’s all I’ve ever wanted.’
    Frank remained silent and Jo felt uncomfortable. But then he smiled.
    ‘Rosa and I have talked, and we have decided we want to train you up to take over running the café. Rosa, she gets tired,
     but you, you’re young, and we love you like you are one of our own.’
    Jo felt her heart drop. As much as she liked Frank and Rose, there was no way she wanted to give up her dream of working on
     magazines to run a greasy spoon.
    Frank sat down on a chair and gestured to Joanna to join him, but just as she went for a chair opposite him he reached out
     for her and pulled her on to his lap. The physical contact of a man jolted Jo, and she froze in shock as she let Frank move
     her on to him.
    ‘Oh, Joanna, I’ve watched you grow into a beautiful young woman, but you still have your head in your childlike fantasies.
     Now, I know it is hard but I think you need to accept that you’re not going to be able to go to journalism college.’
    Jo began to squirm on Frank’s lap and felt uncomfortable. She felt his hot breath on the back of her neck and when Jo tried
     to stand up she found that Frank’s grip was surprisingly strong.
    ‘As you have no father figure in your life, I feel it is my duty to tell you these things. I know it is hard, but I think
     you accept this as fact, yes? This way, you can settle here and be a proper part of the family. I think you knew deep down
     this was your best option, and I have also been seeing how you look at your Frank. You like it here, eh?’
    Jo tried to use her elbows to push herself from Frank, but it didn’t work.
    ‘I’ve been watching you for years, feeding you food and watching you grow into a ripe, beautiful young woman. Little Joanna,
     sweet Joanna, I think you want more from me than a job, yes?’ Frank’s voice was thick with longing as he spoke, and Jo could
     feel an erection through his apron.Frank began to stroke Jo’s hair, and then his hands moved down to her shoulders, and then her