All week I have been trying to find a topic for the blog this weekend and then something happened on Thursday evening which I realised today would make a good post.
This week I had someone attempt to scam me. This person replied to an advert I’d posted as I was selling a sofa. She was keen and told me that because of health issues she couldn’t leave the house so would arrange for a courier to pick it up and would pay me via Paypal. She asked me to send me a few more pictures. Happy with the pictures she asked for my PayPal details and sent me a payment. My alarm bells started to ring when I saw the email from Paypal with over double that amount. I contacted her, to give her the benefit of doubt to ask why she had paid so much and why I was being asked to pay £98.00 to the Western Union, the money was apparently on hold until I’d paid. She replied to say that the courier was insisting that she pay upfront through the Western Union and due to her health issues couldn’t get out to pay it – so she had put in extra so I can pay it online. Do I look stupid? I send the fake Paypal email to spoof@paypal.co.uk and to the online fraud squad and told her in no uncertain terms what I thought of her.
I can’t understand how people can try to cheat people or use other people for their own use. I happen to believe that you should always treat people as you would want to be treated but for some people there doesn’t seem to be any consideration for how another would feel as a consequence of their actions.
Claudine, is one of the characters in my book Is this Love? is an extremely selfish woman who is only concerned with herself and uses people in order to get what she wants. Her ruthlessness sets off a train of events which has a ripple over the lives of many people. This is a character that I can’t find it in myself to like no matter how much I try.
Is this Love? starts with Claudine Beecham dumping our male lead Theo who is frankly rather relieved when he gets over his initial shock but yet a few days later she worms her way back into his life. Claudine is a cold woman, who is driven by materialistic values. Theo against his better judgement gets back with her, convincing himself that he can make it work, even if he can’t convince the people around him. Eventually, Theo realises that not only can he not cope with the relationship but he actually can’t stand the woman but before he can make a break she springs a shock on him that changes his life. But her deception doesn’t stop there, and her lies almost destroy Theo.
Check out this short excerpt from Theo’s perspective:
When Claudine arrived, I took her straight to my room to guard my privacy. That was my second mistake of the night and as I was about to discover, mistakes, like everything else, come in threes. Claudine greeted me with a hug.
“I’ve missed you terribly,” she crooned into my ear in a crude attempt at seductiveness.
I pulled back, “It’s only been a weekend.”
“Enough time for you to hook up with a tart,” Claudine bit out; her tone dripping acid.
I rushed to Gemma’s defence, “She’s not a tart but I fail to see what business it is of yours.”
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean that, I’m just jealous.”
What is going on here?
“Theo, I made the biggest mistake of my life.”
I regarded at this woman who I’d spent the last two years with. I did still retain a soupçon of affection for her. She threw herself into my arms, clinging to me with tears in her eyes. Vulnerable and whispering “I love you Theo.” I still had no intention of changing my mind. Her lips pressed against a sensitive area on my neck, which never failed to elicit a response. She rubbed her warm, soft body against me and God help me, but I’m a man and my body responded automatically. My third mistake was only recognised as such when two sated, sweat-soaked bodies pulled apart to lie back. It was then that my brain kicked in, pissed off at the malfunction created when my cock had pressed the override button, which could have averted this disaster.
She clung to me like an octopus, arms thrown over my naked chest, legs wound around mine, anchoring me in place.
“Thank you for giving me another chance,” she purred and gave me with her most dazzling smile.
Tell her! The voice screamed inside my head. How can he? How about this? ‘Claudine, the sex was good but…or better still, sex was mediocre but it doesn’t mean we’re back on.’ See how easy that was?
I couldn’t be so callous. No doubt Jake and Cass would despair of me, sometimes I despaired of myself. I had no choice. I had to forget about sex with the gorgeous blonde with legs that went on forever and just get on with things as they were.
Thus began my fourth mistake and as they go in threes, it was reasonable to expect two more.
Click here to pick up a copy of Is this Love?
Do you want a sneak peek at Claudine’s profile?
Birthday: 2nd September 1971
Height: 5ft 2inches
Weight: 10st 7lbs
Hair: Brown bob
Eyes: Brown
Distinguishing features: Long elegant nose, full pouty lips, high forehead
Work experience: Bank Clerk.
House he grew up in: Modest cottage, some would see it as charming but she saw it as cramped and poky.
House he lives in now: Open-plan luxury flat
Hobbies: Reading, going for coffees and lunches with her friends and beauty treatments.
The car he drives: Doesn’t drive
Best Friend: Caroline
Partner/Wife: Dating Theo – but its complicated.
Who would I want to play her if it were made into a film: Dawn Acton (Used to play Tracy Barlow in Corrie)
Click here to pick up a copy of Is this Love?
Maria Gibbs 